Conquering Bilbao in 8 Hours

Conquering Bilbao in 8 Hours is doable! Bilbao, the former industrial city of northern Spain has had a modern day renaissance by becoming a great destination for art and food among other things. Naturally a long 8 hour layover with it’s convenient 15 minute bus ride into the city made Bilbao an ideal place to be stuck in transit. It’s not a bad place to be stuck in for a couple hours as exploring the city is super easy. And I don’t know about you but I would rather be in a city than stuck in an airport for 8 hours. 

See how conquering Bilbao in 8 Hours can be done. This guide will show you how I filled my time during my short time here and includes tips you can apply to other cities when you have a longer layover.

Table Of Contents

Plan Your Bilbao Visit

Flight	Stay	Visit	Do
WayAway	Hotellook	Rentalcars.com	Viator

Long Layover Tips

• Figure out about how much time you will have in a city accounting for the time to return to the airport plus the 2 hour grace period asked by airlines to be at the airport.

• Pick the top 2-3 things you want to see/do. The key with layovers is not wanting to do the most but deciding what you really want to see and what is realistically doable with the amount of time you have available. 

• Map out the most time efficient/economical way into the city and how you will go about getting to the top items on your list. With small cities like Bilbao most of the top attractions are near each other and easily walkable.

• Fingers crossed you don’t have to switch airlines so your luggage won’t be with you making your layover city tour doable. If that isn’t the case, see if the other airline will take your luggage before the 2 hour check-in window. If you ask nicely and explain why, they should have no problem. I was easily able to do this in Bilbao. In a pinch and should the airport not provide pay for storage facilities, bring luggage with you. Then find a hotel which can hold your luggage for you in their storage. If they think you will be checking in later etc.  they will not charge you.

Getting Around

Airport to Bilbao city center – An economical option is to take the Bilbao airport bus into the city (Termibus) getting off on the first stop. Bus service starts at 6:15 a.m. and runs every 30 minutes until 12 a.m. The 15 minute ride costs €1.45 ($1.78 USD). The Estacion de Abando, located near the Plaza de Espana, is the major train station in Bilbao.

Where I Went

Plaza Nueva

This is in the “bario viejo” and is the old part of town where you will discover plenty of pinxtos bars for a snack lunch. 

Dink Cider

Check out a “Cider House”, the highlight of any meal will be the local Basque cider.  

Riverbanks

Stroll along the riverbanks. It’s a good way to work off all that food and enjoy the views. Don’t miss seeing some of the awesome street art. Including the piece by Veronica Werckmeister titled “Giltza Bat” aka “A key”. This is is situated across from the Guggenheim museum. 

Museo Guggenheim

Modern art museum housed in Frank Gehry’s architect masterpiece – the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in 1997 and admission is €13.00 ($16 USD) per adult / €7.50 ($9.24 USD) for students and includes an audio device to better inform yourself on the pieces and the architecture itself. 

Outside Of The Museum

• Louise Bourgeois’ amazing Maman spider sculpture. 
• Jeff Koons’ giant Flower Puppy Bear near the main entrance of the museum.

Extra Time In Bilbao?

• Head to “El Globo” for delicious pinxtos and glasses of wine for $2 Euros ($2.47 USD). 

• Visit “Ribera Market“, a restored art deco building with stained glass windows and stalls full of seafood and vegtables. Don’t forget to head to their market bar section for a drink of with wine (Rioja Alavesa is the standard here) or sangria which can be enjoyed outside along the river.

• Get lost in Casco Viejo or Old Town and see the breathtaking mural pieces.

• There is a big Latin American population in Bilbao and if Colombian cuisine is up your alley, visit “Melao de Cana” for authentic Colombian dishes at very pocket friendly prices.

Conquering Bilbao In 8 Hours Photo Highlights:

Conquering Bilbao In 8 Hours Final Note

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to see in Spain and Bilbao that it would be a shame to only spend 8 hours. Find my full Spain destination guide HERE.

My Complete Spain Country Guide includes:

• Barcelona
• Madrid
• Pamplona
• And so many more cities in Spain