San Sebastián 3-Day Itinerary: Old Town, Bay, Chillida

How should you spend 3 days in San Sebastián?

Spend day one in the Parte Vieja, climbing Monte Urgull and ending with pintxos. Give day two to the bay: La Concha, Ondarreta, the Peine del Viento and the funicular up Monte Igueldo. On day three, take the bus to Chillida Leku in Hernani, then finish in Gros. Avoid a Tuesday or Wednesday for Chillida.

San Sebastián is small enough to walk, so the plan is about order rather than transport. Turespaña describes the layout well: the city curves around La Concha bay between Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo, with the old town between the sea and the Urumea river and the newer districts of Egia and Gros across it.

This plan uses official opening hours and prices checked on 16 October 2026. San Telmo Museoa’s website sat behind a verification page during our checks, so we describe it without quoting hours. Choose a base with where to stay in San Sebastián and check the season with best time to visit San Sebastián.

For more ideas, see things to do in San Sebastián and San Sebastián eats. With a full week, the San Sebastián 7-day itinerary adds Bilbao, the flysch coast and Pasaia.

What does the 3-day San Sebastián plan look like at a glance?

Day one is the old town and Monte Urgull on foot, day two the whole curve of the bay with a funicular ride, and day three Chillida Leku by bus before an evening in Gros. The table shows what to book, which closing days to avoid and what to do if it rains, which it often does.

The one fixed closure is Chillida Leku, which opens from 10am to 6pm every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Chillida Leku). Starting on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday keeps day three clear of those days.

Rain is the other planner. AEMET’s normals for the Igueldo station record rain on between about 10 and 13 days in every month, from 9.8 in July to 13.4 in April (AEMET), so each day below has an indoor fallback within a short walk.

What should you book before a 3-day San Sebastián trip?

Book Chillida Leku if you want its guided visit, and book rooms early if your dates touch Jazzaldia in late July, Semana Grande in mid-August or the film festival in late September. Pintxos bars, Monte Urgull and the bay need no booking, and the Igueldo funicular simply runs every 15 minutes.

Chillida Leku charges €14 for adults, €10 for students and over-65s, €7 for under-18s and nothing for children under 8; a ticket with a guided tour costs €20 (Chillida Leku). The Igueldo funicular costs €5.50 return for adults and €2.50 for children under 7 (Monte Igueldo, FAQ).

In 2026, Jazzaldia ran from 22 to 26 July (ANSA), Semana Grande from 8 to 15 August (Onda Vasca) and the film festival from 18 to 26 September (San Sebastián Festival); Turespaña listed the 2027 dates as still to be confirmed and advises reserving accommodation ahead for these occasions (Turespaña). The horror film festival runs from 30 October to 6 November 2026 (Turespaña).

A Basque tourist tax of up to €7.50 per adult per night, capped at five nights, was reported as a draft in February 2026 (El País); check whether your booking total includes it.

Day 1: how do you see the Parte Vieja and Monte Urgull?

Start in Plaza de la Constitución, look into Santa María del Coro and San Vicente, then climb Monte Urgull to Castillo de la Mota and the Sacred Heart statue. Come down by the Paseo Nuevo, the breakwater path round the hill. Keep San Telmo Museoa for the afternoon and finish with pintxos in the old-town bars.

Turespaña sets out the old town’s anchors: the Gothic church of San Vicente, the Renaissance-baroque Santa María del Coro, the San Telmo Museum in a former Dominican convent with archaeology, ethnography and art, and the porticoed Plaza de la Constitución, whose numbered balconies recall its days as a bullring. One path climbs Monte Urgull to the castle; another circles it as the Paseo Nuevo breakwater.

On the Paseo Nuevo, stay back from the edge in rough weather: the UK government warns that on unmonitored beaches waves can come in further than expected, and the same caution applies on a breakwater (FCDO). The fishing port sits at the foot of Urgull, and the Aquarium beside it opens from 10am to 7pm on weekdays and to 8pm at weekends in October to December, closing on Mondays; sharks are fed at noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (Aquarium).

For the evening, the Parte Vieja bar streets are the classic pintxos crawl. The FCDO notes that drinks in Spain are often stronger than in the UK and warns about drink spiking, so pace a long night (FCDO).

Day 2: how do you walk La Concha and ride up Monte Igueldo?

Walk the La Concha promenade west past the Miramar Palace to Ondarreta beach and the Peine del Viento sculptures at the foot of Monte Igueldo. Ride the funicular up for views over the whole bay, then come down for dinner in Centro or the old town. On a hot day, swim at La Concha or Ondarreta.

Turespaña traces the walk: a promenade with railings and lamp posts along La Concha, the La Perla spa on the sand in a former royal bathhouse, the Pico del Loro separating La Concha from Ondarreta, the Miramar Palace built as Queen Maria Cristina’s summer residence, and Eduardo Chillida’s Peine del Viento at Punta Torrepea.

