The Perfect Rioja Wine Region Itinerary

Welcome to one of our favorite wine regions in the world, the Rioja wine region.

The picturesque landscapes of La Rioja, with its rolling vine-covered hills, historic stone wineries, modern architectural marvels, and quaint, charming towns, blend together to create one of the most interesting wine regions in Europe.

We have traveled to wine regions around the world, including France, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and the USA, and the Rioja wine region is by far one of our favorites. The wine that comes from La Rioja is simply outstanding and touring an underground cellar or two is a must-have experience.

In this guide, we want to help you plan the perfect Rioja wine region itinerary.

On our most recent trip to Spain, Tim and I spent one glorious week in the Rioja wine region. We toured a long list of wineries, spent some time exploring the small towns, tried out a few restaurants, and learned quite a bit about La Rioja.

In this guide, we will share what we have learned, including the best wineries to visit, where to eat, where to stay, and how to plan your time.

Table of Contents

What is the Rioja Wine Region?

Rioja is a one of Spain’s superior wine regions. It is often called ‘Spain’s Bordeaux,’ as the wine produced here follows many of the traditions of Bordeaux wine making, which was brought to Spain by pilgrims on the path to Santiago de Compostela.

The Rioja wine regions is best known for its red wines, but white and rosé wines are produced here in smaller quantities.

Where is the Rioja Wine Region?

The Rioja wine region is located in north central Spain. This region spans the communities of Navarre and La Rioja, as well as Álava, a Basque province.

The Rioja wine region is divided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja (sometimes also calle Rioja Oriental), and Rioja Alavesa. The regions of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa are located in the northwest and have a cooler climate, and the finest grapes come from these regions. Rioja Baja sits farther southeast and experiences more hot, dry weather, which produces wine higher in alcohol and lower in acidity.

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Best Things to Do with 3 Days in the Rioja Wine Region

When planning your Rioja wine region itinerary, visiting the wineries is the #1 experience to have, but there are also small towns to explore, a wine museum to visit, and a long list of gourmet restaurants to try.

Here is a list of the best things to do in the Rioja wine region, and you can get more details about each of them in our Things to Do in Rioja article.

Tour the wineries in La Rioja (we cover these in our in-depth article about the Wineries in Rioja)
Take a tour of an underground cellar (our favorites are Bodegas Conde de los Andes and Bodegas Lecea)
Go for a bodega crawl in Haro
Go on a tapas crawl in Logroño
Visit the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture and Winery
Spend an afternoon in Laguardia
See the unique hotel at Herederos del Marqués de Riscal

La Rioja

8 Wonderful Things to Do in La Rioja, Spain

How Much Time Do You Need in the Rioja Wine Region?

It is possible to get a quick overview of the region in as little as one day. With this one day, you can spend all of your time visiting the wineries in Haro, or schedule a wine tour at a vineyard (ideally one that tours an underground cellar) and then doing a wine tasting at one or two nearby wineries.

For the best experience, plan on spending at least three days in the Rioja wine region. This gives you enough time to visit several regions within Rioja, do a combination of tours and tastings, plus add on a visit to one or more small towns.

We spent a week in the Rioja wine region and never ran out of things to do. Tim and I are big fans of Rioja wine, even before our visit, so we had a lot of wineries we wanted to experience. Plus, this beautiful region is a great place to visit on a relaxed schedule, without filling your days with a long list of historical and cultural sites.

A trip to Rioja is more about the food, the wine, and scenic drives through the beautiful, vine covered landscapes, than checking off items on a long to-do list.

Rioja Wine Region Itinerary

There are many different ways to put together a trip to Rioja. Rather than listing one set itinerary, instead we list out multiple one day itineraries for the region. From these, pick your favorites and then string them together to create the Rioja wine region itinerary that best fits your travel style and amount of time you have.

Below is a quick overview of the five daily itineraries. These days can be done in any order.

