Vitoria and the Rioja Wine Region
Vitoria San Pedro BelltowerVitoria Charming Correria StreetVitoria at nightVitoria Plaza de la Virgin BlancaVitoria Plaza de Espana during fiestasVitoria La Blanca fiesta AugustVitoria streetlifeVitoria Medieval QuarterVitoria Dona Otxanda TowerVitoria Artium MuseumVitoria Museum of Fine ArtsVitoria Villa SusoVitoria Santa Maria CathedralVitoria, Santa Maria Cathedral transeptModern VitoriaRioja Basket WeaverRioja Grape HarvestingRioja Medieval MarketRioja vineyardRioja Grape pressRioja VineyardsRequest availability and price
This itinerary introduces you to Vitoria Gasteiz, the charming and stylish capital of the Basque Country and to the Rioja Wine Region situated only 30 minutes south of Vitoria.
Ryanair have recently announced direct flights from London Stansted to Vitoria starting in February 2006.
Day ONE
Arrive in Vitoria Airport where your rental car will await you.
Enjoy a short 50 minute drive, through spectacular mountainous countryside, to Vitoria-Gasteiz and check in at your hotel.
After lunch enjoy a panoramic walking tour of the city including the medieval quarter which takes approximately two and half hours. Begin the walk from the Virgin Blanca Plaza. See Stately homes and Renaissance palaces such as Villa Suso, Casa del Cordón, Escoriaza-Esquival, Portalón and Montehermoso. Visit also the unique Fournier Playing Card Museum, which holds one of the most important collections of playing cards in the world. See also parts of the medieval wall that once surrounded the original village of Gasteiz.
Tour the Santa María Cathedral where a very important restoration and excavation project is taking place. See also the Church of San Miguel, the Plaza del Machete, the Plaza de Espana and finally return to the Plaza de la Virgin Blanca.
Afterwards visit any of the fine restaurants and bars serving delicious Basque cuisine and local beverages such as Rioja wine, Txakoli (a young white wine) and traditional Basque cider.
Refreshed you might enjoy shopping along fashionable Calle Dato or perhaps you might like to visit the Museum of Fine Arts or the newly opened Museum of Modern Art, the Artium. Accommodation of your choice in Vitoria.
Day TWO
Today travel to Rioja via the Balcon de la Rioja, a viewing area which offers magnificent panoramic views of the wine region. Next to Laguardia, capital of Rioja Alavesa, a splendid walled village that has carefully preserved its medieval characteristics. Walk through its narrow streets and make a point of visiting one of the underground wine cellars; there are over 300 in the village. Stop at the the church of San Juan and after be sure to see the extraordinary portico of the Santa María de los Reyes church.
After lunch head over to the Villa Lucía Wine Centre, and have the opportunity to learn interactively about wine culture and production methods in Rioja Alavesa. From here you can choose to tour some of the other medieval villages or visit the ancient ruins which were discovered nearby named La Hoya. Later return to Vitoria and overnight.
Day THREE
Departure.
Accommodation
If you like the look of the above Suggested Tour we will gladly prepare a quote for you. The itinerary is not rigid and can be modified to suit your needs.
Below is a selection of the accommodation we would recommend for this tour.
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| Vitoria and the Rioja Wine Region | Hotel Code | Classification | Information |
| 3 nights in Vitoria | TBC55 | Central Hotel | |
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