The Igueldo funicular runs every 15 minutes from both stations, more often at busy times (Monte Igueldo). Its wooden carriages have run for more than a century and are not adapted for wheelchairs, and the amusement park at the top dates from 1912 (Monte Igueldo); the operator says its rides usually close in persistent rain (FAQ).

If you swim, the UK government advises learning the beach flag system, never entering the water on a red flag and not swimming where a river runs into the sea (FCDO). Summer is warmest, with August averaging a 22.5°C high (AEMET).

Day 3: how do you combine Chillida Leku with Gros?

Take the Lurraldebus BU05 to Chillida Leku in Hernani, which runs every half hour and stops outside the museum, and spend the morning among Eduardo Chillida’s sculptures in the garden and farmhouse. Return for an afternoon in Gros, with Zurriola beach and the Kursaal, and finish with pintxos on the east bank.

Chillida Leku opens from 10am to 6pm every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the BU05 stop called Chillida Leku is directly outside (Chillida Leku). The visit covers both the garden and the Zabalaga farmhouse, so bring a waterproof for the outdoor part.

Across the Urumea, Turespaña places the modern districts of Egia and Gros, with Rafael Moneo’s Kursaal on Gros beach and the María Cristina bridge, the most monumental of the river crossings, leading to the railway station. Zurriola, the Gros beach in front of the Kursaal, is the surfers’ side of town; follow the flags if you swim.

If day three falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday, swap Chillida Leku for a longer morning at San Telmo Museoa and the Aquarium, and keep Gros for the afternoon.

What are the best swaps for rain in San Sebastián?

Expect at least one wet day. In rain, swap Monte Urgull and the bay walk for San Telmo Museoa and the Aquarium, both in the old town, and keep the pintxos crawl, which works in any weather. Save the Igueldo funicular for a clear spell, since the views are the point and rides close in heavy rain.

AEMET’s 1981–2010 normals for the Igueldo station record 1,507mm of rain a year over 141 days, with November the wettest month at 169mm and April the month with most rain days, 13.4 (AEMET). Summer brings more thunderstorm days, about 3.5 a month in July and August, so a dry morning can still end in a downpour.

Festival weeks change the city too. Semana Grande in 2026 brought regattas, pelota, fireworks and concerts to the city from 8 to 15 August (Turespaña, Onda Vasca); in those weeks, start the evening early and book any table you can.

On the street, the UK government warns that thieves in Spain use distraction techniques and often work in teams (FCDO). Keep phones and wallets in front pockets in crowded bars.

How do you get to San Sebastián and around it for three days?

Walk everywhere in the centre, and use buses only for Chillida Leku and late returns. From San Sebastián Airport, Lurraldebus routes link the terminal with the city; from Bilbao Airport, the DO04 bus runs hourly to Donostia. Euskotren’s E2 reaches Hendaye in about 40 minutes if you arrive through France.

Aena says several Lurraldebus routes, run by Ekialdebus, connect San Sebastián Airport with San Sebastián, Hondarribia, Irun and Rentería, and that the MUGI transport card is sold at the airport (Aena). From Bilbao Airport, the DO04 leaves hourly from 7.45am to 10.45pm, from 6.45am at weekends, plus a midnight departure (Aena Bilbao).

Euskotren’s E2 runs from Amara to Hendaia in about 40 minutes, every 15 minutes on weekdays towards Irun with alternate trains continuing to Hendaia, and every 30 minutes at weekends (Euskotren E2). The E1 to Bilbao is the line for the day trips in the 7-day itinerary.

Mobile data helps with bus times; see eSIM for Spain.

Which guided tours fit a 3-day San Sebastián itinerary?

A guided pintxos tour adds most on night one, when a local guide picks the bars, explains the counters and paces the evening. A cooking class suits a rainy afternoon, and a surf lesson at Zurriola suits day three for active travellers. Check what food and drink are included, group size and cancellation terms.

Before booking a food tour, check the number of stops and what each includes, dietary options and the meeting point in the Parte Vieja. For surf lessons, ask about wetsuit hire and what happens if the sea is too rough; the UK government warns that waves on unmonitored beaches can come in further than expected (FCDO).

For advice on comparing tour marketplaces, see GetYourGuide vs Viator vs Klook.

Who should change this San Sebastián plan?

Families might replace the late pintxos crawl with an earlier one and add the Aquarium and the Igueldo amusement park. Wheelchair users should skip the funicular, which is not adapted, and use the flat bay promenade. Travellers with four or more days should add Bilbao and the flysch coast from the 7-day plan.

Children under 7 pay €2.50 return on the Igueldo funicular, and the hilltop amusement park dates from 1912 (Monte Igueldo, history). The Aquarium feeds its sharks at noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (Aquarium), a good fixed point for a family morning.

For longer stays, the San Sebastián 7-day itinerary adds Bilbao, the flysch coast and Pasaia; for bases near the stations, see where to stay in San Sebastián.