Bilbao: La Rioja Wine Tasting & Laguardia with 2 Wineries

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1/15

Duration8h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Two wineries, one afternoon, and why Rioja tastes different at the source

You visit two contrasting wineries in La Rioja with a professional guide, taste wines at each stop, and learn to identify the flavors that define the region. Then you explore medieval Laguardia on foot and sit down to a traditional lunch with wine pairing. Hotel pickup and drop-off from Bilbao are included, and the group stays small enough that you're not rushing between stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Wine tasting and Laguardia visit

Visit first winery
Wine tasting at first winery
Stop at Marques de Riscal viewpoint
Visit second winery
Wine tasting at second winery
Arrive in Laguardia
Lunch in Laguardia

The Experience

Hands tilt the glass, swirling the wine to catch the light before the first sip—and that's when your guide, a local who's spent years reading these vineyards, points out the notes you're about to taste. This is a La Rioja wine tour from Bilbao, and it starts the moment you leave the city, heading south into terrain that's been growing grapes since Roman times. The drive takes you past terraced slopes and stone villages, and by the time you arrive at the first winery, you're already thinking about soil, altitude, and why this particular corner of Spain became synonymous with serious red wine.

The first stop is a smaller operation—the kind of place where you walk past the actual barrels being aged and the owner might be in the cellar that morning. Your guide walks you through the process: how they select the grapes, how long the wine sits, what happens in the oak. Then you taste, and it's not a rush. You're learning to identify red fruit, vanilla, spice—the things that separate one Rioja from another. The second winery is mid-sized, more modern in its approach, and the contrast is deliberate. You see how tradition and innovation coexist in the same region, sometimes even in the same family. Two tastings, two completely different philosophies, same wine region.

After the wineries, the tour moves to Laguardia, a medieval town perched on a hilltop with cobbled streets so narrow you have to walk single file in places. The vineyard views from up there are the kind that make you understand why people settled here centuries ago. There's time to wander, and then lunch arrives—traditional pintxos paired with a glass of local wine. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available if you need them; just mention it when you book. The whole day is built around small groups, which means you're not herded through with thirty other people, and hotel pickup and drop-off from Bilbao are included, so you don't have to figure out the drive yourself.

A minimum of two adults is required for the tour to operate; if your booking falls short, the operator contacts you at least two days ahead to offer an alternative date or refund. The experience works for solo travellers too—you'll just be paired with others. If you're bringing children, the operator will email three days before to confirm their height and weight for the car seat. Dress for the weather; La Rioja can be warm in summer and cool in winter, and the tour runs regardless of conditions.

What’s included

Your day includes a professional guide fluent in the region's wine history, visits to two different wineries with guided tastings at each, hotel pickup and drop-off from Bilbao in an air-conditioned vehicle, a traditional pintxos lunch in Laguardia paired with a glass of local wine, and time to explore the medieval streets of Laguardia on foot.
Vegetarian and gluten-free meal options are available upon request at booking.
Small group and private experience options are both available.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Local Experts Tours

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to understand Rioja wines at their source without arranging transport or navigating the wineries yourself—the guide handles the tasting education and the logistics, which is what lets you focus on the flavors and the landscape. Plan for a full day out of Bilbao; that's what makes visiting two wineries and exploring Laguardia possible in one trip.