The Northern Gateway, Self-Drive

The northern regions of Spain are often less spoiled by tourism and less known to foreign visitors, however, the north of Spain boasts some of the most fascinating places in the country - amazing mountainous landscapes to charming beaches, friendly people, top-notch gastronomy and expansive nature preserves. This eight-day tour takes you to some of the finest places to visit in Spain for an incredible northern adventure.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Bilbao: Enjoy this Basque city, seeing the famous Guggenheim Museum and other sights and attractions.

Logroño: Explore the capital of La Rioja and visit this important wine-producing area.

Pamplona: See the capital of Navarre and its neo-classical cathedral.

Day 1: ARRIVAL BILBAO / CAR PICK UP

Collect your car upon arrival at the airport and drive to your first hotel accommodation in Bilbao.

Overnight in Bilbao.

Day 2: BILBAO

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you explore Billbao. Although the capital of the autonomous region of Euskadi - Basque Country - is Vitoria, the port city of Bilbao is, in fact, the largest of the Basque cities. The renewal of this industrial city has been continuous since the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997, with various projects designed by famous architects, including a new tram system, a subway system designed by Sir Norman Foster, a pedestrian bridge, the Zubizuri bridge by Santiago Calatrava, a jagged glass-fronted public health building, and the reconversion under the orders of well-known designer Philippe Starck of a disused warehouse turned into a public multifunction building, the Alhóndiga. Other notable structures include the Iberdrola tower, by Cesar Pelli, Deusto University’s new library by Rafael Moneo and the Paraninfo of the Basque Country University by Alvaro Siza. 

Overnight in Bilbao.

Day 3: BILBAO – PAMPLONA – LOGROÑO (250km – 3hrs)

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Pamplona. . Visit the elegant neo-classical Cathedral of Royal Saint Mary. Walk through the Citadel Park, than follow the route that the bulls run during the San Fermin festival and have a drink at the classy Café Iruña. Continue towards Logroño, the capital of the wine-producing region of La Rioja. 

Overnight in Logroño.

Day 4: LOGROÑO

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Logroño and its monumental legacy walking through the old town. Also we recommend today to explore the wine country of Rioja. Drive to the hilltop town of Laguardia and visit one of the famous bodegas, some of them with the spectacular architecture around Elciego or Haro. 

Overnight in Logroño.

Day 5: LOGROÑO – VITORIA – CAR DROP-OFF / DEPARTURE BILBAO (145km – 2hrs)

After breakfast at your hotel departure towards Vitoria, the capital of the Basque country. It has a medieval city centre in which you will find countless places of that show-off the essence of the city, such as Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and historic buildings like the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Drop off the car in Bilbao. Return procedure and exact designated area will be adviced by rent a car company when you pick up the car on arrival day.

Comfortable and light clothing is the most suitable for travelling in Spain. Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting temples, religious or official buildings. Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent in summer can be very useful during your stay.