Wander San Sebastian's snaking Old Town streets
Wander San Sebastian's snaking Old Town streets

History & Culture Walk, San Sebastián

Explore San Sebastián with a local guide, strolling through the Old and New Towns and ending with pintxos and drinks.

Overview

Discover the wonders of San Sebastián, the Basque seaside city where Spanish royals once vacationed, on this guided walk. You'll wander the historic streets of the Parte Vieja (Old Town), passing ornate cathedrals and sweeping plazas. Continue to the Parte Nuevo (New Town) next for Belle Époque architecture while your guide details the city's rich history and modern expansion. End your walk at a traditional bar where you'll enjoy a drink and pintxos (small Spanish dishes).

Highlights

  • Learn about San Sebastián's rich history and culture on a walk with a local guide 
  • Explore the Old Town's cathedrals, plazas, and markets
  • Admire Belle Époque architecture in the New Town 
  • Enjoy a drink and pintxos at a traditional bar 

Know before you go

Duration
2 hours
Recommended for
All ages
Group
Small group, 10 people or less
Food & Drink
Pintxo and a drink

What you'll do

Start your stroll through San Sebastián by meeting your guide on the edge of the Parte Vieja and Parte Nuevo, where the 19th-century city walls once stood. Learn about the city's history as you traverse the Old Town's winding streets lined with religious monuments, plazas, and buzzing pintxos bars. You'll pass the 18th-century Basilica de Santa Maria with its mix of Baroque, Gothic, Churrigueresque, and neo-classical architecture and the Iglesia de San Vicente. Admire the latter's Gothic design and vaulted interior that features stained-glass windows, a gold altarpiece, and a French organ.

Continue down Calle De Fermín Calbeton, one of the city's liveliest streets home to dozens of atmospheric pintxos bars. Other Old Town stops include the Plaza de la Constitución, San Sebastián's main square, which dates back to 1813 and once served as a bullring, and Mercado de la Bretxa, where locals have been buying and selling fresh produce, meat, and fish for over 150 years. 

Next, make your way through the New Town, which was created in the early 20th century on order of Queen Maria Cristina, resulting in some of the city's most iconic Belle Époque buildings. To witness this striking architecture, your guide will lead you past the Hotel Maria Cristina, designed by Ritz-hotel architect Charles Mewes, and the Theatre Victoria Eugenia, which has been hosting cultural events, from operas to the San Sebastián Film Festival, since 1912.

Marvel at the towers and domed ceilings of Ayuntamiento (City Hall), once the Gran Casino, and stop at the neo-gothic Catedral del Buen Pastor (Cathedral of the Good Shepherd) built from Monte Igueldo sandstone and slate. You'll pass the Tabakalera, a 1913 tobacco factory that's now an art and design hub, before finishing the walk as the locals do, with pintxos and a drink in a traditional bar.

Start times

  • Daily
    11:00 am, 4:00 pm

What's included

  • Professional guide
  • Pintxo and drink in the Old Town

Itineraries with History & Culture Walk

Self-Drive in Basque Country, La Rioja & Navarra - 7 Days

Spend one week exploring three provinces of northern Spain with a road trip starting in San Sebastián. Enjoy urban walks, hiking, and sailing, then head to La Rioja and Navarra to visit cities like Pamplona and Logroño and enjoy the countryside and its vineyards. End in Bilbao, uniquely known for its eclectic public art and modern aesthetic.