Top Biarritz Trolley Tours

An absolutely genuine and authentic experience that gave us a true appreciation of Basque Country, the people, the culture and the food. Ettiene was just the most pleasant person to spend the day with and he always went out of his way to take care of us. We spent 5 days in Biarritz and surrounding countryside and it was a once in a lifetime adventure.

Our group of four couples had a most enjoyable trip to the Basque region of Spain and southern France, guided by Etienne Lecuivre of The Basque Way. Our excellent experience with him started with our planning our itinerary together. Of all the guiding firms we contacted, Etienne clearly had the best knowledge of the region and command of the English language, which proved to be most helpful the entire trip. Not only did he command English, but he also spoke French, Basque, Spanish, and probably other languages. We asked him to design an itinerary where we could focus on the people, culture, art, history, and food/wine of the region. For our week with Etienne, we spent three nights in Bilbao and four nights in San Sebastian. From there we took walking tours of the cities and excursions to the surrounding cities/villages of the Basque region. Etienne performed in every respect. He provided a comfortable Mercedes van that accommodated us 8 with luggage, he drove us the entire week and guided us in many locations personally. Since he knew of our particular interest in history and culture, he also subcontracted guides in several locations. Cameron guided us in Gernika and Getaria and provided excellent walking tour of the history and culture of the region. In Hondarribia, Marta was excellent. Charles guided us in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Bayonne and couldn’t have been more informative, positive, and educational. One day we spent in the countryside of the region and Etienne’s colleague, Arnaud, guided us there. He has particular insight in the region, is a native of the area, and introduced us to things that most tours would not have covered. He was also excellent and even challenged us to a game of Pala on an outside court in one of the villages. One of the highlights of the week was a preparing our own meal with a local chef Jerôme in Bayonne at L’Appartenance. All in all, we can recommend Etienne and The Basque Way without reservation.

Our family of four wanted to experience the real Basque Country, and Etienne delivered. He took us off the beaten path to places we never would have found on our own, sharing local stories and insights that made every stop memorable. It felt less like a tour and more like spending the day with a knowledgeable local friend.Lunch was another highlight—an authentic Basque restaurant with delicious local food and zero tourist-trap vibes.Etienne strikes the perfect balance of culture, humor, and flexibility, keeping both adults and kids engaged. We left with great memories and a genuine appreciation for the Basque Country. Just be warned: he may ruin every other guided tour for you!

Etienne came with a nice, comfortable car and shared so much history and interesting anecdotes along the way. So glad we found him and enjoyed his unique insight into Basque Country. The restaurant he brought us to was one of the highlights of our trip - delicious and such fresh seafood!

Etienne, the founder of The Basque Way, worked closely with us to create a tour that suited our needs - and an opportinity to experience some of the best of the Basque Country. He gently guided us towards the best spots, experiences and restuarants. Everything was expertly set up and booked well in advance. He also assisted with recommendations for hotels. None dissapointed. On the tour itself, additional experiences were added that addressed our interests. This included a wonderful tour of a private txakoli vineyard and tasting. Etienne picked us up in his spacious luxury Mercedes van at Bilbao airport and guided us around old and new Bilbao. The short drive between Bilbao and San Sebastian was a delight - especially the lunch stop in Getaria. In San Sebastian we were handed over to another of his local expert guides - Fermin. Fermin was an excellant guide showing us all his personal best beach and country spots. It made the experience more real. On the way to Biarritz we had a day with local guide Mikel in Hondarribia. Mikel grew up in Hondarribia and it showed. A visit to his own Gastonomic Society was a highlight. Fermin picked up on the journey, guiding us through the highlights of the Biarritz coast and countryside including the best food of the whole trip at Iparla in Bidarray. Etienne completed the journey by depositing us at our hotel in Bordeaux. Altogther a fantastic experience with delightful and knowledgeable people who doubled as guides and drivers. All the hassle of travel were removed enabling us to relax and enjoy all that was on offer served up on a plate.

Not so often you come across such an experience that is so special that you hesitate to share it with everyone else, however we will let you all in. Etienne had arranged a 3 day excursion along the Basque coastline starting in Biarritz and ending in San Sebastián. He brought us along the way to the most charming and delightful small villages that we would have never known existed. He brought an amazing amount of history and knowledge along with culinary experiences that far exceeded any expectations. He was a pleasure to work with planning our trip and always was responsive with communication. From castles to beaches we feel we had a truly once in a lifetime journey and are thankful for all the passion and planning he demonstrated. We absolutely recommend Etienne for your trip!

