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Ultimate San Sebastian Pintxos & Wine Tour (Daytime)

Experience the best of San Sebastian's Old Town over lunch. Get off the beaten path and visit the pintxos bars you would go to every weekend if you lived here.

Available from March 2021. In the meantime, join our Ultimate San Sebastian Pintxos & Wine Tour (Evening).

Top Rated 5 out of 5
Includes: Full, delicious lunch across 5 of the historic center's best pintxo bars. Plus lots of info about Basque cuisine!
Experience Size: Maximum 8 guests or upgrade to private for €99 per group
Times: 11:30am
Duration: 2.5 hours, no seating

What's Included

  • Skip the evening crowds and support local businesses during their slower time of day.
  • Discover a unique gastronomic tradition that’s centuries old and still practiced here.
  • Visit a bar that's a San Sebastian institution for for locally-caught seafood.
  • Make the most of the most important meal of the day with bites carefully selected for you!
  • Conquer all of San Sebastian's must-visit bars in one day.
  • This tour is also offered in French! Visite proposée en français aussi!

Reviews

Highlights

Dietary restrictions

This tour is adaptable for...
  • Vegetarians
  • Pescatarians
  • Gluten free (not celiacs)
  • Dairy free
  • Non-alcoholic options
  • Pregnant women
    • We love providing delicious options for those with dietary needs. If you have a dietary requirement or food allergy, please note it when booking. This tour is not recommended for vegans and, due to the risk of gluten cross-contamination, this tour is not recommended for those with celiac disease.

    What to Expect

    TOUR SNAPSHOT

    We’ve got good news: pintxos aren’t just for dinner! If you’re looking for the same classic bars and essential bites as our evening tour, but on a different schedule, you’re in the right place. Whether you’ve already got plans for dinner, prefer to explore the Old Town during a less-crowded time of day or are traveling with kids, we’ve got lunch covered.

    STOP-BY-STOP

    We’ll start at a bar that’s been a local favorite since the 1970s. Here you’ll try a selection of the best mussels in town with dry Basque cider. Master pouring cider from a height straight into your glass and learn all about the cultural phenomenon of “TXOTX!” This traditional stop will be your first introduction into what going out for pintxos really means in San Sebastian.

    Next, you’ll dive into the fascinating world of Spain’s most famous delicacy: cured Iberian ham. We’ll introduce you to a family-run gem stocked with Basque and Spanish gourmet products. Try two of the most-renowned (and most expensive) cured hams especially chosen by our friend Sylvain. By the time we leave, you’ll have an understanding of the differences between them—and a favorite!

    Up next we’ll visit one of the city’s most famous pintxo bars, where the past meets the present. Here, the best local ingredients and innovative cooking techniques help the pintxos truly shine.

    After this, it’s time for another local favorite: one of today’s hot spots for grilled steak. You’ll enjoy a pintxo of tender sirloin steak, washed down with a glass of barrel-aged Navarra wine.

    Last but not least, we’ll finish with something sweet at a restaurant that has been open since the 1950s.

    Once we finish dessert, you will have crossed the one thing you can’t leave San Sebastian without doing off your list: tried the best food and drink in the Old Town at the classic bars that do them best.

    And as with all Devour San Sebastian tours, you’ll receive our Devouring San Sebastian guide. Packed with all our favorite places to eat and drink in the city, put down your guidebook and get ready to experience San Sebastian like a local!

    Read more

    About Our Expert Guides

    Your tour will be lead by one of our expert, English-speaking guides. They’re all gifted storytellers who are smart, passionate and talented and whose excitement for this country is contagious!

    Meet them here!

    Map Your Tour

    Meeting point Alameda del Boulevard
    Places we'll visit San Sebastian's Old Town

    The historic streets of the "Parte Vieja" are where San Sebastian's most iconic bars are found.

    Ending point Alameda del Boulevard

    How long is the tour? How much walking is involved?

    The tour lasts approximately 2.5 hours (give or take 15 minutes). The tour covers approximately 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) and there is no guaranteed seating at any of the stops. Please note that it is traditional and authentic in San Sebastian pintxos bars to stand and eat at the bar, and some of the establishments we visit do not have tables or seating.

    How many people will be on the tour?

    Don’t worry, you won’t be part of a massive crowd following a guide with a flag! We keep our groups small and intimate, so the tour can squeeze into small, hidden places and you get personal time with your guide. The maximum number of guests on this tour is usually 10 people, and we only require a minimum of two people to operate. As of June 25, 2020, we have reduced the capacity of this tour to eight guests and we expect this to remain in place into 2021. For private tours, this tour is private for you and your party. 

    I have a dietary restriction or allergy. Can this tour accommodate me?

    We want as many people to be able to enjoy our tours as possible. Scroll up the page a little to see what dietary restrictions this tour is adaptable for.

    Is this tour a good fit for families?

    This tour is a great fit for curious teens and children who would enjoy learning about San Sebastian's pintxo culture and tasting local food. We offer teen and child pricing and they will be served non-alcoholic drinks throughout the tour. However, please do keep in mind that the bars can sometimes be crowded and there is no guaranteed seating available on this tour.

    What's not included?

    The tour does not include transport to the meeting place, or from the ending point (ask your guide for guidance at the end of the tour if you’re not sure where you are). Also, please feel free to tip your guide if you think they did a great job! The standard gratuity in the tour industry is 10% to 15%.

    What should I bring?

    Most importantly, your appetite! Keep in mind tours take place rain or shine, so please dress appropriately and bring an umbrella if it looks like rain. Also, we recommend you wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be walking a few kilometers. Finally, while we do serve water on the tour at some stops, we recommend you bring a bottle of water.

    Can I book a private tour?

    This tour is available as a private experience for groups of eight guests or less for an additional cost of €99 per group. If you have a group that is more than eight people, email us your group size, the date you'd like the tour and anything else you'd like us to keep in mind, and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.