Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Pyrenees and the Basque Coast: Carcassonne, Lourdes, Biarritz and San Sebastián
8 days by our own van from Toulouse to Carcassonne, Lourdes and the High Pyrenees, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Biarritz and San Sebastián, with two nights in each of the two main bases.
8 days · Toulouse to San Sebastián · up to 12 guests
The Nive and the old bridge in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Toulouse to San Sebastián
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Town and old-town walking of about 6 to 10 km a day on cobbles, ramparts and some steps, with 3 to 5 hours on your feet. The Gavarnie day is a mountain walk on a broad track of about 8 km return (about 2.5 hours walking) with about 200 m of gentle climbing, from 1,370 m to about 1,570 m; the Pic du Midi summit is at 2,877 m, reached by cable car, where some people feel the thin air. Every walk has an easier choice, and you can sit out any afternoon.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 645 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- A welcome dinner inside the walls of Carcassonne after the day visitors have gone, and the castle ramparts at opening the next morning
- The grotto and basilicas at Lourdes, with the candlelit procession at 9 pm each evening from Easter to October (it can move indoors in heavy rain)
- A morning walk into the Cirque de Gavarnie, under the Grande Cascade, in the UNESCO-listed Pyrénées-Mont Perdu area
- The first cable car of the morning (9:30, or 9 am in July and August) up the Pic du Midi to 2,877 m, with the whole Pyrenean chain below
- A night in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where the Camino Francés starts, and a walk on the Route Napoléon in the morning
- Espelette's red peppers, Biarritz's Grande Plage and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where Louis XIV married in 1660
- A pintxos evening in San Sebastián's Parte Vieja and a last morning on La Concha
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 645 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Toulouse, then Carcassonne by evening
Toulouse-Blagnac Airport to central Toulouse, then Carcassonne
- Dinner
- Stay in Carcassonne
- Drive about 1.5 h
Your guide and driver meet the group at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) at about 11:30 am, so plan to land by 11 or arrive the day before. We drive into the centre and walk the pink-brick old town for about two hours: the Place du Capitole, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a UNESCO-listed stop on the pilgrim routes to Santiago, and the Garonne quays.
Afternoon
There is time for a coffee or a light lunch of your own on the way. Mid-afternoon we take the A61 east for about an hour and a quarter to Carcassonne, check in at our hotel inside or at the foot of the Cité, and walk up into the Cité as the day visitors leave and the walls turn gold.
Evening
Dinner is a welcome meal together inside the walls, the first chance to meet over a plate of cassoulet. Your guide runs through the week at the table.
Included
- Pick-up at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS)
- Guided walk in Toulouse: the Place du Capitole, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin and the Garonne quays
- Evening walk into the Cité of Carcassonne
- Welcome dinner inside the walls
Free time: Free time for lunch in Toulouse
Activity: About 5 km on foot, mostly flat, with a short climb into the Cité.
Carcassonne's ramparts, then Lourdes
Carcassonne to Lourdes
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lourdes
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We are at the gate of the Château comtal when it opens, the quietest hour of a site that fills with coaches by late morning. A local guide takes us through the castle and along the ramparts, where the double ring of walls and towers, restored in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, looks out over the Aude valley and, on a clear day, the Pyrenees.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in the lower town we take the motorway west past Toulouse and along the foot of the mountains, about two hours and fifty minutes, with a stop on the way. We reach Lourdes at about 4:30 pm. After check-in your guide walks you down to the sanctuary: the Grotto of Massabielle, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and the river Gave.
Evening
The evening is free, and from April to October the candlelit procession leaves at 9 pm.
Included
- The Château comtal and ramparts of Carcassonne at opening with a local guide
- Sit-down lunch in Carcassonne
- Walk through the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes with your guide: the Grotto, the basilicas and the Gave
Optional experiences
- The torchlight procession in Lourdes (free, nightly at 9 pm from April to October)
Easier option: Skip the upper rampart walk and wait in the castle courtyard or a café in the Cité.
More active option: Walk down from the Cité across the Pont Vieux into the lower town before lunch.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 7 km on foot, with steps on the ramparts.
