A Solo Travelers Guide To Bilbao

Bilbao is a great city for solo travelers—it’s safe, even at night, easy to get around by metro, bus or walking, and it’s packed with fascinating attractions. Whether you want to meet other travelers, go on group tours and enjoy Basque cooking lessons, or simply want to browse its world-class art museums by yourself, there’s something for everyone.

Choose your accommodation

Begin by choosing which area of the city our want to stay in. If you like bars and nightlife and want to be near the action, then stay near the Casco Viejo (Old Town), or if you want to be close to all the best museums, then stay in the central Abando or Indautxu districts. Here’s our neighborhood guide to the coolest areas in Bilbao to help you get to know them a little better. If you’re looking to meet other travelers, a hostel is a good meeting place, but if you’d prefer something a bit nicer or more private, then take a look at our article of The Best Luxury Hotels in Bilbao or The Top 10 Cheapest Hotels in Bilbao—whichever suits your budget.

Go on a group tour

Browse the museums

Visiting museums is always a great solo activity, and Bilbao is packed with some excellent choices. At the top of everyone’s list is of course the Guggenheim Museum—the world famous contemporary art museum designed by Frank Gehry. Artists who have their work featured here include Jeff Koons, Richard Serra, Mark Rothko, and Eduardo Chillida, among others. Another great art museum to visit is the Bellas Artes or Fine Arts Museum. If art is not your thing, you’ll find plenty of other museums to explore, such as the Maritime Museum, the Archaeological Museum.

Learn how to make pintxos

Instead of a tour, meet others by joining in a group activity. One of the best in the city of Bilbao is learning how to make pintxos and local cuisine, with some of the Basque Country’s excellent chefs. Basque Taste offers a five-hour cooking workshop with an award-winning chef, where you’ll visit Bilbao’s famous market, La Ribera, to pick up some ingredients and then head back to the school to learn how to make Basque pintxos.

Explore the Siete Calles of the Casco Viejo

Bilbao’s Casco Viejo district is one of its most atmospheric. Made up of seven main streets, it’s perfect for exploring and getting lost in. As well as many pintxos bars and souvenir stores, you’ll find some stunning old pieces of architecture, including the Catedral de Santiago de Bilbao, the Arriaga Theater, and the beautiful Iglesia de San Antón church.

Learn more about Basque Culture

Learn more about the city of Bilbao and Basque culture before you go, as it will help you to mix more with the locals. Impress them with your knowledge of the local lingo by reading our essential Basque phrases—be aware though, not all locals speak Basque, so you’ll need to brush up on your Spanish too. When you’ve arrived in Bilbao, make your way to the Museo Vasco to learn more about the local culture and history of its people.

Ride up to Mount Artxanda

Maybe you don’t want to spend time with others and meet fellow travelers—maybe you came to the city to simply get away from it all and enjoy being alone. If this is the case, then head up to Mount Artxanda to truly have some space for yourself and admire the city from above. To reach the mountain, ride the old funicular, inaugurated in 1915.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.