Bilbao's Finest: Exclusive Private Pintxos and Drinks Experience
2.5 hours
Food Tours
Bilbao
Choose one of 7 locals available
Experience hosted by Mabel, Joseba & other locals
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Craving an authentic local taste of Bilbao? Embark on a unique journey with a local food expert, exploring hidden culinary gems on this private pintxos tour! Satisfy your curiosity and cultural cravings with delectable tastings and unforgettable highlights. Join your local foodie for an extraordinary experience that will ignite your passion for Bilbao's rich food culture.
Discover the Charm of Bilbao's Historic Seven Streets (Siete Calles)
Be part of a local food tradition: Pintxos!
Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
Enjoy 9 handpicked culinary delights & learn how to eat them like a local
Embrace the local culture & their food rituals
Visit food & culture highlights for more insights
What you can expect
Step into the heart of Bilbao, where bar counters are brimming with freshly prepared pintxos, ready to be savored.. Bilbao is renowned for its pintxos, but what makes this culinary tradition so cherished by locals? Forget the stereotypes and tourist traps; you’re about to discover the true essence of pintxos on this exclusive tour.
Feel the vibrant energy of Bilbao as you wander through its historic streets. With a local food expert as your guide, delve into the traditions and cultural significance of pintxos and exquisite Basque cuisine. Learn why these bite-sized delights are more than just food – they are a way of life.
Experience the crisp, refreshing taste of Txakoli wine and savor the rich, salty flavors of a pintxo anchoa. As you indulge your palate, your guide will share the stories behind these culinary treasures, weaving a narrative that spans history, culture, and personal anecdotes.
Your journey will take you through the iconic Seven Streets (Siete Calles) and the lively Plaza Nueva, where each stop is a sensory delight. Listen to the clinking of glasses and the chatter of locals, see the vibrant colors of pintxos displays, and feel the connection between food and culture come to life.
Our local hosts are natural storytellers, each bringing a unique perspective from their backgrounds in local cuisine and city life. They are eager to share their tales and insights with you, making the experience deeply personal and engaging. If you wish to tweak the route or explore specific interests, your host will happily customize the tour, ensuring that Bilbao becomes your Bilbao.
Join us for an unforgettable adventure that will not only satisfy your taste buds but also enrich your understanding of Bilbao’s rich culinary heritage.
Choose your local
Get to know these 7 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
Mabel
The original Bilbaina
4.931 reviews
Deutsch・English・Español・Français・Italiano
Joseba
Your Basque friend in Bilbao
4.811 reviews
Deutsch・English・Español・Italiano
Santiago
Born and Raised in el Botxo
5.07 reviews
English
Endika
Well travelled basque giving the best tour at home
5.04 reviews
English・Español
Rune
The Crime Fiction Writer
4.910 reviews
Dansk・English・Español・Norsk・Svenska・Deutsch
Jéssica
The creative and enthusiastic global citizen.
4.829 reviews
English・Español・Português
Laura
Hostess with the mostess!
4.98 reviews
English
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
Meeting point
Meet at at the entrance(steps) of the St. Nicolas church - Bilbao to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
Food & Culture
On this private tour, discover why pintxos is so relevant for the locals and their culture. Your local foodie expert is ready to take you on a tour where flavor, traditions, and cultural history combine to give you the perfect taste of Bilbao
Authentic Tastings
To fully understand the significance of food in the Basque culture, you must give it a try. And on this tour, you’ll get to enjoy pintxo anchoa, Txakoli wine, and 7 other tastings that put this food tradition on the map!
