15 Bilbao Tapas Tours Worth Turning Up Hungry For

1.The Authentic Bilbao Pintxos, Food & Wine Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 360 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $119Our pick

Spend about three hours walking Bilbao with an English-speaking local guide and a group of no more than 10. Visit several bars for enough pintxos to make dinner, paired with five red and white wines plus cider, local drinks, and a cocktail. Guides such as Jack, Kaya, James, and Maria add food, customs, and city stories along the way.

“Maria is the best tour guide. Her love of her city is infectious. We had a wonderful evening of Pinxtos wine and fun.”

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2.Exclusive Food & Wine Tasting Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 347 reviews · 3 hours · from $113

Spend three hours with a local guide such as Oscar, Roberto, Aitor, or Milan, moving through Bilbao’s Casco Viejo for six pintxos and four drinks. You’ll visit familiar bars and local favorites, hear stories about Basque food and culture, and get personal advice for the rest of your stay.

“Roberto was great, super knowledgeable, friendly and showed us some of the best Pintxos going. Would highly recommend if you’re into food and wine! (Who isn’t?!)”

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3.Bilbao Food Tour: Pintxos, Drinks, and Tapas with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Spend about 3.5 hours walking Bilbao’s Old Town with an English-speaking local guide, stopping for pintxos, cider, wine, txakoli, cheese, and Basque cake. Guides such as Kaya, Gonzalo, and Josu are praised for linking food with local culture. Expect standing, walking, and fixed alcoholic drinks, with nonalcoholic choices available.

“It's all centred in the Old Town and includes some historical information about Bilbao as well as plenty of food and alcohol. Kaya was a magnificent guide and very knowledgeable about the food and drink on offer.”

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4.Bilbao Food Tour – Basque Gastronomy Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $115

Spend about three hours walking Bilbao with a local guide such as Oscar, Oskar, Roberto, or Cacho. Visit four classic bars, taste pintxos with wine or other local drinks, and learn how the Old Town, markets, and Basque food customs fit together. Groups cap at 12, with private tours available.

“Very friendly informative guide. Flexible. Knew all the places. Would recommend him as a good. Guide”

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5.Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $96

At Gastronomía Bilbao, chef Mikel leads a 2.5-hour, hands-on class for up to 12 people. You will prepare classic and modern pintxos, learn about seasonal Basque ingredients, enjoy local wines and drinks, and taste dishes such as La Gilda, cod brandada, mushrooms, and torrijas.

“This was one of the best travel experiences we have ever had. My wife and I try to take a cooking class in each new city we visit, and this was the best that we encountered. Mikel (the chef) was the friendliest, most knowledgeable and skillful chef we've encountered. He had great stories about his progress becoming a master chef, including about various other chefs he has worked with. It was an evening that we will never forget! (AND you get a commemorative apron as a souvenir!)”

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6.Bike tour with Pintxos & Drinks in Getxo (Scenic Bilbao Seaside)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 68 reviews · 2 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $72

Ride through Getxo’s seaside districts, coastal paths, and open viewpoints with guides such as Miguel, Renato, or Diego. Bikes, helmets, pintxos, and drinks are included. The 2-hour-45-minute route starts at 9:30 a.m., returns to Baster Taberna, and suits active families and day trippers.

“What a way to spend a 2 and an half hours on a Sunday morning! Miquel is a very knowledgeable and laid back guide. He taught us a lot a about the area and really let us enjoy our ride. We had great conversation with him and turns out he was a rugby player like myself! What a great morning!!”

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7.Bilbao Pintxo Tasting Paired With Spanish Wines

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $119

Spend about three hours walking Bilbao’s Old Town with a local guide such as Jose, Beatriz, Joshua, or Maialen. Stop at five traditional restaurants for pintxos and Spanish drinks, with visits near Plaza Nueva, Santiago Cathedral, and other historic landmarks. Expect food, local stories, wine, cider, and a relaxed small-group setting.

“This was a great way to explore the city and try local food. I loved all the pintxos and wines, with a wide range of variety with a good combination of Spanish wines. Our guide was great, very informative and kept us organized . She was very passionate about both food and history.”

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8.Pintxo and Tapas tour with local Food Expert

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $174

Join Oihana of Bilbao Food Safari for a three-hour English-language walk through Bilbao’s food and history. With no more than six people, you’ll visit markets, plazas, and pintxo bars, tasting regional wines, cider, snacks, and sweets while learning how Bilbao became the city it is today.

