7-Day Northern Spain & Basque Country: Bilbao to San Sebastián
Traverse the rugged green coast of the Basque Country. Compare Bilbao’s modern art revolution with San Sebastián’s Belle Époque bay, world-famous pintxos, and Atlantic beaches.
Intercity route legs
Day-by-day itinerary
Arrive in Bilbao & Casco Viejo
BilbaoArrive at BIO airport. Pintxos crawl across Plaza Nueva in the Seven Streets.
Guggenheim Museum & River Promenade
BilbaoTour Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum and ride the Artxanda funicular.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe Coast
BilbaoDay bus to the rocky islet bridge of Gaztelugatxe and Bermeo fishing port.
Express Bus to San Sebastián
San SebastiánLurraldebus highway coach to San Sebastián (1h 15m). Walk La Concha promenade.
Parte Vieja Culinary Crawl
San SebastiánTaste steak skewers, spider crab, and Basque cheesecake at legendary taverns.
Monte Urgull & Gros Surf Beach
San SebastiánClimb Monte Urgull for fortress views over the bay and relax at Zurriola beach.
Departure
San SebastiánMorning cafe con leche in Gros before connecting bus or train.
✂️ What I Would Cut If Short on Time
Shorten your stay to 4 days by spending 2 nights in Bilbao and 2 nights in San Sebastián, taking the 75-minute express bus between them.
Make this trip cheaper
These options use the current typical minimum fare in our route records. They are not guaranteed quotes, and prices can change before booking.
Make the itinerary fit your trip
Change the days in each city, leave out stops, and update the estimate without changing the published itinerary.