You will fly to Bilbao airport and transfer to the City Center

Check-in at the 5*  Hotel Meliá Bilbao
The 5* Hotel Meliá Bilbao is the most modern hotel and an impressive landmark in Bilbao.The Meliá Bilbao is set 300 m from the Guggenheim Museum and features a design inspired by sculptor Eduardo Chillida. You can walk to the Guggenheim Museum in less than 10 minutes. Each luxurious room at this Hotel has a flat-screen TV and a pillow menu. Bathrooms have stylish marble floors with their own adjustable heating system. Depending on the actual Covid-situation the SPA area invites to relax.

We start with a  glass of Welcome Wine

City Walk with local guide Bilbao is not only the Guggenheim museum, but this institution brought art and its lovers to the north coast city, and started an urban relaunch in which its industrial past was overlaid with fluttering palms, promenades and a proliferation of wonky, asymmetric, eye-popping glass and steel buildings by many of the world’s best architects – Norman Foster, Philippe Starck, Santiago Calatrava and Arata Isozaki among them. Thankfully, Bilbao’s old Basque soul remains intact. The additions enhance the old city, and tourism hasn’t disrupted the enviable lifestyle of its inhabitants

Relax time/Gym time

Dinner@QUATRE – This restaurant offers dishes inspired by Spanish and European cuisine.

Transfer to Bodegas Ysios – Ysios winemaker Roberto Vicente believes in doing things differently, by looking deeper, going further and taking care over the small details to craft wines that are honest expressions of the terroir. He looks to the future with bold confidence, preserving with utmost respect the region’s heritage in winemaking. Cellar tour and wine tasting

Lunch in a restaurenat near Laguardia.

Transfer to the winery Remirez de Ganuza – Fernándo Remírez de Ganuza is one of the big characters in Rioja. A former Rioja wine broker, he set up his eponymous bodega in 1989, using his contacts and knowledge to invest in 70 hectares of the best possible vineyards in the Rioja Alavesa: Samaniego, Leza, Elciego and Laguardia. In Remirez de Ganuza, they have fifty hectares, with Tempranillo (90%) and Graciano (10%), situated in truly privileged enclaves of the Alaves vineyards. His philosophy inclines towards modernism with 80% French and 20% American oak, all new, used to age his wines, which are now justly celebrated throughout the world. Two range of wines are produced. The flagship wine is the Remírez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva with a yellow label (highly acclaimed in the US market). –

Cultural program – discovering Laguardia with a local guide Laguardia is the most important town in the Rioja region, and one of the most beautiful too. And it is one of the most perfectly preserved medieval villages in Spain. It is also located right in the wine country and is the perfect base for our wine tour of Rioja, one of Spain’s most well-known wine regions. Laguardia is a medieval hill hamlet (called “villa” in Spanish), reminiscent of Tuscan hilltop villages. It is surrounded by an ancient wall and has a delightful jumble of cobble-stoned streets lined with “Tabernas”, wine shops, palaces, and cafes. Laguardia was founded in the year 1164 by King Sancho Abarca, and the spectacularly preserved wall dates back to the 15th century. The entire village became protected as Patrimony of Spain in 1964. The name “Laguardia” originates from “La Guardia de Navarra”, the “Guard” of Navarra, referring to its strategic importance in the kingdom of Navarre.

Diner in the restaurant Restaurant DE LOS PARAJES – ‘“Real food, no frills” – The best product cooked simply.

Solar de Samaniego Winery – In 1972, a family business with long-established roots in the Rioja, decided to go back to its origins and founded Bodegas Alavesas at the foot of the medieval walls of Laguardia. Today, 38 years after its foundation, the Solar de Samaniego Group continues under the sole ownership of the family that founded the business. The trademark Solar de Samaniego derives its name from the La Escobosa estate, one of the most historic estates in this region. Documents indicate that vineyards were already cultivated on this land as far back as 1591. In the 18th-century, the stately home that stands within this estate belonged to the famous writer of fables Félix Maria Samaniego whose work was probably inspired by these surroundings.  We will visit the cellar, taste the wines and will enjoy a light Lunch

Transfer to Bilbao – Check in
Check in in the 4* Occidental Hotel – Located next to the Basilica de Begoña, Occidental Bilbao offers stylish air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi. Decorated in light colours, the rooms have a flat-screen satellite TV, a desk and an electronic safe. They all have a tea and coffee maker. The modern bathrooms also feature toiletries and a hairdryer. The Occidental Hotel has also a seasonal outdoor swimming pool. Bilbao Old Town and Etxebarria Park are a 15-minute walk away.

Relax Time or Sport Time
Dinner in the 1*Michelin Zortziko Restaurant – One of Bilbao’s leading gastronomic icons which opened its doors in 1989 and continues to impress and surprise guests in equal measure with its rare classic elegance. Owner – chef Daniel García sees his cuisine as an exploratory journey back to the roots of Vizcayan cuisine, while adjusting flavours in line with modern tastes and seasonality.