La Rioja Premium Tour (8 days)
Discovering wines with style
Luxurious Rioja
A premium wine experience! We propose our guests to Travel effortlessly in this fabulous introduction to the Rioja region tour, enjoying the best of the Rioja countryside. Let us guide you through this land of legendary wines.
You will have the opportunity to meet prominent and less renowned winemakers, learn about delicate signature wines produced patiently in cellars. Experience the gastronomy of Northern Spain in restaurants, often located in exotic caves or castles and run by the region’s most talented chefs. Spend 7 nights in first class hotels, former monasteries, castles or in gastrohotels.
This unique tour encompasses numerous winery visits, tastings, tapas and includes cooking class, all in in exceptional areas. We have designed this tour with our clients' specific interest in mind, which ranges from rich wine discovery to original culinary experience, always with a soft spot for cultural heritage and passionate people.
Having Rioja wine with the locals
Day 1: Madrid-Sepúlveda-Burgos-Santo Domingo de la Calzada
On the way to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, we make a stop in the historical village of Sepúlveda and in
Burgos, where we will visit the Gothic cathedral.
Arrival at Santo Domingo in the late afternoon, where we will go directly to our accommodations
Time of relaxation and dinner in one of the selected restaurants.
Accommodation: A majestic Boutique Hotel in Santo Domingo (gothic style)
Dinner: Parador or restaurant
Day 2: Santo Domingo de la Calzada – Haro - Briñas
Visit Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a stop not to be missed along the Camino de Santiago.
Visit an emblematic winery in Haro
Accommodation: Briñas
Dinner: in a typical cellarhouse
Day 3: Briñas- Haro-Briñas
Visit the Bodegas Muga and vineyards
Picnic in the vineyards or lunch in the Muga restaurant
Accommodation: Briñas
Fine dining style dinner in Haro in a typical restaurant with local traditional cuisine
Day 4: Briñas-Briones-Briñas
Visit a well known but family winery in the Rioja town of Briones
Wine Museum Dinastía Vivanco – Briones
Dinner in Casalarreina
Accommodation: Briñas
Day 5: Elciego-Fuenmayor-Elciego
Visit a modern winery in Fuenmayor
Accommodation & dinner at the vanguard architecture Marqués de Riscal winery by Frank Gehry in Elciego
Day 6: Briñas-San Vicente de la Sonsierra – Laguardia – Elciego
Visit the old town of San Vicente
Discover the secrets of the town of Laguardia and an ancient Bodega
Optional Wine Therapy experience in Marqués de Riscal Spa
Dinner, with wine pairing under the stars
Accommodation: Marqués de Riscal Hotel & Spa
Day 7: Elciego - Nájera –Badarán – San Millán de la Cogolla -Burgos
Nájera: visit of the Monasteries of Santa Maria la Real (11th century) and Santa Elena
Winery visit in Badarán
Visit San Millán, Yuso & Suso, medieval monasteries
Accommodation in a castle Hotel (16 Century) in Burgos
Day 8: Transfer to the departure airport
The hotel in Santo Domingo de la Calzada occupies a former 12th-century hospital near the cathedral, erected by St. Dominic to take in pilgrims travelling on the Way of St. James. It has an exquisite, elegant style, with majestic functional rooms and a lobby filled with Gothic arches and wood coffered ceilings.
In the village of Briñas, in a 7th-8th century atmosphere, you will be accommodated in a lovely little palace, near churches that date as far back as the 16th century. During the Spanish Civil War, it was used as headquarters by the Italian troops. Today, it is a small hotel that maintains the splendour of its aristocratic past. The harmony of its spaces, decorated with stone, terracotta floors, antiques, pottery, and exceptional works of art signed by Polish artist Jull Dziamski. You can choose between avant garde or classic rooms. A spa is located in the former winery.
In Elciego you have the opportunity to stay in the luxurious boutique hotel, a signature building of Frank Gehry. Every room and every space, from the restaurants to the rooms, contains unique pieces of art. Visit the Spa and enjoy a wonderful vinotherapy treatment. In Elciego we also propose a rural type of accommodation, in a village house next to the winery. Each room has its own characteristics. The accommodation has a lounge with fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room and a spacious balcony with views to the church and the Frank Gehry structure.
