After visiting San Sebastian for an epic food tour, the next stop on the list was Bilbao. I’m sure most of you have seen the show Game of Thrones. That Dragonstone scene is actually filmed here in Bilbao. In this blog, you’ll find out How To Visit Bilbao and instructions on how to get to Dragonstone!

Travel Cost Breakdown

Bus from San Sebastián to Bilbao – 6.65€ with Alsa Bus
AirB&B Bilbao – $64/night – Josune is a fabulous host and I highly recommend staying here!
Vueling Airlines BIO –> BCN – 30€

Navigating in Bilbao Using Public Transportationow To Visit Bilbao and Dragonstone

Purchase your Barik card for 3€ at a metro station. Trust me, this card will save you around 40% for fares on the bus, tram, and metro and be sure to scan IN & OUT for EVERY ride. You can top off with a minimum of 5€ each time.
Metro ride: 1.60€
Tram ride: 1.30€

Day Trip to Dragonstone AKA San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Don’t worry – I still cannot pronounce the last part)

Before You Go
* When I arrived, they asked me if I had reservations? WHAT?? No – I didn’t know anything about making reservations but they were nice enough to let us in. That being said, reserve your tickets by clicking here.
* Don’t be like me and wear thong sandals – The first half of the hike is a steep downhill and I was panicking the whole way down thinking that my sandals were going to break at any moment.
* Bring water – there is one water fountain at the base of the stairs…and no bathrooms when you reach the top.

How to get there: **Please note these prices may change**
* Find your way to Placa Moyua. You want to take the bus to “Bakio #3518” that stops in front of the Levis Store. It comes at :15 and :45 of the hour.
Cost without the Barik Card: 2.55€
Cost with Barik Card: 1.70€

Get off the stop that has the “Information” Building. Don’t forget to scan once again on your way off the bus. The clerk working at the desk will provide you with maps. Then the next bus #3517 will arrive. Get off the next stop and you’ll walk down the curved street on the left. You’ll reach the entrance after the parking lot. The hike up to the church isn’t so bad. Once you get up there make sure to ring the church bell 3 times for good luck! Best time to go is early in the morning to beat the crowds and the heat.

After taking a million photos we hiked back up and took a bus to the next city, Bermeo (5 minute ride and less than 1€) and then took a train from Bermeo to Mundaka to check out the beach (also less than 5 minutes and less than 1€). We spent the rest of the day soaking up the sun. Then it was time to go home. There is a train that goes from Mundaka to Bilbao (1.5 hours with stops) for 3.30€.

Guggenheim Museum

Tip: Sign up for FREE to be a member. This enables you to skip the line to buy tickets (16€/ticket) once you reach the museum. When I went the line was 100 people deep so this came in handy. You can take plenty of photos outside of the museum but when you’re inside no photos are allowed of the artists’ work. (I mention this because I didn’t know and I got yelled at a couple times – whoops)

Funicular

Your Barik card works here as well and you can go up for .60€ each way. Without the card the cost is 1.75€ each way.

Where To Eat

Cafe Iruña – Opens 7am – 1am – one of the oldest cafes in Bilbao. Beautiful interior and my favorite pintxo is the salmon with nutty cream cheese. Obsessed!

El Perro Chico – Opens 12:30 pm – midnight – I really enjoyed this sit-down restaurant. Order the suckling pig and the crispy chicken. The spring rolls were amazing and the cheesecake dessert was to die for.

El Globo – Opens 8:00 am – 11:00 pm – Always busy because their pintxos are yummy.

Coppola Bilbao – Opens 1:00pm to 11:00 pm – If you’re tired of pintxos, this Italian restaurant should solve the problem!

Getting To The Airport How To Visit Bilbao and Dragonstone

Head to Placa Moyua. The green airport bus #3247 will pick you up in front of the cream colored building “Delegacion De Hacienda.” It comes every :15 and :45 of the hour. Cost: 3€.

Happy traveling!

Curious about other Spain destinations? You can check out more travel guides here.