Bilbao in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

In the following lines, I will tell you everything you need to know to make your three-day trip to this urban centre of Biscay more than incredible. As it is such a cultural city, I recommend that you include in your itinerary the different monuments that are erected throughout the length and breadth of the city.

The Ribera market, San Mamés and the Bilbao estuary are some of the places you are obliged to visit in this city. But it's not just in the city centre that there are beautiful things to see. The outskirts of the city also have their own charm, and three days is more than enough time to discover some of the best things to see and do in and around Bilbao.

Let's assume that on the first day you are already in Bilbao, either because you arrive very early in the morning or because you have already been staying the night before. Your day will start with a tour of Bilbao's old town, having a good breakfast and getting ready to walk around some of the city's most iconic sights.

Among the other places you will visit during this first day, apart from the Old Town, are San Mamés, the Alhóndiga, Gran Vía and a couple of iconic museums within the historic centre of the city. Finally, I recommend you finish with dinner, and if you want, you can stay and party in Casco Viejo.

Breakfast in Bilbao Old Town

After the transfer from Bilbao Airport to your accommodation in the city, it is time to leave your bags at the hotel and go for a walk, to get to know the city and above all to taste some of its exquisite gastronomy.

It is in Bilbao's Old Quarter that you will be looking for a place to eat. In its surroundings there are many dining options, excellent to include among the best gastronomic tours of Bilbao, so you will have plenty of places to find a good breakfast, one of them can be Café Lago Bilbao, a common place among locals to have breakfast.

Before leaving the Casco Viejo, I recommend you spend a few minutes visiting the Basilica of the Virgin of Begoña, one of the most important liturgical monuments in the city. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to finish this tour, so this will be between 8:00 and 10:00.

Guggenheim Museum Tour

After breakfast and a sacred visit to the temple of the Virgin of Begoña, you will continue north to find the next point on the itinerary, which is none other than the Guggenheim Museum, one of the most iconic and representative places to see in Bilbao.

The art on display at the museum is by Spanish and foreign artists. The most important works and the ones you can't help but take some pictures with are: Mama and Puppy, which are located on the outside.

Tickets to the Guggenheim Museum cost between 6.50 and 13 euros per person, except for children and teenagers up to the age of 17, who get in free. The opening hours are from 10:00 to 19:00, so you'll be just in time for the first group to enter, and I recommend spending no less than 3 hours to see the entire museum.

Lunch in the best Bilbao style

The tour of the Guggenheim Museum is sure to leave you feeling low on energy and hungry for something to eat, so before moving on to the next destination, it's important to try a good traditional Bilbao dish, such as bacalao al pil-pil or cocochas de merluza en salsa verde (hake cocochas in green sauce).

Among the restaurants I recommend to try authentic Mediterranean food near the Fine Arts Museum, which will be your next stop, are: Berri Iparraguirre, Bil Ko and Gure Kabi, all with a price range between 15 and 50 euros per dish.

Visit the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

After lunch and a little rest after the meal, your watch should be ticking towards 15:00, a perfect time to enter the Fine Arts Museum, which closes at 20:00. You will need a little less than two hours to visit this museum.

The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is currently one of the leading museums of its kind in Spain. It houses approximately ten thousand pieces on display, so you have a lot to see. This large number of pieces are grouped into five sections: Ancient Art, Modern Art, Contemporary Art, Basque Art; and Works on Paper and Applied Arts.

Admission to this museum is sometimes free. On other occasions, however, it can cost between 3.50 and 7 euros, depending on the characteristics of each visitor.

San Mamés

Almost among the last groups to visit the San Mamés stadium, you will start this activity at around 17:00. Depending on the season, either winter or summer, the stadium is open to the public until 19:00 or 20:00, respectively.

The guided tour lasts from 45 minutes to an hour, so this is a great way to get a tour without leaving anything out. You can pay between 8 and 20 euros per ticket, depending on the type of ticket, either for adults or for children from 6 years old. Children up to 5 years old get in for free.

By the way, it should be around 18:00 by the end of the tour, so if you fancy a coffee or a snack, you can enjoy the facilities of the bars, restaurants and cafés located in the complex. If you want to have a snack, this is the time to do it, because there is still some day left to walk around.

Gran Vía de Don Diego López

Leaving San Mamés at about 18:00, I invite you to walk along the Gran Vía, that great road artery that crosses Bilbao and that in its surroundings you can see some of the most iconic buildings of the city, bank headquarters and one of the most important points of Biscayan urbanity.

You will also be able to see different gardens blooming at both ends of the street. All this while the sun goes down and night falls. The Gran Vía is a place to enjoy the city atmosphere that Bilbao has to offer and it is also a perfect excuse to get to the next point on the route, the Azkuna Zentroa Alhóndiga.

