Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen is introducing a brand-new tour of North East Spain in May 2025, incorporating the ‘best of the best’ wine and food from this beautiful region, visiting three vineyards and a cider farm along the way. Joining a Basque dining society and making your own Pintxo are just some of the highlights of this tour which starts in Madrid and wends its way north east through the less-explored gastronomic enclaves of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Getaria.
The week-long Best Ever Food and Wine Tour of North East Spain (departing 21 May 2025) begins in the bustling centre of Madrid with dinner and overnight at the historic Only You Atocha, just a few minutes’ walk from the central area and train station. Dinner is at the rooftop Sép7ima restaurant which has some of the best views of the city.
Next morning the party heads by train to Zaragoza, one of Spain’s most underrated regional capitals, known for its lively bar and tapas scene and the birthplace of the celebrated artist Goya. Two nights are spent at the Catalonia El Pilar hotel, from where there are daily excursions including a market tour and cooking class, a pintxo tour, visit to a winery in the exulted D.O.P. Cariñena region – a 32-square mile area famed for making reds redolent of red berry, smoked meat and baking spices – and lunch here in the delightful surrounding countryside.
The group then travels north into beautiful Pamplona, with its historic old city known as casco antiguo, where guests enjoy a cultural tour, visit the bullring and learn a little of the infamous bull run. There is a visit to an olive farm, the vegetable gardens (mejanas) of Tudela and the party is invited to join a Txoko (a Basque dining society). There is a Pintxo cooking class with dinner, while the accommodation for two nights is at the Gran Hotel La Perla, a five-star boutique hotel in Pamplona’s Plaza del Castillo.
Transfer on to the picturesque harbour town of Getaria for the final three nights staying at the historic Saiaz Hotel, with sweeping sea views. This under-the-radar destination is home to Spain’s most celebrated sailor, Jan Sebastian Elcano, and the fashion designer Balenciaga with a dedicated museum just a hop, skip and a jump from the hotel. The gourmet delights that await include becoming a winemaker for the day at the Otazu Winery in D.O. Navarra, and a Michelin star lunch at Elkano restaurant, a culinary temple of wood-fired cooking. More unusual experiences include a visit to an anchovy factory, and seeing cider made using a traditional wooden press.
Price: from €4,500pp based on 2 sharing (or € 5,150 for single occupancy) including 8 nights’ B&B accommodation, 7 lunches and 6 dinners, all transport between locations, activities and cities, and guiding throughout. Max group size 14.
Transfers on arrival into Madrid are not included. It is easy to catch a taxi or take the bus to the Atocha hotel—a 16-minute cab ride. Guests will be dropped at Bilbao airport by noon on the final departure day.
For more information on Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen,
visit anniebspain.com or call +34 620 560 649