Best tours of San Sebastian

If you want to discover the best things to do in San Sebastian during your stay, it is best to join a guided tour, or plan your own route aboard a tourist bus.

In any case, there are many options when it comes to tours in San Sebastian. You can walk through its streets to contemplate the architecture of the buildings and monuments. Also, visit the bars and restaurants to taste the local gastronomy and, if you wish, escape from the hustle and bustle in search of the monuments and natural landscapes of the nearby towns.

A private walking tour through the old town of San Sebastian will allow you to familiarize yourself with the streets, in case you intend to spend several days in the city. Likewise, if you are short of time, you will be able to get to know the main monuments and their history and enjoy the architectural richness of this region. All this, in just a few hours.

You can visit the Bretxa Market, where you will access the ruins of the walls that once protected San Sebastian. You will also see a photographic record of the city, buy local products in the market and taste the famous pintxos (traditional gastronomy).

You will also visit:

• Plaza Konstituzio. An important square that since ancient times has served as a stage for local celebrations.
• Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro. You will enjoy an architectural work representative of the Baroque, dating back more than 200 years.
• Church of San Vicente. In this 16th century building, you will contemplate an ancient French organ and be amazed by the exquisite design of its altar.

In addition, this tour usually includes a walk through the San Telmo Museum, to observe its exhibitions and, finally, a hike to Mount Urgull where you will get a privileged view of the city.

Details of interest

• Price: from 45€ per person.
• Duration: 2 hours (Approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will see the main monuments of San Sebastian in a short time.
• Disadvantages of this option: the activity does not usually include food and drinks.

Embarking on an electric bike tour in San Sebastian together with an experienced local guide is certainly a suitable activity to get the most out of your visit to San Sebastian in 3 days or less. You will explore the most outstanding areas: beaches, monuments and much more. All this, in a short time and in a fun way.

The activity usually covers approximately 10 destinations, starting from the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, as it is a central point in the city. That is usually the meeting point with the guide.

Among the places to visit are:

• Miramar Palace, known for being the former residence of Queen Maria Cristina. From there, you will have an amazing view of the bay.
• Monte Igueldo, you will walk along the beach route until you reach Igueldo.
• Paseo Eduardo Chillida, where you will pass to observe for a few minutes the imposing sculpture Peine del Viento.
• Playa de La Concha, Playa Kursaal and Playa Zurriola, you will roll along these paths while watching the crystal clear waters.
• Edificio Tabakalera, in the direction of the neighborhood of Gros.

Details of interest

• Price: from 43€ per person.
• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (Approx.)
• Means of transport: bicycle.
• Advantages of this option: you will see the main monuments of the city and you will have enough time to stop and explore each one of them.
• Disadvantages of this option: the tour does not include any kind of food.

In the city of San Sebastian you will find a wide gastronomic selection, which you can taste as part of a guided tour through the restaurants and bars of the city. You will give your palate a real treat while you learn about the different preparations.

To start the tour in this gastronomic tour in San Sebastian, you will usually meet in the center of the city with the assigned culinary expert. Afterwards, you will walk through the lively streets of the old town and visit some restaurants.

During the experience, you will have the opportunity to try:

• Pintxos or the Basque version of tapas.
• Crispy calamari.
• Cod omelettes, as an accompaniment to any meal.
• Tender pork fillet.
• Basque cake, filled with pastry cream.
• King prawns
• Marmitako, which is a stew with white tuna.

Certainly, the tastings may vary depending on the tour you select. However, all tours incorporate the best places to eat pintxos in San Sebastian, as these tapas are very popular in the region.

Details of interest

• Price: from 128€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (Approx.)
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will learn about the history of each of the preparations while you delight your palate.
• Disadvantages of this option: these tours do not usually include transfers to and from the hotel.

If you want to make the most of your 1-day visit to San Sebastian, then a good option is to take part in a sightseeing bus tour with free stops through the streets of the city.

It is a route of approximately one hour, in which you will discover the main monuments of San Sebastian from the second floor of the bus, while enjoying the commentary of an audio guide.

During this bus tour with free stops, you will see the Miramar Palace, the arch of the Maria Cristina Bridge, the Aquarium of Paseo Nuevo, Plaza Guipuzcoa, Old Quarter, Buen Pastor Cathedral and many beaches of interest such as La Concha beach, Zurriola beach, San Sebastian beach, Ondarreta beach, among others.

The best thing is that you can get on and off the bus as many times as you want at any of the 29 stops indicated, to explore the places of your interest.

Details of interest

• Price: average price of 12 ¤ per person.
• Duration: 1 hour (Approx.)
• Means of transport: tourist bus.
• Advantages of this option: you can create your own itinerary according to your interests, since you have the possibility of getting on and off the bus.
• Disadvantages of this option: the buses do not have a roof, so you must take precautions regarding weather changes.

To make the most of your visit of at least 4 days in San Sebastian, you can join a free tour of the city with a professional photographer. You will be able to visit some outstanding places and take amazing pictures for your memories and your social networks.

This tour usually starts near La Cocha Bay, where you will meet the photographer to start the tour. In this way, you will visit the Clocks of La Concha Beach, La Perla Shopping Mall, the Bicentennial Balcony, the Parrot's Peak, the Wind Comb, Ondarreta Beach, Miramar Palace, Eduardo Chillida's Walk, among other places.

In each of the mentioned places you will stop and the guide will tell you which are the best angles for your pictures. This way, you will be able to take advantage of the light, the shadows and, of course, the unique landscapes of this city.

