Spain
10-Day Private Food & Wine Tour of Northern Spain
“We love to tailor-make once-in-a-lifetime trips with our local relationships & story-worthy experiences.” – Magical’s American founder, 20-year Europe resident, culinary enthusiast & world traveler.
Itinerary Highlights
Taste Txakoli in the Basque Country, Rioja wines in Laguardia, and Ribera del Duero reds at family-run wineries
Visit Valle Salado de Añana, one of the world’s oldest still-active salt landscapes
Explore the Guggenheim Bilbao and San Sebastián’s pintxos bars on a privately guided visit
Walk the historic quarters of San Sebastián and Segovia
Savor cochinillo at Mesón de Cándido, beside Segovia’s 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct
See Peñafiel Castle above the Castilian vineyards
Your private luxury trip is tailored to you from €10,976 person
.
Magical is an award-winning, American-led travel agency since 2002
Couples, families & private groups — all in good hands
Your itinerary, tailor-made by destination experts
Your own private guide, vehicle & pace — always
Curated hotels & genuine insider experiences
Peace of mind with 24/7 in-country support
98.5% five-star reviews · 15,000+ travelers since 2002
Use our itinerary to inspire your expert-tailored dream trip!
Itinerary
Day One
Private Arrival, Royal Palace, and the Prado
A driver is waiting at Madrid-Barajas when you land and brings you to the hotel. Once settled, your private official guide introduces the capital through two of its defining institutions. In 1561, Philip II made Madrid the seat of the Spanish court, transforming a modest Castilian town into the political center of a global empire. The Royal Palace makes that decision legible. Built for ceremony and still used for diplomatic receptions today, its decorated rooms and grand staircases make the history feel immediate. At the Prado, opened in 1819, the focus shifts from royal power to royal patronage. Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Titian, and Rubens stand at the center of a collection shaped over generations by the Spanish monarchy. With your guide, the visit is shaped around the works most worth your time.
Day Two
Life Inside the Walls
A private driver brings you from Madrid to Toledo in under an hour. This version of the city is approached through its religious and civic life, beginning at the Primate Cathedral, one of the great Gothic buildings of Spain, built on ground that had already held both a Visigoth church and a mosque. With your private guide, the visit follows the continuity of worship, patronage, and daily devotion that still marks the old city, from chapels and choir stalls to convent walls and enclosed courtyards. Along the way, smaller details give Toledo its particular texture, including marzipan still sold through convent windows. Here, the cathedral and the convents are not background monuments, but part of the structure that still defines historic Toledo.
Day Three
Bilbao: Guggenheim, Old Town, and Pintxos
Your private driver takes you to the airport for the short flight to Bilbao, where the green landscapes of the Basque Country replace the Castilian plateau in under an hour. On arrival, your driver brings you to the hotel for check-in. Your private guide then introduces the city through the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Frank Gehry’s titanium landmark on the Nervión River. Opened in 1997, it remains one of the clearest symbols of Bilbao’s transformation. Outside stand Jeff Koons’ Puppy and Louise Bourgeois’ Maman; inside, the museum’s contemporary collection includes major large-scale installations such as Richard Serra’s The Matter of Time. The Casco Viejo, Bilbao’s medieval old town, is where Plaza Nueva, the Cathedral of Santiago, and generations-old pintxos bars still define the heart of the city. With your guide, the walk continues from bar to bar through the old quarter, in a first introduction to pintxos culture.
Day Four
San Sebastián: Private Day Tour from Bilbao
A private driver takes you from Bilbao to San Sebastián in under an hour. La Concha Bay, framed by Mount Urgull and Mount Igueldo, shows why San Sebastián became one of Spain’s most elegant seaside cities. At the western edge of the bay, Eduardo Chillida’s Peine del Viento stands anchored in the rocks where the city meets the sea. Your private guide introduces San Sebastián through its two defining strengths: its food culture and its Old Town. The city’s international culinary reputation is shaped by names such as Arzak, Mugaritz, and Martín Berasategui. Around Fermín Calbetón Street and the surrounding lanes, some of San Sebastián’s most established pintxos bars still define the rhythm of the Old Town. Later, you return to Bilbao by private transfer.
