Planning a trip to northern Spain and wondering how to see the very best of the Basque Country in just a few days?
In this article, we share a recommended 2-day Basque Country itinerary that includes Bilbao (Bilbo in Basque), San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque), and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
These are all top places that are worth your time the most if you have just a few days in this beautiful part of Spain!
Good to know: For this itinerary, you could base yourself in Bilbao and take a day trip to San Sebastian and Gaztelugatxe (either by car or with this tour). If you are traveling by car, you can also make a mini road trip and stay in both, Bilbao as well as Sebastian.
Here is what your Bilbao – San Sebastian itinerary could look like:
DAY 1: Bilbao
Bilbao is the biggest city in the Basque Country and it deserves at least one full day. There is a lot to see and do, but the best way to get a feel of what Bilbao is truly like is to experience the city rather than see some specific places.
Let me clarify. Before our trip, I heard from quite a few people that Bilbao was boring and had nothing to offer beyond the impressive exterior of the Guggenheim Museum. But we had already set our minds on visiting, so we decided to look a bit deeper, venture beyond ‘the musts’, and also book a few activities with local guides
Of course, we visited the major landmarks and explored all the main areas in the city center, but we also opted for two tours: a morning city highlights bike tour and an evening Basque food tour. Booking these tours was the best decision and made our visit to Bilbao so much more memorable!
The bike tour allowed us to cover a lot of ground in a short time and visit several areas beyond the main places where most tourists go. Plus, we learned about Bilbao’s past and its incredible transformation, and the guide gave lots of interesting info about various sights all over the city. We also picked up some tips for the rest of our visit.
The food tour gave us an opportunity to visit several central neighborhoods in a short time, explore a bit deeper, and try many different pintxos, wines, and other traditional drinks at some of the best local spots.
Our experience in Bilbao was nothing short of amazing! We truly enjoyed this dynamic and rapidly evolving city that effortlessly blends its history and industrial heritage with cultural attractions and contemporary lifestyle. Bilbao has a lovely, relaxed vibe, and the friendliness of the locals makes you feel really welcome. Last but not least, the culinary scene is amazing!
Simply put, Bilbao is a city that must be experienced to be truly appreciated. So when planning your visit to Bilbao – even if just for a day or two – I highly recommend that you opt for a mix of sights and activities that will show you different facets of this unique city!
TIP: Via the link below, you can find our detailed itinerary with recommendations on how to experience the best of Bilbao in a day. Check it out!
LEARN MORE: How to See the Best of Bilbao in One Day
DAY 2: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe & San Sebastian
If you only have two days in Basque Country, on the second day, we recommend visiting Gaztelugatxe and San Sebastian (aka Donostia). These can easily be done in a single day, either by car or by booking a guided day tour from Bilbao.
If you have a car, it doesn’t matter that much which of these two places you visit first. However, at Gaztelugatxe you have to take opening hours into account, so it’s easier if you can start there. Afterward, you can stay in San Sebastian as long as you like.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is a little chapel sitting on top of a tiny rocky islet along the coast of the Bay of Biscay, made famous by the HBO series, Game of Thrones. It can only be reached by a stone bridge and a steep footpath which makes it even more special.
Gaztelugatxe is a very unique site and one of the must-sees in the Basque Country! It’s located just about 30 km/35 minutes drive from Bilbao and you only need about 1.5-2 hours for a visit here. This makes it a popular addition to any Basque Country itinerary.
However, there are some important things you need to know when planning a visit to Gaztelugatxe. See our guide via the link below for all the essential info and top tips.
LEARN MORE: How to Visit Gaztelugatxe
After your visit to Gaztelugatxe, drive to San Sebastian (+-120 km/1.5 hours), where you can have lunch. Locals tend to eat late, so many restaurants in Spain don’t open for lunch before 1-1.30 pm.
San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque) is a charming seaside resort and one of the nicest towns in Northern Spain. It’s much smaller and cozier than Bilbao but has a very rich history and many interesting landmarks.
Unless you are visiting San Sebastian as part of a guided day tour from Bilbao, I highly recommend doing a city tour with a local guide (see below for more info and tour suggestions). We did a walking tour and learned so much about San Sebastian and its fascinating past. We had no idea how much there was to learn! Otherwise, you just walk around without knowing what you are seeing…
The center of San Sebastian is quite compact and can easily be explored on foot. However, if you want to see more of the city in a short time, you may want to consider this highly-rated bike tour. This tour also takes you to the top of Mount Igeldo where you can enjoy the best views of San Sebastian (see the featured image at the top of this article).
Alternatively, opt for this walking tour instead. Since the bike tour didn’t allow kids, we opted for the walking tour. We loved it!
The tour we did took 2 hours and focused on the historic old town. We got a very good introduction to the city and the guide also gave some additional tips for things to do. Our tour ended with a visit to a small cafe where we tried some delicious pintxos and local drinks. This is not a food tour, but it was a really nice touch.
TIP: If you are interested, there are some great food tours in San Sebastian as well. However, it’s more difficult to fit this into this itinerary if you only have half a day in town. We did a food tour in Bilbao instead (see day 1 above). Depending on your exact itinerary, we highly recommend that you do at least one food tour in the Basque Country. It doesn’t matter that much where you do it but it’s a must!
In the evening, return to Bilbao (100km/ 1h10) or stay in San Sebastian and continue your trip further next day.
Where to Stay
There are so many ways to plan a trip to Bilbao and San Sebastian (and that will influence the best place to stay as well). So much depends on where exactly you arrive, how many days you have in the area, where you are traveling afterward, and whether you have a car or not.
Without a car, we recommend basing yourself in Bilbao, e.g. Vincci Consulado de Bilbao Hotel near Guggenheim. Staying in Bilbao, you have many more options for day tours to San Sebastian, Gaztelugatxe, and other places in the Basque Country.
If you use public transport, there are good bus connections as well. However, guided day tours have one big advantage – you can see more places in a day.
Our experience: We traveled by car and stayed in San Sebastian for one night and in Bilbao for two nights (so that we had one full day in the city). We chose Hotel Gran Bilbao, a bit outside the town center, but still within walking distance. In San Sebastian, we stayed far away from the city since we were driving through France on the same trip.
So, this is our itinerary that brings you to the nicest places in Basque Country in northern Spain in just two days.
Needless to say, you can turn this itinerary around and start in San Sebastian. In that case, visit the city of San Sebastian first, then drive to Gaztelugatxe, and end in Bilbao.
If you have more time, you can easily add several smaller towns (like Bermeo, Getaria, or Guernica) to this itinerary and/or take a day trip to the Rioja wine region.
However, if two days are all you’ve got, this gives you a good idea of where to go and how to plan your time in Basque Country so that you can make the most of your trip. Enjoy it!
More travel inspiration & tips for Spain:
- Barcelona:
- Madrid:
- Seville:
- Basque Country:
READ ALSO: Spain Bucket List
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Tim
Thursday 1st of August 2024
What an interesting part of Spain that I have not heard about before. Adding Bilbao and St Sebastian to my bucket list!
Jurga
Thursday 1st of August 2024
Glad to have inspired you to visit, Tim. This area is well worth a trip, also beyond these two major towns.