Bilbao and San Sebastián are close enough to share a trip and different enough to need one each. Bilbao is the working city reborn through art and architecture, with the Guggenheim, a newly expanded Fine Arts Museum, football and a lively old town. San Sebastián is the seaside resort turned food capital, with a perfect bay, two hills for the views and the most famous pintxo bars in Spain. Here is how to plan a first visit.
How many days
Give the pair four or five days. Two days in Bilbao cover the Guggenheim, the Bilbao Museoa, the Casco Viejo and either San Mamés or the Vizcaya Bridge. A third day is for the coast: the guided tour to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo, Mundaka and Gernika. Then move to San Sebastián for two nights, with a day for La Concha, Monte Igueldo and the old town, an evening pintxos tour, and a morning at Chillida Leku. With only three days, base yourself in one city and day-trip to the other.
What to book ahead
The Guggenheim works on timed tickets, so book your slot or a guided tour a few days ahead, and remember it closes on most Mondays outside summer. The San Sebastián pintxos tour run by the city’s tourism office has small groups of up to ten and cannot be cancelled within 48 hours, so reserve it once your dates are fixed. The Gaztelugatxe day tour leaves at 08:30 from beside Puppy at the Guggenheim. Visiting the islet itself needs a free online ticket only on the controlled-access dates of the Bizkaia council’s 2026 calendar, so check your date. If you plan a special dinner, book the famous restaurants weeks in advance.
The weekly rhythm
Closing days are the trap. In Bilbao, the Guggenheim and the Athletic Club Museum close on Mondays, the Itsasmuseum on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the Bilbao Museoa is free on Tuesdays but opens only partly, so pay for a full visit on another day. In San Sebastián, Chillida Leku closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and in November the hop-on hop-off bus runs only from Friday to Sunday, while Monte Igueldo follows a reduced winter calendar. A good pattern is San Sebastián at the start of the week and Bilbao from Tuesday, or the reverse with Chillida Leku on a weekend.
Getting between the cities
Frequent buses link Bilbao’s Termibus station, next to San Mamés, with San Sebastián’s bus station, taking a little over an hour, and they are the easiest option. A slower regional train follows the coast and inland valleys. Driving gives you freedom for the coast, but parking in both centres is expensive, so choose a hotel with a car park. Bilbao airport has a bus link to the city centre and to San Sebastián.
Getting around each city
Bilbao’s centre is walkable along the river, from the Casco Viejo past the Guggenheim to San Mamés, and the metro and tram fill the gaps; the metro also reaches the Vizcaya Bridge at Getxo and Portugalete in about twenty minutes. San Sebastián is best on foot: the walk along La Concha from the old town to the Monte Igueldo funicular is one of the great city strolls in Europe. Chillida Leku, in Hernani, is a short taxi ride.
Where the headline sights fit
Day one in Bilbao: the Guggenheim in the morning, lunch in the Ensanche, the Bilbao Museoa in the afternoon and pintxos on the Plaza Nueva in the evening. Day two: the Itsasmuseum and San Mamés by the river, then the metro to the Vizcaya Bridge for the high walkway. Day three: Gaztelugatxe and the coast. Day four in San Sebastián: the promenade, Monte Igueldo at sunset and the pintxos tour. Day five: Chillida Leku and a last walk on the beach.
Eating like a local
In both cities, pintxo bars are about specialities: order one or two bites and a small drink, then move on. Hot pintxos are cooked to order, so ask what the house is known for. Lunch is the main meal, and dinner starts late. Txakoli, the slightly sparkling local white wine, is poured from a height.
When to go
Summer is warm and busy, September brings the film festival in San Sebastián, and autumn is mild with quieter museums. Expect rain at any time of year; the green hills are not an accident. In November, pack a waterproof, enjoy lower hotel prices and plan outdoor days around the forecast.