Bilbao: Is It Worth Visiting, and How Many Days?

Bilbao has 347,342 people (2024) and about a million in the metropolitan area. It was founded by charter in 1300 (Wikipedia).

Is Bilbao worth visiting?

Yes, for most first-time visitors heading north. It has the Guggenheim, and the old town (Casco Viejo) is full of pintxo bars. San Sebastián is about 1 hour 20 minutes away by coach, so it’s easy to see both.

It suits art and architecture fans, food lovers and anyone using the Basque coast as a base. It suits less well if you want beaches in town or warm, dry weather: the airport averages rain on 124 days a year (AEMET, 1981–2010 normals).

What to see

• Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Designed by Frank Gehry and opened on 18 October 1997. Richard Serra’s The Matter of Time is its only permanent installation (Wikipedia). On 14 October 2026 adult tickets were €12, reduced €6, under-18s free, with an audio guide included. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–19:00, closed on most Mondays (Guggenheim Bilbao).
• Puppy. Jeff Koons’s 12.4 m terrier, covered in about 38,000 flowering plants, has stood outside the museum since it opened in 1997 (Wikipedia).
• Casco Viejo and the Seven Streets. The oldest part of the old town is seven streets: Somera, Artekale, Tendería, Belostikale, Carnicería Vieja, Barrenkale and Barrenkale Barrena (Wikipedia).
• Santiago Cathedral. A Gothic church of the 14th and 15th centuries, dedicated to Saint James as a stop on the northern Camino de Santiago. It became a cathedral in 1955 (Wikipedia).
• Plaza Nueva. The arcaded neoclassical square of the old town, inaugurated in 1851 (Tourism Euskadi).
• Mercado de la Ribera. The covered food market on the river next to the Casco Viejo, opened on 22 August 1929 to a design by Pedro Ispizua (Wikipedia).
• Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Opened in 1914 in Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, with works by El Greco, Zurbarán, Goya, Gauguin, Mary Cassatt and Francis Bacon (Wikipedia). A combined ticket with the Guggenheim costs €16 for adults (Guggenheim Bilbao, checked 14 October 2026).
• Artxanda funicular. Running since 1915, it climbs about 770 m in roughly 3 minutes from a station near the Zubizuri bridge, within walking distance of the Guggenheim (Wikipedia).
• Vizcaya Bridge. Built in 1893 by Alberto Palacio, it links Portugalete and Las Arenas (Getxo) at the mouth of the estuary. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, and lifts take visitors up to the top walkway (Wikipedia).

How many days

Two days for the city. Day one: the Guggenheim, then walk along the river to the Zubizuri bridge and ride the Artxanda funicular. Day two: the Casco Viejo, Santiago Cathedral, the Ribera market and Plaza Nueva, with the Fine Arts Museum if you have time. A third day works for the Vizcaya Bridge, a day trip to San Sebastián, or a tour to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.

Getting there

Madrid times come from Renfe’s published timetable for 21 October 2026 (see getting around Spain). The Barcelona time is an estimate from a booking site, not from Renfe directly: Everyrail. Everyrail reports that on some weekends until 12–13 December 2026, engineering works replace the Logroño–Miranda de Ebro section of the Barcelona route with a coach. Coach details are from Alsa. Check renfe.com before booking.

Airport. Bilbao airport is about 12 km from the centre. Bus A3247 runs to the Intermodal bus station every 15–20 minutes from 06:00 to midnight, stopping at Gran Vía 79, Plaza Moyua and Alameda Recalde. A taxi costs €27–30 (Spain.info). See getting around Spain.

Where to stay

• Casco Viejo: for the old town’s pintxo bars, Plaza Nueva and the Ribera market on your doorstep.
• Abando: the city centre on the left bank. It has the Gran Vía, Bilbao-Abando railway station and, in its northern part, the Guggenheim (Wikipedia). Handy if you arrive by train.

More on choosing a base in our guide to where to stay in Spain.

When to go

Bilbao has a mild, wet climate. At the airport, average highs range from 13.4 °C in January to 26.0 °C in August. November is the wettest month (147 mm) and July the driest (50 mm) (AEMET, 1981–2010).

May to September is the driest stretch. The city’s main festival, Aste Nagusia, lasts nine days from the first Saturday after 15 August (Wikipedia). See the best time to visit Spain.