Nestled on Spain’s northern coast, San Sebastián is a city where vibrant Basque culture, world-renowned cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes come together in perfect harmony. Whether you’re a food enthusiast eager to indulge in pintxos, a beach lover drawn to the golden sands of La Concha, or an explorer ready to wander through charming streets, San Sebastián offers something for everyone. In this San Sebastian travel guide, we’ll show you how to taste, relax, and explore your way through the best this stunning coastal city has to offer—all in one unforgettable trip.
Join our private Facebook Group: To Travel Too Ultimate Travel Tips and Itineraries
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure for more information. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (if applicable).
Check Out Our YouTube Video on San Sebastian here
How To Get To San Sebastian – Basque Country Travel Options
The Basque Country’s International Airport is Bilbao 101 km away with an average driving time of 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Bilbao Airport is serviced by at least 27 airlines from 58 destinations. Flights from Madrid or Barcelona take around 1 hour.
We use Skyscanner for the latest flight information and airfares.
We arrived in San Sebastian from Burgos on Alsa Buses. The journey time was 3.5 hours.
We use Omio to make bus and train bookings.
Our preferred car rental company in Europe is AutoEurope.
Do you need an International Drivers License? For more information click here.
Bookable transfers:
E-Sims
We trialled e-simatic throughout Spain and found the coverage to be excellent. We also liked that we could hotspot to our laptops whilst on the road. We connected instantly on touchdown in Spain from Morocco(where we also used e-simatic). Sign up here for your e-simatic app.
Facts about San Sebastian
- San Sebastian is known as “little Paris” being only 45 minutes from the French border.
- No one knows where the ‘basque’ language came from. Basque has six different dialects and is taught in school.
- The official name of the city is Donostia (the basque name) for San Sebastian
- For food lovers did you know that San Sebastian has more Michelin-star restaurants per square metre than any other city in the world?
- San Sebastian enjoys festivals – the famous International Film Festival is held in September and the Jazz Festival in July.
Beaches in San Sebastian
For your San Sebastian beach vacation you have a choice of 3 great beaches:
- La Concha – the most famous beach in Europe
- Zurriola – for surfing
- Ondarreta – the best family beach located near the Palacio de Miramar and looks out to La Concha.
What To Do in San Sebastian
Exploring San Sebastian’s Old Town – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Head to San Sebastian’s Old Town and just wander through the streets.
Highlights:
St Vincent Church San Sebastian – The original church dates back to 1197 and was built in Romanesque style. The current church was built in 1507 in the Gothic style and is the oldest building in the city. During 1813 the church became a hospital and received the wounded. In 1891 a semi-octagonal shaped baptistery was built. In 1970 the church was renovated adding new marble paving, modernising the construction of the walls and new lighting.
Address: San Juan Kalea, 15, 20003 Donostia
Basilica of St Mary of the Chorus
The Basilica was built during 1743 – 1774 in the Baroque style. The main entrance of the Basilica is in a straight line to the main entrance of the Buen Pastor Cathedral located 1 km away.
Address: Calle 31 de Agosto, 46. San Sebastián 20003 Gipuzkoa.
Opening times: Monday – Sunday, 10:15 – 13:15 and 16:45 – 19:45
Plaza de la Constitución
The impressive main building was once the City Hall up into the 40s, it is now the Public Library. If you wander into the Plaza note that balconies on the colourful buildings have numbers allocated on them. During bullfights these balconies would be rented out.
These days the Plaza is used for local festivities such as:
- January 20th – San Sebastian Day including the drum festival of the Tamborrada
- December 21 – Saint Tomas festival where the people of San Sebastian celebrate and the city streets are filled with stalls where txistorra (a special type of sausage) is sold
San Telmo Museum
It is the oldest Museum in the Basque Country. Exhibitions range from old and new Basque country culture, arts and history.
Address: Plaza Zuloaga, 1, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa
Walking Tour of the Old Town
We found that taking a walking tour of the Old Town with a local guide was the best way to experience San Sebastian. Not only did we visit the Best of San Sebastian’s sites but we learnt a lot of the history along the way and were given tips on where the best Pintxos was to be found.
To book your place on this fun walking tour click here.
Snippets of the history of San Sebastian that we learned during our tour:
- 1808 – the French invaded San Sebastian
- 1813 – the Seige of San Sebastian – British soldiers arrived and killed the men of San Sebastian, raped the women, over 4,000 were killed, looted homes and churches and burnt down the city’s buildings. Only the street now known as 31 August remained. The women of San Sebastian rebuilt the city brick by brick.
