Spain

To get a full refund, cancellation must be no less than 8 days before the local start time of the experience.

If traveler cancels their booking from 7 to 0 days before the local start time of the experience, no refund is provided.

You leave San Sebastián by private transport and drive west toward the coast, where the Basque Country’s food culture begins in daily routines. In Zarautz, you walk through the local market as residents shop for fish landed that morning, seasonal vegetables, and cured meats that anchor home cooking. Your host explains how people here buy food day by day, and why seasonality matters.

From the coast, you head inland to the hills where txakoli vineyards cling to steep, terraced slopes. At a small, family-run winery, you see how this lightly sparkling white wine is made from native grapes shaped by Atlantic weather. The tasting is informal and direct, focused on method, land, and continuity.

The day ends at a traditional cider house. You stand at the barrel for the txotx ritual, catching cider as it’s poured, then sit down to a classic meal: cod omelet, grilled steak, and Idiazabal cheese with quince and walnuts. It’s a long lunch, taken the Basque way — unhurried and communal.

This experience follows the everyday food economy of the Basque Country. It is a cultural exploration expressed through the region’s most emblematic cuisine, wine, and cider.

Txakoli (pronounced cha-ko-lee) is a white wine that embodies the maritime and mountain character of the Basque Country and sits at the center of this experience. Made for centuries from indigenous grapes, it reflects the meeting of Atlantic weather and steep terrain. Traditionally served young and poured from a height to aerate it, txakoli evolved to accompany local food. The winery you visit is hand-picked for its artisanship and quality — a family-run estate, well away from mass tourism.

Cider, or sagardoa, carries an equally deep history. Present in Basque rural and maritime life since at least the 11th century, it anchors a social ritual built around shared tables and long meals. The txotx remains a living custom — binding food, drink, and hospitality into a single cultural expression.

In private transport from San Sebastián, you’ll head to the nearby coastal town of Zarautz and visit the Mercado de Zarautz, its lively local food market. You’ll walk among stalls filled with fresh fish, seasonal vegetables, and cured meats, learning how Basque people shop day by day, why seasonality matters, and which ingredients define the region’s home cooking.

You’ll then continue into the surrounding hills to visit a family-run txakoli winery for a guided tasting. Here, you’ll see how this lightly sparkling white wine is produced from native grapes grown on terraced vineyards, and gain insight into the care and tradition behind one of the Basque Country’s most characteristic wines.

Starting in Zarautz offers a grounded introduction to everyday Basque life—something many visitors never encounter beyond restaurants. The market visit provides context for how food culture begins at the source, shaped by proximity to the sea and local rhythms.

Txakoli may be less internationally known than wines from Rioja, but it reveals a distinct side of Basque viticulture. Visiting a small, family-run winery allows you to learn directly about production methods, viniculture, and the family stories behind the wine—insight that’s rarely accessible without local connections and guidance.

Stop 1 from San Sebastián: Basque food & wine at Zarautz market and a family-run txakoli winery.

Zarautz and a Txakoli Winery

The last part of your day will take place at a traditional cider house. Here, you will experience the Txotx ritual, which involves tasting natural cider directly from the barrel. You’ll also enjoy a typical Basque lunch, during which you’ll savor a classic menu of cod omelet, grilled steak, and Idiazabal cheese with quince and walnuts.

Cider has been an important drink in Basque culture for centuries. During the Age of Exploration, Basque sailors and whalers carried barrels of cider on long sea voyages from ports like San Sebastián and Pasajes. Its high vitamin C content helped prevent scurvy, making it essential on expeditions to Newfoundland and the Arctic.

Today, Basque cider is a protected regional product with an official Denomination of Origin (Sagardoa Euskal Sagardoa), established in 2016. Producers blend traditional techniques with modern quality standards, emphasizing natural fermentation and authentic flavor.

Basque cider house near San Sebastián: txotx ritual, barrel tasting, and classic communal lunch.

Traditional Cider House

Basque Country Day Trip from San Sebastián: Food Market, Txakoli Winery, Cider House, Regional Meal.

Applies when fewer than the minimum participants book.
This ensures the experience runs at its required minimum price.

Eating the Basque Way

Private full-day culinary and cultural exploration of the Basque countryside.

Guided visit to local food market with tastings of seasonal regional products.

Private visit to family-run Txakoli winery, including vineyard walk and wine tasting.

Visit to traditional Basque cider house, introduction to Txotx! ritual, cider tasting, and classic cider-house lunch.

Professional local guide and private transportation throughout the day.

** This tour is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

The weather in this part of the world can be temperamental, so keep an eye on the weather forecast. 


Pick-up from your accommodation in San Sebastian. Please provide your accommodation details.

Ania is a passionate experience maker who has lived across Europe and the Americas and has called San Sebastián home for over a decade. She works with a small, trusted team of local guides and food and drink experts who craft exceptional experiences rooted in the region’s gastronomy, nature, and Basque culture. 

Your host will be confirmed ahead of your experience.