About this tour
Trade San Sebastián's buzz for rolling Basque hills on this five-hour outing that takes you inside a working Idiazabal cheese farm, then settles you at a traditional cider farmhouse for a proper sit-down lunch. You'll watch cheese being made, taste it fresh, and eat what locals actually eat—grilled rib-eye, salt cod, house cider poured straight from the barrel. Transport and meals included; you just show up at your hotel.
Highlights
- Behind-the-scenes look at Idiazabal cheese production methods
- Taste fresh cheese direct from the farm
- Txuleta: bone-in rib-eye steak at farmhouse table
- Pour your own cider from wooden barrels
- Rural Basque countryside, away from tourist zones
- Salt cod two ways: omelette and fried with peppers
- Idiazabal cheese with quince paste and walnuts
What to expect
Morning pickup takes you out into green valleys where sheep graze and oak trees dot the landscape. At the cheese farm, a local guide walks you through how milk becomes Idiazabal—the pressing, ageing, the whole process—then you taste it at different stages. After, you drive to a rambling farmhouse where long wooden tables and locals already seated signal this isn't a tourist setup. Lunch follows a set menu: cod omelette first, then fried cod with peppers, then the txuleta (thick rib-eye cooked simple). Cheese and quince come after. Cider flows freely from self-service barrels.
Good to know
Minimum two people per booking. Bring appetite and expect heavy, protein-rich food. Pregnant travellers should sit this out. Cider is strong and you pour it yourself—pace accordingly. Mention any dietary restrictions when booking. Hotel pickup and drop-off from San Sebastián included.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.