The Real Basque Way: San Sebastian, Beyond the Stars

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

On this full-day exploration of San Sebastian, we’ll get an edible crash course on the very roots of this seaside city's cuisine, delighting in peak seasonal ingredients, learning about local culinary traditions and visiting iconic haunts, old and new. Stop by stop, from classic pintxos to new school ciders, funky gastrobars to sleek dining rooms, the throughline will reveal itself, and that is the irresistible Basque way of enjoying food.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Specialized infant seats are available

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Parte Vieja

We’ll start our day with the most perfect tortilla imaginable – both crunchy and oozy at the same time – at a busy locals’ cafe. We’ll then visit a neighborhood market where chefs and grannies line up to buy fresh kokotxa – fish necks, a Basque favorite – by the kilo on the way to meet a cheesemaker thinking way beyond the region’s borders. Down the street we will stop by the workshop of a Mexican of Basque origin who is reviving a chocolate tradition that once connected this port to his home country.

3 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Puente de Santa Catalina

Heading out of the historic center, across a bridge where the Urumea river meets the Cantabrian Sea, we will be welcomed into a number of restaurants and food shops run by a tight-knit circle of culinary professionals who are filling in the gaps between San Sebastian’s Michelin-starred restaurants and its simpler neighborhood spots. Here, depending on the season, our day may include a homey fish stew and a sip or artisanal cider, or perhaps exceedingly fresh and delicate Cantabrian anchovies accompanied by a new school txakoli, the classic Basque white wine, minerally and smacking of the sea. Committed to quality, but restless for change, it is in these places where we will taste what is of the moment, meet the young leaders of the city’s pioneering kitchens and truly experience the Basque Way.

2 hours • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Alcoholic Beverages

Snacks

Lunch

Breakfast

Private transportation

Options

The Real Basque Way: San Sebastian, Beyond the Stars

Reviews

5.00

33 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

A Great Introduction to San Sebastián
ikcw,,Nov 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
An excellent tour! Astrid was a charming, personable and very knowledgeable tour guide. We had an excellent experience and sampled many delicious dishes and beverages while also learning a lot about San Sebastián. We fell in love with San Sebastián and all that it has to offer. A great way to learn about any new place is to learn about its food and we would highly recommend this tour for anyone who truly wants to know more about this lovely city.
Delicious day with Gonzalo!
N3439BHdianam,,Oct 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Wonderful tour with Gonzalo (aka Gorgonzola). Every bite was delicious, we loved all of the variety, and enjoyed seeing the different neighborhoods. His knowledge of the city and connections he made with us were excellent. It was disappointing that our Saturday evening tour was cancelled, as we wanted to experience the tour on our first day here, and at a time when everything was open, but I really appreciated that our guide tried to make up for what we missed. In the end, we still had a very great experience. A lot was closed but what we did see was really special. I would recommend the tour to anyone who wants to go beyond the surface of the food scene here and get to try some very special dishes all over the city. I have done 5 other tours with culinary backstreets and this one had the same outlook and quality overall.
Delicious tastings in Spain’s top foodie destination
Isabelle-leesveel,,Sep 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Another great tour by the people from CB. Communication before the tour was easy and clear. Blanca was my guide. She had a lot of knowledge and showed us what’s up and coming in San Sebastian. From a chocolate bean to bar shop, a cheese store, one of the best omelet places, traditional pinxtos bar and some up and coming new restaurants. Amazing anchovies, vegetable dishes… I can onlt highly this tour if you want to go to places you would not think of by yourself, want to meet some great people from around the world ( i was in a group of 6) and taste amazing food
The Family in San Sebastian.....
kingj618,,Aug 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
So, this was my third adventure with CB in the last three months ( yes I'm a fan boy)! The only difference this time was, I wasn't traveling solo.....I was with the "famliy"...... As much as I love them, we are all different in our own ways. They allow me to travel (solo) and immerse myself in different cultures, history, food and experiences. Which in most cases, it's not for them. On our most recent family vacation to the Basque region of Southern France. We decided to do a day trip to San Sebastian. I immediately saw that CB had a tour there and for me it was a no brainer. We met Alaia at the appointed spot, unfortunately we were the only people taking the tour ( I like meeting travelers 😁). That being said we now had our own private tour of San Sebastian and Alaia quickly became like an old friend that we hadn't seen in some time. The stories and history she told us about were fantastic!! Once again I'm going to leave out all of the wonderful foods we ate 😋 ( cuz you need to take the tour yourself to experience it first-hand). To sum it up, the family were very pleasantly surprised to have a great time learning about the Basque culture,history and foods! We had a fantastic day in San Sébastien ( thanks Alaia )! Feed my mind and my tummy, James.
Great tastes and history
596gretchena,,Jul 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We loved our tour of both the tastes and history of the Basque Country. We did it right after arriving so it was a great way to get oriented. We had a wide variety of food and locations, with just the right amount of each.
Great tour!
kjrsurg,,Jul 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent, thorough tour with Astrid. Tasted so many delicious things and got a good feel for the city as well. Highly recommend!
Great and authentic toor of food in Donostia
owlindc,,Jul 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Places visited were great. Michelin quality in every bite, amazing information about history of the region and its food. Don’t think it’s possible to find a better food tour in San Sebastián!
Ate Delicious Food, Laughed a Lot, and Made New Friends
Relax27240589437,,Jul 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
ANOTHER outstanding food tour with Culinary Backstreets! We enjoyed so much great food with Gonzalo and our new British friends — it was sad to leave at the end of the day!
A varied and delectable day in San Sebastian
michaelsY3406MG,,Jun 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This is a fantastic way to meet a city. Our guide Astrid is as pleasant as can be. Her knowledge and welcoming manner made for a educational as well as delicious day. Can't recommend and this experience highly enough.
Start here if you want to know where to get the best pintxos!
mirandamT7795BI,,Jun 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My partner and I took our tour with Astrid, who was great. She was super professional and brought great energy to the group, we had such a nice time. We learned so much about San Sebastian and Basque culture and cuisine, and Astrid went above and beyond to give us recommendations for places to go for our stay. So many different delicious bites and sips at places we never would have found ourselves, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is just arriving to the city to give them a sense of place and where to eat.