San Sebastian Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

San Sebastian is a city that can be easily explored on foot. However, one of the best things to do as a tourist is to take the tourist bus. With the help of a tourist bus it is easier to locate the best of the city or just stroll around seeing everything from a comfortable seat.

The city of Donostia only has the City Tour tourist bus, its official bus. With this vehicle, tourists can tour the entire city passing through at least 14 stops. It also has audio guides in several languages so that you can find out what you can find along the way and get the most out of the ride.

The City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus is the official bus and the only one of its kind in the city. The City Tour company also offers rides on a train for a different experience. The bus is a double-decker with an open-top roof, while the train offers a panoramic view throughout the tour.

The bus is everyone's favourite option as it allows you to create your own personalised tour of the city. It is a Hop-on Hop-off service around the whole of Donostia, meaning you can hop on and off as often as you like. Your ticket is valid for 24 hours, so it can be an excellent option if you are travelling to San Sebastian for a day.

On board the bus you will find an informative audio guide which is available in Spanish, Basque, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Chinese. In this way most tourists will be able to learn about the sites that the bus covers. You can listen to this audio guide with headphones that you will be given once you are on board.

I suggest you pay attention to the content of the guide. Sometimes the information it provides helps tourists to discover sites they had not considered visiting before. Besides, most of them are places where the City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus passes by.

The first stop on the City Tour Donostia - San Sebastián tourist bus route is located on Calle República Argentina, opposite the Victoria Eugenia Theatre. In total, the tour lasts an average of one hour. During that time the bus travels around 14 stops, but people can start their tour at any of them. These are:

• Victoria Eugenia Theatre
• Aquarium/Paseo Nuevo
• San Telmo/Parte Vieja
• Plaza Gipuzkoa
• Estación Tren-Bus/Tabakalera
• Gros Quarter
• Kursaal
• La Concha Beach
• La Perla
• Ondarreta
• Peine del Viento
• Monte Igeldo Funicular
• Barrio Antiguo
• Palacio de Miramar

The Donostia - San Sebastian City Tour tourist bus is ideal for people who don't know the city and want to see or explore the most touristy places. The best thing about this bus is that you can use it as many times as you want for a whole day, unlike the D-bus, San Sebastian's public transport, which has fixed timetables and stops, designed for residents.

If you take the tourist bus you only have to pay around 15 € per day. On the other hand, if you take public transport you have to pay around €2 per journey each time you use it. During the night the average fare is €3. For a tourist who wants to explore the whole city it is not a good plan to spend so much money on transport.

My recommendation is to take the tourist bus, as it will take you directly to the best spots in the city and you will be able to see inside the city. If you want to get a better view of the city it is best to sit on the first floor of the bus, as it is open-top.

If you feel like exploring the city further, you can always opt for a bike tour. Keep in mind that you'll need to know how to ride a bike and preferably find a local guide to make sure you don't get lost and get the best routes.

Staying on the bus to see the whole city from there is also a good plan. If you do this you will be able to see different attractions that are worth admiring. You could do the full one hour tour and then explore each one with more time. If you decide to do the full tour here is what you will see in each of them:

Victoria Eugenia Theatre

The Victoria Eugenia Theatre is located in Okendo Square. This whole site represents a great monumental richness where not only the theatre is located, but also the Hotel María Cristina. Around these two places you can see the gardens and the river promenade.

If you want to explore this part of the city I recommend you to see a play. There is almost always a performance that you can enjoy. You can see dances, concerts, films and plays. Tickets are usually between 10 € and 30 € approximately.

Aquarium/Paseo Nuevo

At this station you will find the Paseo Nuevo of San Sebastian. It runs from the Aquarium along the whole of Mount Urgull and ends at the end of the Old Part of San Sebastian, next to the Kursaal. It is also located next to La Concha Bay and the Cantabrian Sea, which makes it one of the most beautiful walks in San Sebastian.

You can also visit the Basilica of Santa María del Coro, a Baroque work from the 18th century. I also recommend a visit to the Church of San Vicente, an old Gothic church. Finally, I recommend a visit to the San Telmo Museum, located at the foot of Mount Urgull. There you can see exhibitions dedicated to Basque history and culture.

San Telmo/Parte Vieja

At the San Telmo/Parte Vieja stop you can get the best views of the sea and the city from the Paseo Nuevo. At the end of this site, on Mount Urgull, you can see the San Sebastian Aquarium. In order to visit it you must enter the Natural Science Museum. There you will learn all about the sea and its role in the history of Gipuzkoa.

I also suggest you visit Mount Urgull, a postcard-worthy site surrounded by the Cantabrian Sea except for the section that connects to the Old Town. At its highest point is the Castillo de la Mota Castle where you will find the Casa-Museo de la Historia, another museum worth visiting.

Gipuzkoa Square

In the Plaza Gipuzkoa, located right in the centre of the city, you will find a complex meteorological pavilion, a white marble table and a clock made of colourful flowers. In the centre of the square you can stroll along a path of gardens that have been consecrated as a place of rest and meeting for the locals.

