Guggenheim glitter, a lively old town and some of Spain’s best pintxos.
Once an industrial port, Bilbao is now a confident city of art and design, anchored by Frank Gehry’s titanium Guggenheim. The compact old town is made for pintxo-hopping, and the Basque coast and mountains are close.
9 places with prices, timings and booking advice.
Abandoibarra
Frank Gehry’s shimmering titanium building, holding bold contemporary art and giant outdoor sculptures.
Tuesday–Sunday, roughly 10:00–19:00; closed Mondays outside peak season
Casco Viejo
The compact medieval old town, with seven original streets full of bars and shops.
Open-air; shops keep their own hours
Casco Viejo
One of Europe’s largest covered markets, beside the river, with a food hall upstairs.
Monday–Saturday, mornings to early evening
Artxanda
A short funicular ride to a hilltop park with a panorama of the whole city.
Daily, roughly 7:15–22:00
Doña Casilda Park
A calm, high-quality museum of Basque, Spanish and European art beside a park.
Wednesday–Monday, roughly 10:00–20:00
Portugalete (12 km)
A UNESCO-listed transporter bridge from 1893 that carries cars and people over the river.
Runs daily; the high walkway has its own hours
A few local favourites to look out for. Ask where locals go rather than following the menu with photos.
Pintxos
Bacalao al pil-pil
Txakoli
Portugalete (12 km)
A UNESCO-listed transporter bridge from 1893 that carries cars and people over the river.
Runs daily; the high walkway has its own hours
Bakio (35 km)
A dramatic islet linked to the coast by a stone causeway and stairway, topped by a hermitage.
Access by timed booking in season
Sample data. Sample hotels with indicative prices, not live rates or availability. A live hotel provider will be connected in a later version.
Abandoibarra, Bilbao
A sleek five-star by the river, a short walk from the Guggenheim.
Sample price for two adults, not live. Availability is not checked.
Casco Viejo, Bilbao
A friendly guesthouse in the old town, close to the best pintxo bars.
Sample price for two adults, not live. Availability is not checked.
Ensanche, Bilbao
A comfortable business-style hotel with family rooms and good transport links.
Sample price for two adults, not live. Availability is not checked.
Bilbao · Highlights
A balanced first-visit plan built from our Bilbao picks: the headline sights, a local favourite or two and time to breathe.
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