San Sebastian in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

With so many things to see and do in San Sebastian, three days may seem like a short time, but I have good news for you: if you follow this itinerary, you won't miss a single essential site.

In San Sebastian you will find everything from a unique landscape, with the Bay of La Concha as the main attraction, the exquisite architecture of its buildings, its delicious gastronomy and renowned cultural activities that take place at certain times of the year. Here is an itinerary of the best things to see and do in San Sebastian in 3 days.

In the Old Part of San Sebastian you will find all the modernity mixed with the tradition and history of the city, that's why it is the ideal place to start your trip. On this first day you will walk around this area, including the mythical Mount Urgull, and you will take the promenade of La Concha until you reach Mount Igueldo.

Getting to know the Old Part of San Sebastian and its main attractions

This is the most beautiful and most visited area of San Sebastian. It is the second oldest neighbourhood in the city, with a series of sites that you cannot miss, such as the emblematic Plaza de la Constitución, the Alameda del Boulevard, the City Hall, the Basilica of Santa María del Coro, the San Telmo Museum and the San Vicente Church.

A good way to get to know this area in depth and without missing anything is to take a tour of San Sebastian. In addition, this neighbourhood is the ideal place to try the local cuisine, so I recommend that you stop to rest and eat something in the area, while you visit each of the most important attractions. In this article you can see where to find the best Pintxos in San Sebastian.

• Plaza de la Constitución: this is one of the most characteristic places in the city, which occupies the heart of the Old Town, where big events and festivities take place. Until the 1940s, its central building was the seat of the San Sebastian Town Hall.
• Alameda del Boulevard: this is a historic street in San Sebastian, surrounded by trees, which is also known as Paseo de la Alameda.
• Casa Consistorial: this is the seat of the Town Hall, where the Gran Casino de San Sebastián used to be located.
• Church of San Vicente: built in the 16th century in a marked Gothic style, this church is the oldest temple in the city.
• Basilica of Santa María: it could be defined as a work of art from the 18th century with a marked baroque style that is located in the heart of the Old Part of San Sebastian.
• San Telmo Museum: this is a Museum of Basque Society and Citizenship where you will also find a cloister and the old church on which it was built.

Exploring Mount Urgull

Once you've seen the main sites of the Old Town and had a bite to eat in the area to recharge your batteries, you'll move on to the second destination of this first day, Mount Urgull. A few metres from the San Telmo Museum, you will find one of the entrances and depending on the route you choose and the stops you make, this tour can take up to 2 hours.

On this hill you will find all kinds of viewpoints to appreciate the different views of the city, as well as popular sites such as the Cemetery of the English or the Castle of La Mota. Also, if you want to rest a bit before heading down, on the same hill you can enjoy Urgulleko Polboriña, a bar with the best view of the city. You'll thank me for the tip!

Walking along La Concha Beach and San Sebastian's seafront promenade

The next stop is La Concha beach. One kilometre from Monte Urgull, you will find this beach which is located in La Concha Bay. This bay is bordered by an amazing avenue known as Paseo de La Concha.

It is one of the most famous and beautiful places in all of San Sebastian and I dare say the world. You will find several important sites along the way such as the Miramar Palace, the Hotel Londres and the La Perla building, all this and more while enjoying the best views of the sea.

You'll be able to enjoy this iconic beach and also take the walk along it to the next destination of the day. At La Concha Beach you'll have plenty of activities to do, such as a boat tour to get to know the city from a different perspective.

A photo stop at the Miramar Palace

On your tour of San Sebastian's seafront promenade, I recommend you make a stop at the Miramar Palace, located between La Concha and Ondarreta beaches. It will dazzle you with its marked English style and one of the best views of La Concha Bay and the city, but that's not all. This place has a very interesting history, as it was built in 1893 at the request of the Spanish Royal House.

It is undoubtedly an obligatory stop for the best photographs of San Sebastian, although it is not possible to enter and see the inside, you will be able to contemplate the views and its beautiful and neat gardens.

Appreciate the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb)

Continuing along the promenade and a little over a kilometre from the Miramar Palace, just past Ondarreta Beach, you should continue along the Paseo de Eduardo Chillida to find the next stop of the day: the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb).

This is a set of sculptures and three pieces of steel, which look like claws that enclose the air. It is a unique landscape where the purest nature merges with human art in a unique place. This work is one of the most emblematic works of Eduardo Chillida, a Spanish sculptor.

The last stop of the day is Monte Igueldo, about two kilometres from the Peine del Viento.

At this classic site you'll have plenty of activities to enjoy, from a relaxing stroll to take in the best views, to the fun of all the attractions on site. I recommend you take the Funicular and enjoy the views from the lookout point.

• Price: between 1.5 and 4 euros per person.
• Opening times: usually vary depending on the time of year, but range from 10am to 11:30pm. I recommend you check the official website before planning your visit.
• Parking: free of charge.

The second day of your visit to San Sebastian will include some typical places of the city centre such as the Plaza de Gipuzkoa, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd of San Sebastian, the Maria Cristina Bridge and the Cristina Enea Park. You will also see part of the Gros neighbourhood, the Zurriola Bridge and Zurriola Beach.