The outstanding hotel in Burgos was renovated in 2014 and it is situated in the heart of the town. The rooms are comfortable and decorated in a charming classic English style, while still perfectly adapted to modern needs.
From 2.720 € per person
Price inclusive:
- Mainland transportation to all places
- Expert English-speaking local guide
- Welcome drink with tapas
- Deluxe private bus for all transfers
- Entry fees to wineries and performance as per the itinerary
- 6 dinners as per the itinerary, all accompanied with half a bottle of selected Spanish wine
- Between 3-5 wines in each tasting sessions
- All the scheduled meals of a half board program
- Accommodation in shared room
- Buffet breakfast daily
- All local taxes and tips
NOT included in the price:
- Airfares (Airline tickets) to/from the pick-up or drop-off locations
- Transfers from/to the airport for those arriving out of schedule
- Meals, services not specified as per itinerary
- Personal expenses, such as laundry, telecommunications, mini bar
- Wellness treatment & Spa sessions
- Travel insurance
- Lodging before or after the trip
> Single room supplement: 280 €
All prices advertized or quoted are expressed in euro (€) and are per person, based on shared room.
The advertized price on the webpage is only indicative. It is calculated on an average party size (5-6 pers), qualitative hotels out of peak season, and no extras.
It takes a bit of customization to include the holidays request and nature of the group before coming up with a tour proposal that meets your interests and expectations. The price quoted to you can be adjusted upwards to reflect possible increases in transportation costs (including fuel), government taxes (including VAT). On any specific tour, a constituted group of 5 travelers (or more) means a different quote per person than 2 travelers, as we've elaborated the tour package on an average group size of 6 (guided) and 4 (self drive).
The information you provide us through the Get a Quote or Booking Form is important for us as it containts useful elements such as period of the year, accommodation type, group or party size, if all participants will share room or not. These points are essential to us to complete the quote in line with your budget. When we are asked to adjust itinerary or arrange tours in special periods of the year, prices can go slightly down or up, we try to moderate the price fluctuation by entering into agreements with our service providers. The accommodation availability is the main factor that can affect the advertized price of the original program.
We ask for clarity in order to streamline the communication: your group should be represented by one spokesperson. This one-to-one dialogue has many advantages over a one-to-many communication. Communication is more direct, misunderstandings are easily avoided.
Check here the easy steps of the booking process.
- Tasting of selective wines, some little gems, in unsuspected family-run wineries
- Connecting with winemakers pushing the boundaries of vinification
- Hotels where high quality standards are on par with the renown of the region
- Wine tasting sessions, through interactive presentations in company of the owners
- Vine-related Art in various places, under the auspices of Benefactors or Maecenas
- Possibility of participating in vineyard work
- Take a delight in spa or wine-therapy treatment
- Visit of World Heritage sites
- Culinary Gift
Helena Staels
With a long experience in language tourism and translation, I have dived into the Slowwines wine travel project, as a founding partner. Although I was born and raised in Belgium, Spain became my adoptive country a long time ago and that is why its genuine culture and unwritten codes have no longer secrets for me.
My interest in wine brought me to undertake extra education in Burgundy.
Each acre of vineyard leads to a human story or personal experience worth sharing. I have personally visited all of the Slowwines wineries to design the most enjoyable wine routes, lead private tours and tasting sessions. There are lots of shared moments, with winemakers and with our visitors coming from all over the world, with diverse backgrounds and interests. I am always looking forward to visiting and sharing the next winery or cellar of the Peninsula, as this revives a never ending discovery of Iberian wines.
Client Testimonials
8 days - La Rioja Premium Tour
from €2.720 pp
Places of interest
- Picturesque medieval places of Sepúlveda, Santo Domingo de la Calzada
- World Heritage Sites of Yuso, Suso, San Millán de la Cogolla
- Rioja towns: Haro, Briones, Briñas San Vicente de la Sonsierra
- Rioja towns(2): Nájera, Laguardia, Elciego, Fuenmayor, Badarán
- The Gothic cathedral of Burgos
- Logroño, capital of the Rioja district
- Medieval monastries
- Most intimate or spectacular Rioja wine cellars & vineyards
- Unique dinner arrangements