Day Five
Private Day Tour from Bilbao: Txakoli, Añana Salt Valley & Orduña
Your private driver takes you inland from Bilbao into Álava, where vineyards, salt terraces, and historic towns reveal a lesser-known side of the Basque Country. The morning begins at a family winery in the Arabako Txakolina DO, set high above the valley. Away from the standard routes, the visit includes the vines and cellar, followed by a relaxed tasting and a farmhouse lunch built around produce grown on the estate. The denomination is the inland Basque txakoli appellation of Álava, distinct from the better-known coastal areas. Later, continue to the Añana Salt Valley, one of the oldest active salt production landscapes in the world, with more than 7,000 years of documented history. Wooden channels, terraced pools, and natural brine springs still define the site today. Your final stop is Orduña, a historic town below the mountain pass, where the old frontier with Castile still helps explain the character of the place. Later, you return to Bilbao by private transfer.
Day Six
Laguardia: Private Rioja Wine Day
The day begins with a private drive from Bilbao into Rioja Alavesa, where vineyards spread beneath the Sierra de Cantabria. The day includes visits to two contrasting wineries, one small and family run, the other more established, offering insight into the vineyard, the cellar, and the aging process before a guided tasting of Rioja wines. In Laguardia, your private guide leads you through this medieval hill town, where stone walls and cobbled streets still shape the old quarter. One of its most distinctive features lies underground: a network of historic cellars and wine caves running beneath the town. Afterward, enjoy lunch in Laguardia with local wines. The day ends here, where you stay overnight in the heart of Rioja Alavesa.
Day Seven
Peñafiel: Castle, Stone, and Ribera del Duero
Leaving La Rioja behind, the journey continues south into Ribera del Duero, where the meseta opens into vineyard country and the character of Castile begins to take hold. Along the way, the day includes visits to local wineries, with time to understand how Ribera del Duero’s continental climate and Tempranillo-based wines give the region a profile distinct from Rioja. Lunch is lechazo, roast suckling lamb, the defining dish of this part of Castile, served with wine from the region. Later, in Peñafiel, the castle rises on a narrow ridge above the town, more than 200 meters long and famously ship-shaped. It now houses the Museo Provincial del Vino, a strong introduction to D.O. Ribera del Duero and its wine culture. Below, Plaza del Coso is one of the most distinctive squares in Castile, enclosed by 48 traditional buildings of stone, adobe, and wood with arcaded balconies still used during local festivities. The day ends with an overnight stay in Ribera del Duero.
Day Eight
Ribera del Duero: Old Traditions + New Favorites
Discover the authentic, more rustic wine world of Ribera del Duero. You'll love the vibe of Peñafiel, a small town with a huge castle and centuries-old wineries. Stroll through the vast vineyards and marvel at the beauty of the landscapes. Indulge in award-winning wines and delve into the tradition and art of winemaking. Treat your taste buds to the exquisite flavors of the region's hearty gastronomy. Ribera del Duero awaits you for an unforgettable oenological and culinary journey. Sleep in a historic property and enjoy star spangled night time skies and tranquility.
Day Nine
Segovia: Private Day Tour from Peñafiel
From Peñafiel, the day continues west to Segovia, where Roman engineering, medieval Castile, and royal architecture come together in one of Spain’s most distinctive historic cities. At Plaza del Azoguejo, the Roman aqueduct still dominates the city with its 167 arches, dry-stone construction, and remarkable state of preservation after nearly two thousand years. Together with Segovia’s old town, it forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 1985. Your private guide leads you through the old town, including the Jewish Quarter, the Church of Corpus Christi, and Casa de los Picos, before continuing to the Alcázar and Segovia Cathedral, consecrated in 1768 and recognized as the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. Lunch is served at Mesón de Cándido beside the aqueduct, where cochinillo, Segovia’s signature roast suckling pig, remains one of the city’s defining dishes. In the afternoon, your private driver brings you back to Madrid.
Day Ten
Heading Home
After check-out, your private driver brings you to the airport for your flight home.
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Magical is an award-winning, American-led travel agency since 2002
Couples, families & private groups — all in good hands
Your itinerary, tailor-made by destination experts
Your own private guide, vehicle & pace — always
Curated hotels & genuine insider experiences
Peace of mind with 24/7 in-country support
98.5% five-star reviews · 15,000+ travelers since 2002
Our Unforgettable Trips Are Tailored, Just for You!
Hi! We're Dan & Nuria, and as the owners and operators we believe that whatever your interest, you deserve the tailor-made private trip of your dreams.
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