Things to Do in Bilbao in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Bilbao
Is December Right for You?
Advantages
- Winter festival season brings the city alive with Christmas markets, especially the massive Feria de Santo Tomás on December 21st where 300+ stalls fill the old quarter with local producers selling everything from artisan cheese to txakoli wine. The entire Casco Viejo becomes pedestrianized and you'll actually get to experience authentic Basque food culture without tourist markup.
- Museum season hits its stride when locals have time off work. The Guggenheim typically sees 30-40% fewer visitors than summer months, meaning you can actually stand in front of Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures without being elbowed aside. Early morning visits around 10am on weekdays give you near-private viewing of the permanent collection.
- Pintxos culture is at peak form in December because this is when locals are out celebrating. Bars in Casco Viejo and Plaza Nueva are packed Thursday through Saturday nights from 8pm onwards, but it's genuine atmosphere rather than tour groups. You'll find seasonal pintxos featuring wild mushrooms, idiazabal cheese, and fresh anchovies that don't appear other times of year.
- Hotel prices drop significantly after the first week of December until Christmas week. Mid-range hotels in Abando district that charge 180-220 EUR in summer typically run 90-130 EUR during December weekdays. Book for December 8-20 to catch the sweet spot between Constitution Day crowds and Christmas pricing spikes.
Considerations
- The weather is genuinely unpredictable and can shift three times in a day. That 127 mm (5.0 inches) of rain doesn't fall steadily, it comes in sudden downpours that might last 20 minutes or three hours. You'll need to build flexibility into your schedule because that outdoor pintxos crawl you planned might need to move indoors without warning.
- Daylight is limited to roughly 9 hours, with sunset around 5:45pm by mid-December. This compresses your sightseeing window significantly, especially for outdoor attractions like the coastal walk to Getxo or Mount Artxanda viewpoint. That golden hour photography you're imagining happens around 5pm, which conflicts with early dinner timing.
- Many local businesses close for long lunches and some restaurants take extended breaks in early December before the Christmas rush. That pintxos bar you read about might be shuttered from 4-7pm, or closed entirely on Mondays and Tuesdays. The city operates on local rhythms, not tourist convenience, which means you'll need to plan around actual opening hours rather than assuming everything is always available.
Best Activities in December
Guggenheim Museum Extended Visits
December weather actually makes this ideal museum season. The cooler temperatures mean the building's climate control works better, and winter light coming through the atrium creates completely different shadows than summer visits. Locals tend to visit during December because they have more free time, so you're experiencing it alongside people who've seen it dozens of times and still find it worth visiting. The surrounding riverside walks are manageable in December's cool weather, and you can easily spend 3-4 hours inside when rain hits. Current exhibitions typically rotate in November, so December visitors see fresh installations.
Coastal Town Day Trips
December is surprisingly good for visiting fishing villages like Bermeo, Lekeitio, or Getaria because the summer tourist crush is gone and you see these places functioning as actual working ports. The weather might be grey, but that's authentic Basque coast, and the seafood restaurants are serving peak-season catch without the wait times. The coastal train line runs year-round with heated cars, and those 6°C (42°F) mornings actually feel manageable with proper layers. Villages decorate for Christmas in a low-key way that feels genuine rather than performed for visitors.
Traditional Cider House Experiences
December through April is official cider season in Basque country, when sagardotegiak open their barrels for the ritual of txotx. You stand, someone yells TXOTX, and everyone rushes to catch cider streaming from massive barrels. The set menus feature salt cod omelet, grilled steak, and local cheese, typically 35-45 EUR including unlimited cider. This is deeply local culture that most tourists miss entirely because they visit in summer when cider houses are closed. The experience works perfectly in December weather because these are big, warm spaces designed for winter gathering.
Pintxos Bar Routes in Casco Viejo
December pintxos culture is different from summer because locals are out in force and bars bring out seasonal specials. You'll find wild mushroom combinations, game meats, and preserved fish preparations that don't appear in warmer months. The 6-8pm pre-dinner window is when serious locals do their rounds, moving between 4-6 bars and having one pintxo and one drink at each stop. The cool weather means bars aren't overheated and crowded spaces feel cozy rather than suffocating. Thursday through Saturday nights from 8pm onwards show you peak atmosphere.
Mount Artxanda Funicular and Viewpoint
The funicular railway up Mount Artxanda gives you the classic Bilbao panorama, and December's clear post-rain skies often provide better visibility than hazy summer days. That 5:45pm sunset means you can time visits for late afternoon light when the city starts illuminating. The 3-minute ride costs just 1 EUR each way, and the viewing platform rarely has crowds in December. The cool 6-14°C (42-57°F) temperatures make the uphill walks around the summit park actually pleasant rather than sweaty.
Athletic Bilbao Football Matches at San Mamés
December typically includes 3-4 home matches at San Mamés stadium, and experiencing Athletic Bilbao's unique Basque-only player policy makes this genuinely different from other football tourism. The atmosphere in December is electric because locals are passionate and the season is in full swing. Match tickets run 35-90 EUR depending on seating, and the 9pm evening kickoffs mean you can sightsee during the day. The covered modern stadium handles December weather perfectly, and the surrounding bars fill with fans 2-3 hours before kickoff.
December Events & Festivals
Feria de Santo Tomás
December 21st is the big one, when Casco Viejo transforms into a massive street fair celebrating Basque rural culture. Over 300 stalls sell artisan products, local cheese, chorizo, txakoli wine, and traditional foods. The entire old quarter becomes pedestrianized and locals come out in huge numbers. Expect crowds of 50,000+ people, live music on multiple stages, and the smell of grilled chorizo filling the narrow streets. This is authentically local rather than tourist-oriented, which means it gets genuinely packed and slightly chaotic in the best way.
Christmas Markets in Plaza Arriaga and El Arenal
From late November through early January, central Bilbao hosts traditional Christmas markets with wooden stalls selling crafts, seasonal foods, and gift items. These are smaller and more tasteful than massive European Christmas markets, reflecting local scale. The Plaza Arriaga market focuses on Basque artisan products while El Arenal has more general Christmas items. Evening visits around 6-8pm show the markets at their most atmospheric when lights are up and locals are shopping after work.
Constitution Day Weekend
December 6th is a national holiday in Spain, and locals typically extend it into a long weekend. This means higher hotel prices and fuller restaurants December 5-8, but also means the city has festive energy with locals out enjoying their time off. Many businesses close December 6th specifically, so plan museum visits and shopping for other days. The upside is seeing how locals spend holiday time rather than just tourist-season Bilbao.