San Sebastian in 1 Day: all you need to know

If you only have one day to explore and get to know San Sebastian, don't worry, there are plenty of things to do in this city. With good organisation and a detailed itinerary, you'll be able to see most of the sights. However, I recommend starting the day early in the morning and finishing it late at night.

There is a lot to explore in Donostia and it is not difficult to get around or use transport. You won't get lost for a second and you can even walk to many places and attractions. You'll also be able to eat at your leisure while you learn about the culture and gastronomy of this city. Are you ready? Let's get to it!

In order to plan your day in San Sebastian it is best to know which way you are going to take to get to this city. Most people prefer to use the airport of Bilbao, as it is the closest airport to the city and has many connections.

If you decide to use this airport, keep in mind that at the exit of the airport you will see a bus stop of Transportes Pesa. I recommend this option because they can take you to San Sebastian in about an hour and a half with luggage access.

San Sebastian airport in Fuenterrabía has few connections. If you are coming from Madrid or Barcelona, you could fly to this airport. When you arrive, if you are not carrying heavy luggage, you can take a bus from the Ekialdebus company which runs directly from there to Donostia. The journey takes at least half an hour.

To get from the respective stops to your hotel you can use the San Sebastian public transport line, D-bus. These buses connect the whole city and you can travel on them all day long if you prefer.

To get around much better during the day I recommend taking the San Sebastian sightseeing bus which you can use several times in a day. It costs an average of 15 € and the ticket is valid for a full day. I recommend having breakfast at your hotel or in a restaurant in the surrounding area.

After lunch, I recommend taking the tourist bus to explore the city. As a first destination I suggest you get off at the Zurriola/Kursaal Beach stop. This stop is located in the Gros neighbourhood, which is considered to be a surfing and trendy neighbourhood with different places of interest.

When you get there you will see the Sala Kubo Kutxa, a particular building where art exhibitions are shown. Right next to it you can also see the iconic Kursaal Palace, two buildings that simulate two rocks stranded in the sea. Take advantage and take a nice picture of this iconic place in Donostia!

Finally, you should add a quick visit to the Zurriola Beach, a paradise for surfers thanks to its waves. Here you can stroll for a while and admire the sea. If you like, you can go prepared for a beach swim before midday.

Around 11am you can visit the Paseo de la Concha before lunchtime. To get here you can take the tourist bus again at the stop I mentioned before and get off at Plaza Zubieta. From there you can walk about eight minutes to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, one of the most curious cathedrals in Spain, to see its majestic construction.

As it is only one day, it is best to see it only from the outside so you can make the most of your time. From there, walk about seven minutes to La Concha Beach. There you can take advantage of the time and spend some time on the beach, either swimming or walking along the Paseo de la Concha.

At this point it will probably be lunchtime, around 12 noon or 1 pm. The best thing to do is to eat in this area as it is very busy and always has a wide variety of options. My first recommendation is the Bernardo Etxea Restaurant as it always offers a variety of high quality seafood and fish, an ideal food to eat in this beach atmosphere.

If you don't fancy this type of food, don't worry, nearby and along the promenade you can find other options. You can get a good grilled steak at Maun Grill Bar. You can also walk to La Perla Bar Restaurant, another popular spot with tourists thanks to its beautiful views of the sea.

After you have recharged your batteries with lunch, you can walk for about 20 minutes from the Paseo de la Concha to the Miramar Palace and its beautiful gardens. A few metres from there you can also see Ondarreta Beach. I recommend you to stop by and take some pictures, but don't stay too long, as you still have things to do on this day.

After spending an hour or less here, you can go to the Ondarreta Beach stop and get off at the Igeldo Funicular stop. There you can get to know the square and take a short ride of about 15 minutes on the funicular up to Monte Igeldo.

When you arrive you can enjoy the beautiful view. I recommend you choose from the different activities you can do on the mountain. Remember to choose well because there are still some things to see in the city.

Monte Igueldo Amusement Park

The Monte Igueldo Amusement Park is located at the top of the mountain, right in the El Antiguo district of San Sebastian. It is an old park that opened in 1912. Don't worry, despite being so many years old, this park has been remodelled many times, so it will be a delight for you. I recommend visiting it for at least a little while, especially if you are travelling with children, although you may have to forgo other stops on this itinerary. The list of attractions you will find there is as follows:

• Mystery River
• Swiss Mountain
• House of Terror
• Tower
• Great Labyrinth
• Pond Boats
• Crash Cars
• Kosmikar
• Hammer
• Boca Della Veritá
• Taga-J
• Game Booths
• Carousel- Safari
• Turtle Race
• Igueldo Train
• Laughter ride
• Trampoline Slide
• Canopy

Details of interest

• Location: De Igeldo Ibilbidea, 187, 20008 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
• When to go: open every day of the year.
• Price: The average round-trip funicular ticket costs €5 for adults and €2.5 for children. The price of the rides can vary from €1 to €5.
• Opening hours: from 11 am to 7.30 pm.

Enclosure/Monte Igueldo viewpoint

The Mirador or Panoramic Terraces of Monte Igueldo will give you the best view of all over the city. It is so beautiful that it is internationally known. To enjoy the spectacle you can have a drink at the Gastro-Bar Karrusel. This viewpoint is open from 10 in the morning until 8 at night. In addition, you have to pay around 3 € to access it.