Food Traditions
Do as the locals do and embrace the way they enjoy pintxos - the authentic way. Learn the history behind this local ritual, the right way to enjoy it, and tips and tricks on how to keep it alive for the rest of your stay
Cultural Highlights
Visit highlights relevant to the food and cultural theme of your tour where you can know more about Bilbao and where your local host can give more insights and recommendations
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Hetty🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
2 June 2025
What a great way to (re)acquaint yourself with Bilbao and experience the local food and drink culture. Tour was at a very busy time, Friday evening at 19:00, but our great guide Laura knew exactly where to go and also gave us a lot of information about the city and life in the city. We really enjoyed it and Laura gave us a lot of great tips for the coming days. Really a super enthusiastic and involved guide! Thanks!!Great evening
Albert🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
18 May 2025
Mable was extremely knowledgeable, interesting and a delight to be around. She brought us to various places where we savored local experiences while learning about Bilbao culture and history. Highly recommended! Wonderful Experience
Bas🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
13 May 2025
This must not have been easy for Mabel, as this was my 10th visit to Bilbao. But; Mabel surprised me, in a very pleasant way, still. I learned so many things about the city, its history, the Basque culture and history, the Guggenheim and the local football team, I got even more excited about this great city with great people. Mabel checked in many times what we would want to see, hear or taste next and had on everything original suggestions. If you want to truly understand the city, its people and have some phenomenal pinxchos: call Mabel! One ‘critical’ note though, the tour is expensive, but as they say, quality comes with a price!A lovely, stunning experience!
Norman🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
29 March 2025
Rune took us to a good mix of pinxtos bars, each with a variety of options. He pointed out the typical local, and the "don't miss" options. Between stops, he was also very knowledgable about the local area and provided a good and interesting city tour. He was a great guide, and the personel introduction we got to Bilbao and pinxtos was well worth the price. Also we t to restaurant he recommended for lunch the next day, and had a great meal.Great introduction to Pinxtos
David
(About local )
3 February 2025
I love having my mind changed. I went into our trip to Bilbao with expectations that I wouldn't like it. Thanks in part to Mabel and our WithLocals Tour, I can now say without a doubt that I love Bilbao.
Our time was a bit truncated due to some communications issues, but Mabel made the most of our time and showed my partner and me a wonderful experience. We're both really into the food scene and Mabel showed us how it's done in Bilbao. But more than the food, she really gave us an inside look into life in this beautiful Spanish gem. We can't wait to go back and we look forward to seeing Mabel again. And if you want to have a great experience in Bilbao, go see Mabel!A New Favorite City - Thanks, Mabel!
Will🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
29 November 2024
Jesica is a star. Super friendly, great guide and knows all the best food spots in Bilbao. We are veterans of food tours and this is right up there as one best we have done. Awesome Bilbao food tour
Unknown
(About local )
12 October 2024
We had a wonderful Pintxo tour with Laura in Bilbao. She was extremely knowledgeable about the city and out of the way places for great pintxos and drinks. She also tailored our tour to our tastes in food/wine and our interests in the city. Finally, she gave us a whole set of suggestions on what to do in and around Bilbao on the next dayDelightful evening in Bilbao
Eva🇫🇷 France
(About local )
29 September 2024
We had a great tour with Santi. It was definitely the most efficient way to see the city and get our bearings as it is quite large. The funicular was a stand out! Thanks Santi!Great city tour!
Victor🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
7 September 2024
As a start for our citytrip Bilbao, we decided to make a pintxos tour with a local. Jessica met us right ontime at the St.Nicolas church in the old city center. Despite a rainy evening, she managed to show us what the most wonderfull places to enjoy autentic pintxos and regional drinks like Cider, Vermut and licquor. During the tour she explained the history and recent Development of Bilbao.
We visited small bars in the old City and more trendy bars at the otherside of the river.
Overall, this trip was a wonderfull and tastefull start of our Bilbaotrip. And thans to Jessica with lots of tips for the coming days.Getting to know Pintxos cultur
Erica🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
27 August 2024
Due to a late arrival in Bilbao on our part and the end of a 10 day long fiesta in Bilbao, we rescheduled our Pinxoa tour to the Monday lunch at Laura’s suggestion. This was brilliant as the massive crowds had well and truly dispersed and even though some of Laura’s favourite bars weren’t open we still had a wonderful experience. We did a bit more exploring, up to the cathedral on the hill after our first Pinxos and then back into town for a couple more bars.
