FF15 · Spain · day tour, 3 hours · easy pace
A three-hour pintxos walk through San Sebastián’s old town, six bars, enough for dinner
From $165 per person (adults 18 and over)
Questions? [email protected], Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30 Eastern. Booking terms
Pintxos on the bar
Overview
Six bars and six tastings in the Parte Vieja at the hour locals go out: a gilda, a spider crab gratin, grilled mushrooms, Idiazabal, a hot pintxo cooked to order and the burnt cheesecake, with txakoli poured from a height. Ane or another local host leads.
San Sebastián’s old town is a few blocks of narrow streets between the harbor and the river, and almost every ground floor is a bar. At lunchtime and again from about seven in the evening, the counters fill with pintxos, and locals move from bar to bar, one bite and one small drink at each. It looks chaotic. It runs on unwritten rules, and once you know them it is the best way to eat in the city.
This walk teaches the rules while you eat. Ane shows you how to order at a crowded counter, which pintxos are on display and which you order hot from the blackboard, what a zurito and a txikito are, and why you keep track of what you ate and pay at the end. The six stops add up to a full dinner.
The walk starts at seven in the evening, all year, and ends near La Bretxa market around ten, when the old town is at its busiest. Vegetarian and shellfish-free versions are easy with notice.
More on the destination: The Basque Country: San Sebastián and Bilbao food tours. Tour categories: City Food Walks, Street Food & Markets, Cider, Sake & Spirits.
Read first: San Sebastián pintxos: how to order, pay and drink txakoli
What you will taste
Six stops, tasting portions that add up to a full dinner. The exact dishes follow the season and what each kitchen has that morning.
Itinerary
The walk in order, with about ten minutes on foot between stops. The exact dishes follow the season and what the kitchens have that morning.
Stop1
Meet by the bandstand on the Alameda del Boulevard at seven. Ane explains the plan, the etiquette and how to pace six stops.
Stop2
The first bar is for the gilda: an anchovy, a green olive and a pickled guindilla pepper on a stick, invented here in the 1940s and named after Rita Hayworth’s film. The barman pours txakoli from a height to wake up its bubbles.
Stop3
A narrow bar that grills only mushrooms, piled on bread with garlic oil and a yolk sauce. Ane shows how to order at a busy counter: catch the barman’s eye, name it, keep your napkin.
Stop4
Spider crab, picked and baked in its shell with tomato, onion and a splash of brandy, at a bar off Plaza de la Constitución, where the numbered balconies once served as seats for bullfights.
Stop5
A bar on Calle Mayor serves Idiazabal, the smoked sheep cheese of the Basque hills, with quince paste and walnuts, and a glass of natural cider poured the old way.
Stop6
At a bar near Calle 31 de Agosto the best pintxos are on the blackboard, not the counter. We order beef cheek braised in red wine, cooked and plated for each guest, with a glass of Rioja Alavesa.
Stop7
The walk ends on Calle 31 de Agosto with a slice of the burnt Basque cheesecake, soft in the middle, before Ane points you to La Bretxa market for the morning and a list of bars for the rest of your stay.
Photographs
The walk
The bandstand on the Alameda del Boulevard. The walk ends at Calle 31 de Agosto, near La Bretxa market, a short walk or ride from most hotels.
The exact address comes with your confirmation. Please arrive ten minutes early; we start on time.
What the price covers
One price covers every tasting on the walk (five pintxos and dessert, enough for dinner), the drinks listed for guests 18 and over, a non-alcoholic option at each stop and your host.
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Tell Lena about allergies, diets or mobility needs before you book, and we will say honestly whether this tour suits you.
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The full price is paid when you book, by card. Cancel up to 72 hours before the start for a full refund, or move to another date free of charge.
Dates and prices
8 upcoming dates, 12 seats each, per person; the walk also runs on other days, so ask if yours is not listed.
| Date | Length | Price | Status | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | $165 | Guaranteed | Ask about this date | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Few seats | Ask about this date | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Available | Ask about this date | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Available | Ask about this date | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Available | Ask about this date | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Sold out | Join the waitlist | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Guaranteed | Ask about this date | |
| 3 hours | $165 | Available | Ask about this date | |
| Private date, 6 or more guests | 3 hours | Priced per group | Your dates | Plan with Grant |
Guaranteed means the date runs: at least five guests have booked. Few seats means three or fewer seats are left. A deal price is shown next to the regular price.
Price per person, paid when you book; free cancellation up to 72 hours before the start. Booking terms
Before you book
Questions about this tour
General questions on booking, flights, insurance and luggage are on the main FAQ page.
Ask Lena directly
Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day, Monday to Friday.
Five pintxos and a slice of cheesecake add up to a full dinner. Eat a light lunch.
Yes. Every stop has a non-alcoholic choice: grape juice, sparkling water or a zero beer. Our tours are for adults, 18 and over.
It rains often in San Sebastián, and the walk goes ahead: every stop is indoors and the streets are only a few steps apart. Bring an umbrella.
Yes. The Basque Country is six days: a cooking class, a cider house, txakoli in Getaria and two nights in Bilbao.
Yes. About a third of our guests travel solo. A day tour has no room, so there is no supplement.
Tell Lena when you book. Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free versions are arranged with every kitchen before you arrive; for severe allergies we tell you honestly which stops we can and cannot make safe.
Day tours can be cancelled free up to 72 hours before the start, or moved to another date.
Tips are welcome but never expected. Guests who want a guideline usually give 10 to 15 US dollars, or the same in local money, per person for a day walk, or per person per day on a multi-day tour; restaurant tips on included meals are already paid.
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Dates and seats
Tell us the tour, the date and how many of you are coming. Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day with seats, the total price and any questions about dietary needs.
Lena, Grant and Priya, Charleston
SubjectSan Sebastián Pintxos Walk, Old Town: dates and seats
Please include
Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day. No payment now. A $300 deposit per person holds seats on a multi-day tour; day tours are paid when you book.
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