Bilbao in 1 Day: all you need to know

Bilbao is a city where you can discover different historical, cultural, natural and gastronomic destinations. However, if you don't have much time in this city, you might not know where to start to make the most of your visit.

In this sense, the ideal thing to do is to plan a route with the best things to do in Bilbao, including the essential places. For example, you can visit the Guggenheim Museum, the Artxanda viewpoint, the Riber Market, the Old Quarter and its famous seven streets, among others. That's why this time I have organised for you a complete itinerary of a day in Bilbao, so that you don't miss any of the best places in this destination.

The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is the starting point of your itinerary. There, you will be able to enjoy an impressive collection with more than seven thousand works of art (sculptures, paintings, applied works), dating from the 13th century to the present day.

During the approximately two-hour tour through the museum's halls you will have the opportunity to observe great masterpieces. For example:

• Majesty of Christ on the Cross: an image carved in polychrome wood, belonging to the first half of the 13th century (Anonymous Catalan).
• The Annunciation: a small canvas fresco from the end of the 16th century, belonging to El Greco.
• Portrait of Martín Zapater: a late 18th-century work on canvas by Francisco de Goya.
• Washerwomen in Arles: an oil on canvas work by Paul Gauguin during the last quarter of the 19th century.
• Hierros de temblor II: a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida from the third quarter of the 20th century.

You will also enjoy a series of temporary exhibitions of ancient, modern and contemporary art in the different rooms of the museum and in the old building. All you have to do is check before your visit to see what current exhibitions are available.

Useful information

• Price: from 9€ per person.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday (10:00 to 20:00 hours)
• Location: Museo Plaza, 2, 48009 Bilbao, Bizkaia.

The next stop is just a seven-minute walk from the previous destination. This is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, considered a world reference point for contemporary art. This is due to the important collections on display in the rooms and works of art around the building.

A tour of the interior

When you enter the interior of the museum you will enjoy the work of world-renowned artists through a series of permanent and temporary exhibitions. Some of the artists and their works are:

• Struggle of Images (1980) by the German neo-Impressionist painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer.
• Consejo al espacio V (1993) by the Spanish sculptor and engraver Eduardo Chillida.
• The Matter of Time (1994-2005) by the American minimalist sculptor Richard Serra.

A tour of the exterior

Around the museum you will also find some unmissable works, which is ideal if you are visiting Bilbao with children. For example:

• Puppy: a floral sculpture created by sculptor Jeff Koons and considered the largest in the world.
• Mum: a nine-metre-high sculpture of a chandelier, created by the artist Louise Bourgeois in bronze, steel and marble.

You can also see the architectural work of Canadian architect Frank Gehry, who combined titanium, limestone and glass to erect the building that houses the museum.

Useful information

• Price: from 15€ per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday (10:00 to 20:00).
• Location: Avenida Abandoibarra, 2 48009 Bilbao.

At the end of your visit to the Guggenheim Museum, you can head for the Artxanda Funicular. This will take you up to the Artxanda viewpoint and from there you can enjoy a privileged view of the city. Ideal if you visit Bilbao in summer.

The funicular adventure lasts approximately three minutes from the station to the Artxanda viewpoint. There, you will have as much time as you want to explore the place, contemplate the mountainous surroundings, observe the estuary in the distance and enjoy a complete panoramic view of the whole of Bilbao.

You will also find a couple of restaurants where you can eat, drink and rest for a while before continuing with the day's route. You can also take your favourite food with you and have a picnic in this green lung that is over 100 years old, as there are some areas set aside for this activity.

Useful information

• Price: from €4.30 per person (return trip).
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday (7.15am to 10pm) and Sundays (8.15am to 10pm).
• Location: Funikularreko Plaza, 48007 Bilbao, Bizkaia.

The next stop is approximately 15 minutes walking distance from the previous destination. Just a few steps from the entrance to the Old Town you will find the Arriaga Antzokia Theatre. This is a late 19th century building, where you will discover a great neo-baroque architectural beauty and some historical facts.

During the approximately 50-minute visit, the guide in charge will tell you the history of this emblematic building dating back to 1890. All this while you walk through the interior of the building.

You will walk through the main hall where you will find a double-sided imperial staircase, dressed with a beautiful red carpet. You will also see a bust of the young Bilbao composer Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga.

In the theatre foyer you will enjoy a small photographic exhibition with the chronology of the building. You will then move on to the main hall to see the stalls, the stage and a room displaying theatre and opera costumes. Finally, you will enter the Orient Express room, used to receive high-ranking officials.

Useful information

• Price: from 5€ per person.
• Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (times vary according to the performances scheduled at the theatre).
• Location: Arriaga Plaza, 1, 48005 Bilbo, Bizkaia.

After your visit to the Arriaga Antzokia Theatre, you can join one of the best tours of Bilbao to explore the famous Seven Streets of the Old Town. This way, you'll be able to delve into the history of this riverside area, which was once an ancient medieval quarter.

During this free walking tour, a local guide will take you through the original core of the town, i.e. the Seven Streets of Bilbao. In the meantime, he will tell you the history of each street and some interesting anecdotes.

You will pass through the first three streets, which formed the town more than 700 years ago:

• Somera: this is the street that starts the Old Town of the city.
• Artecalle: this street was characterised as a shopping street.
• Tendería: a street where the shops of local craftsmen were located.