Etienne and Hugo picked up my family of 12 members in a van and a sedan. We were picked up at our hotel in Lourdes exactly at 10:00 am. We drove for 3 hours to San Sebastián through small picturesque towns. The ride was safe, comfortable and enjoyable with both Etienne and Hugo giving us a brief but informative and interesting history of France’s and Spain’s Baque region. We arrived in time for lunch at a modern restaurant with the most beautiful view of the beach! We had the best Paella which was pre-ordered by Etienne. We had 4 kinds of starters, 2-kinds of Paella and 3 kinds of desserts! It was a gastronomy! Then we walked to La Concha, the cathedral and after about an hour had the best Basque Cheese Cake! We walked around the old town a little bit more while Etienne and Hugo walked back to get the vehicles so we can continue exploring the old town on our own. They picked us up at the old town and rode back to Lourdes. My family and I had the best time! Great ride, good food, stunning views and most specially, the best company! Etienne and Hugo are now part of our family! Thank you Etienne and Hugo for a remarkable day in San Sebastián! You are the best!

Knowledgable , friendly , couldn’t recommend these guys enough.If you are planning a trip to this part of Spain you need to book in with these guys !!!

We used The Basque Way to plan our week in the Basque Country - first time there, didn't know much. Etienne was great to work with beforehand, full of genuine advice, and everything he suggested turned out to be spot on.What surprised us most was that he connected us with different local guides depending on where we were. Fermin around San Sebastián and Biarritz, Mikel for the city itself, Arnaud for the interior mountains and countryside. Each one knew their area in a way you only get from someone who actually lives there.Nothing felt touristy. Every spot, every stop felt like something a local would take you to - not the kind of place you'd find on a travel blog. You could tell the whole programme had been put together by someone genuinely rooted in the region, and the guides on the ground made everything seamless. No logistics to worry about, just the experience.We left feeling like we'd really seen the Basque Country - both sides of the border, the coast and the mountains. Would not have managed that on our own. Highly recommended!

Etienne helped us get around and we also did a day tour seeing local villages - he has such a great easy-going personality. We laughed a lot with him - Super fun and worth doing !!!

We loved this experience! While most tours are trying to knock out points of interest, I felt like Etienne made sure that we had an itinerary that fits our interests. Hugo was our guide for the day and I felt like he was our companion and made us feel comfortable. I really appreciate his knowledge of everywhere we went as well, and ability to pivot when something in our conversation led to something. I love supporting a smaller business as well, and I feel like the communication with Etienne was so easy and he was so responsive!

The experience was amazing! Etienne picked us up and drove us to a small village, we went for a hike and had a lovely lunch at a coastal restaurant. All were not touristy and gorgeous! His knowledge of the area is fanatic. Highly recommend!

We had a great private 1-day tour with Etienne around the French Basque countryside outside Biarritz. He is knowledge, charming, and speaks excellent English. We learned a lot about the history and culture of the region. Etienne was easy to communicate with and the entire experience was seamless from start to finish. We recommend him highly.

Seven of us had the great fortune of finding Etienne, Mikel and the Basque Way. Every step of the way leading up to and during our tour was smoothly organized with plenty of easy communication, friendliness and care. We had an incredible time with Mikel as a guide, but more importantly, as a lover of his Basque heritage, community and all that is included in the appreciation of one’s culture, home and history. He shared stories of the areas we visited while walking the streets of medieval towns and then driving along the gorgeous coast. When we hit a major traffic snag Mikel took us through the back roads along beautiful farms and fields filled with flowers, trees, and animals that were so off the beaten path for us city dwellers. What had been carefully planned was made even better with Mikel’s quick thinking, great anecdotes and all around care. The flavors we enjoyed were far more than food on plates and in glasses. We are thankful to you both for providing this experience for us and helping to make our time in St. Jean du Luz, Biarritz and Hondaribbia so special!

We only had a day to discover the joys of the Basque country. After spending the day with Etienne, I'm sure we will return. Etienne was a fantastic ambassador of the area. The sites we saw were magical and his knowledge of the area was exceptional. Planning the trip was easy - Etienne gave us lots of choices for how to spend the day. He communicated often and clearly and easily accommodated a last minute change in our itinerary. I highly recommend The Basque Way whether you are are in the area for a few hours or several days.

We had a great time with Etienne and Arnaud, especially the gastronomic experience in the Basque region. We appreciate that they accomodated our request for extra stops for shopping, and an unscheduled visit to Guernica. We would highly recommend this tour to our family and friends.