#1: Haro: Spend the day in the town of Haro, hopping from winery to winery

#2: Underground cellar tour, Briones, and the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture and Winery

#3: Marqués de Murrieta and a tapas crawl in Logroño

#4: Visit the Rioja Alavesa region: Explore the town of Laguardia and visit several world-class wineries (Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, Ysios, Bodegas Solar de Samaniego, and Eguren Ugarte)

#5: Go off-the-beaten-path, visiting Bodegas Tritium (one of the most creative wineries we visited) and two UNESCO World Heritage Site monasteries.

Day 1: Bodega Crawl in Haro

This is the easiest way to visit multiple wineries without scheduling vineyard tours. There are several fantastic wineries clustered together in Haro that offer tastings without the need to make an advance reservation.

If you have one day in La Rioja, you have the potential to visit five or six wineries in Haro. This town also makes a great place to stay, with its relatively large list of hotels and restaurants for the region. Once finished with your bodega crawl, you can simply walk (or stumble) to your hotel.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you have multiple days in the Rioja wine region, consider doing a mix of vineyard tours and tastings at the wine bars. In our opinion, it is not necessary to do a tour at each vineyard and they can get repetitive. However, there are a few tours we took that we highly recommend, as they either uncover winemaking traditions or you get to visit the underground wine cellars, which is must-have experience in Rioja. I’ll list those tours throughout this guide.

Wineries to Visit in Haro

Bodegas Gómez Cruzado. This is our favorite winery in Haro. Our sommelier took us through an extensive tasting of white and red wines, as well as olive oil. She was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. Not only did we learn a lot, but we also got to taste some remarkable wines.

Bodegas Muga. This popular winery exports wine around the world, making it one of the most recognizable names in Rioja wine. They have a wine bar, an outdoor terrace where you can taste wine and tapas, plus they offer tours.

Bodegas Muga

CVNE. If you take one tour in Haro, this is the one we recommend. On a tour of CVNE, you get to see the wine cellar designed by Gustave Eiffel and see their wine cemetery.

Roda. This boutique winery produces three high-scoring wines. The wine bar is tiny, but this is a good winery to consider taking a tour, as they offer some unique tours of the property.

Bodegas La Rioja Alta. This winery has a lovely outdoor patio with a gardenlike setting and a very well stocked gift shop.

Viña Tondonia. This is another big name in Rioja wine. However, they do not offer tastings. You can purchase a bottle at their shop and drink it on their outdoor patio, but this one is skippable, unless you happen to be fans of this wine.

Day 2: Underground Cellar Tour + Briones

One of the best things to do in the Rioja wine region is to tour an underground cellar. We have two cellar tours to recommend. Both of these are located in Rioja Alta, the western part of the wine region, near Briones and Haro.

Tours are generally offered late morning to midday. In the afternoon, visit the Vivanco Wine Museum and the town of Briones.

Bodegas Lecea

This small, family run winery is located in San Asensio, a tiny town that is home to more than 300 cave cellars. On a guided tour of this winery, you will tour four of these cellars and learn about traditional winemaking methods in the Rioja wine region. The tour ends in the tasting room with a tasting of three of their wines.

We loved this experience. It is also one of the cheapest tour options, so it’s a great one to consider if you are traveling on a budget.

Make a reservation in advance on their website.

Bodegas Conde de los Andes

Bodegas Condes de los Andes has more than 1 kilometer of underground cellars, making this the largest underground network in La Rioja. Some of these cellars contain thousands of bottles of wine, some dating back to the late 1800s. Ernest Hemingway visited this winery, adding to its historical importance.

The only way to visit this winery is on a guided tour. This is one of the most unique and most interesting tours that we took in the Rioja wine region (you get to do a tasting in an underground cellar amidst the huge collection of wine) and we highly recommend it. The tour ends with a tasting of their wines.