Azkuna Zentroa Alhóndiga

With time on your side you will be able to get to the last tour of the exhibition hall of the place, bearing in mind that it starts at 19:00. Visits last 45 minutes, so you will be out by 20:00 at the latest.

La Alhóndiga used to function as a wine cellar, but has now been remodelled into an entertainment and leisure centre. The guided tour can be done in Basque or Spanish and the visits are almost personalised because the capacity is usually around 20 people.

Dinner and drinks in Bilbao's Old Town

When you leave the Alhóndiga, at approximately 20:00, it's time to go out for pintxos and stay for a drink or two. Going out for pintxos is one of the most popular activities among the locals, and it is nothing more than going from one bar to another to taste tapas and drinks of different flavours.

The Casco Viejo is the perfect place for this, so you'll come back here at night to eat and enjoy one of the best things to do in Bilbao at night. Several restaurants and eateries are located here, so there is plenty to do to enjoy the night as it is just beginning.

For this second day of sightseeing in Bilbao, I recommend you to take a leisurely tour, bearing in mind that the previous day you had an exhausting experience visiting a large part of the city. The plan for this day is to continue exploring the Casco Viejo and other nearby places. I recommend you to have lunch in the restaurants in this area.

The day's sightseeing will start around 9:00 or 10:00, after having had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel where you are staying. So the tour of the market and the old town will start at 10:00.

La Ribera Market

This is one of those places with centuries of history that you will love to see and get to know inside thanks to the freshness of its products. Moreover, this market with centuries of history has everything you would need to cook a good Mediterranean dish at home or at your place of accommodation.

One of the best things about visiting the Ribera market is that everything is decorated in a rural atmosphere. As well as being able to sample Mediterranean delicacies, you will be able to buy different things typical of this place.

Arriaga Antzokia Theatre

Very close to the Mercado de la Ribera, this theatre was inaugurated in 1890 and is a true jewel of neo-baroque architecture. It is a theatre dedicated to opera and is one of the most emblematic places in the city, so you can't miss it when you pass through the historic centre of Bilbao.

It is part of one of the first buildings in the city of Bilbao, which is why it is so architecturally important. If you go on a weekday, you can walk just outside the Arriaga Theatre and take pictures. If you go at the weekend and the tours are open, you can visit the interior in no more than 50 minutes.

Church of San Nicolás

Just opposite the Arriaga Theatre stands this other ecclesiastical monument of great importance to the town, and it is one of those places that remind us of Bilbao's past that can still be seen in every street and on every corner.

Again, as part of a tour of Bilbao's old town you can see the exterior of the church of San Nicolás, and this is just what I suggest, so that you don't spend so much time in the morning and can see other things. But in case you want to visit the inside, the visit can take up to half an hour.

Santiago Cathedral in Bilbao

Also in the old quarter you will find this cathedral, which is one of the most important ecclesiastical temples in the city, as it houses the city's diocese. It is a must-see monument if you visit Bilbao thanks to its cultural and historical contribution.

On a tour or one of the best tours of Bilbao, which will take you through the Old Town, you could just pass by the outskirts of the Cathedral and look at it from afar. But if you want to visit the inside, you can do that too, although I recommend you check their official website first to find out what their opening hours are.

A stroll through the streets of Iralabarri

Leaving the old quarter of Bilbao, you will continue your tour through some of the most popular streets and areas of the city; this time passing through Iralabarri, a very picturesque working-class neighbourhood in the city, which is in fact known as the Notting Hill of Bilbao.

What you'll notice most about Iralabarri is the colourful houses, and the amount of scenery it offers to take more than one photo. Although it is a somewhat unknown place for tourists, it is a good place to take some photos and marvel at the colourful streets.

But besides that, you'll probably want to have lunch by now. The tour of the old town, the Cathedral and then the walk through Irala should have taken you about three hours by now. With this time in mind, you should want to eat lunch by this time, knowing that it must be around 13:00.

Well, Irala and its surroundings offer some nice restaurants where you can have some lunch. Some of the most recommended places to enjoy lunch are: Grafit Rock Cafe, Batzoki Rekalde, Hitzak and Jantoki Berri, all dedicated to Spanish food.

Crossing the Zubizuri Bridge

Straight from Irala, you will continue on your way to one of the most controversial architectural works of recent times in Bilbao: the Zubizuri Bridge. This work by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava is one of the must-sees in Bilbao, thanks to the beauty of his work but also to the debates that revolve around it.

It is a pedestrian bridge that originally had only a glass pavement, which gave it an unparalleled attraction. But as time went on, passers-by realised that the glass was very slippery, so the City Council decided to lay a non-slip carpet.

From there the controversy only increased. But despite the few changes that have been made to the building, it is still a beautiful place that I recommend you to visit and take a picture or two before leaving Bilbao.

