Thinking of organising a day out from Bilbao? Do you go out around Bilbao often and find yourself short of ideas about where next? Or perhaps you already know the town you fancy but would like to know what to do there and how to make the most of the day so that everyone gets the most out of it. Read on, because here you will find the best ideas for days out from Bilbao.
Organising a day out, or a couple of days, can be straightforward if you know what is out there. So let us not get ahead of ourselves and start at the beginning: planning it properly.
What to know about days out from Bilbao
Day trips from Bilbao
The city of Bilbao gives you plenty of options for a day out, but perhaps you are after something else — because you have seen the city plenty of times, or because of other things: whether you want to surprise people with somewhere new, how many of you there are, whether there are children or only adults, what sort of activity you like, the time of year, and the budget.
So here we have put together the best ideas for planning a day out in Bilbao or, better still, a day out from Bilbao (why settle for one city when there are so many others within reach?).
Bilbao, the capital of Bizkaia, is full of things to do for anyone willing to dig around a little and find the activity that makes the day.
Everyone knows about the Guggenheim, but we tend to forget about wandering the Siete Calles without a map, seeing the city from its highest viewpoints — Kobetas and Artxanda — or getting stuck into adventure sport of every kind.
Below you will find a guide full of ideas for your next day out. It has places to visit in Bilbao and places in Bilbao with something about them. Download it free with the button below:
On top of that, as we said, Bilbao and the country around it offer hundreds of things to do as a group with friends or as a day out for two you will want to repeat. Luckily, at GoRandom we have already done the work of finding every option for a day out near Bilbao , and one of them stands well above the rest: the trip from Bilbao to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
Days out from Bilbao to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Alongside the trip from Bilbao to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, GoRandom has plenty more hiking routes around Bilbao and beyond. It is the rare thing that is beautiful, cheap and works for the whole family — this is one of the best-rated activities there is among Basque families, couples and groups of friends who want to connect with the outdoors and leave the noise of the city behind, Bilbao included.
On the website of the Bizkaia provincial council you can get a free ticket to visit San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. You need it to get in. You can also buy an audio guide to learn about the place as you go.
You can get close either by bus or by car, using the car parks off the BI-3101 road, and from there take the footpath that leads to the hermitage of San Juan itself.
Besides hiking routes, we want to give you other ideas for making the day out the best one of the year, so here are three kinds of activity to build it around.
Go Yellow: group activities for every age, inexpensive and close to Bilbao. They work at any time of year, whatever the weather — the easy, flexible option, and one you cannot really get wrong.
Go Orange: outdoor and adventure activities around Bilbao. They are ideal for spring or summer and for large groups. They cost a bit more, but they are the ones people talk about afterwards. A day out in and around Bilbao that is genuinely good fun.
Go Red: extreme activities, only for the brave and for anyone who likes adrenaline. Mostly extreme sports for adults , and a step up in price. But not a day you forget. Want a day out from Bilbao that is not like the others?
If one of them has won you over, you can of course leave this page, search for it and book it somewhere else. But then you would be missing the discounts on days out that we run at GoRandom.
And the rest of it: not having to book anything, and being in the hands of people who know how to put a day out near Bilbao together.
So do get in touch: we will look at what you need and suggest activities built around the best possible day out.
Still not convinced? Then here is something rather more unusual. One question first: are you a hills person or a sea person? Read on.
Hiking and boat trips from Bilbao
Hills or sea? Sea or hills? Why not both. So, clearly, Bilbao and the country around it have plenty of good things to do on a day out with friends or family. But why not finish it off with something that leaves everyone speechless? If you are looking for a boat trip out of Bilbao, get in touch through the contact form and we will help you organise the trip and hire the boat.
And if you would rather stay on solid ground and what you like is height, GoRandom can get you up into the hills and out on the best hiking routes in Bizkaia. Specifically, the recommended routes close to Bilbao.
By land, sea or air, make the day out in and around Bilbao one you remember , with only one complaint: why does everything good end so quickly? It happens to us too.
And of course the organising is ours and the activities include everything needed to run them safely and well: an expert instructor, the kit, the insurance.
If booking online is not for you, or you have a question, call us or message us on WhatsApp and we will sort out the surprise adventure.
Days out from Bilbao with children
If what you are after is a day out from Bilbao with children (7 to 15), have a look at the calm activities listed above (Go Yellow). We have organised a great many of them, and of days out with children in Bilbao , and we would strongly suggest something like Virtual reality, the Laser tag, a horse riding route or the famous Bubble ball.
If, on the other hand, you want a proper adventure — the sort that leaves stories you retell for years — go for the group activities in Go Orange. Here you will find the things everyone has wanted to do at some point. Things like: city gymkhanas, a Wipeout-style obstacle course, paintball battles or Paddleboarding.
