Bilbao

Museums & Exhibitions

Meet your guide outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to begin a 120-minute guided tour of both the inside and the outside of the museum. Learn why Bilbao was chosen as the home for the stunning Frank Gehry-designed building, and discover the structure of the building and the outdoor sculptures that surround the museum. Then, get to know the most important works of the Guggenheim's permanent and rotating collections as you wander through its galleries, atrium, and terrace in the company of your guide. Your museum entry is good for the day, so at the end of the tour you may continue to explore the collections of modern art at your own pace.

Access the Museum between gates 19 and 20 of the famous San Mamés stadium where the tour visit begins. Then experience a unique insight into the world of football at grass level. Live the experience of a real-life footballer as you run out onto the field from the tunnel, wander through the locker rooms, and imagine the buzz of excitement in the press room. Along with the stadium tour, visit the modern and innovative Athletic Club museum, home to a wide selection of fascinating football memorabilia. Explore the museum and marvel at its collection of 500 original football-related objects that have been collected over more than a century. See the past and present of the club come to life as you admire trophies, costumes, graphics and audiovisual material celebrating the Red and Whites. There’s plenty to see and do at the museum with 4 audiovisual productions, 13 interactive systems, 600 videos, an immersive video-wall, and a playroom equipped with entertainment for all ages.

A professional local guide will meet you at the entrance to the museum. Discover the temporary and permanent exhibitions in the museum during your 1.5 hour tour. This spectacular building adds to an area where the Nervión makes its marks with pleasant riverside walks. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is surrounded by promenades, parks and recently-built squares, where you can see the work of artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, Yves Klein, Jeff Koons, and Fujiko Nakaya. Since opening in 1997, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's acquisitions have focused on works from the mid-twentieth century to the present day, thus complementing the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and forging a unique identity at the same time. Visited by about one million people every year, one of its main attractions is the ArcelorMittal gallery, which is a large space where eight works by sculptor Richard Serra are permanently displayed. Of the 24,000 square metres occupied by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, 11,000 are reserved for exhibition spaces. The architectural heart of the 20 galleries that make up the museum is the atrium, a large open space of curved volumes, surrounded by large glass curtain walls and crowned by a large skylight. 

Meet your guide outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to begin your 120-minute guided tour of both the inside and the outside of the museum. Learn why Bilbao was chosen as the home for the stunning Frank Gehry-designed building, and discover the structure of the building and the outdoor sculptures that surround the museum. Then, get to know the most important works of the Guggenheim's permanent and rotating collections as you wander through its galleries, atrium, and terrace in the company of your guide. Your museum entry is good for the day, so at the end of the tour, you may continue to explore the modern art collections at your own pace.

At 11:30 AM or 5:00 PM, meet your guide outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to begin a 90-minute guided tour of the outside of the museum. Learn why Bilbao was chosen as the home for the stunning Frank Gehry-designed building, discover the structure of the building and the outdoor sculptures that surround the museum. Discover the history of the museum, talk about the Guggenheim family, and the museum's collection as well as the Guggenheim Foundation. Let yourself be guided and enjoy the unique experience alone or with family.

The estuary of the Urdaibai River has many attractions that can be enjoyed in a short trip from Bilbao. The hermitage of Gaztelugatxe, which was the set for Dragonstone in the Game of Thrones series, is a good starting point. Whilst there, enjoy the sea views in contrast to the towering nearby mountain. Take your time and climb up the 241 stairs which take you to the top of Gaztelugatxe, where you can ring the bell three times according to tradition. Following that, the coastal town of Bermeo allows you to see firsthand how old fishing traditions are still maintained in the present day. You then travel from Bermeo to reach Gernika, where rural and agricultural traditions are mixed with their varied histories. Gernika is an important reference town in Basque history, being home to the ancient tree where the medieval kings of Spain swore to respect local laws. It is also where the German bombing took place during the Spanish Civil War, destroying much of the city. Finally, visit the Peace Museum in Gernika to receive a deep knowledge of Basque history. At the conclusion of your experience, your driver returns you back to Bilbao.

Explore the history of Spain and its traditions from a different perspective with a 2-hour private tour of the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao. Discover exceptional works of art with an expert guide as you take a journey through the history of Spanish art. Enter the museum with your guide without having to wait in line at the box office. Then, marvel at the works of painters of various artistic periods, and admire multiple pictorial styles and historical events seen from the perspective of some of the best artists in the world. Be amazed by the anatomical prints of Ribera and the disturbing themes in the "Black Paintings" by Francisco de Goya. Finally, visit a hidden area of the museum to take a look at 19th century avant-garde alternative genre paintings from the Basque Country. Tours are available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

This 3-day Bilbao welcome package offers a variety of items to make your stay a memorable one. It includes accommodation at a centrally-located 4-star hotel, with plenty of pintxo bars, shops and lively streets in the area. You’ll also receive a ticket to the Guggenheim Museum and a guided tour of the city by bicycle. The Guggenheim is a renowned modern art museum that hosts expositions of works by national and international artists along with its permanent collection. You can use your museum ticket whenever you like during your stay, during the opening times of the museum. You’ll also get to know the city better on a guided bicycle tour. In additional, you’ll have enough time to explore the city by foot, including the old town, the Abandoibarra district and the shopping streets.

Learn about the history that has shaped the great Bilbao city of today. Visit both the San Mames football stadium and the Guggenheim Museum. Learn about the 105 years of football played on the same site. Imagine yourself within the players shoes, looking up from the side of the field, hanging out in the locker room. Afterward visit the Museum of Aliron Athletic Club.  Spend the afternoon discovering the importance of the Guggenheim Museum as a worldwide institute. See the temporary and the permanent exhibitions. Finish the tour with a magnificent lunch at the Bistro Restaurant located within the museum. 

Discover the most important museums in Bilbao and taste the Basque country cuisine on this private half-day tour with a local guide. Begin your tour at the Fine Arts Museum and marvel at its collection of ancient, modern, and contemporary art. Continue on to the nearby and impressive Guggemheim Museum and admire contemporary Basque and Spanish art represented through a selection of works. After these museum visits, hop on the tram and enjoy a sightseeing tour around the city's modern area before arriving in the Old Town of Bilbao. Enjoy the Estuary of Bilbao, City Hall, the city center, commercial area and the Arriaga Theatre. While strolling, sample the typical pintxos at a few, carefully selected local bars.