Take the funicular up Artxanda mountain

You won't be visiting the bridge for long, so your next stop is Archanda. By this time it should be around 14:00 or 15:00. Opened in the first half of the 20th century the Archanda funicular is one of the most used means of transport and is also a great tourist attraction to visit Bilbao and especially the Archanda mountain.

Of course, you can also go up to this place on foot or on a bicycle tour. But in this case, we will have the opportunity to go up the funicular, from where we will see some beautiful panoramic views.

The ride to the top of the mountain takes only about three minutes. The views you will appreciate on the way up, and especially once you get to the top, are of a different level, and most probably one of the best views of Bilbao. This means of transport works until approximately 8pm, so you can also choose this option on your return journey.

At the top you can even take a stroll around the viewpoint, to see much more than just the great view of Bilbao, and above all enjoy the exquisite local cuisine.

Relaxing afternoon in the Doña Casilda de Iturrizar park.

After a day touring much of the city, it's time for a little rest, so I recommend that you head back to your accommodation, but not before spending some time relaxing in the Doña Casilda de Iturrizar Park.

This park is one of the most important lungs of the city, where locals and visitors gather to rest, play sports outdoors or even to enjoy the landscape that mixes the variety of nature with the architectural beauty that divides the Ensanche with Abandoibarra.

By the time you arrive at the park it will be approximately 16:00 or 17:00. I recommend that you spend no less than one or two hours walking around the park before going back to your hotel or accommodation. As an alternative plan you can have dinner and go for drinks back in the old town. Although I recommend an early night for an early morning departure to the outskirts of the city.

For day three of this itinerary, I recommend that you travel by rental car, as you will be touring some of the best villages in Bilbao. After two full days dedicated to enjoying all the attractions the city has to offer, it's time to get to know other places further afield.

Lekeitio

To start the day, you'll wake up very early to begin your journey to Lekeitio, a town to the northwest of Bilbao. It will take you about an hour by car to get from Bilbao to this village, so if you leave your accommodation early, you could start around 9:00 with this tour, which is one of the best excursions from Bilbao.

I recommend you arrive looking for a parking space before you start your tour. In summer it is usually more difficult to find a spot, but if you arrive early, you won't have any problems. After you've parked your car, it's time to find a good place to have breakfast and start your tour.

You'll start with the old town and the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, and right after that you'll go to the port, two of the most emblematic places of the place, which is generally very "instagrammable". You can walk around the rest of the town a bit more, but I reckon about three hours would be about right for lunch and getting to know the town. You would leave at 12 o'clock from this place.

Elantxobe

Elantxobe is about 25 minutes by car from Lekeitio, so you won't have to drive long to get to this other place. If there is one thing that is striking about this place it is definitely the vertical architecture of the constructions of houses and buildings.

But this village is much more than just vertical houses, from almost anywhere in this village you will be able to have incredible views of the sea. By the time you get here, it should be around 12:30 or 13:00.

I recommend you take a good walk through the streets of Elantxobe, take the odd photograph and then find a place to have lunch in this village, so that you can continue your route on the third day with something in your stomach.

Gernika

You will be passing through Gernika on your way to the next destination on the third day's itinerary. In fact, this is the perfect place to learn a little more about Spain's contemporary history, because you will be able to see the air-raid shelters that were built in the first half of the 20th century in the middle of the Spanish Civil War.

To get to know these air-raid shelters you can choose from some of the tours available in the town, which not only show you where they are located, but also include a mock demonstration of what a bombing raid would be like. An epic experience.

Beyond that, you can visit the centre of Gernika, which is a good place to take a photo or two. It could easily take you two hours to walk around this town. You should leave this place at approximately 15:30 or 16:00.

Bermeo

After Gernika, you will continue on to the town of Bermeo. The journey takes about 25 minutes by car. The best thing about this tourist spot is that it is a fishing village with lots of sights to see.

One of the things you can't miss in Bermeo are the best pintxos in Bilbao, one of the most traditional foods in Bilbao. So this can be a good plan for dinner just before you continue your way back to the city of Bilbao.

To visit the town of Bermeo, you will need about 2 hours, so you will leave back at about 18:30 approximately. You should arrive at your accommodation between 19:00 and 19:30, just in time to rest and board your flight back the next day.

• Remember to visit the websites of each of the places you intend to visit to find out if it is necessary and how to book tickets.
• Take into account the opening hours of each of the sights before making any changes to your itinerary.
• This is an itinerary made on the assumption that the opening hours of all the places to visit coincide with the days on which you have planned your trip. Keep in mind that some places stop working one day a week, so it is always necessary to check that the day of your visit coordinates with a working day for museums and other tourist sites.
• Depending on the season, summer or winter, each site closes earlier or later.
• Bring a variety of clothes because the weather in Bilbao can change quickly, so it is best to bring clothes for all weathers.