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Abando and Indautxu, Bilbao
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BilbaoTravel Guide

Spain5 stories

The Basque Country's biggest city, reborn around the Guggenheim Museum — and one of Europe's great eating cities, from pintxo counters to Michelin temples.

Is Bilbao right for you?

When to come

summer

Around 26°C by day in August, 14°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.

Bilbao is inDeepest in Europe
When to go
January: around 14 degrees by day, 5 at night, 130 millimetres of rain, wet.
February: around 14 degrees by day, 5 at night, 109 millimetres of rain, wet.
March: around 17 degrees by day, 7 at night, 98 millimetres of rain, wet.
April: around 18 degrees by day, 8 at night, 97 millimetres of rain, wet.
May: around 21 degrees by day, 11 at night, 76 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 24 degrees by day, 14 at night, 58 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
July: around 25 degrees by day, 16 at night, 52 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
August: around 26 degrees by day, 16 at night, 53 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
September: around 25 degrees by day, 14 at night, 75 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 22 degrees by day, 12 at night, 112 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
November: around 17 degrees by day, 8 at night, 171 millimetres of rain, very wet.
December: around 14 degrees by day, 6 at night, 127 millimetres of rain, wet.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

summer

Average daily highs, recorded at Bilbao Airport, 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia (AEMET) (English Wikipedia, 'Bilbao')

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • San Sebastián77 km

    an easy day trip · both good in June, July, August · a different price level (mixed)

  • Bordeaux, France260 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September

  • Madrid320 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September

  • Barcelona470 km

    half a day's travel · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (mixed)

Plan itWhere to stay in Bilbaoad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Bilbao

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Bilbao

The titanium curves of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao glowing at dusk beside the Nervión river, the Iberdrola Tower rising behind
01
The List

Bilbao by Camera: The Most Photogenic Corners, Ranked

A grey industrial port turned itself into one of Europe’s most photographed cities in a single generation. Eight Bilbao frames, ranked — and when the light works.

Spain · 2 min
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in bright daylight, its titanium panels above the Nervión with the Iberdrola Tower alongside
02
Itineraries

When the Sirimiri Sets In: Bilbao’s All-Indoor Day

Bilbao's rain arrives as sirimiri, a fine windless drizzle the city is built to shrug off — a full day from Gehry's atrium to the arcades of Plaza Nueva without ever being outside for long.

Spain · 10 min
The Nervión curving through Bilbao past the Guggenheim, with the red arch of the La Salve bridge and green hills beyond
03
Stays

Old Town or Ensanche? Where to Stay in Bilbao

Bilbao is small enough that you can walk across the centre in half an hour — which makes choosing a base about character rather than convenience. The districts, compared.

Spain · 2 min
The curved titanium panels of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
04
Hidden Gems

Bilbao's Working Half: The Island, the Hillside and the Iron Mountain

Past the titanium, Bilbao keeps an unfinished island of rehearsal rooms, a stairway out of the old quarter and a funicular into the mines that paid for all of it.

Spain · 10 min
Gildas on a bar plate: green olives, guindilla peppers and anchovies threaded onto toothpicks in olive oil, the classic Basque pintxo
05
Food

What to Eat in Bilbao: A Dish-by-Dish Guide

Pintxos, pil-pil, colossal steaks and cloudy white wine poured from a height — the dishes that define Bilbao and where to find them.

Spain · 2 min
In pictures

Bilbao, framed

The Guggenheim Bilbao close to, its steel volumes folding over one another above the water
Photo: David Vives / Unsplash
Abando and Indautxu, Bilbao
Photo: Danielle Suijkerbuijk / Unsplash
Casco Viejo, Bilbao
Photo: Anushree Deshpande / Unsplash
Casco Viejo, Bilbao
Photo: David Vives / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Bilbao

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Spain

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

Spanish, with Catalan co-official in Catalonia and the Balearics, Basque in the Basque Country and Galician in Galicia; English is workable in tourist settings but not assumed

Power

Type C/F, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Every city has a metro and bus network with fast Renfe trains between them; in Barcelona and Madrid you can tap a contactless bank card straight onto metro and bus, while smaller cities still use their own local card.

Tipping

Spaniards mostly do not tip - leave the coins from your change or round the bill up, and reserve 5-10% for a good meal in a proper restaurant.

Tap water

Tap water is potable throughout Spain; on parts of the coast and the islands it tastes heavily treated, which is why locals often buy bottled.

Driving

Right-hand side; an EU or UK licence is accepted as it stands.

Emergency

112

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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