San Sebastian itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in San Sebastián, day by day: Mount Adarra, the Kursaal, the Buen Pastor Cathedral and the María Cristina Bridge first, then La Concha beach, Mount Urgull and the Basilica of Santa María del Coro, and Mount Ulia as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
San Sebastian in 1 day
Day 1
María Cristina Bridge
Ornate 1905 bridge over the Urumea with four obelisks, linking the centre with the Amara district and the station.
San Sebastián Cathedral
Neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, finished in 1897, with a tall spire at the heart of the Centro district.
Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium
Rafael Moneo's two glass cubes at the mouth of the Urumea, main venue of the San Sebastián Film Festival.
Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus
Baroque basilica in the Parte Vieja with a richly carved doorway facing the cathedral along Calle Mayor.
San Telmo Museum
A museum of Basque society, culture and history, housed in a former convent and a modern extension below Monte Urgull.
Urgull
Hill above the old town with walking paths, the Mota Castle and a large statue of the Sacred Heart over the bay.
Beach of La Concha
Shell-shaped city beach with a white-railed promenade, calm water and views of Santa Clara Island.
Comb of the Wind (Peine del Viento)
Three steel sculptures by Eduardo Chillida set in the rocks at the end of Ondarreta beach, where waves crash below.
San Sebastian in 2 days
Day 1
Adarra
An 817 m mountain south of the city, a popular half-day hike with views over the Basque coast and the Pyrenees foothills.
San Sebastián Cathedral
Neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, finished in 1897, with a tall spire at the heart of the Centro district.
María Cristina Bridge
Ornate 1905 bridge over the Urumea with four obelisks, linking the centre with the Amara district and the station.
Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium
Rafael Moneo's two glass cubes at the mouth of the Urumea, main venue of the San Sebastián Film Festival.
Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus
Baroque basilica in the Parte Vieja with a richly carved doorway facing the cathedral along Calle Mayor.
San Telmo Museum
A museum of Basque society, culture and history, housed in a former convent and a modern extension below Monte Urgull.
Day 2
Urgull
Hill above the old town with walking paths, the Mota Castle and a large statue of the Sacred Heart over the bay.
Beach of La Concha
Shell-shaped city beach with a white-railed promenade, calm water and views of Santa Clara Island.
Miramar Palace
A 19th-century royal summer palace on La Concha Bay, with public gardens offering views over the bay and beaches.
Comb of the Wind (Peine del Viento)
Three steel sculptures by Eduardo Chillida set in the rocks at the end of Ondarreta beach, where waves crash below.
San Sebastian in 3 days
Day 1
Mount Ulia
Wooded hill east of the city with a coastal path to Pasaia and views over Zurriola beach.
Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium
Rafael Moneo's two glass cubes at the mouth of the Urumea, main venue of the San Sebastián Film Festival.
Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus
Baroque basilica in the Parte Vieja with a richly carved doorway facing the cathedral along Calle Mayor.
San Telmo Museum
A museum of Basque society, culture and history, housed in a former convent and a modern extension below Monte Urgull.
Day 2
Urgull
Hill above the old town with walking paths, the Mota Castle and a large statue of the Sacred Heart over the bay.
Beach of La Concha
Shell-shaped city beach with a white-railed promenade, calm water and views of Santa Clara Island.
Miramar Palace
A 19th-century royal summer palace on La Concha Bay, with public gardens offering views over the bay and beaches.
Comb of the Wind (Peine del Viento)
Three steel sculptures by Eduardo Chillida set in the rocks at the end of Ondarreta beach, where waves crash below.
Day 3
Adarra
An 817 m mountain south of the city, a popular half-day hike with views over the Basque coast and the Pyrenees foothills.
San Sebastián Cathedral
Neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, finished in 1897, with a tall spire at the heart of the Centro district.
María Cristina Bridge
Ornate 1905 bridge over the Urumea with four obelisks, linking the centre with the Amara district and the station.
Watch: San Sebastian
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to San Sebastian
June to September is the warmest and sunniest time in San Sebastián, with beach weather on La Concha, though rain is possible in any month. July and August are busiest and most expensive, especially during Jazzaldia in July and Semana Grande in August. The Film Festival fills hotels in late September, while winter is mild, wet and quiet.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in San Sebastian on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in San Sebastian on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in San Sebastian on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in San Sebastian with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Spain from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in San Sebastian with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for San Sebastian
- Pintxos bars in the Parte Vieja are busiest from about 20:00; hot pintxos are ordered at the counter and made to order.
- The Monte Igueldo funicular climbs to the classic view over La Concha bay; Urgull's paths up to the Mota Castle are free.
- The centre, beaches and old town are walkable; city buses (Dbus) and the Euskotren line to Hondarribia and Bilbao take a Mugi card.
- The San Telmo Museum is closed on Mondays.
- Adarra is a half-day hike, usually from the Besabi area above Urnieta; take boots and check the weather, as fog is common.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Adarra: Iñaki LL ( talk ) 18:51, 28 April 2008 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus: User Spike, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beach of La Concha: Kent Wang, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Comb of the Wind (Peine del Viento): Alvaro Galve, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium: generalpoteito, CC BY-SA 2.5
- María Cristina Bridge: Rehman Abubakr, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Miramar Palace: Generalpoteito, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mount Ulia: No machine-readable author provided. Josugoni assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
- San Sebastián Cathedral: Juanedc from Zaragoza, España, CC BY 2.0
- San Telmo Museum: Gonzalomauleon, CC BY-SA 3.0 es
- Urgull: Nicola at German Wikipedia, Public domain
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