Details of interest

• Price: from 10€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (Approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: this type of tour does not require a minimum number of participants, so you can do it alone or with a companion.
• Disadvantages of this option: it is not suitable for people with mobility difficulties.

Whether you have 2 days in San Sebastian or decide to extend your visit for a longer period of time, you should incorporate a boat trip along the coast of this city into your itinerary .

The adventure usually starts at the fishing port of San Sebastian, in La Concha Bay. You will board a boat and immediately the captain will start sailing along the coast of the city.

The tour usually lasts about 2 hours, during which you will discover a number of interesting sites, which may vary according to the route you have booked:

• The mouth of the Urumea River.
• The Peine del Viento sculpture
• The Kursaal Auditorium.
• Mount Ulia.
• Mount Igeldo.
• Zurriola beach.
• Pico del Loro.

Details of interest

• Price: from 240€ per person.
• Duration: 2 hours. (Approx.)
• Means of transport: boat.
• Advantages of this option: by traveling by boat along the coast of San Sebastian, you can enjoy a different perspective of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: the activity does not include food, but you can buy it on board the boat.

If you are an enthusiast of the film world, then you should take advantage of your stay in San Sebastian to get to know the places where some famous films have been shot and several festivals have been held.

This type of tour usually starts outside the Donosti Bookstore. There, you will connect with a local guide, who will take you to know some filming locations.

For example, the route of this activity usually incorporates:

• Cristina Enea Park, where scenes of Negociador (2014), which is a comedy by Borja Cobeaga, were filmed.
• Loiola Pedestrian Street, where part of the film Embarazados (2015), directed by Juana Macias, was filmed.
• Miramar Palace, used for some scenes of Handia (2017). This is a film based on real events and winner of several Goya awards.

Similarly, you will visit some places where the San Sebastian Film Festival is usually held. Such is the case of the María Cristina Hotel and the Kursaal Auditorium.

Details of interest

• Price: the average price of the experience is 15€ per person.
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes (Approx.)
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: the tour offers a sign interpreter, in case you are hearing impaired.
• Disadvantages of this option: this activity is usually aimed at groups with a minimum of four members, which could be a disadvantage if you are traveling alone or as a couple.

The guided tour of the San Martin Market turns out to be another must-do activity in San Sebastian during your stay. There, you will be able to observe and purchase a range of local products. All this in the company of a professional chef with whom, afterwards, you will prepare delicious recipes.

Once you connect with the chef outside the market, he will start the tour of the building, whose history dates back to 1884. Inside you will find seafood retail stores , butcher shops and fresh vegetable sales. You will also see some cafes and restaurants.

In addition to learning about the market and the products sold there, you will have the opportunity to learn how to cook some of the city's traditional recipes. To do so, the chef-guide will take you to his home kitchen to prepare pintxos, bacalao al pil pil, txangurro (crab meat), among others.

Details of interest

• Price: from 200€ per person.
• Duration: 8 hours (Approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will learn how to select the best ingredients and prepare several traditional recipes in the company of a professional chef.
• Disadvantages of this option: the activity does not usually incorporate tastings during the tour of the market.

If you are a surfing enthusiast, then during your visit to San Sebastian you can't miss the opportunity to take part in a day experience at La Concha beach. You will be able to ride the best waves and have as a backdrop the beautiful view of the city.

You will only have to walk approximately five minutes from the city center and immediately, you will find the emblematic Concha beach with an extension of 1.3 kilometers.

There, you will have the possibility to connect with a surf school. In this way, you will have a professional instructor, who will teach you the basics of the sport and the code of conduct for surfing on the beach. In addition, he will provide you with a board and a wetsuit.

After surfing, you will join the group for lunch at one of the restaurants along the promenade of the bay.

Details of interest

• Price: from 30€ per person.
• Duration: 6 hours (Approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: the activity is aimed at children from 6 years of age, so if you travel with children they can participate in this experience.
• Disadvantages of this option: the surf class does not include food and drinks.

If you don't know what to do in San Sebastian in winter, then you can incorporate a 40-minute tour aboard a tourist train into your itinerary. You will walk through the main streets of the city without fear that an unexpected precipitation will ruin the tour.

To take this tour, you must go to Paseo Salamanca. There, you will pay an average price of approximately 5€ and you will be able to start a route that will take you through the historic center and, thus, see:

• La Bahía de La Concha.
• El Palacio Miramar.
• El Monte Urgull.
• El Teatro Victoria Eugenia.
• La Catedral del Buen Pastor.

The train has a couple of cars, panoramic windows and glass roof, so you will enjoy the scenery from different perspectives. There is also a screen with information about each monument.

Details of interest

• Price: average price of 5€.
• Duration: 40 minutes (Approx.)
• Means of transport: tourist train.
• Advantages of this option: you will visit the historic center and other areas of interest in a comfortable way and in a short time.
• Disadvantages of this option: The tour does not include an audio guide.

When taking one of the tours of San Sebastian you should take into consideration some basic tips that will allow you to improve the experience.

For example, you should wear comfortable shoes that allow you to walk long stretches without getting tired and wear clothes according to the weather season (light clothing in summer and warm in winter).

It is also important that you arrive at least 10 minutes before the meeting with the guide and that you find out about the bus stops near where you are staying. The latter, in case the tour does not end at the door of your hotel.

Taking a tour of San Sebastian is a way to save time during your stay, thanks to the help of the assigned guide or the audio guide provided.

You will be able to discover the most important destinations and contemplate the best views, without fear of getting lost in the streets of the city. In addition, you will learn about the history of each place and get to know some anecdotes.