Laura is a warm and friendly host and it was lovely to talk to her about her experiences in moving to Bilbao with her Basque husband 6 years ago.
We would thoroughly recommend Laura as a host as she is also very accommodating in switching plans if need be and she also gave us a great recommendation for dinner on our first night. Traditional Basque food cooked in a lovely low key restaurant in the Old Town. What a magnificent host Laura is!
Yousef🇰🇼 Kuwait
(About local )
10 August 2024
Santi was amazing and very informative about the history and culture of Bilbao and the Basque country. Amazing experience!
Bruce🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
29 July 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Mabel! She was so knowledgeable about local history and took us to some great places for pintxos, based on our preferences. We covered a lot of ground but never felt rushed. We felt this was the perfect way to see and get to know Bilbao! Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Devon🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 June 2024
Laura was fabulous. She was knowledgeable and warm, so easy to be with. Honestly it was like hanging out with a friend while enjoying pintxos and drinks. The last spot she took us was a real favorite for us. Would highly recommend! Like spending an evening with a friend
Peter🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
1 June 2024
We hebben een leuke energieke tour gemaakt met Joseba. Hij vertelde ons enthousiast over de cultuur van pinxtos eten en de passende drankkeuze, waaronder cider.
En wij genoten van het eten en drinken.
Daarnaast wist hij op al onze vragen antwoord te geven en mooie achtergrondverhalen te vertellen.
Goede energie, veel gezeliigheid.
Raymond🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 May 2024
Laura was a great guide, she was fun and informative. It was a fun evening hanging out with her and visiting all local hangouts.Hanging out with the locals
Nadine🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
30 March 2024
We had a perfect tour with our host Rune. He showed us really cool places and told us a lot about the history of Bilbao, the food and so on. Rune was such a great guide: very nice, well prepared and has taken all our wishes into account. We can totally recommend the tour with him. 😊Great tour with great Rune 😊
Claudia
(About local )
4 June 2025
Wir waren mit einer kleinen Gruppe von 8 Personen Ende Mai in Bilbao und hatten eine deutsch-sprachige Tour mit Mabel gebucht. Die 3 Stunden sind wie im Flug vergangen und wir haben einen tollen Über- und Einblick in die Stadt bekommen. Die Tour war kurzweilig, informativ und auch von der Länge her ideal. Wir haben in der Altstadt begonnen und endeten am Guggenheim Museum. Die Tour mit Mabel war sicher eines der Top-Highlights unserer Kurzreise durchs Baskenland. Mabel hat uns menschlich und mit ihrem Wissen mehr als überzeugt. Durch sie wird uns Bilbao in toller Erinnerung bleiben. Vielen herzlichen Dank, liebe Mabel. Ein Highlight!
Sabine
(About local )
3 June 2025
A wonderful, relaxed, educational evening with the unique, intelligent, and entertaining Mabel. We learned a lot about the city, its inhabitants and the history. Thanks a lot for the perfekt evening - and all the delicious Pintxos places.
All the best for you, Mabel, and your family. We will always keep the evening in our hearts. It couldn't be better
Liesbeth
(About local )
30 May 2025
Jessica was vriendelijk, vlot, flexibel en heel enthousiast! Ze had lekkere tastings geregeld, het was gezellig en voldoende.
Het dessert was fantastisch :-)Perfecte invulling van een eerste avond!
