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Things to do in La Rioja, Spain

Our most recommended things to do in La Rioja, Spain

From San Sebastian/Bilbao/Vitoria: Rioja Wine Tour w/ lunch

1. From San Sebastian/Bilbao/Vitoria: Rioja Wine Tour w/ lunch

Enjoy a complete winery experience in the famous La Rioja. Be picked up your hotel and drive to La Rioja Alavesa wine area, surrounded by beautiful scenery. Learn how wine is made, explore a beautiful vineyard and take a tour through a bodega. Refine your palette with a wine tasting session, then indulge in a delicious lunch with local produce, desserts and a range of wines carefully selected from the vineyard's cellar. Relax as you are driven back to your accommodation later in the afternoon, gastronomically satisfied and equipped with your newly found connoisseur's knowledge.

La Rioja: Group Winery Tour and Tasting

2. La Rioja: Group Winery Tour and Tasting

Experience La Rioja's wines with this small group tour. Travel to a winery in Alfaro to tour a local winery and try two wines paired with some small dishes. Head to a a winery in Alfaro that has been set up in what was once an old hanger. Be welcomed by your sommelier and guide. Learn about the tradition of winemaking in the area. Gain insight into centuries-old traditions. Follow your around this unique space. Stop to save 2 fine red wines which are complimented by a carefully selected snack. Let the flavors like coconut-scented American oak and the plush red tempranillo grape roll over your tongue. Discover well-aged wines with the best values in the world, when compared with comparably aged wine from France or Italy.

From Bilbao: Vitoria and Rioja Region Tour with Wine Tasting

3. From Bilbao: Vitoria and Rioja Region Tour with Wine Tasting

Explore the capital city of the Basque Country, Vitoria, on a guided tour departing from Bilbao. Then, discover the La Rioja wine region with a visit to the town of Laguardia and a traditional wine cellar. Enjoy tasting regional wines in a charming setting. Start with pickup from your hotel in Bilbao by bus. First, travel to the city of Vitoria where you will take a guided walking tour of its historic center. Learn about its history and modern-day importance as the capital of the Basque Country. Taste a typical sweet of the region at an artisanal sweet shop. Next, travel to the La Rioja region, the heartland of Spain's wine industry. Admire the views of a sea of vineyards set on rolling hills. Stop at the quaint town of Laguardia for a walking tour around the historic quarter. Then, enjoy a guided visit to a traditional winery located in a scenic location. Learn about the production of wine in the region, with tasting included. Afterward, relax on the journey back to Bilbao, with drop-off at your accommodation or hotel.

From Bilbao: Rioja Architecture and Wine Tour

4. From Bilbao: Rioja Architecture and Wine Tour

Discover both the ancient and modern beauty of Bilbao's surrounding towns on an insightful excursion. Visit the Marques de Riscal and Ysios wineries to gaze at the innovative architecture and taste some Rioja wines. Explore the medieval town of LaGuardia and enjoy a traditional pintxos lunch. Depart from Bilbao to tour the Marques de Riscal winery, designed by one of today's leading architects, Franck Gehry. Admire the breathtaking structure made of titanium, stainless steel, wood, and sandstone. Taste their white wine, their Crianza red wine, and their award-winning Rioja Reserva. Move on to the Ysios cellar and observe a structure with many architectural features, such as the roof, meant to resemble the Sierra Cantabria. Enjoy a brief introduction to the winery and their winemaking process, followed by a guided tasting of two of their exceptional wines with an apéritif. Take a walk through the walled medieval city of LaGuardia, one of the most beautiful towns in the Rioja Alavesa region. Look at the fortified walls and winding cobblestone streets surrounded by vineyards and mountains. Finally, enjoy a Riojano lunch of 3 traditional 'pintxos' with Rioja wine.