The Cirque de Gavarnie on foot
Lourdes to Gavarnie and back, via Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lourdes
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave Lourdes by 8:15 am and drive about an hour and a quarter up the Gave de Pau gorge, through Luz-Saint-Sauveur, to the village of Gavarnie at 1,370 m. Walking by about 9:30 puts us on the track before the day-trip coaches arrive. From the village a broad path follows the river into the Cirque de Gavarnie, a curved wall of limestone about 1,500 m high, part of the UNESCO-listed Pyrénées-Mont Perdu area that crosses into Spain. The Grande Cascade drops over 400 m from its rim, and in early summer snowmelt falls in ribbons all around it. The walk to the inn at the foot of the cirque, at about 1,570 m, is about 4 km each way and takes about an hour and a quarter, with gentle climbing.
Afternoon
We are back in the village by about 1 pm for lunch in the village, with time to walk the old church and its pilgrim cemetery.
Evening
We leave at about 2:45 and are back in Lourdes by about 4 pm; the evening is free.
Included
- Guided walk into the Cirque de Gavarnie to the foot of the cirque
- Sit-down lunch in Gavarnie village
Optional experiences
- Horse or donkey ride on the Gavarnie track (paid on the spot)
Easier option: Walk the first, near-level stretch along the river and wait at a café in the village, or ride a horse or donkey up the track.
More active option: Continue with your guide from the inn toward the foot of the Grande Cascade over rocky ground, about an hour and a half more return.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Lourdes
Activity: About 8 km return and 200 m of climbing on a broad track, about 2.5 hours walking; up to 11 km on the active option.
Pic du Midi, then into the Basque hills
Lourdes to La Mongie and the Pic du Midi, then Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
We leave Lourdes at about 8:15 am and drive about an hour and ten minutes through Bagnères-de-Bigorre to La Mongie, at about 1,800 m, for the first cable car of the morning up the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, 2,877 m. It leaves at 9:30, or at 9 am in July and August. The observatory has stood on the summit since the late 19th century, and the terraces look along the whole Pyrenean chain, often above a sea of cloud.
Afternoon
Allow about two hours at the top with the small museum on the observatory's work, and we come down before the cable car's midday break. Lunch is sit-down in La Mongie or the valley at about 12:30. At about 2 pm we drive west along the foot of the mountains, about two hours and fifty minutes with a coffee stop, into the green Basque hills. The total is about four hours of driving in two legs. We reach Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the walled town where the Camino Francés starts, at about 5:30 pm.
Evening
Dinner is free in the old town.
Included
- Return cable car from La Mongie to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2,877 m)
- The summit terraces and observatory museum
- Sit-down lunch in the valley
Easier option: Stay indoors in the summit museum and café if the altitude or wind is uncomfortable.
More active option: Walk the ramparts path around Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port's citadel before dinner.
Free time: Evening free in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Activity: Light walking only; the summit is at 2,877 m and can be near freezing in any month.
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Espelette to Biarritz
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Espelette, then Biarritz
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Biarritz
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
The morning starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where pilgrims set out each day for Roncesvalles and Santiago. Your guide walks you down the cobbled Rue de la Citadelle from the Porte Saint-Jacques, past the pilgrims' office, to the old bridge over the Nive and the red-shuttered houses reflected in the water, then up to the citadel for the view over the valley. Walkers can take the first stretch of the Route Napoléon uphill instead, with the van collecting them above the town.
Afternoon
We leave mid-morning and drive about an hour to Espelette, the village whose red peppers hang drying on the house fronts in late summer, for a sit-down Basque lunch. Then it is half an hour to Biarritz, where we check in for two nights by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is free: the Grande Plage, the market halls or a swim.
Included
- Guided walk in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: the Porte Saint-Jacques, the Rue de la Citadelle, the Nive bridge and the citadel
- Espelette village walk
- Sit-down Basque lunch in Espelette
Easier option: Skip the climb to the citadel and wait by the river.
More active option: Walk the first uphill stretch of the Route Napoléon, the Camino over the Pyrenees, with the van collecting you above the town.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Biarritz
Activity: About 5 km on foot with a steep cobbled lane; up to 9 km and about 400 m of climbing on the active option.
Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Biarritz to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Biarritz
- Drive about 48 min
We start on foot in Biarritz while the promenade is still quiet: the Grande Plage below the Hôtel du Palais, built for Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie, the old fishermen's port and the footbridge out to the Rocher de la Vierge, with the Atlantic breaking on the rocks below. We drive twenty-five minutes south to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the fishing port where Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1660.
