Home Cooked San Sebastian
San Sebastian, Spain
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
We welcome you to join us for a meal in our home in San Sebastian. We are an international couple living in the charming neighbourhood of Antiguo, close to the local Ondarreta beach. Tomasz is from Poland and is the manager of San Sebastian Urban Adventures, and Amaia is a local from Basque Country working as a translator of English, French, and Polish into Spanish and Basque. We love to cook local dishes like porrusalda (a Basque potato leek soup), patatas a la Riojana (chorizo potato soup), txitxarro, lubina, and dorada al horno (grilled local fish), and tortilla de patatas (Spanish frittata). We look forward to welcoming you into our home!
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Highlights
- Enjoy delicious Spanish and Basque cuisine, cooked by a local
- Meet a local couple and chat about their life
- Have the privilege to spend time in a local home
- Learn some local cooking tips, and help with the food preparation, if you like
- Be treated like one of the family in San Sebastian
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Schedule details
- Duration: 3 hours
- Meeting point:
At the beginning of Calle Matia (Matia Kalea), coming from the Ondarreta beach. We will be waiting for you in the square in front of the church Esclavas San Sebastian Martir (see picture). More or less at Calle Matia 1.
- Starting time: 1.00 PM
- Ending point:
At the beginning of Calle Matia (Matia Kalea), coming from the Ondarreta beach. We will be waiting for you in the square in front of the church Esclavas San Sebastian Martir (see picture). More or less at Calle Matia 1.
Language: English & Spanish
Inclusions: Dinner in a local home with a local family.
Exclusions: Some hosts might provide tea or soft drink or even alcohol with meals as per the local custom. It should not be expected and does not form part of the base Home Cooked experience. We recommend you bring drinking water with you for the duration of this experience. If you elect to catch a taxi back to your accommodation after the experience this is at your own expense. No gratuity is included.
This tour is a part of the Urban Adventures Home Cooked series and aims to give you one of the richest travelling experiences you can ever have – the opportunity to enjoy a meal with a local family in their home.
Tomasz and Amaia speak English and Spanish well for great conversation about local life. The aim is for you to experience life exactly how it is. It will be no different to the Kolinski-Dones family having any of their local friends or relatives around. It’s a chance to hang out in the kitchen (customs and space willing) and chat about your life and their life, the affairs of the day that are impacting and bringing joy into their home, and to feel for a few hours just how the locals really live.
You’ll be met at the meeting point by Tomasz and Amaia and will no doubt swing by the market or shops on the way home to pick up some last minute ingredients.
On arrival and after the introductions, if you want to help out chopping up some of the produce, or you are particularly interested in the recipe behind this local meal then we invite you to participate as much or as little as you like. Amaia and Tomasz will be happy to show you the ropes! Just follow the family’s lead.
When the food is ready, you will all sit down together and share the meal prepared, enjoy the conversation, perhaps look at each other’s photographs, and maybe take some more together.
This experience is real. Our families come from all walks of life. Some are probably very similar to you and some are from poor or rural backgrounds. We encourage you to check out the photos here of the Kolinski-Dones family to make sure your expectations are correctly set about the family you will be sharing a meal with and where they live. The beauty is that everyone involved in our Home Cooked Series is a wonderful person who wants to meet travellers and share this experience with them.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Dinner in a local home with a local family.
Exclusions: Some hosts might provide tea or soft drink or even alcohol with meals as per the local custom. It should not be expected and does not form part of the base Home Cooked experience. We recommend you bring drinking water with you for the duration of this experience. If you elect to catch a taxi back to your accommodation after the experience this is at your own expense. No gratuity is included.
Dress standard: Modest dress is encouraged.
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of up to 6 persons. There may be other travelers dining with you and the family.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Additional Information: Please, inform before if guests have allergies to any food or are vegetarians. If you would like to do the tour on Saturday and Sunday, please kindly send us the request at email address info@sansebastianurbanadventures.com
Child Policy: Everyone welcome. Children under 6 are FOC as long as they eat from their parents meals. A special meal will not be prepared for them.
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Local contact
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