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“You could make the argument that there is no better place to eat in Europe than the city of San Sebastián. There are more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita here than anywhere on Earth, but even the everyday joints are superb. The love of food, the insistence on the very best ingredients, is fundamental to the culture and to life here.”
—Anthony Bourdain
The San Sebastian Tour included:
- 7 nights hotel accomodation at the gorgeous Maria Cristina
- Cooking demos with Chef Deborah Hansen of Taberna de Haro and Chef Tracy Chang of PAGU
- Winery tours in the Rioja Region
- A special visit to a traditional cheesemaker in the countryside
- A visit to the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao
- A walking Pintxos tour
- Free time to shop, relax, and explore on our own
And much more!
Day-by-Day in San Sebastian, Rioja & Basque Region
Sunday, March 19, 2023Check in and get settled, then join us for a welcome session and wine tasting followed by dinner in beautiful San Sebastian. |
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Monday, March 20, 2023Get oriented on our walking food and culture tour of San Sebastian, followed by lunch. Take the afternoon at your leisure before our cooking class with our chefs at one of San Sebastian’s exclusive Gastronomic Societies. |
Tuesday, March 21, 2023Today is Rioja Day! We’ll travel south to visit two esteemed producers, one in la Rioja and one in Basque Rioja. In between, we’ll have lunch in the town of Haro. After a long day on the road, you’ll be free tonight to explore San Sebastian’s dining scene on your own. |
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Wednesday, March 22, 2023Today we travel to Navarra to visit a small, traditional cheese producer. Following our tour and tasting, the family will host us at their home for a lunch of the region’s specialties including an extra special dessert using sheep’s milk. Upon returning to San Sebastian, you’ll have some free time to explore the city before we meet for a spectacular guided pintxos tour. |
Thursday, March 23, 2023We’ll learn about Txakolina, the delightfully drinkable wine of Basque Country including the innovative Txakolina Rosé. After our tasting, we will hop down to the coastal town of Getaria where we will enjoy a lunch of grilled fish. In the evening, we’ll meet for a late night cocktail excursion. |
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Friday, March 24, 2023We couldn’t go to Basque Country with a visit to the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum, designed by architect Frank Gehrey. Following our guided tour, we’ll return to San Sebastian for a cooking class by our chefs and dinner. |
Saturday, March 25, 2023Starting in Pasaia to learn about Basque shipping, we will then travel to a local sidra producer to learn about and taste artisanal Basque cider. We’ll conclude the day and our week together with a fabulous final dinner in San Sebastian.
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Sunday, March 26, 2023Adiós, hasta pronto! |
See The Luxury Accommodations
Luxury is the word. The Maria Cristina in San Sebastian is called by the grand dame of the Basque Country, and according to Fodors, the Maria Cristina still reigns supreme as the favorite accommodation of celebrities, royalty, and the see-and-be-seen since its inception in 1912, when the Queen Regent herself became the first person to walk through its doors. This spectacular Bella Époque palace is ultra-luxury incarnate, with all the services and expectations that come with it.
For those who prefer to stay at a different type of accommodation, we are offering a price without hotel. We suggest that you book a hotel or Airbnb close to the Maria Cristina, as we will be meeting each day at the hotel before setting off on our daily adventure.
Meet the Chefs
Chef Tracy Chang
Chef/Owner, PAGU
Tracy Chang is the chef/owner of PAGU restaurant in Cambridge, MA. She is a Boston College alum, with a B.S. in Finance. She holds certificates in pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. She trained with three star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui in San Sebastian, Spain, and worked on his television programming, RobinFood, communications and public relations. She is also a teaching fellow at the Harvard Science & Cooking Program, founded by Chef Ferran Adria. Prior to PAGU, she founded a pop-up restaurant, Guchi’s Midnight Ramen and hosted events with restaurants, startups, nonprofits, and universities. She is an alum of the James Beard Foundation Bootcamp for Policy & Change, James Beard Foundation Womens’ Entrepreneurship Leadership Program, and a 2020 James Beard Best Chef Northeast nominee. She is also a 2020 Star Chefs Rising Stars Game Changer.
Chef Deborah Hansen
Chef/Owner/Sommeliere, Taberna de Haro
Taberna de Haro, est.1998, serves the authentic cuisine and unique wines of Spain. Since Deborah Hansen’s first trip to Spain back in 1983, she has been enamored of the country’s vast culinary and vinicultural offerings. She was immediately fascinated by the way Spaniards eat what is local and seasonal as an effortless tradition, and has since traversed almost every last corner seeking out traditional dishes and interesting wines. Ms. Hansen graduated from Bates College in 1986. She went on to receive an MA from N.Y.U. in Madrid and later her Sommeliere title, also in Madrid, where she co-owned and operated an upscale restaurant called Cornucopia. Her two daughters Camille and Inés were born in Spain before the family returned to Boston in 1998. Although originally a shared project with a partner in 1998, Taberna de Haro would eventually be led by Deborah alone as of 2007. She expanded the restaurant in 2012 to include more dining space and a bar, Straight Law Bar, the nation’s only Gin & Sherry Bar. Deborah’s all-Spanish wine list is the second largest in the U.S.A., offering over 300 different Spanish wines. Sherry is a particular passion of Chef-Owner-Sommeliere, and the 90+ options make it the largest sherry list in the country. Hansen was a semi-finalist for a James Beard Award in 2018 for this unique wine list. Her staff receives monthly wine tasting and instruction so that they, too, may advise guests on wine. Ms. Hansen teaches at Boston University where she delights in sharing her knowledge on all things Spain. She is also quite fond of holding wine tastings at Taberna de Haro, often showcasing very old wines from her cellar, and her penchant for coaxing guests into a deeper understanding of wine is unrivaled. Called a “mecca for foodies” and known for its “formidable wine list,” Taberna de Haro has been a taste maker in the Boston food scene for close to 25 years.