Make a reservation in advance on their website.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: When writing up this guide, the tour times of Bodega Lecea and Bodegas Condes de los Andes overlapped, so it is not possible to do both on the same day. However, I recommend checking tour times as this could change. If you like the idea of touring both of them, you could split them into two different days, and adding on the Haro wineries or Vivanco in the afternoons.

Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture and Winery & Briones

This winery, museum, and vineyard sits right outside of Briones.

While visiting here, explore the museum, which features exhibits spanning 8,000 years of wine history. Our highlights included seeing works of art by Joan Miró and the large collection of corkscrews on display.

Also at Vivanco, you can have a glass of wine or have a late lunch, overlooking the vineyards from their outdoor patio. The gift shop is also worth a visit, as they do wine tastings here and have quite a few wine-related products that make great souvenirs or gifts for friends and family.

Before or after your visit to Vivanco, you have the option to go through a stroll of the lovely town of Briones.

Briones

Day 3: Marqués de Murrieta & Logroño Tapas Crawl

If you are a wine enthusiast or a foodie, be sure to include this day in your itinerary.

This can be done in either order, spending an hour or two at Marqués de Murrieta to do a wine tasting or tour, and several hours in nearby Logroño, to explore the town and dine on tapas.

Marqués de Murrieta

Marqués de Murrieta is one of the oldest wineries in the Rioja wine region. It is also produces some of the best wine in Spain. Their 2012 Castillo Ygay scored 100 points by Robert Parker and James Suckling has named it the best wine in Spain and one of the 10 best wines in the world.

The wine bar is recognized as one of the best in Spain. Doing a wine tasting here and adding on tapas is right up there with dining in a Michelin starred restaurant.

Marqués de Murrieta was one of our favorite experiences in the Rioja wine region. In fact, it was the only winery we visited twice. It was the most expensive tasting we had in the Rioja wine region (a glass of Castillo Ygay 2012 cost €56), but it’s not often you get to taste one of the best wines in the world.

They offer tours and tastings. We recommend making a reservation in advance, even if you only plan to do a tasting at the wine bar.

Logroño Tapas Crawl

Logroño is the largest city in the Rioja wine region. The city center is small and quick to explore. The highlight here is Calle Laurel, a short street that is lined with tapas restaurants. Hopping from restaurant to restaurant is not only the best thing to do in Logroño, but also one of the top experiences in Rioja.

Bodegas Campo Viejo

Bodegas Campo Viejo is another big name in Rioja wine. It sits just outside of Logroño, so it is possible to add on a visit here, or swap it with Marqués de Murrieta, if you don’t like the idea of an expensive wine tasting.

Campo Viejo has a very nice hilltop setting with sweeping views of the eastern part of the Rioja wine region. You can sit outside, enjoy the view, and taste the wine in this very laid-back setting. No reservation is necessary to do a tasting here.

Campo Viejo

Day 4: Rioja Alavesa: Laguardia & Beyond

Spend the day in Rioja Alavesa, in the Basque region of Spain. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the Rioja wine region, with visits to wineries with hilltop settings that offer views over the vineyards and the nearby mountain ranges.

A visit to Laguardia and the wineries can be done in any order. If you plan to tour any of these wineries, schedule that first and then work in the wine tastings around that tour. Or keep it simple and opt to just do wine tastings.

Laguardia

This beautiful, hilltop town is worth an hour or two and it makes a great place to have lunch. In Laguardia, stroll the narrow, picturesque streets, photograph the fortified walls and gates that surround the town, see the clock in Plaza Mayor, visit the Church of Santa María de los Reyes, and see the Abacial Tower.

Mayor de Migueloa cellar

One of the best things to do in Laguardia is to visit its underground cellars. Bodegas Carlos San Pedro Perez de Viñaspre offers wine tours plus a visit to their underground cellar. We had a wonderful lunch at Mayor de Migueloa, which also has an underground cellar to visit.

Ysios Winery

Ysios Winery is famous for its iconic, innovative design of its winery. Taking a photo of this building, set amongst the vines and mountainous backdrop, is a popular thing to do on a visit to the Rioja wine region.