From Bilbao: Murua Wineries Guided Day Trip

5. From Bilbao: Murua Wineries Guided Day Trip

We will be waiting for you at the main entrance of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, where Puppy will witness your departure to the most beautiful villages of Spain. Places where Laguardia is a mandatory stop. This is precisely where we will stop first. The welcoming door to the Rioja Alavesa with a classic medieval touch in which an intense aroma of wine is released. We will walk through the historic area of Laguardia while we briefly tell you the history of this town and the Rioja Alavesa. We will go up to the Casa de la Primicia, the most outstanding example of medieval and Renaissance architecture that rises above its cobblestone streets. And at the ends of this population you will not miss the churches of Santa Maria de los Reyes and San Juan Bautista. Between steps, and with the best daylight, you can discover how Laguardia is a town full of wineries -not for less because of its location-. On the first floor of many commercial establishments you will see places where delicious wines are made, although your oenological moment will come after the visit to this town, when you arrive at the Murua Masaveu Winery, a few minutes from here. Getting off the bus in front of the manor house in the village of Elciego is like breathing in the smell of 100% Rioja wines. The quality, the treatment of the product and its detailed and careful elaboration result in a delicious product. More than 80 hectares of vineyards will welcome us just before entering the interior of the Bodegas Murua building. A space divided into several areas, which houses works of art from the sixteenth century and contains a library with copies of several centuries ago. And where, of course, you will discover the secrets of winemaking. It will be a great experience to learn about the cult of wine that takes place in some wineries halfway between Laguardia and Briones, where we will go. A short drive will take us to the most beautiful village in the north of La Rioja. Medieval architecture, cobblestone streets and buildings and a square that is the envy of many. But before you start touring this town, how about a break to recharge your batteries? We will give you the best recommendations to taste the best of its local gastronomy. After lunch, we will meet again to visit the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, which presides over Briones and the Plaza de España thanks to the height of its bell tower. From there we will go to the Briones Town Hall in the Casa-Palacio de los Marqueses de San Nicolás to also see the Old Abbey, the Palacio de los Quincoces or the famous Torre del Homenaje (Homage Tower). After visiting Briones we will return to Bilbao after discovering a vision as rural as it is beautiful of the Rioja Alavesa.

From Bilbao: Vitoria and Rioja Day Tour

6. From Bilbao: Vitoria and Rioja Day Tour

The famous Rioja Wine region is a must for wine lovers visiting Spain. Located in the south of the Basque country, you will visit the village of Haro, the unique medieval village of Laguardia. Of course, you will visit a traditional wine cellar for a wine tasting, and a guided walking tour of Vitoria. Follow the highway towards the south, until you arrive at Vitoria, the capital city of the Basque Country, where you will have a panoramic tour through the city. It is considered to be one of the best cities in Spain for quality of life, and is the city in Europe with the most green square meters per inhabitant. You will do a walking tour through the old part of the city where you will see such sights as the old Inn 'el Portalon' from the XV century, the Virgen Blanca square, the Machete square and the Cathedral of Santa Maria among others. After your walking tour, you will head towards the south and arrive finally into the land of Wine, to Rioja.You will stop at Laguardia, a unique medieval village that still keeps the real atmosphere of the old times, with the two churches, the walls, the house shields and the narrow medieval streets among others. You will visit in this village, a traditional underground Rioja wine cellar, carbonic maceration with open pools and do a wine tasting at the end of the visit. Afterwards, there will be free time for lunch and your guide will suggest a selection of recommended local restaurants. Finally you will return directly back to arrive to Bilbao in the evening

From San Sebastian/Bilbao/Vitoria: La Rioja Wineries Tour

7. From San Sebastian/Bilbao/Vitoria: La Rioja Wineries Tour

Explore two beautiful wineries of the La Rioja region from San Sebastian on a guided tour. Enjoy the Rioja wines, walk through the vineyards, and learn about the wine-making process on a guided tour. After being picked up from your accommodation enjoy a drive through the beautiful landscapes. Have a relaxing walk through the vineyards, learning the wine-making process from the grape harvest to the maturation, and finish the experience with Rioja wine tasting in each winery. During the tour, you will also visit a charming medieval village, Laguardia.

