Self-Drive Tour Ribera del Duero - Rueda (3 days)
One same climate, two vine districts nurtured by different hands
Among the vines in Old Castile
On this Ribera del Duero – Rueda journey, quiet local and narrow roads lead you through two of the emblematic regions of the Spanish wine landscape. Towns are small and very traditional, you hardly find any tourists along the way while you are enjoying this authentic experience in the heart of old Castile. Departing and ending: Madrid, Bilbao or any place of your choice. Your route will be adapted according to your point of departure. This sample tour will be tailored in such a way that you make the most out of your journey!
Vineyards and cellars in Old Castile
Day 1: Rueda – Tordesillas – Simancas – Peñafiel
Visit a modern winery in Rueda. Production started in 2008 and is situated in a prime location: right in the middle of vineyards.
Tordesillas is a well-known historical town where the royal court settled in with King Philip the Handsome and Juana la Loca, 15-16th Century. The town is also known for the Treaty of Tordesillas, the agreement between Spain and Portugal (1494) to settle conflicts over lands newly discovered by Christopher Columbus. The Spanish kings, Ferdinand and Isabella claimed their part of the New World to impede the expansion of Portuguese colonies. They drew a line of demarcation from pole to pole.
The general archives, organized by Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II, are located in Simancas.
Peñafiel is a small, quiet town in the centre of Castile, very important for wine production.
Day 2: Peñafiel – Pesquera de Duero – Castrillo de Duero
Visit the wine museum and castle in Peñafiel. The castle is a perfect viewpoint for appreciating the beautiful panorama of the rough Castilian landscape.
In Pesquera de Duero we suggest that you visit at least one winery, where you will learn about the importance of land, climate and grapes for wine production. Local wine makers will tell you about their lifestyle and their love for the wines they have produced for several generations.
In Castrillo de Duero: a wine bar and restaurant. Traditional and vanguardist cuisine.
Day 3: Peñafiel –Valbuena-Peñafiel
Morning: from Peñafiel, en route toward the Cistercian Monastery of Santa María de Valbuena.
In the 12th century, the Cistercians Benedictine monks from Cluny, France arrived in the Ribera del Duero region. The monks elaborated their own wines amongst other places in Valbuena de Duero, where you can visit the monastery.
Lunch or dinner in a top quality restaurant in a wine estate near the Monastery. The cuisine is both vanguardist and traditional.
Afternoon, visit of one of the most important wineries in the Ribera del Duero region. Learn about the history of local wine from pre-Roman times to the present days. The production process, the cellars, the bottling line is drectly observable and naturally the vineyards.
Wine tasting session.
All accommodation has been carefully hand-picked for you. For your comfort, we provide you with all the vouchers and information (itinerary, road maps and other details about the places to visit.).
In Peñafiel, the heart of the Ribera del Duero Region, we have selected a Spa boutique hotel. This hotel was partly a winery before it was restored in 2011. A fully restored wine press decorates the Winery's bar, the lounge, with apparent stones everywhere and an inspiring place for the mind, and the restaurant is associated with the slow-food movement, featuring traditional cuisine with local ingredients.
The hotel offers comfortable rooms, spa and sauna, also restaurant with traditional and vanguardist cuisine.
You go back to the Middle ages and take part of the rural way of life.
This is a place where travelers can enjoy a vinoterapia or “winetherapy” in combination with wellness treatments and relaxation sessions.
From 410 € per person
Price inclusive:
- Entry fees to wineries, performance and as per the itinerary
- 2 dinners as per the itinerary
- Between 3-5 wines for each tasting session
- 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
- Car rental
- 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: 75 euro
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.
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- Authentic and off the beaten path towns and wineries
- Quiet roads, small villages or hamlets
- Very traditional, rural and Medieval looking places
- Quality Ribera del Duero red wines
- Selected Rueda white wine
- Historical but almost forgotten places
- Quality accommodation in a relaxing environment
We recommend you to avoid visiting during either cold winter months (December and January) or in hot summer time (July and August). Nevertheless, the Ribera del Duero – Rueda self-drive tour can be organised at any time throughout year at your convenience.
The world of wine is a vast one and investing time in it, at your own pace, is a hugely rewarding journey. My interest in wine started like an affair with tiny thin bubbles, with the likes of Champagne and Cava. It meant the world to me.
And this was only the beginning of further deepening and reading on all wine related topics.
Swirling the glass ostentatiously and trying to talk in expert like jargon was not mush for me, so I've learned directly from the producers around me in the first place. I like to go off the beaten path, keeping away from the snobby style.
I've grabbed the wine culture in serenpidity, going for entertaining learning through the people behind winemaking. There a lots of accidental occurences that proved best learning experiences ever. I will push all of you for a stroll in the vineyards as the natural initiation to wines.
I like to see myself as an insider when it comes to Spain and Portugal, as I feel very close to the many wine regions, wineries and some exceptional people. I will enthusiastically lead your group on more than 15 different destinations.
Client Testimonials
3 days - Self-Drive Tour Ribera del Duero - Rueda
from €410 pp
Places of interest
- Ribera del Duero and Rueda wine tasting sessions
- Visits of traditional and modern wine cellars
- Wine museum and Castle in Peñafiel
- Medieval castles
- Cistercian Monastry of Santa María de Valbuena
- Typical Castilian villages or small towns