On a visit here, do a tasting (no reservation necessary) or take a tour, which gets very good reviews. We opted for the wine flight, taking our six glasses of wine, plus a small charcuterie board, into the massive storage room filled with barrels.

Ysios Winery

Eguren Ugarte

This small winery has beautiful gardens, a lovely pond, and a hilltop setting. It is a nice place to order a glass of wine and sit outside. On weekends, they also serve tapas.

Eguren Ugarte

Bodegas Solar de Samaniego

The only way to visit this winery is to take a tour, and tours are only in Spanish. However, we loved this experience, but it is extremely helpful to at least know basic Spanish. The wine is fantastic and the guide who took us on our tour was absolutely delightful.

One of the highlights of a visit here is seeing the seven concrete tanks of wine painted with portraits of the winemakers and employees at Bodegas Solar de Samaniego.

We cover this experience in more depth in our guide to the Rioja Wineries.

Herederos del Marqués de Riscal

Marqués de Riscal is one of the largest and oldest in Rioja. The #1 attraction here is its hotel, designed by Frank O. Gehry, who also designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbão and other architectural masterpieces around the world.

Herederos del Marqués de Riscal produces some of the best wine in the region. In addition to snapping a photo of the hotel, you can do a wine tasting in the tasting room, take a tour of the cellars, and have dinner at one of several restaurants in the City of Wine.

This is also one of the best places to stay in the Rioja wine region. We stayed here; the location is somewhat central in La Rioja and we had an amazing view from our spacious room and deck.

The view from our room

Day 5: Bodegas Tritium + Optional Monasteries

Today goes a bit off the beaten path, combining one of our favorite wine tours with a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Rioja. Alternatively, if you have no desire to visit the monasteries, you can add on a vineyard from one of the previous days, spend more time in Haro, or relax at your hotel.

Bodegas Tritium

Our visit to Bodegas Tritium was one of our favorite experiences in the Rioja wine region. If you want to taste some of the region’s most unique and creative wines, this is a must-visit.

Again, we cover this winery in more detail in our guide to the Rioja wineries, but we loved everything about this visit. We took a small group tour of the winery, learning about their non-traditional winemaking processes (they age some of their wine in clay pots in the Mediterranean Sea) and tasting wine in their underground cellar.

The tour was laid-back, very interesting, and our sommelier poured our wines with a heavy hand. Again, we highly recommend adding Bodegas Tritium into your itinerary, especially if you want to experience a Rioja winery with a more modern, creative approach to winemaking.

San Millán de la Cogolla Monasteries

There are two monasteries located in San Millán de la Cogolla. Both are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is worth the visit for those with an interest in historical sites.

The Monastery of San Millán de Yuso dates back to the 11^th century. The Monastery of San Millán de Suso dates back to the 6^th century.

To get here and visit both monasteries, plan on spending about half of day. The visit to the Suso Monastery needs to be arranged in advance by phone. Learn more on the official website.

SCHEDULING TOURS OF THE WINERIES: If you plan to tour a winery, this needs to be scheduled in advance. In our experience, it was tough to do more than one wine tour per day, since the wineries tend to offer them at the same time, about midday. When planning your Rioja wine region itinerary, schedule the wine tours first, and then add on wine tastings at other wineries before and after the tour. In general, most wineries offer wine tastings without the need to make a reservation, but I recommend confirming this before you go.

When is the Best Time to Visit the Rioja Wine Region?

The best time to visit the Rioja wine region is from May through October, when the weather is warm and the grapes are growing.

The grapes are harvested from September into October. The exact time this begins depends on weather conditions and the location within the Rioja wine region. The grapes tend to be harvested later in Rioja Alta and at the higher elevations, and earlier in Rioja Baja. For planning purposes, the harvest typically starts in mid-September and ends in October. The harvest season lasts 30 to 40 days, so in some years, it can extend into November.