Andy and Phin
(About local )
30 May 2025
Thomas
(About local )
28 May 2025
Jéssica was the perfect host. She took us to some amazing pintxos bars that we would never have gone to alone. Authentic food, freshly made, and surrounded by locals. On every stop Jéssica explained why the dish was special, and how it was made. She used the food as part of a narrative to explain Bilbao’s culture and history, and the new culinary influences coming from a more diverse population in recent decades. A fascinating evening that we enjoyed far more than the dull Michelin-rated restaurant we had dinner in the following night! Highly recommended. Wonderful food, wonderful host
Ronald🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
28 May 2025
We were joining a larger group tour and requested Jessica to arrange a walk that would show us more of Bilbao than covered by the group tour. She did that and more. With information about my wife’s art work, she included buildings with “hidden” art inside that we would never have known about on our own. We were very happy with the tour created by Jessica and would highly recommend her services to others. Great guide
n28t9c6d44
(About local )
27 May 2025
Jessica showed us around and explained lots about the culture. She adapted the 'menu' to our taste which was realy appriciated. Nice way to get info about Bilbao and its good foodNice evening in Bilbao
David🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
23 May 2025
Jessica was presented with an insurmountable task. There was 100,000 drunk Englishman in old town Bilbao. she addressed the situation and with calm and control gave us an exemplary foodie tour. She held our attention as if there was a serene surrounding. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. She gave no excuses for the environment and when the tour was over, we were completely satisfied and amazed. Thank you DH.In control. 10
fiona 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
16 May 2025
Great food tour. Jessica was very knowledgeable and friendly. We tried lots of local delicacies and drink.
hightly recommend.group food tour
Heinrich🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
15 May 2025
Rune hatte uns im Hotel abgeholt, obwohl er Däne ist hat er ein sehr gutes Deutsch gesprochen. Wir waren drei Ehepaare.
Die Führung durch Bilbao war interessant und nie langweilig, und alle wichtigen und interessanten Informationen haben wir erhalten.
Er hat die Tour auch auf unsere Bedürfnisse ausgerichtet, und und uns auch wertvolle Tipps gegeben.
Wir können Rune auf jeden Fall empfehlen, und würden wenn wir wieder nach Bilbao kommen, Ihn als Stadtführer buchen.
Vielen Dank für die gute Zeit in Bilbao
Bilbao mit Rune ein Erlebnis
Phillip
(About local )
14 May 2025
Excellent knowledge of the areas , pleasant and friendly person 9/10 👍🤓.
Pascal🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
11 May 2025
Rune var en utrolig faglig stærk guide. God til at fange vores interesser og formidlede sin viden på en god og interessant måde med et snert af god humor. Kan på det varmeste anbefale Rune igen. Vi havde 2 fantastiske timer på Guggenheim. Faglig dygtig og godt humør
Stephanie
(About local )
10 May 2025
We had a great time on our tour with Mabel. She is very knowledgeable about the city and region, and tailored the tour to our interests. Would highly recommend!A wonderful evening in Bilbao
Christian🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
9 May 2025
..
Ulrike
(About local )
6 May 2025
Hallo
Wir , das sind sechs reiselustige Mädels, die jedes Jahr eine Städtetour machen, hatten Mabel als Stadtführerin für unseren diesjährigen Trip nach Bilbao gebucht.
Wir hatten mit Mabel eine wunderschöne, kurzweilige und interessante Stadtführung. Es hat uns allen sehr gut gefallen und würden sie jederzeit wieder buchen.
Vielen Dank nochmal für die wundervolle Zeit.
Liebe Grüße
Ulrike
Nicole🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
4 May 2025
Leuke tour, leuke gids. Paar heerlijke gerechtjes maar ook mindere. Jammer dat er geen zoet gerechtje erbij zat als afsluiterFoodtour
Michael🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
4 May 2025
An excellent food tour. We went as a group of 3 friends and Jessica did a great job of making the tour both fun and interesting. The food, drink and conversation were excellent. We would thoroughly recommend.Food tour in bilbao
Daniel
(About local )
2 May 2025
We were 45 minutes late -- our fault and she was very patient and waited for us. She took us to great places and the explanations about the pinxtos and culture and history were very, very good, enhancing our experience.
Because we were late, we do not believe that we had 10 pinxtos unless you count the wine as a pinxto.