This site is chosen year after year for many cultural events and celebrations. Opposite the square is the seat of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Near the square you can also see the City Hall, the Hotel María Cristina, the Plaza de la Constitución and the Victoria Eugenia Theatre. I recommend you visit the latter and see a play or dance.

At this station you can take a walk parallel to the Urumea River, located between the bridges of María Cristina and Santa Catalina. The María Cristina Bridge has four monumental obelisks at either end and you can admire them before visiting the Cristina Enea Park next to the Tabakalera building. This place is an oasis in the city thanks to its beautiful trees, swans and peacock trees.

Inside the park is the Palacio del Duque de Mandas which houses the Cristina Enea Foundation and the former office of the Duke of Mandas, along with several exhibition halls and galleries.

In the Gros neighbourhood, located between the mouth of the Urumea and Mount Ulía, just opposite Zurriola beach, you can also have a pleasant time. The highlight of this area is the Kursaal. These are iconic cubes of San Sebastian that simulate the beached rocks that separate from the Gros breakwater.

This site is world famous for being the official home of the San Sebastian Film Festival. It is also home to the Sala Kubo, the Kutxa's exhibition centre where you can find works of art.

This stop is definitely all about waves, surfing and fun. Here you can access one of the main beaches of San Sebastian, Zurriola Beach. This beach is located between the Kursaal cubes and Monte Ulía.

On the beach you can find different activities such as volleyball, football and even surfing courses. In this area you can also see the Zurriola Bridge and the Kursaal Conference Centre and Auditorium.

This stop allows you to go to La Concha Beach, located in La Concha Bay, surrounded by the Igeldo and Urgull mountains. Nearby you can see other points of interest such as the Paseo de La Concha and La Perla.

A visit to this beach is a must on a San Sebastian itinerary lasting two days or more. You will see a beautiful beach with crystal clear water and clean golden sand. Try to plan a visit to this paradise before you leave Donostia.

These are three resorts that are very close to each other. The first, La Perla, is located in Zubieta, a neighbourhood a few kilometres from the centre. It is home to the Real Sociedad sports complex and the Lasarte racecourse.

The next stop, Ondarreta, is actually Ondarreta Beach, an urban beach bounded by Chillida's Peine de los Vientos and the Pico del Loro (Parrot's Peak). I recommend you visit this beach when the tide is high as you will have enough space to lie down and sunbathe.

The Peine del Viento is a stop named after one of the most famous works of Eduardo Chillida, a Spanish sculptor. Right at this stop you can see a sculptural ensemble made up of granite terraces and pieces of steel. From there you can also see the immensity of the sea.

Monte Igeldo Funicular, Old Quarter and Miramar Palace

These are the last three stops on the tourist bus. First you will find the Monte Igeldo Funicular which is more than a century old. This site is connected to Ondarreta Beach thanks to Monte Igeldo by a three-minute walk.

The next stop is precisely the neighbourhood of El Antiguo which stretches all along the west side of the bay. It is also flanked by the mountains of Igeldo and Aiete. At the eastern end of Mount Igeldo is the amusement park.

The last stop is the Miramar Royal Palace. This is the site of the Casa Real de Campo, a site chosen by the Queen Regent María Cristina. It was built specifically on the estate of the Count of Moriana, located between the city centre and the Antiguo. Thanks to this location it has beautiful views of the bay.

If you visit this area you can enter the gardens free of charge. You can also enter the palace on certain occasions. Some of the concerts of the Musical Fortnight are even held here.

The ticket to board the tourist bus varies in price depending on the age of the user. If you are an adult you will pay around 15 €, if you are a child between five and twelve years of age you will pay half the price.

You can buy this ticket in two easy ways. The most recommended is through the official City Tour website. This is ideal if you are planning your holiday. Personally I advise you to make as many reservations as possible in advance. This will allow you to speed up all your trips, tours and experiences in the city.

If you can't buy your ticket online, you can also buy it at the San Sebastian Tourism office. You can also buy your ticket at any of the bus stops. You must speak to the driver in order to buy it.

The City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus lasts one hour. The first bus leaves at 10:30 in the morning. The last bus of the day leaves at 7 pm. All buses, whether they leave in the morning, afternoon or evening, follow the same route through the city.

Please note that the bus schedule may change depending on the month. From July to September and during Easter, the last City Tour bus leaves at 7pm. Between October and June the last bus leaves at 6pm, while in April and May the timetable finishes at 5pm.

These timetables are due to the length of the day in San Sebastian. For example, the winter in Donostia means that the days are approximately eight hours long, so it gets dark earlier and the bus runs until dusk. With these timetables in mind you can better plan your holiday in San Sebastian.

When you buy your ticket for the tourist bus you can book it for a specific date. It will only be valid for one day on the timetable in force at the time. If your plans change, you can cancel your ticket only if you cancel it 24 hours in advance. You will then receive a refund.

With the same ticket you can get on and off the bus as many times as you like on the same day. That is, you can take it at the first station to get to a specific place and walk to another stop and take it again. At no time will you have to recharge your ticket.

Taking this bus can be a good option when you plan to take a boat tour of San Sebastian. Some of the stops will leave you very close to the places you need to get to for these plans. The most frequent stop to take a boat is Playa de La Concha. Are you up for a different day on this bus?