Afternoon
Your guide takes you into the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, with its tiered wooden galleries, and past the house where the king stayed, before a sit-down lunch of fish near the harbour. The afternoon is free on the town beach or in the shops of the Rue Gambetta; the van returns to Biarritz at about 3 pm, with a later run for anyone who stays.
Evening
The evening is free in Biarritz.
Included
- Guided walk in Biarritz: the Grande Plage, the old port and the Rocher de la Vierge
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz walk with your guide, including the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste
- Sit-down lunch in Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Optional experiences
- The La Rhune rack railway from the Col de Saint-Ignace to the 905 m summit on the French-Spanish border (price shown at booking)
- Surf lesson on the Côte des Basques
Easier option: Stay in Biarritz for the day and meet the group for lunch, or return to the hotel after lunch.
More active option: Walk the coast path from the Rocher de la Vierge to the Côte des Basques before breakfast.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 6 km on foot, mostly flat.
Hondarribia and San Sebastián
Biarritz to Hondarribia, then San Sebastián
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in San Sebastián
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
We cross into Spain after breakfast, about forty minutes to Hondarribia, a walled Basque town at the mouth of the Bidasoa.
Afternoon
Your guide walks you up through the gate to the Plaza de Armas and the Calle Mayor, with its carved wooden balconies, and down to the fishermen's quarter of La Marina, where lunch is your own choice of pintxos bars. Half an hour more brings us to San Sebastián in the early afternoon. After check-in we walk the length of La Concha bay and climb Monte Urgull, about twenty minutes up shaded paths, for the view over the bay and the island of Santa Clara.
Evening
There is time to rest before the evening. At about 8 pm your guide leads the group through the Parte Vieja for a pintxos evening across several bars, the way San Sebastián eats, with a drink at each stop.
Included
- Hondarribia old-town walk with your guide
- La Concha bay and Monte Urgull walk in San Sebastián
- Guided pintxos evening in the Parte Vieja, with a drink at each stop
Optional experiences
- The Monte Igueldo funicular for the view from the other side of the bay (paid on the spot)
Easier option: Walk La Concha and skip the climb up Monte Urgull.
More active option: Walk out along the promenade to the Peine del Viento sculptures at the far end of the bay.
Free time: Late afternoon free in San Sebastián
Activity: About 8 km on foot with a short climb on Monte Urgull.
La Concha in the morning, then home
San Sebastián to Biarritz Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 54 min
Morning
A free morning in San Sebastián. Swim at La Concha or Ondarreta while the beach is quiet, walk through La Bretxa market as the stalls fill, or sit with a coffee and the last of the pintxos counters in the old town. Your guide is around to point you to the San Telmo Museum or the Monte Igueldo funicular. At about 11 am the van leaves for Biarritz airport (BIQ), about fifty minutes back across the border, arriving by around noon; book flights leaving after 2 pm. If you are staying on in Spain we drop you at your hotel or at the San Sebastián station before the van leaves. Bilbao airport (BIO) is about 100 km west and can be added as a private transfer. Breakfast is included, and the trip ends at the airport.
Included
- Drop-off at Biarritz Airport (BIQ), or in San Sebastián if you are staying on
Free time: Morning free until about 11 am
- Toulousestart
- Carcassonne1 night
- Lourdes2 nights
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port1 night
- Biarritz2 nights
- San Sebastián1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June is green, with snow still on the high peaks and in some years on the upper part of the Gavarnie walk. July and August are warm in Carcassonne and Lourdes (often 28 to 32 °C) and busy everywhere. September and early October are settled and quieter. The Basque coast is mild and showery in any month, and the Pic du Midi can be near freezing even in summer. Look for griffon vultures and marmots on the Gavarnie track. The trip starts in June because the Pic du Midi cable car closes for maintenance in May.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Pyrenees and the Basque coast rather than Paris and Provence again
- Walkers who like a real mountain walk with an easier choice every day
- Food lovers: cassoulet, Basque lunches and San Sebastián's pintxos
- Pilgrims and the curious: Lourdes and the start of the Camino Francés
- Travellers who prefer short drives and two-night stays
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want Paris, Provence or Barcelona (see our Paris to the Basque Country trip)
- Step-free access: ramparts, cobbled lanes and mountain tracks
- Anyone who should avoid altitude of about 2,900 m
- A beach holiday: the coast days are two of eight
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Carcassonne1 night
- Lourdes2 nights
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port1 night
- Biarritz2 nights
- San Sebastián1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels of 3-star-plus standard: 1 in Carcassonne, 2 in Lourdes, 1 in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, 2 in Biarritz, 1 in San Sebastián
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) and drop-off at Biarritz Airport (BIQ), or in San Sebastián
- Our own air-conditioned van and driver for the whole route, with your luggage carried each day
