Spain
3 days in Bilbao
A 3-day route through Bilbao built from the stop base: 13 stops, timed with the walk between them. Change the pace or your arrival day and the plan is rebuilt.
- 13 stops
- 20 h 20 of visits
- 1 h 43 on foot
- tickets from €44
Data checked on November 2, 2026
No arrival day set. Times below work on any day each stop is open. Watch the “closed” tags, or pick your arrival day above.
Day 1
Abandoibarra and Ensanche · Casco Viejo
4 stops · 6 h 15 of visits · 31 min on foot
Open this day's route in Google Maps-
10:00 am1:30 pm
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The titanium museum designed by Frank Gehry on the river, with modern and contemporary art and a building worth walking around. The ticket includes an audio guide.
Walk around the outside first, past the flower-covered puppy and the spider sculpture, then go in when the doors open and leave the riverside for last.
Tickets are sold on the museum's own site, tickets.guggenheim-bilbao.eus. A walk-up ticket is possible, but buying online avoids the queue at the desk on busy days and weekends.
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00, and until 20:00 in Easter week (30 March to 12 April) and from 15 June to 13 September. It also opens on some Mondays: 30 March, 6 April, every Monday from 15 June to 7 September, 12 October and 7 and 28 December. Closed on 25 December and 1 January, and it closes at 17:00 on 24 and 31 December.
Source: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, checked November 2, 2026
- 24 min walk
- Lunch break
-
2:54 pm4:24 pm
Santiago Cathedral
The Gothic cathedral of the old town, dedicated to Saint James, with a cloister you can visit. It is small by cathedral standards and the visit is short.
Visit in the morning, before the group tours, and use the audio guide that comes with the ticket.
The official visit page lists Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 13:00 to 18:00, and gives 18:30 on part of its schedule, so plan for 18:00. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing, and hours can change for religious services.
Source: Catedral de Santiago de Bilbao, checked November 2, 2026
- 4 min walk
-
4:28 pm5:13 pm
Plaza Nueva
The arcaded square in the middle of the old town, lined with bars and cafes. It is a place to stop, not a visit.
Sit under the arcades with a pintxo and watch the square fill up at lunch.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- 3 min walk
-
5:16 pm5:46 pm
Arriaga Theatre
The neo-Baroque theatre on the river edge of the old town, worth a look from outside. It is a quick stop on the walk through the Casco Viejo.
Come in the evening when the facade is lit and the square by the river is busy.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- Running late? Drop Arriaga Theatre first. Nothing is booked there.
- If it rains, swap Arriaga Theatre for Azkuna Zentroa, which is indoors and close by.
Day 2
Casco Viejo · Artxanda and Begoña
4 stops · 6 h 55 of visits · 31 min on foot
Open this day's route in Google Maps-
10:00 am11:15 am
Ribera Market
A covered market on the river edge of the old town, with fresh food stalls and bars. Its opening times were not confirmed on an official page, so check before you go.
Go in the morning when the fish and produce stalls are open and the aisles are busy.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- 6 min walk
-
11:21 am12:51 pm
Basque Museum
The museum of Basque history and culture in the old town, set around a cloister. It covers archaeology, ethnography and everyday life.
Come on a Wednesday for free entry, and do not plan it for a Tuesday, when it is closed.
Monday and Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and Sunday and holidays from 10:00 to 14:00. Closed on Tuesdays and on 1 and 6 January and 24, 25 and 31 December. Last entry is one hour before closing.
Source: Euskal Museoa Bilbao, checked November 2, 2026
- 11 min walk
- Lunch break
-
2:02 pm3:02 pm
Begoña Basilica
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Begoña on the hill above the old town, the church of the patron of Bizkaia. The visiting hours were not confirmed on an official page.
Go up on foot from the old town for the climb and the view, and check the opening times before you leave.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- 14 min walk
-
3:16 pm6:26 pm
Casco Viejo and the Seven Streets
The old town, laid out in seven parallel streets on the right bank of the river, with small shops, bars and squares. It is a walk, with no ticket and no fixed route.
Walk it in the morning when the shops are open, and return in the evening for pintxos.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- Running late? Drop Begoña Basilica first. Nothing is booked there.
Day 3
Abandoibarra and Ensanche · Artxanda and Begoña
5 stops · 7 h 10 of visits · 41 min on foot
Open this day's route in Google Maps-
9:30 am10:10 am
Plaza Moyua and Gran Via
The central square of the modern Ensanche district, with wide avenues and shopping streets. It is a place to pass through on the way to the Guggenheim.
Use it as the link between the old town and the river, not as a separate trip.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- 7 min walk
-
10:17 am12:47 pm
Fine Arts Museum
A large museum with works from the Middle Ages to the present, including Basque and Spanish painters. The collections close an hour before the building.
Come on a rainy afternoon, or on a Tuesday if you want free entry and accept that the temporary shows are closed.
Monday and Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00, with the collections open until 18:00. Tuesday from 10:00 to 18:00, with free entry and the temporary exhibitions closed. Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00. Closed on 25 December, 1 January and 6 January, and open until 15:00 on 24 and 31 December. The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the museum.
Source: Bilbao Bellas Artes Museoa, checked November 2, 2026
- 13 min walk
- Lunch break
-
2:00 pm2:30 pm
Zubizuri footbridge
The white pedestrian bridge across the Nervion designed by Santiago Calatrava. It is a short crossing between the two banks.
Cross it on a dry day, because the glass deck can be slippery in the rain.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- 7 min walk
-
2:37 pm4:37 pm
Artxanda funicular and viewpoint
A short funicular ride up Artxanda hill, with the best open view over the city and the river. The hours and fare were not confirmed on an official page.
Go up late in the afternoon for the light on the city, and check the timetable and fare before you leave.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- 14 min walk
-
4:51 pm6:21 pm
Abandoibarra riverside walk
The promenade along the left bank near the Guggenheim and the Fine Arts Museum, with sculpture, bridges and modern buildings. It is a walk, with no ticket.
Walk it late in the afternoon, when the titanium and the river both catch the light.
Source: Bilbao Turismo (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao), checked November 2, 2026
- Running late? Drop Abandoibarra riverside walk first. Nothing is booked there.
- If it rains, swap Abandoibarra riverside walk for Azkuna Zentroa, which is indoors and close by.
What did not fit
- Bizkaia Bridge: no room left in 3 days at this pace.