San Sebastian in 3 Days - Itinerary & Where to Eat

🤩 My reflection

Every Turkish person I know would recognize San Sebastián because of its cheesecake, namely the Burnt Basque Cheesecake - which, for some reason, is extremely popular in Turkey. I had no clue it was a gastronomic paradise until I started planning this trip. I don’t think it’s the best destination if you’re hoping for a typical summer holiday or sightseeing in general; but it’s one of the most delicious trips you can take. You should go there if you’re prepared to focus on food and want to experience truly exceptional cuisine. The city is famous for its pintxos, making it a paradise for foodies. What you do throughout the holiday is basically a version of bar hopping with food involved - creatively called as pintxos hopping. It’s THE sightseeing and cultural must-do, letting you taste the signature dishes of multiple bars in one go.

In this guide, you’ll find a complete 3-day San Sebastian itinerary, including must-see sights, famous restaurants and must-eat food.

Fun fact: did you know San Sebastián has one of the highest densities of Michelin stars per capita in the world, rivaling cities much larger than itself? The city has 16 Michelin-starred restaurants, 4 of them holding 3 stars, and that’s definitely for a reason.

✍🏻 Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in the afternoon.

Pre-dinner: Bar Txepetxa

• What to eat: Marinated anchovies (signature dish) with a variety of creative toppings. Try multiple combinations - they’re all different and worth it

• How to book: No reservation needed. Walk in, order at the counter, and eat standing.

Dinner: Ganbara 

• What to eat: Grilled wild mushrooms, grilled prawns, spider crab tart, Jamón Ibérico croissant

• How to book: No reservations. Walk in and queue (expect ~45–60 minutes wait at peak times).

Dessert: La Viña

• What to eat: Basque burnt cheesecake

• How to book: No reservation needed. Walk in, takeaway or eat standing.

Day 2

Morning activity: Visit city center

• Basilica of Santa María del Coro – A beautiful Baroque basilica located in the heart of the Old Town.

• San Vicente Church – The oldest church in the city, featuring Gothic architecture.

• Parte Vieja (Old Town) – The historic Old Town packed with pintxos bars and vibrant streets.

• Calle 31 de Agosto – A charming historic street known for its restaurants and old-town atmosphere.

• Plaza de la Constitución – A historic square once used as a bullring, now surrounded by cafés.

• Mercado de la Bretxa – A local market offering fresh produce, seafood, and regional specialties.

• Cathedral of the Good Shepherd of San Sebastián – A grand Neo-Gothic cathedral and the largest church in the city.

• Zurriola Beach – A lively surf beach popular with younger crowds and surfers.

Lunch: Bar Nestor 

• What to eat: Tomato salad, txuleton (grilled ribeye steak), padrón peppers

• How to book: No reservations in advance. Go around 11:00 AM and stand in the line to book a same-day slot at the door. (We went at 11am, waited 30 mins and booked for 14.45 the same day)

Afternoon activity: Relax at the beach (La Concha is best for swimming)

Pre-Dinner: Bar Sport

• What to eat: Sea urchin cream, txakoli (local sparkling white wine), foie gras pintxo

• How to book: No reservation needed. Walk in, order at the bar, eat standing.

Dinner: La Cuchara de San Telmo

• What to eat: Suckling pig, beef cheek, foie gras, blood sausage, octopus and risotto

• How to book: No formal reservations required. Arrive before opening (~7 PM) to queue. Order at the bar and eat standing or at shared tables. (We joined the line around 6-6.30PM and waited for an hour)

Dessert: Bar Sport

• What to eat: Cheesecake

Day 3

Morning activity: Amusement park in Monte Igueldo (Take the funicular up and don’t miss the vintage amusement park. Ride the water attraction for iconic views!)

Lunch: Atari Gastroteka

• What to eat: Grilled octopus, croquetas, anchovies or tuna belly

• How to book: Reservations recommended to have a seat in a table(book online), but walk-ins are possible for standing.

Afternoon activity: Santa Clara Island (Take a boat or kayak. Chill, swim, and enjoy views back to the city)

Pre-dinner: Bar Antonio

• What to eat: Spanish tortilla

• How to book: No reservation needed. Walk in, order at the counter, and eat standing.

Dinner: Gandarias

• What to eat: Solomillo (sirloin steak), txuleton (t-bone steak), grilled scallops, mushroom dishes, foie gras, pantxineta (Basque dessert)

• How to book: Reservations recommended to have a seat in a table(book online), but walk-ins are possible for standing.

Drinks: Arraun Coctail Bar

If you still have time:

• Miramar Palace – A former royal summer residence with beautiful gardens overlooking La Concha.

• Monte Urgull – A scenic hill with walking trails and panoramic views over the city and bay.