Some wineries hold grape stomping tours during September, so if you are planning a visit to the Rioja region during this time, this would be a unique, memorable thing to do.

During the harvest season, several festivals are held in La Rioja. The Rioja Wine Harvest Festival (also called the San Mateo Festival) is held in Logroño. This lasts one week and starts in mid-September, when the first grapes are harvested in Logroño.

Our visit was in early May. This is a beautiful time to visit the Rioja wine region. The region was lush and green, the vines had a few weeks of growth, and the weather was warm during the day a bit chilly at night. Being in town for the harvest season would be ideal, but we really enjoyed our springtime visit.

And in general, April into May is a fantastic time to visit Spain, with mostly warm and sunny weather.

How to Get to the Rioja Wine Region

You can get to La Rioja by plane, train, and by car.

The closest international airport is in Bilbão. From Bilbão, it is an hour and a half drive, or you can travel by bus or train (about 2 hours). There is an airport in Logroño, but this is a smaller, regional airport.

Trains connect the Rioja region with Madrid and Barcelona, with travel times ranging anywhere from 4.5 to 6 hours.

By car, it is easy to add on La Rioja to a trip to Madrid, northern Spain, and southwestern France.

Here are the travel distances and times from nearby destinations to Logroño:

Bilbão: 135 km, 1.5 hours
San Sebastian: 165 km, 2 hours
Pamplona: 85 km, 1 hour
Madrid: 340 km, 4 hours
Barcelona: 470 km, 5 hours
Zaragoza: 170 km, 1.75 hours
Bordeaux: 400 km, 4.25 hours

How to Get Around the Rioja Wine Region

The best way to get around the Rioja wine region is by car. This allows you to travel on your own schedule and visit some wineries that may not be on a bus route.

There is a public bus system, but this runs infrequently and only goes to a limited number of towns, so it can be challenging to get around by bus.

If you have no plans to rent a car while in the Rioja wine region, stay in either Haro or Logroño, and schedule some tours to visit wineries that are located outside of that town. Haro is our #1 pick for where to stay if you will not have a car, since you can visit several fantastic wineries right in town.

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Where to Eat

Here is a list of recommended restaurants in La Rioja, plus one place we recommend skipping.

Héctor Oribe. We had one of our best meals in La Rioja at this restaurant. It is located in Páganos, in Rioja Alavesa, very close to Laguardia. They offer two tasting menus, made with seasonal, locally sourced products. Dining here is like dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant, with perfectly prepared dishes that come out of the kitchen looking like a work of art. Be aware that they are only open for lunch.

Héctor Oribe

The Wine Bar at Marqués de Murrieta. For a high-end wine tasting experience and gourmet tapas, make a reservation for the wine bar at Marqués de Murrieta.

Restaurante 1860 Tradition. This restaurant is located at Marqués de Riscal. We had most of our dinners here, since we stayed at the hotel. On the menu is Spanish cuisine and their long list of wines. Over our multiple dinners here, Tim and I worked our way through their wine list, which was a lot of fun. From the restaurant, you get a beautiful view looking out over Eltziego.

The Tapas Restaurants on Calle Laurel in Logroño. Going for a tapas crawl on Calle Laurel is a great experience to have in La Rioja.

Two restaurants that we did not try but came highly recommended to us by the concierge at Marqués de Riscal are Restaurante Alameda and Restaurante Tierra y Vino.

One Place to Skip: We had dinner at Restaurante Gastronomico Marqués de Riscal, a one star Michelin restaurant. It was one of the worst meals we had in La Rioja and one dish was so bad we sent it back to the kitchen. Things could have changed since our visit, but I recommend checking reviews before making a reservation at this restaurant.

Where to Stay in the Rioja Wine Region

Hotel Marqués de Riscal. Located in Eltziego, this hotel is famous for its unique architectural design. This large property offers a wide variety of room types, some with gorgeous views overlooking Eltziego. Onsite are two restaurants, a spa, fitness center, wine bar, and rooftop lounge. This hotel is located on one of the oldest wineries in La Rioja and visitors and guests have the option to tour the winery. This is where we stayed and had a fantastic experience. The service and setting are top notch and it is centrally located in the Rioja wine region.

