ToursByBasques

Mikel enriched our visit to Bilbao so much, it's hard to imagine what our experience would have been without his guidance. He made the city feel very accessible to an outsider; gave tons of recommendations of not just pintxos bars but activities, sites, wines, artisans, etc.; and weaved in aspects of the Basque culture and personal experiences seamlessly to give a richness to the place that deepened our appreciation of Bilbao - a city we were already charmed by but which we really grew to love as a result of Mikel's insights. Not to mention he's a great guy and super easy to talk to and get along with. 10/10 would recommend Mikel!

My friend and I really enjoyed our private tour with Mikel yesterday. We are on a cruise and there was a lot I wanted to see while in Bilbao, so for me, a private tour is the way to go. Highlights of the tour were the Guggenheim Museum, pinxtos in the Old Town, and the ability to have a serious discussion of Spain's experience coming out of fascism and the experience of being Basque in Spain. Mikel was licensed to guide us inside the Guggenheim and his knowledge and explanations really enhanced our enjoyment and appreciation of this amazing collection. I tire easily and with Mikel we were able to work around that so that we got to see and do everything we wanted to do.

My tour with Mikel exceeded expectations in ways I could not predict and in ways that went far beyond the usual “tour guide” experience. Before we even met for the tour, Mikel was in communication with me regarding my journey to Bilbao from Logrono. Using WhatsApp he provided “real time” advice that allowed me to get from the central bus station in Bilbao and select the right direction and metro stop to my hotel. I can’t overstate how impactful this single act made to improve the overall satisfaction of my journey. Mikel then described the most scenic route to take for the 25 minute walk, along the Ria de Bilbao, to our meeting place for the tour. For the next 3 hours we walked along the streets of Bilbao and discussed the history and architecture of the city. Along the way, Mikel introduced me to the gastronomy scene of “pinxtos” and all things Basque. Since I was making several single day stops at different locations in Northern Spain his tour allowed me to get much, much more out of the short time I was in Bilboa. My next stop was San Sebastian and after landing there, Mikel was still keeping in torch to make sure my travels were going smoothly and offered suggestions for pintxo bars based on our time together and remembering my favorites. (mushrooms and squid!). I am so happy I overcame my concern about the cost as it was seemingly just out of reach from my budget. I threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it. My intuition was spot on.. Looking back, this was more than just a tour; it was a bespoke, one-on-one cultural exchange and one that left me wanting to revisit Bilbao again some day. Thank you Mikel. Salud!

We had a wonderful evening with Mikel learning about the history and culture of Bilbao and how to order and enjoy pintxos our first night in town. Not only was the information we learned on our tour valuable, we were able to apply it to the rest of the time we spend in Basque Country. We especially enjoyed an afternoon we spent Getxo on his suggestion. We were also public transportation pros, thanks to his advice. Mikel came recommended by two independent sources and did not disappoint. He was extremely easy to communicate with leading up to the tour as well as the following days, providing advice and suggestions to enhance our trip.

Mikel is FANTASTIC!!!! We spent the day in Rioja, and he took us to places tourists don't often see. His knowledge of Basque country is amazing. His kindness and generosity, know no bounds. He even helped us with other parts of our trip. We are grateful we met Mikel, and look forward to our next adventure with him. Eskerrik asko Mikel.

From the moment I first contacted Mikel at Tours by Basques I knew that this would be a great choice. Mikel was so responsive and open to discussing our desires for our tour of the Rioja region. In the weeks before our trip he was also very helpful and generous with restaurant and other suggestions for our stay in Bilbao. The tour itself was great. Even though it was busy harvest time he booked us tastings at two very different and fun wineries. We toured the fascinating town of Laguardia and enjoyed a good lunch and even better conversation. Even after our tour, Mikel emailed us with suggestions for the second leg of our Basque trip. Mikel is a personable guide who is passionate about the Basque Country and sharing his wealth of knowledge with his clients.