• Peine del Viento – Iconic seaside sculptures by Eduardo Chillida set against crashing waves.

All Restaurants I Noted Down

• La Cuchara de San Telmo

• Gandarias Jatetxea

• Atari Gastroteka

• Bar Txepetxa

• Bar Nestor

• Ganbara

• Borda Berri

• Txuleta

• Gerald’s Bar

• Gran Sol

• Narru Restaurante

• La Perla

• Mesón Portaletas

• Sidrería Beharri

• Bar Bixigarri

• Arzak – Michelin 3-star

• Azurmendi – Michelin 3-star

• Martín Berasategui – Michelin 3-star

• Akelarre – Michelin 3-star

• Casa Urola

• Bar Antonio

• La Viña

• Pastelería Oiartzun

• Arraun Cocktail Bar

What to Eat

• Gilda – The classic pintxo of anchovy, olive, and pickled pepper.

• Tortilla de Patatas – Traditional Spanish omelet, often served in bars.

• Basque Cheesecake – La Viña is famous for this.

• Cider (Sidra) – Local Basque cider, traditionally poured from height.

• Foie Gras – Often served as a pintxo, a rich specialty in Old Town bars.

• Txakoli – Sparkling, slightly acidic Basque white wine.

• Salt Cod (Bacalao) – Can be grilled, in croquettes, or as pintxos.

• Beef Cheek (Carrillada) – Slow-cooked, tender and flavorful meat.

• Txuleta (Steak) – Grilled ribeye or T-bone, a Basque steakhouse specialty.

• Kokotxas – Fish cheeks, usually cod or hake, often in pil-pil sauce.

• Grilled Fish & Seafood – Local fresh catches like prawns, octopus, or turbot.

• Cheese (Idiazabal or Local Basque Cheese) – Smoky sheep’s milk cheese from the region.

• Gâteau Basque – Traditional Basque cake filled with pastry cream or cherry jam.

• Pintxos Variados – Small bites from bars, often including jamón ibérico, mushrooms, or seafood.

• Chistorra – Thin, fast-cooked spicy sausage often served as pintxos.

• Padrón Peppers – Small green peppers, mostly mild but occasionally spicy.

• Spider Crab – Often served as a tart or as part of seafood pintxos.

• Grilled Mushrooms – Seasonal wild mushrooms, sometimes with egg yolk.

📢 Essential tips

The difference between Pintxos vs Tapas:

I know we’re used to the term “tapas,” and it can be confusing, but in the Basque region, tapas are called pintxos. The main difference is in culture and purpose: tapas are general small plates, often eaten seated, while pintxos are designed for sampling many specialty dishes while hopping between bars. Some pintxos are served on bread with a toothpick, but many others are small plates with grilled meat, seafood, or other delicacies.

Historically, tapas were often free snacks served with a drink, especially in southern Spain, as a way to cover your drink and keep out flies. Pintxos, on the other hand, were never free - each one is a small specialty dish that you pay for, designed to be sampled across multiple bars while hopping from place to place.

Pintxos Hopping

Each restaurant in San Sebastián has its own signature dish that they are famous for. Because you’ll want to taste as many as possible in a limited visit, it’s not possible to sit and eat a full long dinner at each place. And believe me, there are TOO MANY good restaurants and food. So visiting 2–3 restaurants and eating small plates (pintxos) in each - mostly standing - is the common approach.

What to wear in San Sebastian:

We thought it would be a beach city, but soon found out that it’s one of the rainiest cities in Spain. Yes, it was hot with summer weather, but bring something like a raincoat with you.

Reservations & Bookings:

Because of the hopping culture, reservations aren’t required in most cases. But be prepared to wait in long lines to get food. Check before you go to see if the restaurant is taking reservations. Sometimes they give proper sitting tables to the ones with reservations, while others eat standing. Places like Bar Nestor only take reservations during the day, which fills up pretty quickly.

Opening Hours:

Each restaurant has its own off days, so if there are certain places you definitely want to experience, I’d advise planning which day to visit ahead of time.

Sea in San Sebastián: Don’t treat San Sebastián as a summer vacation, but as a gastronomic feast. The sea is often wavy or murky. The sand feels like mud. Even on a good day, it’s very shallow, so you have to walk a lot in the water to swim — net/net, I didn’t enjoy it.

Where to go next:

San Sebastián isn’t really big, so you can easily combine it with Bilbao or Bordeaux. You can reach either by ALSA bus - Bilbao is 1 hour away, Bordeaux is 3 hours. And because they’re all in the Schengen zone, you won’t need any separate visa.

🔗 All travel links

Accommodation:

Don Cecilio Guesthouse - You can book here (It wasn't a fancy place, but its location was amazing)

Tours:

Free walking tour - You can book here