“The main reason for my trip to Bilbao was the rich cuisine of the Basque Country. Oihana’s tour exceeded my lofty expectations. Oihana is very personable, and makes the tour feel like you are visiting a local friend. Her level of hospitality during the tour gives it a layer of authenticity that is hard to find in other tours. She constantly goes above and beyond to make sure your needs are met; I truly appreciated this effort! For these reasons, I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to experience an authentic culinary experience in Bilbao!”

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9.Hike Gaztelugatxe, Fishing Port Bermeo & Pintxo Lunch from Bilbao

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $162

Travel from Bilbao in a small group of no more than seven, hike the 241 steps to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, then visit Bermeo for pintxos and one drink. Guides such as Zack, Irene, Olaia, and Janice share local history and Basque culture. Expect a scenic but steep half-day outing with hotel pickup.

“We had such a great experience with our tour guide Zach! From the get go he was amazing with us, collecting us from our hotel and filling us in on so much of the history and culture of bilbao as well as every town we passed through on the way to the hike. The hike itself was spectacular! He chose the perfect time to bring us and had so much knowledge on the history of the monestary. He also brought us to a great spot for pintxo in bermeo and let us explore the hidden gem that was the fishing town. Overall it was a great day out and I…”

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10.Bike with Pintxos & Drinks in Getxo. Bilbao´s scenic seaside

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $71

Ride from Getxo with an English-speaking guide such as Miguel, Diego, or Ronaldo. Learn about the UNESCO-listed Vizcaya Bridge, explore the old fishing quarter of Puerto Viejo, stop for pintxos and a drink, then cycle beside the Biscay cliffs. The 2.5-hour route is mostly flat but still needs moderate effort.

“It was a very nice tour, briljant views over the cliffs and you visit places, you probably miss if you only do a short city trip by yourself.”

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11.Pintxos Preparation Workshop with Lunch in Bilbao

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $118

Meet chef Gustavo at Goienkale 3 in Bilbao’s Old Town for a two-hour English-language workshop near Ribera Market. You’ll prepare four Basque-style pintxos, from a modern Gilda to low-temperature cod, steak tartare toast, and sheep curd with honey and nuts, then enjoy your work with drinks.

“Gustavo is a great teacher and host! My husband and I took his workshop a week into our trip across northern Spain. By this time we had tried several traditional versions of the pintxos that Gustavo used as reference to reinterpret for our lesson. We learned new techniques, tips, and ways to approach party food prep. Gustavo is a talented chef who breaks down the steps of making a dish into approachable steps you can replicate at home. This workshop was a fun and tasty way to spend an afternoon!”

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12.Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $119

At Northern Spain Gastronomy’s two-hour evening class near the Guggenheim Museum, you prepare four Basque pintxos, including a gilda, local mushrooms, cod, and Basque toast. Chefs such as Mikel lead the hands-on work, while food, cheese, charcuterie, dessert, and unlimited drinks are included. The class is limited to 12 people.

“Irene, the cooking instructor is a gem! She grew up in Bilbao, gave us a short tour then went to her villa for the hands on cooking class. She paired each pintxos with wine. Irene makes you feel like family. Wonderful way to spend the afternoon! Highly recommend this class.”

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13.Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 36 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $112

Meet chef Mikel at a modern Bilbao cooking school for a hands-on lesson in four traditional and modern pintxos. You will prepare seasonal ingredients, hear the story behind Basque food, sip local wine, and finish with charcuterie, cheese, dessert, recipes, and an apron.

“We had a wonderful experience with Mikel today! He was very knowledgeable, patient, and fun to learn from. We would recommend this activity to anyone seeking a unique experience in Bilbao. Thank you again!”

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14.Classic & Modern Guided Walking Tour with Pintxos

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 35 reviews · 3 hours · from $100

Walk from Bilbao’s medieval Casco Viejo to the modern Ensanche with a local guide such as Javier. See the city walls, Santiago Cathedral, Plaza Nueva, San Antón Church, and later architecture before sharing a pintxo and drink. The tour runs three hours, is available in English, French, and Spanish, and ends in the old town.

“Nous avons beaucoup apprécié la visite de la ville de Bilbao grâce à notre guide Javier très érudit, qui a su nous faire partager sa passion pour sa ville.”

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15.Bilbao Food Tour with Pintxos & Drinks with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $102

Join a local guide such as Adela, Gonzalo, or Josu for a 3.5-hour walk through Bilbao’s Casco Viejo. Visit four or more bars, tasting pintxos, cheese, cider, wine, and pastelito vasco. The small group, capped at 12, keeps the food stops personal and easy to follow.

“Top rondleiding en gastronomische kennismaking met Bilbao door top gids Gonzalo. Lekker, verassend, leerrijk. Onze smaakpapillen werden beproefd en aangevuld met geschiedenis en couleur locale.”

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