Beautiful Basque Country: San Sebastian & Bilbao

We meet the Tour Manager and fellow travellers this morning at London St Pancras, ready to board the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling in spacious Plus class, we are served a light meal at our seats. From Paris, we continue by First Class rail to the coastal French town of Hendaye, situated on a scenic estuary which marks the Spanish border. Arriving in the early evening, we're met by a coach to take us over the border to Hondarribia, where we spend the next seven nights.

Our landmark hotel is the four-star Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th century castle which overlooks the cobblestoned Plaza de Armas, the main square of the Old Town, and beyond to the Cantabrian Sea. Below us is the attractive La Marina neighbourhood, with pedestrianised avenues lined by traditional Basque houses sporting brightly painted shutters and balconies overflowing with geraniums. La Marina has a lively but laid-back atmosphere with a great mix of restaurants serving high quality cuisine.

• Eurostar Light Meal

Driving to San Sebastián after breakfast, we arrive in this coastal city overlooking La Concha Bay. Formerly famed as a glamorous seaside resort, today it's regarded as the culinary capital of Spain, celebrated for its pintxos. Indulging in this Basque interpretation of tapas is so much a part of the local culture, it even has its own name - 'El Txikiteo' - a tradition which involves socialising while snacking. After a guided walking tour of the city's sights, we sample pintxos for ourselves over lunch.

Afterwards, your afternoon is free to soak up the atmosphere of San Sebastián. With the golden beach close by, you might enjoy a dip in the sea or take a boat trip out to the nearby island of Santa Clara. To learn about San Sebastián's heritage, visit the San Telmo Museum in the Old Town, which is dedicated to Basque culture and history.

We return to Hondarribia in the afternoon, where this evening is free to spend as you wish.

• Breakfast, Lunch

After a leisurely morning, we transfer by coach across the border to the French fishing port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where you're at leisure to look around and maybe walk along the seafront promenade. This charming resort has a beautiful bay, colourful houses and highly rated cuisine, which you could try over lunch.

This afternoon brings two highlights. First, we board the Petit Train de La Rhune for a journey to the summit of La Rhune, the symbolic mountain of the Basque Country. From our vintage carriages, we enjoy panoramic views across the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. At certain times of the year, we may spot the semi-feral ponies named 'pottok' who graze here.

After our descent, we drive to an artisanal cider house and restaurant. Here, a tour introduces us to traditional cider production before we enjoy an authentic Basque four-course meal. This includes a variety of apple-based drinks and condiments with rustic appetisers of chorizo, tortilla with cod and potatoes, chargrilled prime ribs, rounded off with sheep's cheese, nuts, Basque cake and apple brandies - all produced on site.

• Breakfast, Dinner

You're at leisure today to get to know our base of Hondarribia better. Considered to be one of the most beautiful settlements in the Basque Country, this colourful fishing village has plenty to offer. As you may have noticed, there's a characterful blend of French and Spanish Basque influences in its architecture, cuisine and culture.

The best way to explore is to walk through the well-preserved Old Town, signposted as the Casco Antiguo, from the Santa Maria Gate to the San Nicolas Gate of the fortified walls. Here, you'll discover its main medieval street, with a mix of churches, traditional Basque-style houses and Baroque buildings which have stood for centuries.

This evening, you could visit one of the pintxos bars to sample delicious flavours and a glass of local wine. Although much smaller than San Sebastián, the town has an excellent reputation for cuisine and - with at least one Michelin starred restaurant - attracts many aspiring chefs who gain valuable experience here. Wander through the Old Town or down to La Marina to find a variety of restaurants offering typical Basque dishes.

• Breakfast

This morning, we drive to the creative heart of the Basque Country, Bilbao, where our destination is the avant-garde Guggenheim Museum.

With its curvy, titanium-clad exterior designed by Frank Gehry, it has become one of the world's most recognisable buildings. With entry to this contemporary gallery included, you can admire works by artists including Jeff Koons and Louise Bourgeois at leisure. Afterwards, you're free to explore Bilbao independently. Cross the bridge to the Old Town where you'll find many restaurants or cafés with tempting pintxos or fresh seafood for lunch. On your way, you could stop at the pretty Arenal Gardens, view the Baroque opera house or look around Bilbao's cathedral. Alternatively, walk down to La Ribera market on the riverside.

Another option is to ride to the top of Mount Artxanda by funicular railway or take a boat ride along the Ría de Bilbao. Other modern buildings to see in Bilbao include the Alhóndiga Centre, an innovative renovation of a former wine cellar by French architect, Phillippe Starck. We return to Hondarribia for an evening at leisure.

• Breakfast

Today promises to be a highlight of your holiday as we set out by coach after breakfast.

Our first destination is medieval Laguardia, a hilltop village and the gateway to the winelands. There's free time to explore its attractive streets and admire its mountain backdrop. Later, we enjoy a guided wine tasting in a cellar beneath the Palace of the Samaniegos, where 18th-century writer Félix María de Samaniego was inspired to write his fabulist fiction. Our day in the Rioja winelands continues as we drive into the surrounding countryside for lunch. At a modern winery housed in a glass-fronted building, we soak up beautiful views of the Rioja Valley and Cantabrian hills over a lunch creatively paired with delicious local Rioja.

We return to our hotel in Hondarribia at the end of the afternoon. With the evening at leisure, there's time to relax and revisit your favourite spot in the Casco Antiguo or La Marina neighbourhood.

• Breakfast, Lunch

With another opportunity to explore as you choose, you might like to walk along the Hondarribia seafront promenade.

Starting from the marina, follow the Butrón Boardwalk along the waterside for wonderful views of the estuary across to Hendaye, on the opposite bank of the Bidasoa River. The Bay Path, or Camino de la Bahia, is a trail of around eight miles that spans the waterfront between Hendaye's beach and Hondarribia's lighthouse. Hondarribia has an inviting sandy beach, where you could swim or relax on a sunbed with a book. If you'd like to venture further, there's both a ferry and a bus service from Hondarribia to Hendaye, where there are direct trains to French Basque towns such as Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz.

This evening, we regroup and head to a charming restaurant in Hondarribia to enjoy our final dinner together as a group.

• Breakfast, Dinner

From the idyllic setting of our hotel in Hondarribia to the cultural cities of San Sebastián and Bilbao, our time in the Basque Country has revealed picture-perfect scenery and renowned food and drink. A journey on the vintage Le Petit Train de la Rhune provided spectacular views of mountains and sea, while the Guggenheim Museum allowed us to embrace the world of contemporary art. Famed for its gastronomy, we immersed ourselves in Basque pintxos culture, savoured tastings of Rioja wine and dined at a French cider house.

We bid farewell to the Basque Country after breakfast today, transferring by coach to Hendaye for our First Class rail journey to Paris. Here, we change trains to join the Eurostar in spacious Plus class, with a light meal served at our seats before we arrive at London St Pancras this evening.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal