Bilbao is the Basque Country’s biggest city, transformed by Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum and famous for its pintxos, riverside walks and the medieval Casco Viejo. Hotels are generally good value compared with San Sebastián, with deals easy to find outside big events and concerts.
Finding cheap rooms in Bilbao is easier when you know where to look. We compare live hotel rates across the top booking sites and point you to the neighborhoods where hotels are cheap but the location is still great.
Rooms come in more shapes than hotels — in Bilbao you can also compare apartments with kitchens, vacation rentals for families, B&Bs and budget hostels in one search.
Cruise ships call at the Port of Bilbao at Getxo on the estuary, with transfers or the metro into the city.
The old town’s “Seven Streets”, full of pintxos bars and small hotels — central and characterful.
The main shopping and business district around the station, with a broad range of hotels.
Modern hotels by the museum and the riverside promenade.
A residential district with local restaurants and often lower rates, on the metro.
A seaside town at the mouth of the estuary, by the cruise terminal and the historic Vizcaya Bridge.
A historic hotel on Plaza Moyúa, opened in the early 20th century.
Check rates at Hotel CarltonZoom and pan the map to compare hotel prices by neighborhood; rates come live from the booking sites.
Late spring to early autumn is the most pleasant; the Semana Grande festival in August is busy. Bilbao is rainy, but winter and weekday rates are often low.
Indautxu and the streets around Abando station usually offer better rates than the riverfront near the Guggenheim.
Compared with San Sebastián, Bilbao hotels are usually noticeably cheaper.
Ships dock at Getxo; the metro and shuttle buses connect to the city centre.