Monte Igueldo has several recreational options for you to choose the one that best suits you. I just recommend you enjoy at least until 3 or 4 in the afternoon so you can continue exploring the city. Take the funicular back down and continue with the day's itinerary, there's still time to see a lot of Donostia!

Interesting details

• Location: De Igeldo Ibilbidea, 187, 20008 Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
• When to go: Open every day of the year.
• Price: The average cost of a round-trip funicular ticket is €5 for adults and €2.5 for children. The price for access to the terrace is around €3.
• Opening hours: from 10 am to 8 pm.

After having some fun on Mount Igueldo, you can walk for about 10 minutes to the Wind Comb. This is a set of three steel sculptures weighing about 9 tons each. They are located right where the city ends and the sea begins. Be careful when approaching this area as the sea and wind often collide with these sculptures. It is said that the sea is combed by them.

This point of the itinerary is more for you to relax for a while and enjoy a natural spectacle. Be aware that on days when the sea is very high or the waves are very strong, the police may cut off access to the area. Be cautious and avoid entering a risky area.

These sculptures were made by the Spaniard Eduardo Chillida, who actually made 23 sculptures in total. He began creating them in 1952 and after more than 20 years he completed his work and gave it to the city. Some of them can be found in the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid or the Palais de l'UNESCO in Paris.

However, these three, which are always in contact with the sea, honour a pastime the artist had as a child: playing with the waves of the sea. Take advantage of the opportunity to take beautiful photographs in one of the city's most outstanding destinations.

Around five in the afternoon is a good time to say goodbye to the Wind Comb and head for one of the most iconic areas of Donostia, San Sebastian's Paseo Nuevo. At that time you still have time to take the tourist bus to get off at the Aquarium/Paseo Nuevo station. The journey takes around 40 minutes.

This walk starts at the Aquarium and goes around Monte Urgull until it reaches the Kursaal. You can take the time to walk and enjoy the sunset in this area. This place is especially famous as the huge waves of the sea break on this walk. The spectacle is beautiful, but can be a bit dangerous if the sea is a bit rough that day.

Walking along the promenade you will come across Jorge Oteiza's iconic sculpture Construcción Vacía (Empty Construction). This is one of the many outdoor sculptures hidden in San Sebastian and is a reference point for contemporary art.

After visiting the Paseo Nuevo, it is a good idea to at least walk around the Old Part of San Sebastian for an hour. All the sites are accessible on foot so don't worry. First on the list is Mount Urgull, one of the city's natural lungs. If you arrive here at 6pm you will still have time to go inside and get a better view of the scenery.

Of course, you can't miss the Plaza de la Constitución. This is an emblematic place in the city, as important local festivals are held here, such as the Tamborrada, a winter tradition in San Sebastian. This festival is held on 20 January in honour of the saint and is a spectacle that takes place all over the city, but mainly in this square.

Keep walking and pass by other iconic destinations in Donostia such as the San Vicente Church and the San Telmo Museum. If you are curious you can go to the fishing port and see the boats. Nearby are also the Santa María Church and the Alameda del Boulevard. Each of these destinations are about five minutes away from each other.

As we will only have an hour to walk around this area, I advise you to choose carefully which streets you want to walk along. I recommend using Google Maps to find your way around more easily. If you feel you still have time to continue your sightseeing, stroll around the Plaza de Gipuzkoa and the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, where you can see dances, concerts and much more.

Finally at seven or eight in the evening it's time for dinner and what better way to do it than with one of the best food tours in San Sebastian. This tour could be done on your own if you research ahead of time which restaurants and bars to go to. However, you always have the option of booking a guided food tour at sunset. This way you won't have to worry about choosing the best place to eat.

Pintxos are very similar to tapas, but are served on a slice of bread and speared with a toothpick. In this dish you will find different ingredients such as vegetables, chicken, meat or pork. Eating this dish is a tradition in the Basque Country, so your visit to San Sebastian would be incomplete without it. The custom is to go from bar to bar tasting pintxos with a glass of wine, beer or cider.

The best place to go for a pintxo tour is the old quarter or Parte Vieja of San Sebastian. One of the most recommended places is Cervecerías La Mejillonera, where in addition to the delicious pintxos, you can try various craft beers. Other bars to visit are Bar Txepetxa and 148 Gastroleku.

The pintxos tour usually finishes in about two to three hours, so by the end of the tour it will be approximately 10pm. Bear in mind that the tourist bus is no longer running at that time, so the best option is to take public transport as it runs until 11.30 at night. If it gets later, you can always ask for a taxi or Uber.

If you still want to enjoy San Sebastian and you can stay until dawn, I recommend you to visit some of its nightclubs. You won't have to go far as there are several places in the Old Part of the city that you might like to visit. One of them is GU San Sebastián, a bar that offers parties at night with lots of DJs that you can enjoy until dawn.

Very close to this discotheque you will also find the Friends Disco or Arkaitzpe Disco Pub. I recommend that you plan in advance how you will get back to your hotel as some of these clubs close in the early hours of the morning and not at dawn. Are you going to miss the nightlife in San Sebastian?