For most visitors the best base in Bilbao is Abando, the central district between the main train station and the Guggenheim: it is flat, well connected and walking distance from both the museum and the old town. Pick the Casco Viejo if you want to be among the pintxo bars, Indautxu for a more local, residential feel, and the riverside near the Guggenheim for views and quiet evenings. Bilbao is compact and has an easy metro and tram, so none of these is a bad choice.
Casco Viejo (Old Town)
The old town on the right bank of the river is built around the Siete Calles, the original seven streets, and the arcaded Plaza Nueva, with the cathedral, the Ribera market and dozens of pintxo bars packed into a few blocks.
- Pros: Atmosphere from the moment you step outside, the best concentration of bars in the city, and a metro station (Casco Viejo) plus the riverside tram on the doorstep.
- Cons: It gets noisy on Thursday to Saturday nights and during fiestas. Streets are narrow and largely closed to traffic, many buildings are old with small rooms, and parts of the area are steep. It is around a 20 to 25 minute walk, or a short tram ride, to the Guggenheim.
Good for: first-timers on a short stay who plan to eat out every evening.
Abando and the Ensanche
Across the bridge from the old town, Abando is the 19th-century extension of the city: the Gran Vía, smart shops, Plaza Moyua and Abando station, where trains from Madrid and other Spanish cities arrive.
- Pros: The most central and practical base. It is flat, close to the Guggenheim (roughly 10 to 15 minutes on foot from Plaza Moyua) and the Fine Arts Museum, with metro stations at Abando and Moyua and the airport bus stopping on the Gran Vía, at Plaza Moyua and on Alameda Recalde (Aena). There are plenty of good pintxo bars and restaurants, especially on and around Calle Diputación and Calle Ledesma.
- Cons: It is more polished and business-like than the old town, and quieter late at night. Some hotels are aimed at business travellers.
Good for: almost everyone, especially if you are arriving by train or from the airport, or using Bilbao as a base for day trips. See our Bilbao airport guide for getting in.
Indautxu
Next to Abando, Indautxu is a lively residential and shopping area around Plaza Indautxu, where people from Bilbao actually live, eat and go out.
- Pros: A local atmosphere, many neighbourhood bars and restaurants, good shopping and an Indautxu metro station. Accommodation can be better value than in the very centre.
- Cons: A bit further from the old town (roughly 20 to 30 minutes' walk, or a few metro stops) and with fewer obvious sights.
Good for: longer stays, repeat visitors and anyone who wants to feel like a resident. It is also close to San Mamés, Athletic Club's stadium; see our guide to Athletic Club and San Mamés.
Near the Guggenheim (Abandoibarra)
The riverside around the Guggenheim and the Euskalduna conference centre was rebuilt from old docks and shipyards into a long, landscaped promenade with modern hotels and apartment blocks.
- Pros: River views, quiet nights, an easy riverside walk or tram ride into the old town, and the museum at your door.
- Cons: Fewer bars and restaurants within a few steps, and it can feel quiet in the evenings. Hotels with direct views of the museum are often priced accordingly.
Good for: art-focused trips, couples and travellers who want calm. Read our Guggenheim Bilbao guide to plan your visit.
Other areas
Bilbao La Vieja and San Francisco, just across the river from the old town, have a creative, multicultural bar and gallery scene and some newer boutique stays. They are more mixed and less polished than the centre, so check the exact street and recent guest reviews before booking. Deusto, across the river from the Guggenheim, is a calmer university district with good metro links.
Booking tips
- Busy times: prices jump during Aste Nagusia in late August, major concerts, BBK Live in July and big football matches; check our guide to the best time to visit.
- Arriving by ferry: if you come from Portsmouth, see the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry guide for the transfer from the port into town.
- Driving: street parking in the centre is limited and paid; hotels outside the old town are easier if you have a car.
- Tourist tax: the three Basque provinces are bringing in a tax on overnight stays, planned to apply from 1 January 2027 (Orain). Rates and rules may still change, so check with your accommodation.
For what to see and eat once you arrive, see our Bilbao travel guide.
Staying connected
You will use maps to cross the river between neighbourhoods, check metro and tram times and find your apartment's entrance, and many hosts send check-in instructions by message on arrival day. A data eSIM for Spain gives you local data as soon as you land without removing your own SIM, so your own number keeps working. See how to install it before you travel.