Our tour of Bilbao with Mikel was outstanding. We covered about five miles (13,000 steps) starting at the Guggenheim. Mikel gave us a great tour of the museum itself, the collections on view and the history of the area before and after the construction of the museum. Next we spent several hours visiting Bilbao and learning about the history, architecture, Basque people and the pinxtos. Mikel was flexible, where we expressed an interest in something, he would pivot to give us more on that issue. In addition, the serendipity of coming across a wedding, and getting the explanations about the basque flute and dancing that was being performed outside the church was great. Then of course the Pinxtos! There are not enough adjectives to capture how good they were and how much fun we had with Mikel -- and we stopped at a pastry shop for more treats. He made so many recommendations and even sent a helpful email afterwards so I would remember what he told us about various restaurants, sights and pinxto bars. It was a pleasure and more importantly a window into Basque history and culture that gave us a really extra-special experience. I hope to come back to Bilbao again and explore this city more deeply, two days was not enough. Gracias Mikel and do not hesitate to take a tour with him. Your experience will be so much better than on your own. I am an experienced traveler but still would not have had 1/10th the experience had we not spent the afternoon with Mikel.

Our tour with Mikel was wonderful! Our family of 4 were treated to a very special day of many sights and experiences that few tourists see in the Basque region. Mikel is very knowledgeable and passionate about the Basque area. We visited a 7,000 year old salt mine, the town of Orduna during a festival and the most special tour and lunch at a family-owned winery. We would highly recommend ToursByBasques for a wonderful, off the beaten path experience!

Our family’s three-hour tour of Bilbao with Mikel was the absolute highlight of our time in that city. In researching Bilbao tours with a food focus, we knew we wanted a personalized experience that would feel tailored to our interests (history and contemporary culture). We feel so lucky we went with Tours By Basque — it was an outstanding experience! Mikel was extremely responsive from the initial planning stages. Booking with him was easy and he took the time to answer my many questions and always responded very quickly. From the moment we met Mikel in person, we could tell he wanted us to have a special evening that was not your average tour. He thoughtfully planned a route for us that took into account our tastes, interests and how we were feeling that day. His stories about Bilbao and Basque history made the evening so dynamic and memorable. We learned more from him than from any of our guidebooks! Not only is Mikel extremely knowledgeable, he has a genuine curiosity and warmth that is hard to find these days. We felt like we were being shown around Bilbao by a friend! Your trip will truly be so much richer for meeting Mikel and using Tours By Basque!

We have the best time with Mikel. I contacted him about a tour and transportation from Bilbao to San Sebastian. We communicated via email and used Mikel's expertise to design our tour. During our tour, we learned a lot about the Basque region, its autonomy, past conflicts in the region, culture, and food. The vehicle was spacious for our family, and the drive was comfortable. We stopped and learned about unique places that only locals knew about. We saw "Dragonstone", a local surfing haunt, visited Guernica, and had a wonderful lunch in a local restaurant and continued on our way to San Sebastian where we discussed what we could expect for New Year's Eve from the locals. Don't hesitate to work with Mikel, he knows his stuff and he's wonderful to work with.

What a wonderful way to learn about Bilbao, from the old town Bilbao, off the beaten paths, the museum, cathedrals dated back from 12th to 14th century, to of course the pintxos. It is steeped in history and surrounded by nice and beautiful towns. I will say having Mikel show his hometown with pride in a good way and eat pintxos at the best bars, where he frequents, and make it personable left indelible memories. We have had many tour guides, but for us, what made this the "best" experience was having someone who was native to the region, grew up, and most importantly, we hit it off Mikel right away. He is personable, and a wonderful person, more than a guide! We highly recommend him! Thank you Mikel!

Mikel was terrific! Very kind, informative, and creative on our full day tour together from San Sebastian to Bilbao. My husband has somewhat limited mobility and Mikel could not have been more accommodating and helpful. He changed up the tour plan on the spot to make things easier for my husband. We had a great tour and could not recommend him more!

Mikel most certainly enriched our entire experience in Bilbao. From the very outset he is as accommodating as possible, even months before we arrived (via email). He is extremely responsive and makes every effort to personalize and cater to his customer’s needs. Our first day we booked a pintxos tour in Bilbao, Mikel knows all the best spots and gives you great advice so you’re confident when you’re out on your own. Our 3rd day we booked an all day tour with Mikel around the surrounding area, he took us places we never would have discovered on our own and immersed us in the Basque culture. He made a great experience an unforgettable one. If you’re spending your hard earned vacation dollars to go here, spend some more and maximize the value of your trip with Mikel. His English is superb and his personality can’t be beat. Plus, Bilbao is the best region of Spain. Food housing and drink is dirt cheap here but quality 4x better than places like Barcelona.

