Bicycle the Basque Country: France and Spain

  • Length 7 days
  • From USD$4150
  • Style/Level Classic 3.0
  • Countries France
    Spain
  • Begin/End Bayonne/San Sebastian
See related tours

This 8-day tour explores the lush countryside, colorful villages, incredible cuisine and seaside towns of the Basque Country between Bayonne, France, and San Sebastian/Donostia, Spain. Straddling the border between France and Spain, the Basque Country is comprised of seven traditional provinces – three in France and four in Spain – that share the Euskara language, un-related to any other known language in the world. You’ll pedal rolling terrain with a few short but fairly steep climbs on remarkable coastal and interior roads that introduce you to a deeply special borderlands region inhabited by a fiercely proud people whose traditions and ways of life continue to flourish.

If you prefer a longer tour, check out our 11-day option Bicycle the Basque Country: France and Spain Plus! Bilbao

Highlights

  • Bayonne, Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz

  • Rolling Basque countryside

  • Underwater winery visit

  • Breathtaking coastal riding

  • Colorful village of Espelette

  • Vibrant Donostia-San Sebastian

  • Famous Basque gastronomy

Includes

  • 7 days, 6 nights accommodation

  • Meals as noted in itinerary

  • Underwater winery visit

  • Special meal in San Sebastian

  • All Classic tour inclusions


Date Price Private room fee Note
Jun 16-22, 2025 USD$4150 USD$550 Contact us for availability. Book by November 1st and save $200 per person!        
Sep 8-14, 2025 USD$4150 USD$550 Sold out – waitlist available.
Sep 29-Oct 5, 2025 USD$4150 USD$550 Departure guaranteed to go! Book by November 1st and save $200 per person! Only 1 Re-Cycle discount available. 
DateJun 16-22, 2025
PriceUSD$4150
Private room feeUSD$550
NoteContact us for availability. Book by November 1st and save $200 per person!        
DateSep 8-14, 2025
PriceUSD$4150
Private room feeUSD$550
NoteSold out – waitlist available.
DateSep 29-Oct 5, 2025
PriceUSD$4150
Private room feeUSD$550
NoteDeparture guaranteed to go! Book by November 1st and save $200 per person! Only 1 Re-Cycle discount available. 

Download Itinerary

We’ll send you a link to a full day by day tour itinerary that can be downloaded and printed so you can review all the details online and offline. This packet also includes details about what to expect on tour and arrival and departure details.
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  • Total distance 337km (209 miles)
  • Average daily distance 67km (42 miles)
  • Tour style Classic
  • Tour level 3.0

Highlights: Bayonne, Basque Cultural Museum, Jambon de Bayonne, Bayonne chocolate, and the Gateau Basque

Built at the confluence of the Audour and the Nive rivers, Bayonne served as an important hub for trade between the 12th and 17th centuries, exporting wine, salt and wool, and importing spices, textiles, and other luxury goods from distant lands. For instance, Portuguese Jews, who had fled the inquisition, imported the art of chocolate-making to Bayonne – the first city in France to produce the delicacy. Take time before our bike fitting to learn about the subsequent and controversial history of chocolate-making in Bayonne , or dip your toes into the region’s rich culture and history with a visit to the Basque Museum. We’ll kick off our tour with dinner together.

Meals : Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Villa Koegui

Highlights: Rolling Basque countryside, La Bastide and typical Basque villages.

Today we immerse ourselves in the lush pasture lands, evergreen forests and villages of the Basque countryside. Enjoy La Bastide Clairance – designated one of the most beautiful villages in France. Its well-preserved buildings, including half-timbered houses and stone churches, offer a glimpse into the town’s medieval past. At the local trinquet – the playing court for the typical Basque game, jai alai, or pelota Basca – you might enjoy some action before heading back to Bayonne.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Hotel Villa Koegui

Highlights: The Atlantic coast, Biarritz, and the French villas on the Riviera, the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Leave beautiful Bayonne and head inland for more rolling Basque countryside as you cycle towards Biarritz, one of the most prized towns of coastal Atlantic France. This seaside destination in southwestern France has been a popular vacation spot for the well-to-do since the 19th century, thanks to a mild climate and beautiful, sprawling beaches and scenic cliffs atop which French and international aristocracy built luxurious villas overlooking the ocean. Continue along the coast for dramatic views all the way to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, our destination for the next two days.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Madison Saint Jean De Luz

Highlights: Spectacular hills and farmland, colorful Espelette, Sare and the witches of Zugarramundi, underwater winery.

Today’s loop ride through the French Basque countryside – with a brief dip into Spain – features colorful farms, black-headed “latxa” sheep, lush meadows, and small villages. The long tentacles of the Inquisition reached Zugarramundi where one of the largest witch trials in the history of Spain occurred. On the way to back Sant-Jean-de-Luz, take a walk in Espelette, famous for the “piment d’Espelette” a staple ingredient of Basque cuisine that was introduced from the Americas. This afternoon we’ll visit a unique local winery that incorporates the power of the ocean in its vinification process.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Madison Saint Jean De Luz

Highlights: Corniche Basque and Jaizkibel coastal riding, entering Spain’s Pais Vasco, Hondarribia and Pasaia Basque ports. Vibrant Donostia-San Sebastian

Spectacular coastal ride today as we pedal into Spain. Great views over the ocean along the Chamin de la Corniche all the way to Hendaye, the last town in France. Enter Spain and take a rest in the fortress town of Hondarribia before an exciting ride over the Jaizkibel ridge. Tonight we’ll be in beautiful Donostia-San Sebastian. Uniquely set in a bay protected from the ocean by a peninsula, the city thrived as a fishing and industrial port that attracted architects and artists from across Europe. Today, Donostia-San Sebastian is revered for exceptional restaurants and its extraordinary, gourmet “pinxtos,” a tapas-like delight. Dinner tonight is a special gastronomic experience.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Abba San Sebastian

Highlights: Explore Donostia-San Sebastian, La Concha Beach. Optional ride in the hills.

Choose your own adventure today. Stroll the cobblestoned streets of old town, relax beside the crystal-clear waters of the crescent-shaped La Concha Beach, or take an invigorating ride into the surrounding hills. Immediately you will notice a change in the terrain from France, as the Spanish Basque territory is more challenging, but very rewarding. Back in Donostia-San Sebastian, you’ll embark on a once-in-a-lifetime tour de “pinxtos.”

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Abba San Sebastian

Highlights: Farewell!

Your tour ends after breakfast.

Meals : Breakfast

Visit our Tour Level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we determine day and tour levels.



Pre-trip planning checklist

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