Visiting the emblematic Plaza de Gipuzkoa Square

The Plaza de Gipuzkoa is located in the heart of the centre of San Sebastian and just a few metres from the beach. It is a large green space that looks like something out of a fairy tale, an English forest full of vegetation, a small lake and a wooden and iron bridge.

It is the first public park in the city and the seat of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Among its most characteristic corners, you will find: a monument in honour of the musician José María Usandizaga, a meteorological complex, a particular white marble time table and a large clock built with a variety of flowers.

Visiting the Buen Pastor Cathedral in San Sebastian

A few metres from the Plaza de Gipuzkoa is your second stop of the day, the Buen Pastor Cathedral, which is of particular relevance as the seat of the dioceses of San Sebastian.

This church was inaugurated in 1897, with a structure inspired by medieval churches in France and Germany, its neoclassical style is worth appreciating and thanks to the spire that crowns its building, it is considered the tallest in San Sebastian. It can be seen from almost every point in the city!

This particular attraction in San Sebastian, like many others, is included in the city's tourist bus tour.

Crossing the Maria Cristina Bridge

After these two stops, in addition to the old part of the city, you will get a good first impression of the city centre. A few metres from the Cathedral, you will find the María Cristina Bridge, which allows you to cross the Urumea River.

This is one of the most imposing and beautiful bridges in the city, with four structures guarding its spans. Although a temporary wooden footbridge was built in 1893 to cross from one side to the other, this bridge was built in 1905.

Visiting La Tabakalera

After crossing the bridge, a few metres away you will find this emblematic site that I want you to visit: The Tabakalera.

It is an International Centre for Contemporary Culture installed in the building that was the headquarters of a state-owned tobacco factory for some 90 years. This tobacco factory was characterised by its female employees, who were in the majority, making it a social reference point in the city at the time.

Before you go, I recommend that you check the agenda and book your tickets for the activity, exhibition or event you want to attend on the official website.

Cristina Enea Park

The next stop of the day is just a few metres from the Tabakalera and is the Cristina Enea Park, the ideal place to take a stroll and relax for a while, surrounded by gardens full of a variety of trees, zigzagging paths and a beautiful pond.

This park with a markedly English style is considered one of the most interesting historic urban parks in Spain. It is also home to the headquarters of the Cristina Enea Fundazioa Foundation, a benchmark in San Sebastian's environmental policies.

Strolling through the streets of the Gros neighbourhood and visiting Zurriola Beach

Just over a kilometre from the Cristina Enea Park, you will discover San Sebastian's most modern and dynamic neighbourhood, the Gros district. Here you will find all kinds of bars, shops, restaurants and the best atmosphere for strolling, enjoying and getting lost in its streets, but the undisputed star of this area is Zurriola Beach, the place of choice for surfing fans.

There is no specific place I can recommend in Gros, just stroll through its streets and discover its magical corners or simply spend the afternoon on the beach or walking along the promenade until you reach the sculpture of the Dove of Peace.

Cross the Zurriola Bridge and see some of the emblematic buildings in the centre of San Sebastian

After a stroll along the Gros, you will return to the centre of San Sebastian via the Zurriola Bridge, which was built in 1915 and will catch your eye with its picturesque lampposts that stand out in green and white.

When you finish crossing this mythical bridge from one side of the city to the other, you will find on your left two emblematic buildings of San Sebastian: the Hotel María Cristina, a luxurious 5-star hotel inaugurated in 1912 that has hosted great stars of cinema, music and world culture, and the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, one of the most important in Spain and the centre of the city's cultural life, which has hosted the San Sebastian International Film Festival on several occasions.

For your last day in San Sebastian, I recommend that you take a guided day trip from San Sebastian to get to know its surroundings and end your visit in the best way. Therefore, I would like to share 2 options with you so that you can choose the one you prefer.

Excursion to Hondarribia and Pasaia

On this excursion you will be able to visit two unique destinations in a single trip that lasts approximately 6 hours. They are fishing villages and are perhaps the most beautiful and picturesque on the Basque coast. Strolling through them, you will feel like time stands still and you will be transported back to decades gone by.

The first destination is Hondarribia, a small town located about 30 kilometres from the centre of San Sebastian, heading north-east, where you can discover typical local sites and fabulous beaches. Pasaia includes Pasajes de San Juan and Pasajes de San Pedro and is located about 10 kilometres from the centre of San Sebastian.

Excursion to Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia

If you prefer to get to know more of the northwest, I recommend this excursion to Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia. These 3 villages are about 5 minutes by car from each other and are the perfect day trip. A trip to these three places covers the main attractions of each of them, the good thing is that as they are small places, everything is close to each other.

In Zumaia you can walk around and visit the Church of San Pedro, the Hermitage of San Telmo and the charming beaches of Itzurun and Santiago which are just a few metres from the town centre.

In Getaria, you will find the Church of San Salvador, the Port, an ideal place to take a break and eat some fresh fish typical of the area, the Mount of San Antón, the three monuments to San Sebastián Elcano that are distributed around the town.

Finally, in Zarautz you will discover the beach of Zarautz, known for having been the summer resort chosen by Queen Isabel II of Spain in the 19th century, Mount Talaimendi on the eastern side of the beach and the Santa Bárbara viewpoint.