- Return cable car from La Mongie to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- A local licensed guide at the Château comtal in Carcassonne
Activities
- Toulouse: the Place du Capitole, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin and the Garonne quays
- Carcassonne: the Cité at dusk, the Château comtal and ramparts at opening
- Lourdes: the sanctuary, the Grotto and the basilicas with your guide
- Gavarnie: the cirque walk with your guide
- The Pic du Midi de Bigorre summit terraces and observatory museum
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: the old town, the Porte Saint-Jacques and the citadel
- Espelette village
- Biarritz: the Grande Plage, the old port and the Rocher de la Vierge
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz: the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the harbour
- Hondarribia old town
- San Sebastián: La Concha, Monte Urgull and a guided pintxos evening
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, sit-down on every driving day
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in the Cité of Carcassonne and a pintxos evening in San Sebastián
Not included
- International flights to Toulouse and from Biarritz
- Travel insurance
- ETIAS travel authorisation, if it applies to your dates
- Meals not listed
- Drinks other than those on the pintxos evening
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Optional activities, such as the La Rhune railway, a surf lesson, the Monte Igueldo funicular and horse rides at Gavarnie
- Pre- and post-trip nights
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 645 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers at both ends, our own van and driver for the whole route, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a local guide at Carcassonne castle, the Pic du Midi cable car and every walk and visit in the day plan, from the Cité at dusk to the pintxos evening.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one van. That is small enough for the narrow lanes of Espelette and Hondarribia, one table at lunch in a mountain village, and a guide you can hear on the ramparts.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Toulouse airport pick-up to the last drop-off, and leads the walks in Toulouse, Lourdes, Gavarnie, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the Basque coast and San Sebastián. A local licensed guide joins us inside the Château comtal at Carcassonne. Our own driver handles the van and the luggage.
How fit do I need to be for the Gavarnie walk and the Pic du Midi?
You need to be comfortable walking about 8 km return, about 2.5 hours, on a broad mountain track with about 200 m of gentle climbing, and 6 to 10 km on cobbles on town days. The Pic du Midi is reached by cable car, but the summit is at 2,877 m and some people feel the altitude. Every demanding day has an easier choice, including a horse or donkey at Gavarnie.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
The single supplement is about CAD 645 for the seven nights, shown up front before you request to book. If you prefer to share, tell us and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender, and confirm before you pay whether a match is possible.
When is the best time to go?
June to October. June is green, with snow still on the peaks; July and August are warm and busy; September and October are settled and quieter. We do not run in May because the Pic du Midi cable car closes for maintenance then. The Lourdes candlelit procession runs nightly from Easter to October.
What happens if the Pic du Midi cable car is closed?
We take the group to the Pont d'Espagne falls above Cauterets instead, then drive on to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port as planned. The cable car closes for maintenance in May and November, which is why departures run June to October, and it stops in high wind or thick cloud. How an unused fare is handled is set out in the booking terms.
Do I need to be religious to enjoy Lourdes?
No. Lourdes is one of the largest Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world and you see pilgrims from many countries, but entry to the sanctuary is free and open to everyone. Your guide explains its history from 1858, and the evening is yours, whether you join the candlelit procession, watch it or skip it.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure and send a request to book. No payment is taken at that stage. We confirm availability and the details of your departure within 24 hours, then send the booking terms and payment schedule for you to accept before anything is charged.
Can I do this trip on my own dates?
Yes, as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, from about CAD 6,830 per person for two. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates without a guide, ask us for a quote; we treat that as an inquiry, not a style of this trip.
Do I need a visa for France and Spain?
Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders visit France and Spain visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days in the Schengen area. The EU's ETIAS travel authorisation is planned for the end of 2026, with the start date not yet announced; we tell you at booking if it applies to your dates.
Where does the trip start and end?
It starts at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) at about 11:30 am on day 1 and ends at Biarritz Airport (BIQ) at about midday on day 8, so book flights leaving after 2 pm. We can drop you in San Sebastián instead if you are staying on in Spain, and book extra nights at either end.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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