Northern Spain for Food Lovers

Madrid: Literary Streets & Old-World Flavours

Your adventure begins in Madrid, staying within easy walking distance of Plaza Mayor and the historic heart of the city. Start your day by heading out on foot towards the Barrio de las Letras, the old literary quarter where the words of Spain’s great writers adorn elegant facades.

On the way you might stop at a traditional market like Mercado de Antón Martín to graze your way through local cheeses, cured meats, olives and a glass of Spanish wine. It is an immediate immersion into everyday life, surrounded by Madrileños doing their shopping, snacking and chatting at the counters.

There is time to balance the bustle with a pause in El Retiro park or a long, late lunch in one of Madrid’s classic restaurants. Think slow roasted suckling pig in a centuries-old dining room or hearty stews and traditional Asturian dishes served in a cosy, wood panelled space. As evening falls, flamenco at an atmospheric tablao adds a cultural flourish, complete with tapas and wine as dancers and musicians bring the passion of southern Spain to the capital.

Tasting the Capital: Tapas, Markets & Museums

Your first full day in Madrid is designed to help you really connect with the city. Breakfast in a local café sets the tone, then a private guided walking tour introduces you to the main sights. Grand plazas, royal palaces and stately boulevards come to life as your guide shares stories and insider tips for the rest of your stay.

The afternoon is yours to follow your interests. Art lovers can explore icons like the Prado or Reina Sofía, while others might wander towards the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral. Along the way, there are more gourmet markets to discover, where you can taste regional wines, craft beers and small plates from across Spain in a lively, yet laid back atmosphere.

In the evening, you head to Calle Cava Baja, Madrid’s legendary tapas street. Dinner becomes a delicious “tapeo” experience: drifting from bar to bar, ordering the house speciality and a small glass of wine in each. One place might be known for its croquetas, another for tortilla, another for prawns sizzling in garlic or slow cooked oxtail. The joy is in the variety and the spontaneity of your evening.

A full day wine tour into Ribera del Duero also features as part of your Madrid stay. You travel out of the city to visit a selection of wineries, where tastings are paired with tapas and you learn how local terroir shapes these celebrated reds. A stop in the historic town of Segovia, with its ancient streets and impressive Roman aqueduct, adds a touch of fairytale charm before you return to Madrid in time for a relaxed evening meal.

By Rail to the Basque Coast

Leaving Madrid behind, travel by train from Chamartín station to San Sebastian, watching the scenery shift towards the greener hills and rugged coastline of the north.

San Sebastian is a city made for walking. Within a short stroll you reach the old town and its famous pintxos bars. This is Basque cuisine at its most joyful: delicate bites of seafood, slow cooked meats, local cheeses and seasonal vegetables arranged on the bar like tiny works of art. You eat standing at high tables, choosing whatever looks irresistible, and wash it all down with txakoli, the slightly spritzy local white wine, or a glass of robust red.

San Sebastian & Bilbao: Sea Air, Art & Pintxos

The next day begins at a local café or with a generous hotel breakfast before a guided walking tour of San Sebastian. You wander along the river and bay, through elegant squares and into the old quarter, hearing how this once modest seaside town became one of Europe’s gastronomic capitals.

At midday, a private transfer takes you along the coast to Bilbao, delivering you to the gleaming curves of the Guggenheim Museum. Here you can explore contemporary art or simply admire the architecture and riverside setting. Bilbao’s compact centre is perfect for a relaxed afternoon of wandering, with time to seek out a few bars for modern Basque dishes and small plates before your return transfer to San Sebastian in the evening.

A more leisurely day follows, with suggestions that let you set the pace. Perhaps you start at a local market to watch chefs and home cooks choosing the freshest fish, meats and vegetables for the day, or you take the funicular up Monte Igueldo for sweeping views over La Concha Bay. Late morning, you are collected for a cider house experience in nearby Astigarraga.

In this small village, cider is woven into the fabric of daily life. You visit a traditional sagardotegi to learn how cider has been made in Basque farmhouses for generations, from apple orchard to barrel. Lunch is a generous three course affair of classic cider house dishes, served family style and accompanied by cider poured directly from massive wooden barrels. It is rustic, convivial and wonderfully authentic.

La Rioja: Pilgrims & Iconic Bodegas

From the coast you head inland to Logroño, a charming town in the heart of the Rioja wine region and an important stopping point on the Camino de Santiago. Your hotel is a characterful historic building in the old town, perfectly placed for exploring on foot.

There is time to wander the pedestrianised streets, step into churches and squares, perhaps visit a local museum or simply sit at a café watching pilgrims drift through town. As evening arrives, Calle Laurel comes alive with a different kind of pilgrimage: locals and visitors alike moving from one pintxos bar to another. Here the atmosphere is a little quieter and more intimate than in San Sebastian, with wonderful opportunities to taste traditional Basque dishes and Rioja wines by the glass in bars that cater mostly to locals.

The following day is dedicated to exploring La Rioja’s vineyards. After breakfast, a private tour takes you to two leading wineries, including the instantly recognisable Marqués de Riscal, whose avant garde design has become an icon of Spanish wine country. You enjoy cellar tours, guided tastings and a light lunch, learning about the region’s winemaking traditions and innovations.

A visit to the medieval hilltop village of Laguardia completes the experience. Its narrow lanes and honey coloured stone buildings sit above a network of underground wine cellars, some of which you can visit for further tastings. It is a chance to appreciate how deeply wine is rooted in the history and identity of this region.

A Gentle Farewell in Madrid

Your final day in Logroño allows a little more free time: perhaps a stroll across the river to a nearby bodega, a short taxi ride to Haro with its cluster of station side wineries, or simply one last leisurely lunch on a sunny terrace.

In the late afternoon you return to Madrid by train for your final night. The next morning if you are departing on a Sunday, after a nearby brunch or coffee and pastries, you head to El Rastro, the city’s famous Sunday market. Here antiques, books, vintage treasures and street food stalls create a lively finale to your journey. It is the perfect place for a last glass of wine, one more tapa and a final chance to soak up Madrid’s infectious energy before you travel to the airport for your flight home.

This ten day journey through Madrid, Segovia, San Sebastian, Astigarraga, Bilbao, Logroño and Laguardia is crafted for food and wine lovers who want more than just to eat well. It is about meeting producers, tasting regional specialities where they were created and savouring the stories, landscapes and people that make northern Spain such a rich and rewarding destination.