- 1863 – what was left of the City’s walls were pulled down to allow growth of the city
- 2015 – the fishing port was closed at San Sebastian and moved to Pasaia, a 30-minute ferry ride from San Sebastian. It is now the biggest port in Spain.
A fun morning visiting one of San Sebastian’s attractions away from the Old Town is to take the funicular to Monte Igeldo.
For the best views over San Sebastian, this is the place to visit. The Monte Igeldo Amusement Park has over 20 attractions for all to enjoy. Enjoy a drink or pintxos at Karrusel Gastro-Bar.
To get to the Funicular you can take the 16 Bus from various locations around the city, you can also walk or take a taxi.
Every 15 minutes the Funicular makes the journey to Monte Igeldo.
Miramar Palace
Instead of taking the bus back to the City you can walk back and stroll through the gardens of the Miramar Palace on the way.
The Miramar Palace was built as a summer retreat for the Spanish Royal Family. You can not enter the Palace but you can enjoy the gardens.
More things to do in San Sebastian
Visit the Old Town Statue dedicated to the women of San Sebastian who rebuilt the town – Plaza Valle Lersundi
Enjoy a stroll around Sarriegi Plaza in the Old Town
Try the delicious Basque Cheesecake – La Vina Restaurant – 31 de Agosto Kalea, 3, 20003 Donostia
Visit the Buen Pastor Cathedral – Urdaneta Kalea, 12, 20006 Donostia
Best Places to Eat in San Sebastian – Top Restaurants in San Sebastian
Our list of favourite places to eat in San Sebastian:
Pub Terraza Txurrut – Plaza de la Constitucion
La Rampa – Kaiko Pasealekua for fish
Cafe de la Concha – Kontxa Pasealekua – La Concha for great views
Gandarias – 31 de Agosto Kalea – for pintxos (they also have vegetarian options)
Casa Alcade – C. Mayor, 19, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian – for pintxos and outdoor seating
Ogi Berri – Gipuzkoa Plaza, 9, 20004 Donostia – bakery and good for breakfast
La Taberna Picaro – Usandizaga Kalea, 5, 20002 Donostia – for pintxos with good vegetarian options
Bar Restaurant Bare Bare – Portu Kalea, 7, 20003 Donostia – for pintxos
Borda Berri – Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 12, 20003 Donostia – Pintxos
Taberna Jose Mari – Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 5, 20003 Donostia – traditional Basque cuisine
La Bodeguilla – Plaza de Easo – great Pintxos
Casa Javier – Plaza de Easo – great Pintxos
Food Tours in San Sebastian
Where to Stay in San Sebastian
5 Star Accommodation San Sebastian
For a luxury 5-star stay book the Maria Christina Hotel which was built in 1912. It is the place where Royalty and Movie Stars stay. The hotel is located opposite San Sebastian’s Victoria Eugenia Theatre, with views over the Cantabrian Sea and Urumea River. The old town is located 450 metres away.
Address: Paseo Republica Argentina San Sebastian
You can book your luxury stay at the Hotel Maria Christina San Sebastian here.
We stayed at the very comfortable and well-located 3-star Sercotel Hotel Europa located at San Martin 52. The rooms were comfortable with all the facilities we required for a 5 night stay. Our balcony looked over the city. The La Concha beach was 200m away. The room is a little on the small size but as we were not in the room during the day it was not a big issue for us.
Book a stay at the Sercotel Hotel Europa here.
Looking for more accommodation options check out our list here
Conclusion – San Sebastian Spain Trip
In just one trip, San Sebastián offers a perfect balance of indulgence, relaxation, and discovery. From savouring world-renowned Basque cuisine to unwinding on golden beaches and exploring the city’s rich cultural heritage, San Sebastián has it all. Whether you’re drawn by its culinary delights, scenic beauty, or vibrant atmosphere, this charming coastal city promises an unforgettable experience. As you taste, relax, and explore your way through San Sebastián, you’ll leave with memories that will inspire you to return again and again
Where to Next?
Some travel inspirations for your next adventure in Spain:
Bilbao
Burgos
Valladolid
Do you need a visa for Spain?
To Travel Too Travel Shop
Travel smarter and safer with products from our To Travel Too Travel Shop. If you are looking for the latest luggage, guidebooks or travel accessories we have you covered with over 800 travel products to choose from.
Travel Insurance
World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
Are you on Pinterest? We are at To Travel Too and we have many travel-related boards check us out at Pinterest. If you enjoyed our article why not pin it to your board and read it later?
Leave a reply