You will then continue your tour to the four remaining streets, built in the middle of the 15th century, thanks to an extension allowed by the regent monarch:

• Belosticalle: in this street there was a fluid fish trade.
• Carniceria Vieja (Old Butcher's Shop): this street was home to the local butchers.
• Barrencalle: known as the street that houses the oldest palace in the city (Arana Palace, 16th century).
• Barrencalle Barrena: this is the last street, which is close to the estuary.

Useful information

• Price: from 10€ per person.
• Duration: 2 hours (approx.)
• Advantages: by walking through these seven streets you will learn how the history of the town of Bilbao really began.

You can take advantage of your visit to the city's Old Quarter to go on a gastronomic route. Just go to Plaza Nueva and you will find a large number of bars and restaurants where you can try the famous pintxos and some of the city's traditional drinks.

During the tour you will visit some of the bars and restaurants frequented daily by the locals. Such is the case of Charly, Taberna Plaza Nueva, Baste, Bar Motrikes, Victor Montes restaurant, among others.

Whichever route you take, you will try different versions of pintxos. For example, you will get cod sandwiches, with mushrooms or stuffed mussels. There are also txaka or the classic onion, tomato and cheese pintxos, among others. All of them accompanied by cider, white wine, red wine, craft beer, etc.

This type of tour can be done at your own pace and with no time limit. However, the best thing to do is to connect with one of the best gastronomic tours in Bilbao. This way, you will have a culinary expert by your side who will teach you about each tasting, how to order pintxos and what to accompany them with.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Bilbao is another must-see destination, located just five minutes away from Plaza Nueva. You can visit this 14th century Catholic temple to admire its interior architecture and the art integrated into each of the rooms.

When you arrive at the Cathedral you will be amazed from the first moment you see its neo-Gothic façade. You will then enter the building and begin your tour, visiting the following:

• The Baptismal Chapel.
• The Chapel of the Virgen del Carmen.
• The Chapel of Montserrat.
• The Chapel of San Antón.
• The Main Chapel.
• The Chapel of the Virgen del Pilar.
• The Sacristy.
• The Girola.

As you walk through each of the aforementioned rooms, you will see a series of stained glass windows with figurative details and decorations with geometric elements. You will also see sculptures such as La Piedad, San Diego Alcalá, La Virgen del Rosario, among others.

This cultural visit to the Cathedral of Santiago de Bilbao will also give you access to the Cloister. In the latter, you will find some temporary exhibitions of sacred art and, if your visit coincides with the Christmas season, you will enjoy an amazing exhibition of handcrafted nativity scenes.

Useful information

• Price: from 6€ per person.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday (10:00 to 18:00).
• Location: Plaza de Santiago, 1, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia.

If you are an architecture and art enthusiast, then you must visit the San Antón Church, which is only 300 metres away from the Santiago Cathedral in Bilbao. This way, you can explore this Catholic temple characterised by its particular Gothic style from the end of the 15th century.

The tour of the interior of the church will allow you to contemplate a small gallery around the perimeter of the central nave, which also stands out due to its height compared to the two side naves. All of them are predominantly Gothic in style.

You will also see the church choir, built during the last quarter of the 16th century, and three works by the sculptor Esteban de Velasco:

• Relief of The Last Supper.
• Relief of the Washing of the Feet.
• A carving of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul.

Afterwards, you will visit:

• The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, with the image of the Immaculate Conception on an 18th century rococo altarpiece.
• The Chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad, with an altarpiece of the Virgin and a Renaissance grille from 1538.
• The third chapel, with the image of San Sebastián, Santa Lucía and San Roque.

Useful information

• Price: from 4 ¤ per person.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday (11:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00).
• Location: Erribera Kalea, Kalea: Erribera Kalea, 24, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia. Calle de la Ribera.

The last destination of this day in Bilbao is the historic Mercado de la Ribera. There, you can visit some gastrobars with delicious Basque dishes, alcoholic drinks, a quiet atmosphere and a privileged view of the estuary.

As you enter the market you will see a series of fishmongers, butchers, bakers and greengrocers. You will also find shops specialising in cheese, pickles, mushrooms, frozen products, among others.

Meanwhile, on the first floor you will find some of the best places to eat pintxos in Bilbao, gastrobars with high-level culinary proposals and a selection of exquisite drinks (wines, craft beer, cider, etc).

This is an ideal activity to do in Bilbao at night, before you return to the hotel or to connect with the shuttle service to Bilbao airport, depending on what you have planned in your itinerary.

With the Bilbao Bizkaia card you'll get significant discounts at the city's main tourist attractions. You will also save time, as on presentation of this card you will be able to go directly to the ticket office at the destination visited without queuing.

Whether you are on a 1 or 3-day route in Bilbao, the Bizkaia tourist card will be a great help to you. You will be able to travel free of charge on the city bus lines and, thus, tour the different destinations within the city or travel to some of the best towns in Bilbao to explore them.

Public transport in Bilbao offers tourists and locals an extensive bus, metro and tram service , whose routes connect with the different tourist destinations in the city. In this way, you will be able to get around the city easily and without wasting time, in order to complete your day's itinerary.

With regard to buses, there are approximately 43 lines and more than 500 stops distributed throughout the city. Meanwhile, the Bilbao metro has three lines with connections to neighbourhoods far from the centre and nearby towns. The tram offers 14 stops on a 6-kilometre line.

A day in Bilbao may not seem like much time to explore the city, but in reality it is not. All you have to do is organise an itinerary in advance with the essential places and start your tour early in the morning. This way, you'll be able to visit the main tourist destinations and have a satisfactory experience.