Mikel is an amazing person to spend time in the Basque area. His family has lived in Bilboa for multiple generations. He is very passionate about the Basque people and Bilboa. Most important, he wants his clients to leave with the best experience of the area.

This was the best tour we've had on our 10 day Oceania cruise. The owner/guide was incredibly kind, on time, passionate and fun to be with the entire day. He showed us places we would never have seen. This is a real gem of a company and I would recommend Them to anyone. We will always use them if we come back to this part of Spain. 5 star all the way.

Last weekend we were staying in Bilbao with a group of friends and visited the Basque Country with Mikel. This was our second experience with Mikel and it was just as great as the first time. Mikel makes traveling easy and fun, he is well organized, very knowledgeable (history, culture, food, etc..) and proud of his home country. He showed us hidden places that you would not find without him. Tasting pintxos with Mikel is a must do!

Had a wonderful Sunday morning tour with Mikel. We were two families on a trip discovering Basque area. Mikel is enthusiastic and so excited to share his home town of Bilbao. We started at the Guggenheim museum and were lucky to fall on the day of the race to support the fight for Breast Cancer - so we had a lot of activities and colour around the museum. We continued into the old town and had an amazing pintxos bar crawl, trying different local flavours and vermouth. We heard many stories about the history of Bilbao, its amazing developments and local customs and culture. Would highly recommend to join Mikel on a tour.

Mikel of Tours by Basques is certainly the best tour guide I have come across on my travels. He enhanced our tour of Bilbao tenfold and when I return to the Basque Country, I will explore everywhere with Mikel. His extensive knowledge is delivered with enthusiasm and he brings the city to life with his passion for the region. I would not hesitate to recommend. Hoping to see Mikel again soon.

Un guíaa fantástico muy experimentado que nos enseñó rincones de La Rioja que no hubiéramos podido descubrir por nuestra cuenta. Merece mucho la pena contratar a Mikel . Lo volvería a hacer sin dudar.

We hired Mikel for 3 1/2 days during our 6 days' stay at Bilbao. Tours we did were Bilbao walking tour & pintxos experience, Rioja wine region, Txakoli white wine region and local Cheese farm with homemade farm meal, San Sebastian & Getaria. PROS: - Mikel is easy to communicate with and replies quickly to queries - his tour prices are honest and reasonable, with no hidden commissions - tour program could be adjusted and customized according to our preferences. Eg, we wanted to visit the Balenciaga museum at Getaria - Mikel showed off-the-beaten-path local places with no tourists. Eg, Ayala valley - he took us to local restaurants that were reasonably priced and patronized mostly by locals - he gave us very good suggestions on places to visit and local restaurants in Bilbao when we had 1 day of rest - he arrived on time when picked up at hotel - his car was clean and comfortable - Mikel was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, considerate and thinks of his guests first, like our comfort inside the car or if we wanted to take a rest from walking CON: - clarify about payment of meals upfront. Eg, if guest has to pay all meals of the guide Thank you Mikel for a wonderful experience and for showing us how beautiful & unique the Basque region is!

We went on a tour of Rioja wineries with Mikel from Tours by Basques. Time was limited as we were on a cruise ship departing in the early evening ... but Mikel made the most of the time, visiting 2 wineries - one modernized and making phenomenal wine (Gomez Cruzado - Haro), the other, located in Laguardia - beautiful hill town, producing wine in a more traditional way. It is a long drive from Bilbao (where the cruise ship was) to the Rioja area - but a beautiful drive and Mikel kept it interesting the whole way - with history, information, etc. A rave review for Mikel - Tours by Basques - and the Rioja wine area.

We spent and incredible two days with Mikel touring Bilbao and the coastline to Getaria. Mikel's passion for and knowledge of the area are evident from the moment you meet him and he was wonderful company as we spent the day enjoying Bilbao's many pintxos bars. Highly recommended!