Pamplona event weekends: what to do between sessions

Navarre's compact capital, famous for San Fermín and the running of the bulls, with Hemingway cafés and the Pyrenees close by.

Events we cover in Pamplona

Arriving

Pamplona airport (PNA) is small; Bilbao (BIO) is 1 hour 45 minutes and Madrid is 3 hours by train.

Where to stay

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Hotel Castillo de Javier
• Mid-range: Palacio Guendulain
• Splurge: Gran Hotel La Perla

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Where to eat

• Café Iruña Hemingway's café on Plaza del Castillo
• Bar Gaucho Award-winning pintxos
• Calle San Nicolás A street of pintxo bars

With kids

• Taconera gardens with deer and peacocks.

Rainy-day backups

• Museum of Navarre.

Free things to do

• Ciudadela park and the city walls.
• Watch the encierro on TV or from the route at 8 am (balconies cost money).

Getting around

• The old town is walkable; during San Fermín, streets close and buses reroute.