San Sebastian: Pintxos and Wine Tour

About This Experience

This is the most-booked pintxos and wine tour in San Sebastián, and the sequencing is what you are buying. Five Old Town bars in three hours, each chosen because it does one thing better than its neighbours, ordered for you in an arc that runs dry to sweet.

It opens at a bar that has been a local favourite since the 1970s, known for its mussels, where you are taught the txotx pour — cider poured from a height into a tilted glass so it opens up. Every bar afterwards assumes you already know how.

The second stop is a specialty store run by a couple who deal in Basque and Spanish gourmet products. You taste two of their best cured Iberian hams side by side, which is the only way the difference between grades becomes obvious.

On the way to the third bar you pass the Old Town's main square, where bullfights were held in the nineteenth century — the numbers on the balconies above are the old spectator boxes. The third bar makes marinated anchovies good enough to convert people who arrive certain they dislike anchovies, and it is where you hear the story of the first pintxo, with a sparkling wine from the area.

The fourth is one of the city's famous counters, where classic technique meets modern plating. The fifth is chosen for dessert: a sweet that only exists in San Sebastián, washed down with a dessert sherry.

Eight pintxos and four drinks in total, and the operator states plainly that the tour covers a full meal. You will be standing in every bar, in true Basque style. The same route is available as a private departure, chosen at the booking step.

Highlights

• Taste the best authentic pintxos in San Sebastian
• Visit unique pintxo bars some of which are 100+ years old
• Taste local drinks including cider, red, white, and dessert wines
• Learn all about fascinating Basque culture and history
• Receive insider tips for how to do pintxos like a local

What's Included

• ✓ 8 pintxos and 4 drinks
• ✓ Expertly guided walking tour
• ✓ Local English-speaking guide
• ✓ Private or shared tour (depending on option selected)

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes
• Water

Good to Know & Caveats

• You will be standing up in all the bars, in true Basque style
• Guests with serious food allergies will need to sign an allergy waiver at the start of the tour
• This tour is adaptable for: vegetarians, pescatarians, gluten free (not celiac), dairy free, non-alcoholic options and pregnant women, but please note that you may not have a replacement food option at every stop. Not recommended for vegans
• Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers
• The tour is in English
• This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty
• The tour covers a full meal
• This tour is not recommended for children under 15 years of age due to busy, crowded bars and the alcohol focus of this tour
• For safety and logistical reasons, guests with very young children or strollers may be refused participation in this tour

Meeting Point

Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.