San Sebastian Pintxos Tour: Five Bars, Local Guide

Taste San Sebastian’s culture through its most cherished local flavors and stories.

A three-hour pintxo tasting tour through San Sebastian's Old Town (Parte Vieja) with an English-speaking culinary guide who selects five pintxos and paired drinks across different bars. You taste what the guide recommends instead of navigating the overwhelming choice yourself, learning Basque food traditions and eating where locals do. Minimum age 18.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore San Sebastián's Pintxos bars

• Meet at the designated meeting point
• Visit San Sebastián Old Town
• Learn about Basque traditions and customs
• Visit finest pintxo bars off tourist trail
• Eat best pintxos in each bar
• Drink cider, Txakoli, or red wine

The experience

San Sebastian's Old Town is packed with pintxo bars, so many that knowing where to go and what to order becomes the whole problem. This tour solves that by taking you to bars off the normal tourist trail and putting a culinary expert between you and the menu. The guide suggests the best pintxo in each bar and pairs it with a drink chosen from cider, Txakoli (Basque white wine), or red wine. You taste five pintxos across different bars over three hours, learning about Basque traditions and customs as you move through the narrow streets.

The bars themselves are where locals eat, not the ones with the sandwich boards outside. Your guide knows which pintxo represents each place and why it matters, so you're not ordering blind or settling for what's left at the end of the day. The pairing changes with the food, which is how people here actually drink. You'll learn something about the city and its food culture that a menu board never tells you.

What’s included

• Expert culinary guide in English.
• five pre-selected pintxos representing the best gastronomy of San Sebastian.
• paired drinks (cider, Txakoli or red wine) with each pintxo.
• knowledge of Basque food traditions and the bars where locals eat.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 19:00

AgesAdult (18 to 74 years) · Senior (75 to 85 years) · Under 18: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Discover San Sebastian

Is this one for you?A guide leads you through five pre-selected pintxos bars, so you taste what Basque culinary experts have chosen rather than navigating the Old Town's options yourself.

Traveler reviews

4.99★★★★★★★★★★

628 verified traveler reviews

5 ★621

4 ★5

3 ★2

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What exactly is a pintxo and why is San Sebastian famous for them?

A pintxo is a small bite (usually a piece of bread topped with fish, meat, cheese or vegetables) that sits on the bar and pairs with a drink. San Sebastian has an unrivalled gastronomic tradition and pintxos are the signature way locals eat and socialize, making the Old Town bars the heart of the city's food culture.

Will I be eating and drinking the whole time, or is there walking and talking too?

The tour is three hours and includes five pintxos and drinks across different bars, so you're tasting regularly but also walking through the Old Town streets and learning about Basque traditions from your guide. It's not a sit-down meal. You move between bars and eat standing up the way locals do.

How many people will be on this tour with me?

The tour is shared with other guests, though the exact group size isn't specified. You'll have an English-speaking culinary guide leading the group through the Old Town.

What if I don't like one of the pintxos the guide chooses?

The guide selects five pintxos that represent the best of San Sebastian's gastronomy in each bar, but you're welcome to ask questions or try something different. The guide is there to help you navigate the bars and explain the food, so you can discuss preferences as you go.

Is this tour suitable if I have dietary restrictions or allergies?

The tour involves eating pintxos with fish, meat, cheese and other ingredients across five bars. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, contact the operator before booking to discuss what the guide can arrange at each stop.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay for separately?

The tour includes the expert culinary guide, five pre-selected pintxos, and drinks paired with each one. Gratuities are not included. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not part of this tour. You'll meet at a starting point in or near the Old Town.