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Best experiences:

Rioja Wine Region

La Rioja, Spain

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Bucket List Experience
view of a neatly planted vineyard with lines of vines. a small town is behind

World-class wine region offering a heady mix of great bodegas, gorgeous scenery and avant-garde architecture.

Best for ages 18+

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

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Bucket List Experience
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

A world-famous art gallery housing some of the world’s most important contemporary art exhibitions. In Frank Gehry’s striking swirl of a building.

Adult price: £22

Best for ages 18+

San Sebastian’s best food & drink

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

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Bucket List Experience
three tasty tapas rolls filed with something

Our summary of the typical foods, ingredients and flavours, cooking styles, dining scene and best foodie experiences in San Sebastian.

Best for ages 18+

Duration: Any

Getaria Wine Region

Getaria, Basque Country, Spain

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Bucket List Experience
view of vineyards smothering hills with blue sea behind

A delightful fishing village with pretty architecture, food, beaches and superb wine – and it’s largely undiscovered by tourists.

Ribera Market

Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

external facade of the market

One of the biggest covered markets in the world, this Basque food market is a lush, colourful extravaganza of wonderfully fresh produce.

Best for ages 18+

Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts

Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

man standing infront of two portrait paintings, hung on bright red wall

Bilbao’s fine arts museum boasts a superb collection of masterpieces, from El Greco and Zurburan to Gaugin and Francis Bacon, plus excellent contemporary art exhibitions.

Best for ages 18+

Basque Museum of Bilbao

Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

Basque Museum of Bilbao

The Euskal Museoa is a Basque ethnographic museum celebrating the culture and history of one of Europe’s oldest peoples.  It offers a comprehensive journey through Basque history, culture, and traditions, through archaeological artefacts, traditional costumes, Basque language and literature displays, and interactive installations. Closed on Tuesdays.

Adult price: £5

Best for ages 18+

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San Sebastian International Film Festival

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

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Bucket List Experience
View of red carpet running into a covered walkway

Enjoy the pictures and pintxos at this accessible, A-list film festival in Spain’s culinary capital.

Adult price: £5

Best for ages 18+

Duration: One week

When: 3rd week September

Frequency: annually

San Telmo Museum

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

exterior facade of museum, golden sandstone

San Sebastian’s delightful museum offers insights into the unique Basque culture, plus extraordinary murals by Jose Maria Sert.

Adult price: £5

Best for ages 18+

San Martin Market

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

Spanish ham hanging on a stall in the Boqueria market in Barcelona.

San Sebastian’s central market, just in from La Concha bay, opened its doors in 1884, and underwent a complete transformation in 2006; along with traditional food stalls, San Martin now hosts concerts and cultural events.

Best for ages 18+

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looking down onto the sweeping bay of Gorrondatxe Azkorri Beach

North of Bilbao, the Atlantic coast is lined with cliffs, stunning lookouts and beautiful beaches, perfect for an afternoon walk, swimming, surfing or even paragliding – all in easy reach of the city metro.

Best for ages 6+

Bilbao Maritime Museum

Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

external view of entrance

Located in the city’s historic port area, this interesting museum explains the region’s rich maritime heritage, and Bilbao’s seafaring and shipbuilding past. Housed in the iconic Euskalduna Palace, it features a diverse collection of exhibits, historical artefacts, ship models, and interactive displays.

Adult price: £5

Best for ages 13+

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Cristobal Balenciaga Museum

Getaria, Basque Country, Spain

Exterior facade, square red brick building

This small museum tucked away in the small village of Balenciaga’s birth (1895), displays of 20th-century haute couture outfits by the famous designer. There are guided tours and even an onsite fashion school for teaching the tips of the trade.

Adult price: £8

Best for ages 18+

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Txokos

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

Group eating and drinking red wine at dinner barbecue party outdoor

Txokos in San Sebastian are exclusive gastronomic societies aka private clubs that bring together food enthusiasts to gather, cook, and share meals. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the local Basque cuisine and meet local food connoisseurs. Access is by private, organised tour. Book a special visit in advance with San Sebastian Pintxos or Basque Tours.

Adult price: £Varies

Best for ages 30+

Duration: One evening

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Petritegi Cider House

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

inside the cider house, people sitting at tables by big barrels

Dine on cod dishes and steaks in this traditional cider house (sagardotegi), just outside San Sebastian. They’ve been making cider here for over 500 years. They offer guided tours of the apple orchards and cider works; their typical set menus are online.

Best for ages 18+

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Arzak

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

Arzak

San Sebastian’s world-famous three-Michelin-star restaurant (since 1989!), run by Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena Arzak, who won the prize for the world’s best female chef in 2012. There cellar holds some 100,000 bottles of wine.

Adult price: £40

Best for ages 18+

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Cafe Bar Bilbao

Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

external view of Cafe Bar Bilbao, a tiny cafe with blue frontage

A local foodie institution, famous for some of the best pintxos in all Spain. Perfect for after a visit to Bilbao’s Guggenheim – it’s a 15-minute walk from there.

Best for ages 18+

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San Sebastian Aquarium

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

external facade and entrance of the museum

Dedicated to underwater life in the Bay of Biscay, San Sebastian’s aquarium boasts a walk-through 360-degree tunnel. Great for families and those interested in nature.

Adult price: £11

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Atari Gastroleku

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

Prawn skewers tapas

Right in the medieval centre, this contemporary bar uses the finest ingredients in its traditional and avant garde pintxos – their prawn skewers are famous. Good wine list too. Best to book a table as it fills up fast.

Best for ages 18+

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Bar Bergara

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

Interior photo of a counter filled with tasty tapas

Located just over the river in Gros, this bar has won prizes for its exquisite nibbles. You can make a meal of them (there’s a set menu) at one of the tables.

Best for ages 18+

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San Sebastian Gastronomika

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

Spanish tapas, called pintxos of the Basque Country. Pintxos, tapas, Spanish canapes. Party finger food. With cheese, salmon and toasted bread.

A 4-day annual foodie fest offers the chance to sample and savour a wide range of gastronomic delights, in Spain’s gourmet city.

Best for ages 18+

Duration: 4 days

When: October

Frequency: annually

Monte Igueldo Theme Park [& cable car]

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain

small amusement park with castle tower behind on the mount summit, views of sea behind

Ride the cable car up San Sebastian’s Monte Igueldo for superb panoramic views of the bay from the summit (head to Bar Danontzat). At the top, you’ll also find the historic Monte Igueldo amusement park, a charming, old-fashioned funfair with some inevitably enjoyable rides.

Adult price: £3

Best for ages 4+

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