La Rioja wine tour from Bilbao: Tasting & lunch

Taste La Rioja's wines at the source, then eat the region's food where it's cooked

A full-day wine tour from Bilbao takes you into La Rioja's vine-covered hills to visit a mid-sized winery, learn how grapes become wine, and taste D.O.Ca. Rioja selections. The day ends with a four-course traditional lunch (blood sausage, piquillo peppers, Riojan beans, wood-fired lamb chops, and Goxua for dessert) paired with wines in a classic restaurant. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Wine tour and traditional lunch in Rioja

• Drive from Bilbao to La Rioja
• Visit Laguardia and the region
• Guided winery tour with wine tasting
• Enjoy traditional four-course Riojan lunch

The experience

Laguardia sits at the heart of La Rioja's wine region, surrounded by walled villages and terraced vineyards that define the landscape. The tour drives you from Bilbao through this scenery at an unhurried pace, stopping first in Laguardia to see the region before moving into the working side of it. An expert guide (in English or Spanish, depending on your booking) walks you through a mid-sized winery, explaining how grapes move from vineyard to barrel and what makes each stage matter. You'll taste four D.O.Ca. Rioja selections, learning to identify aromatic profiles, styles, and which wines pair with which foods: knowledge that becomes immediately useful at lunch.

The traditional lunch is the centerpiece. You sit in a classic restaurant where seasonal dishes take priority, and the menu unfolds as a four-course journey through Riojan cooking: blood sausage to start, piquillo peppers and guindillas, Riojan beans, potatoes with chorizo, wood-fired lamb chops with salad, and Goxua, a traditional Basque cream dessert, to finish. Each course comes with a carefully selected wine. The restaurant's approach to pairing and the unhurried timing of the meal are part of what makes this different from a rushed tasting-room stop.

The tour runs eight hours total, with hotel pickup and drop-off from Bilbao included. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, and the pace is built around comfort rather than cramming in extra stops. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available if you note them at booking. Kids' menus can be arranged the same way. The tour operates in all weather, so dress for the season.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Bilbao.
• winery entry and guided tour.
• four wine tastings of D.O.Ca. Rioja selections.
• four-course traditional lunch with paired wines.
• air-conditioned transport throughout the day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Small group (English)09:00Small group tour of up to 8 participants, run with a private minivan. Conducted in English. Includes pickup.

Small group (Spanish)09:00Small group tour of up to 8 participants, run with a private minivan. Conducted in Spanish. Includes pickup.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 8h, runs every day at 09:00, from € 250 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Local Experts Tours

Is this one for you?Pick the English-language version if you need explanations in English, or Spanish if you're fluent enough to follow a guide without translation. The small group means you'll taste and eat at a real pace, not rushed through a crowded itinerary.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (under 12).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is D.O.Ca. Rioja and why does it matter for wine tasting?

D.O.Ca. Rioja is Spain's highest wine classification, meaning the wines you taste meet strict standards for origin, production method, and aging. The designation tells you the wine comes from La Rioja's specific region and has been made according to rules that protect quality. During the tasting, the guide helps you understand what that classification means in the glass: how it shapes the flavor, the structure, and which foods it pairs with best.

What happens at the winery, and do I need wine knowledge to understand it?

The winery visit is a guided tour through a mid-sized operation, starting in the vineyard and moving through the production process: fermentation, barrel aging, bottling. The guide explains each step in plain terms, so you see how decisions made early (which grapes, how they're crushed, how long they age in oak) shape the final wine. The four-course lunch that follows gives you a chance to taste those decisions in the glass and on the plate.

Can I request vegetarian or gluten-free options for the lunch?

Yes. Vegetarian and gluten-free versions of the four-course lunch are available upon request. You'll note your preference in the comments section when you book, and the restaurant will prepare the meal accordingly. Kids' menus can also be arranged if you're traveling with children. Just specify that at booking as well.

How long is the drive from Bilbao to La Rioja, and what will I see on the way?

The drive is scenic but unhurried, taking you through the Basque landscape into La Rioja's wine country. You'll see walled villages and vine-covered hills that reveal the region's terroir: the soil, climate, and geography that shape the wines. The tour stops first in Laguardia to give you a sense of the region before the winery visit, so you're not just tasting in isolation.

Is this tour suitable for someone who has never tasted wine before?

Yes. The winery guide and the lunch pairing are designed to teach you how to taste and what to look for, not to assume you already know. You'll learn to identify aromatic profiles and styles during the tasting, and the sommelier's pairings at lunch show you how wine and food work together. No prior knowledge is required.