From Bilbao: Basque Country 3 Cities 6-Day Coach Tour

8. From Bilbao: Basque Country 3 Cities 6-Day Coach Tour

See the highlights of the Basque Country on a tour of the cities of Bilbao, Vitoria and San Sebastian. Benefit from guided panoramic tours and walking tours to get a complete picture of each destination. Journey through an amazing landscape of dramatic sea views, typical fishing villages and vast forests of oak trees. Day 1: Bilbao Benefit from pick-up and transfer to your hotel to get a full tour program about the Basque Country. Day 2: Bilbao - San Sebastian Depart Bilbao and journey through the mountains towards San Sebastian. See the old tower houses of Azkoitia and visit the shrine at the Sanctuary of Loyola before making your way to the coastal town of Zumaia. Get magnificent views of the Bay of Biscay and stop in the medieval fishing village of Getaria. Continue to San Sebastian via the resort town of Zarautz. Take a panoramic bus tour of San Sebastian and see highlights such as Kursaal Palace on arrival. Enjoy some free time for lunch before taking a walking tour of the Old Town, and stroll past typical pintxo bars and the 18th-century Basilica of Santa Maria de Coro. Get tips on what to do with the rest of the evening and the following day at leisure. Day 3: San Sebastian Enjoy a free day to explore San Sebastian at your own pace. Day 4: San Sebastian - Rioja - Vitoria Take the highway towards Vitoria, passing the old town of Tolosa. Arrive at the village of Ordizia and go for a stroll before going to Oñati and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu. Visit the former salt mining town of Salinas de Leniz, and then enter the wine producing area of Rioja Alavesa. Admire typical villages such as Labastida and Laguardia, where you will get some free time to explore the town and enjoy lunch independently. Continue to Vitoria for a panoramic tour of the capital of the Basque Country. Marvel at monuments such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria and Casco Viejo, and avail of free entry to the Artium Museum of Contemporary Art. Day 5: Vitoria - Bilbao Journey through the rural landscape of Alava en route to Salinas de Añana, where you will learn about the historic salt mining industry. Continue to the village of Orduña, surrounded by the mountains of the Sierra Salvada, and take a guided walking tour of the town. Get back to nature in Ayala and discover vast forests of oak trees. Stop for lunch in Balmaseda, and then go to the coastal town of Santurtzi, known for its seafaring traditions. Continue to Portugalete to cross the transporter bridge to Getxo, where you can go for a walk along the seafront and get a magnificent view of the Bay of Biscay. Continue to Bilbao and take a panoramic tour on arrival. Day 6: Bilbao Explore Bilbao at your own pace with a day at leisure. Get useful information from your guide to help you plan your day. Enjoy some free time in the city before your transfer to the airport.

Logroño: Urban Outdoor Escape Room Game

9. Logroño: Urban Outdoor Escape Room Game

Become the protagonist of your own adventure as you race around the streets of Logroño in an outdoor escape game. Choose between two challenges and receive both a physical box and a digital app to help guide you through landmarks such as the Co-cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda and Paseo del Espolón. Before your adventure, receive a physical box posted to your address that contains reports, maps, photographs, and letters. Download the digital app and discover videos, games, clues, and information about Logroño's landmarks. Combine the app and physical materials to solve the mystery. Explore landmarks such as the Co-cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda, where you can come face to face with The Crucification, a painting by Italian painter Miguel Ángel Buonarroti. Stroll through Paseo del Espolón and discover its monument to General Esparter and vibrant floral display. You can choose between two different options: The Masked MurdererInvestigate the identity of a serial killer who has killed several young women, broadcasting the murders on social media and moving their bodies to well-known places in Logroño. The Spear of DestinyGet hold of the Spear of Destiny before it falls into enemy hands. Through a telegram sent between two collaborators of Nazi Germany, historian Sarah Levi has traced the Spear of Destiny — with which the Romans killed Jesus Christ on the cross, to Logroño. Now it's your job to locate it.

Rioja: Private Wine Tasting Tour

10. Rioja: Private Wine Tasting Tour

This tour is designed to guide you into one of the oldest traditional "cave-cellars" in the area, dug 7-8 meters (23-26 feet) deep under the houses. This is a fabulous experience not to be missed! This activity also includes  tasting wines in one of the most famous local wineries. You can also tour 'Marques del Riscal' winery cellar/hotel, which was designed by Frank Gehry, the architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. You will also walk along the medieval streets of Laguardia, one of the most charming towns in La Rioja area, before discovering local home-made food for lunch in an off the beaten track, non touristy restaurant.

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What people are saying about La Rioja, Spain

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 94 reviews

First time we did an escape room outside. Entertaining and fun. You go at your own pace and you can stop where you want. The application also has explanations of the most outstanding places, so it is a good way to get to know the city. With the application and the envelopes, the game is perfectly followed. The company is always available and attentive for any question. I recommend it.

The tour was very informative and included an amazing wine cellar tour where we learned so much about the wine process and how to differentiate between wine ages, taste, etc. The drive was very nice with a beautiful picturesque view and lots of information about Bilbao as we drove. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

I loved Stefan, he is a great guide, he explained absolutely everything in two languages and also provided small details such as the final store of a winery that was not included or a couple of stops to see the grapes or take extra photos, which is very much appreciated.

Very nice wine tour with visits to 2 beautiful towns. Quality of the wine in the cellar is excellent and highly value for money. Highly recommended to buy a few bottles if you have spare space in your luggage

So grateful we didn't decide to drive ourselves, the wine region was beautiful. The village of Laguardia was an unexpected treat. Thank you for our experience.