Unsettled In Basque Country

Unsettled In Basque is for the curious traveler. If you're someone who craves something a little more than just a vacation — if you want to explore the world, take big adventures, and are always learning — you're in the right place.

This experience is designed for those who love a mix of culture, cuisine, and outdoor adventure. We’ll take some hikes through breathtaking landscapes and explore coastal villages by water, but we’ll also slow down and dig into the rhythms of daily Basque life — from pintxo bars to local markets to late-night conversations.

More than any fitness or age requirement, this trip is for someone who loves to explore life and is deeply curious about all the diverse approaches to living at our doorstep. 

If you light up at the thought of trying new foods, discovering old traditions, or new ideas in a great book, you’ll fit right in. (We'll send out a curated reading list about a month before departure, and we’ll gather around one book in particular to share thoughts, takeaways, and how it connects to our own lives.)

Like all Unsettled experiences, this is for people who are open-minded, engaged, and looking to connect. Growth | Meaning | Adventure. 

This Unsettled journey begins in Bilbao, Spain on Friday, October 10, 2025, and ends in Bordeaux, France on Saturday, October 18, 2025. Like any good adventure, the path winds through a few places in between.

Arrival – Bilbao, Spain – October 10, 2025. Plan to arrive in Bilbao and be ready to check-in at 2:00pm.. Check-in begins at 2:00pm and we get together as a group shortly thereafter near our first hotel. Details will be sent ahead of time. The Bilbao Airport and train station are both easy and well-connected options, whether you're coming from abroad or elsewhere in Spain.

Departure – Bordeaux, France – October 18, 2025. We wrap up our journey across Basque Country in Bordeaux on Saturday, October 18. You're free to book your flight home anytime that day — or linger a while. Bordeaux is a stunning city in its own right, and if you’ve got time to spare, we highly recommend keeping the adventure going.

As always with Unsettled, the journey doesn’t begin or end in one place — but these are your guideposts for the road ahead.

While this isn’t a hardcore expedition, you can expect to move your body every day. Most days include plenty of walking — easily over 10,000 steps — as we explore coastal towns, markets, vineyards, and local trails.We’ll spend one full day hiking a section of the Camino de Santiago, and another out on the water, with paddleboarding or kayaking (depending on weather and location). No special skills are required, just a reasonable level of fitness and a good pair of shoes.In short: if you enjoy staying active and love exploring on foot, you’ll be right at home.

Bring comfortable walking shoes, and we'll send a full packing list about a month before the trip.

Think: comfort, charm, and great locations — the kind of places that feel like a home base, not just a hotel.

Over the course of our 8-night journey, you'll stay in a mix of 4-star hotels, a beautiful private villa, and a boutique local hotel in Bordeaux, handpicked for their style, location, and convenience.

Our standard rates are for shared rooms on 6 of 8 nights (and private rooms for 2 nights). A private room supplement may be available if there's still inventory during your checkout.

As soon as you pay your deposit, your spot for the trip is secured. This deposit remains refundable for 10 days following your payment, unless you pay within 60 days (no transfers or refunds within 60 days), subject to a $100 administrative fee. Should you need to transfer your payment, you can do so up to 60 days before the start date of your trip, incurring a $250 administrative fee, and must use your credit within 12 months (void afterward). Please note that neither refunds nor transfers are available if there are fewer than 60 days remaining before your trip's start date. Additionally, all participants are required to obtain travel insurance. This insurance must cover trip cancellation or interruption, including cancellations made by you, as well as provide for emergency evacuation and international health insurance coverage throughout the duration of your travel with Unsettled. Participants must also sign Unsettled's Liability Waiver before the start of their retreat. 

Come hungry! 

We include all breakfasts, 5 dinners, 5 lunches, and a hands-on cooking class with a local chef. We’ve curated meals at some of our favorite spots that our alumni who are from this region love -- and places where their personal friends own or run kitchens. 

You’ll also have some free evenings and afternoons to explore food on your own — or join up with fellow Unsettlers to hunt down the next unforgettable bite.

Bring your own spending money for happy hours, pintxos, snacks, and all your beverages — from your morning espresso to your sunset glass of txakoli.

This journey has a bit of a road trip spirit — we’re covering some incredible ground, from the hills of northern Spain to the beaches of southwest France. So yes, there’s plenty of movement built into the experience. But true to Unsettled style, we also make sure there’s space to breathe.

Almost every day includes free time to explore on your own — whether that means catching up on messages back home, finding a local yoga class, wandering a seaside town with no plan at all, or taking yourself out to dinner while the rest of the group heads somewhere else.

Our days in Hossegor, France are especially designed to be low-key and unstructured, giving you time to slow down, surf, stroll, journal, or just enjoy the rhythms of a beach town.

In short: this experience strikes a balance. There’s a shared journey with the group — hikes, meals, conversations, and unforgettable moments — but also the freedom to step away and follow your own path