Palacio de Samaniego. Located in Samaniego, in Basque country, this beautiful property features an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a highly rated restaurant that was recommended to us by the concierge at our hotel, and a free shuttle service. Rooms range from standard double rooms to deluxe suites and it gets nothing but exceptional reviews.

Santa María Briones. This 4-star boutique property is located in Briones. Rooms range from double rooms to suites with a balcony. This hotel gets exceptional reviews for its location and amenities.

Sercotel Calle Mayor. Located inside of a 16^th century mansion, this design hotel offers spacious rooms and suites. It is located in Logroño.

Hotel Plaza de la Paz. Located in Haro, this small hotel gets wonderful reviews. It has a great location, within walking distance of the Haro wineries.

Puracepa – Urban Suites. Also located in Haro, this small property gets near perfect reviews. All rooms are small suites that feature stone walls, wooden beam ceilings, and a small kitchen.

Tinto Dreams Hostel. If you are traveling on a budget, this hostel is located in Haro and gets very good reviews. Rooms range from a mixed dormitory room to quadruple and family rooms that come with a private bathroom.

Is the Rioja Wine Region Worth Visiting?

For wine aficionados, the Rioja wine region is not to be missed. Exploring this region’s wineries, going for scenic drives between the small towns, touring the labyrinths of underground wine cellars, and diving into the cuisine of this region are all memorable experiences and just may be the highlight of your trip to Spain.

We have visited wine regions all around the world and Rioja is one of our favorites. Not only is the wine spectacular, but we loved the laid-back vineyard tours and the ease of wine tasting at the wine bars at many wineries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Rioja, Spain?

The best things to do in Rioja are to visit the wineries, tour an underground wine cellar, visit Laguardia, Haro, and Logroño, go on a tapas crawl in Logroño, and see the unique hotel at Marqués de Riscal.

What are the best wineries to visit in the Rioja wine region?

Our favorite wineries in La Rioja are Marqués de Murrieta, Bodegas Tritium, and Bodegas Gómez Cruzado. We also loved touring the wine cellars at Bodegas Lecea and Bodegas Condes de los Andes.

When are the grapes harvested in the Rioja wine region?

The grapes are harvested from mid-September through mid to late October. This can vary from year to year, based on weather conditions, and exact dates can vary by subdivision within La Rioja (the grapes tend to be harvested later at higher elevations).

Do you need a car to visit the Rioja wine region?

Having a car is the best way to get around the Rioja wine region. The public buses run infrequently and do not travel to many of the smaller vineyards, so it can be challenging to get around by public transportation.

Visit More Wine Regions Around the World

FRANCE: Spend 3 days on the Alsace Wine Route, visiting small towns like Colmar, Eguisheim, and Ribeauville.
FRANCE: Spend 10 days in the French Riviera and Provence.
ITALY: Go wine tasting in the hill towns of Tuscany – get the full list of things to do in our Tuscany Bucket List. In Sicily, visit the vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna in the Etna Wine Region.
PORTUGAL: Visit the best wineries in the Douro Valley and plan your Douro Valley day trip from Porto.
AUSTRALIA: Go wine tasting in Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.
NEW ZEALAND: Visit New Zealand’s largest wine region, the Marlborough Wine Region on the South Island.
CHILE: Visit the wine regions around Santiago, Chile.
ARGENTINA: Explore the wine regions in Mendoza, Argentina.

If you have any questions about how to plan your Rioja wine region itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.

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How to plan the perfect Rioja wine region itinerary, Basque region, Spain. Best wineries, where to stay, and where to eat.

How to plan the perfect Rioja wine region itinerary, Basque region, Spain. Best wineries to visit, Haro, Laguardia, Logrono, plus where to stay and where to eat.