Which of these should you pick for a day out with children from Bilbao? Several things matter: the size of the group, the weather, availability and possible closures or reduced opening hours.
So get in touch, tell us what sort of activity you like and leave the rest to us.
How? You can do it online by clicking here, choosing one of the three packs (Go Yellow for calm activities, Go Orange for outdoor activities and Go Red for extreme sports), the number of people, the date and the province.
Once that is in, we show you the activities that could come up and give you the option of removing the ones you would rather not do (we are all adventurous, up to a point).
And that is it: enter your details and complete the purchase. Less than 48 hours before the activity we email you the activity you got and all the details: exactly where, what time, what to wear.
Below are two videos of activities that round off a day out from Bilbao. Just tell us which ones appeal and we will take care of the rest.
A one-day trip from Bilbao
When we think of a one-day trip from Bilbao, we usually mean one that does not turn into a slog. And not everyone has a car, or wants one: plenty of people prefer public transport out of habit or to keep their impact down.
So a lot of people go for the classic bus trip from Bilbao and look for places nearby that do not eat the day in travelling.
Here are several places for a one-day trip out of Bilbao if you want to make the most of it:
• Bilbao to San Sebastián (100 km, 1 h 10 min)
• Bilbao to Vitoria-Gasteiz (64 km, 51 min)
• Bilbao to France (132 km, 1 h 32 min)
• Bilbao to Santander (100 km, 1 h 10 min)
• Bilbao to the Oma Forest (47 km, 44 min)
• Bilbao to Santurtzi (15 km, 22 min)
• Bilbao to Bermeo (34 km, 35 min)
• Bilbao to Hernani (100 km, 1 h 05 min)
• Bilbao to Lekeitio (58 km, 1 h)
*Journey times are approximate.
Below you will find ideas for visiting San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz. And if you are planning a one- or two-day trip , there is no better way to do it than with a decent dose of adventure.
From Bilbao to San Sebastián
All told, a trip from Bilbao to San Sebastián is a very good idea. Better still if you have a list of suggestions for what to do in San Sebastián.
San Sebastián and the country around it offer hundreds of options for a good day out. Luckily, at GoRandom we have already done the work of finding every group activity available in and around San Sebastián but first, here are some calmer ways of seeing the city of La Concha that suit every taste.
Below you will find a guide full of ideas for a day out worth remembering which you can download with the button below:
Every group is a mix of very different people, which makes it almost impossible to please everyone on a day out.
So we have put together a set of the activities that always go down well — fun, and for the whole family. From the one who can never decide to the one who would sign up for anything, they all come away happy.
Virtual reality, the Laser tag, the horse riding, football matches Bubble ball or a kayak trip are some of the Go Yellow are the calm, enjoyable ones that please everybody. You can also try something wilder Go Orange like city gymkhanas, a Wipeout-style obstacle course, paintball battles or Paddleboarding.
San Sebastián, the city to rediscover the sea in. La Concha is central to what there is to do in San Sebastián, and not only for the view or the calm of the sand, but for the hundreds of water and group activities San Sebastián offers.
And if your group is after action, you will want something bolder. In that case look at the Go Red activities, where you will find plenty to work off the adrenaline with. A session of zip lines or bungee jumping are both good options if what you want is to test your nerve.
And if what you want is to take in the Basque coast from an unusual angle and at speed, choose a flight by paraglider , windsurfing or a a run out on jet skis.
So, which of these do you pick for the trip? Several things matter: the size of the group, the weather, availability and possible closures or reduced opening hours.
So get in touch, tell us what sort of activity you like and leave the rest to us (and if there are a good few of you we can get you a small discount, but keep that between us).
And if you want to make the day more of a surprise still, or you simply cannot decide, book a surprise adventure and find out what you are doing 48 hours beforehand .
From Bilbao to Vitoria-Gasteiz
Green and medieval, the Basque capital is a discreet place with few extravagances — which is not to say it is not full of corners, more or less hidden, and worth finding. Somebody will have told you that the best way to get round Vitoria is by bike, and they are right; what they probably forgot to say is that not everything here is in plain sight.
As the sort of person who organises days out , you probably like finding corners you did not know. So here are here are a few that Vitoria keeps hidden , which should be enough to make Celedón’s city your favourite.
So here we have put together the best ideas for a trip from Bilbao to Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Days out near Bilbao
And what better end is there to a day out with friends or with a partner than knowing there is another one coming? It is addictive, and before long there will not be an adventure in Bizkaia you have not done.
At GoRandom we would encourage you to get your friends or family together and pick whatever suits you , and to spend your free time a little differently. Try something new and you may well come away with an interest you did not have.
If you have any question, get in touch and we will we will organise the day out near Bilbao so that all you have to do is enjoy it with the people you brought.