Bilbao and San Sebastián with Chef Andoni

Ongietorri! Welcome to Basque country, one of the world’s most ancient cultures, and home to more Michelin stars than any other region of the world. We’ll arrive in Bilbao and check into our hotel overlooking the Ría de Nervión and the sweeping structure of the Guggenheim Museum. We’ll take in the city with a gentle cruise along the river and see the scenery and architecture strike a balance between historic and contemporary—what’s known here and abroad as the “Bilbao effect.”

In the evening, we’ll embark on a txikiteo, or epic pintxo crawl in search of the best of the region’s world-famous, toothpick-skewered tapas. Our route will be curated by Chef Josean Alija, featuring his favorite bars. We’ll sample a classic Gilda (salted anchovies, green olives, pickled peppers) and try figs stuffed with foie gras. Pintxos in one hand and a glass of crisp cider just pulled from the tap in the other, we’ll perch cozily at little standing tables before moving on to the next venue (and the next, and the next).

Even if you’ve never heard of the Guggenheim, you’d recognize it instantly. In the morning, we’ll enjoy and exclusive insider’s tour of the iconic Frank Gehry-designed museum. Viewing everything from Rothko to Warhol, we’ll even visit areas generally off-limits to the public. After getting our fill on art and culture, we’ll enjoy lunch on the museum restaurant’s private terrace. This is Chef Alija’s Nerua – yes, a Michelin-starred restaurant in a museum – where we’ll enjoy pre-lunch cocktails and canapés, followed by a kitchen tour by the chef himself.

This afternoon, it’s time to see Bilbao like a local. Through our guided walking tour, we’ll visit the Abandolbarre neighborhood as well as Casco Viejo. Meander along the narrow streets, through open-air markets and sample some of the best food Europe has to offer.

This morning, we’ll rise for the day’s pilgrimage. Starting at Zarautz Beach, our hike along the legendary Camino de Santiago will take us into the hills to the Santa Barbara Hermitage and past beautiful mountain meadows. It will be the perfect end to our time in Bilbao, and reflect on the amazing things we’ve done and seen before continuing to San Sebastián.

En route, we’ll stop at the famed Txakoli Vineyard for some afternoon wine tasting and lunch. Through Txakoli is Basque for “cottage wine,” it is anything but humble. In San Sebastián, we’ll see how many Michelin stars we can fit in one trip. Dinner tonight is at Arzak, where traditional Basque flavors are transformed with modern gastronomic techniques.

The morning is ours to relax or explore San Sebastián. After lunch, we take a short ride out of town, through shimmering green, rolling hills, to a sprawling museum and sculpture park devoted to renowned local artist Eduardo Chillida. His monumental abstract works, cast in iron, wood, and steel, pay homage to the region’s landscape and “black light.” A member of the Chillida family takes us on a private tour of the whimsical and interactive sculpture park, and we’ll take in the spectacular views of San Sebastián from above.

Back in town, we’ll meet up with Chef Andoni at Mugaritz, literally one of the world’s most heralded restaurants. We’ll whet our appetites by touring the restaurant kitchen and participating in a brainstorming session with Andoni and Jon Ezeiza, his director of research, who will share with us the restaurant’s unique vision: connecting food with science, art, memory, sustainability, and the seasons. And then, we’ll experience the magic for ourselves, enjoying a specially curated dinner built around an exclusive tasting menu prepared just for us.

To market, to market! This morning we’ll take a short drive past sheep grazing alongside emerald lakes to the small hilltop town of Tolosa, where marketgoers have shop for local delicacies like live snails, alubias (beans traditionally served with blood sausage), picked green peppers and smoky Idiazabal cheese, which can still be purchased straight from the shepherds.

Next we meet Slow Food Presidium producer Pello Urdapilleta at his 18th-century family farmhouse nearby. Pello, an engineer by training, has dedicated his life to raising the region’s last remaining heritage pig breed, Euskal Txerria. We’ll visit the chestnut- and acorn-laden hillsides where Pello’s pigs, with their signature long floppy ears, happily roam. We’ll enjoy a long, leisurely lunch with the local farmers, feasting on rustic dishes including, of course, their sublime cured ham.

After an afternoon walk down county lanes shimmering of emerald-green moss and lichen, we’ll return to town for an evening of cooking and camaraderie at Gatzeltubide, a famous txoko (private gastronomic society). Andoni, an honored member, will be our host.

Alas, our time together has come to an end. After breakfast or maybe and a farewell morning stroll (and of course just one more mad dash for a final pintxo – no judgement!), we’ll bid farewell to San Sebastián.