The price was very expensive given the cost of the food and drinks. We know the company sets the price, but given the cost of food/wine, it was too expensive. The tour should have cost $65 per person, not $100pinxtos tour
Sylvie
(About local )
29 April 2025
Nous avons passé 4 heures avec Mabel en arrivant à Bilbao. Elle a su nous transmettre sa passion pour sa ville, nous a fait découvrir énormément de choses qu’on aurait jamais pu découvrir seuls en si peu de temps. Merci Manel!LA facon de devouvrir Bilbao
Lukas
(About local )
28 April 2025
Professionelle und angenehme Stadtführung in Bilbao Erlebnis pur !
florian
(About local )
27 April 2025
Mabel war eine wunderbare Gastgeberin, die uns auf charmante Art ihre Heimatstadt sehr nahe gebracht hat.
Vielen Dank, wir werden sehr viele Eindrücke davon sicherlich noch lange in uns mittragen.Es war einfach Spitze!
Unknown
(About local )
23 April 2025
Wir haben bei Mabel im April 2025 die "10 Tastings..." Tour für 2 Personen gebucht. Die Führung enthielt zahlreiche Pinxtos und diverse Drinks in verschiedenen Bars. Dazwischen hat uns Mabel die Geschichtet Bilbaos und zahlreiche Sights sehr kurzweilig näher gebracht. Keine Frage blieb unbeantwortet. Mabel ist sehr sympathisch und wir hatten eine tolle Zeit. Sie spricht perfekt deutsch und hat nebenbei meine Spanisch-Kenntnisse verbessert. Für die nächsten Tag in Bilbao erhielten wir viele Tipps und Anregungen. Das war wirklich klasse - 100% Empfehlung !! Jederzeit gerne wieder!! Babsi + ThomasThe 10 Tastings of Bilbao - Stadtführung
Tatiana🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
16 April 2025
Oh, it's definitely the best way to discover Bilbao! Thanks, Jessica - а well planned tour, spiced up with interesting information about history and culture, and seasoned with original local pintxos and drinks! Would recommend to everyone!when you don't notice how time flies
Axel
(About local )
15 April 2025
We had an excellent tour with Jessica in the Guggenheim. Well prepared, even for the temporary exhibitions in the museum, she gave us a wonderful and insightful overview of the emblematic building and the stunning artwork inside. Absolutely worth it to have a tour with her.Excellent tour
Jens Gamauf🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
8 April 2025
Santiago adjusted the tour perfectly to suit our questions and our needs. He knew almost everything we could think of to ask him. Thanks!Perfectly suited to our questions
Thomas
(About local )
8 April 2025
My wife and I did a 3-hour walking tour with Santi and couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Santi was funny and engaging and shared a deep knowledge of Bilbao and the Basque Country both as a native but also from the outside as someone who lived abroad for 7 years. His English fluency is near-perfect, so he is able to articulate and communicate his knowledge in a deep and nuanced way. We really loved Bilbao, and taking a tour with Santi the first morning we were there was a very big part of that. We recommend him wholeheartedly. Enjoyable and informative
Thomas🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
30 March 2025
Great walk good food
Sandra🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
23 March 2025
Jessica selected venues and food carefully for their variety and cultural/historical significance. We saw the old and new parts of the city as we worked our way through the foods to a lovely ending. Strong recommendation. Excellent food selections and contrxt
Sigurdur
(About local )
21 February 2025
We enjoyed our visit to the Guggenheim very much. Rune was very good navigating us through the museum in an excellent way. Enjoyed the Guggenheim very much
Oner🇹🇷 Turkey
(About local )
21 December 2024
Jessica picked us up from our hotel right on time and made us taste the locals' favorites and the specialties of each bar. She kept us informed throughout the tour and ensured that we had a pleasant time. We highly recommend the tour with Jessica Perfect choices
Susan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 December 2024
This was our first visit to Bilbao and Joseba was the perfect guide. His communication prior to meeting made it easy for us - 4 NYers. We had a nice mix of history, culture and food. Amazing day with a passionate guide!
Ingrid 🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
27 November 2024
Joseba knows a lot about his city and he could answer all our questions.
We highly recommend to book a Tour with himWe enjoyed our citytour with Joseba a lot
giovanna
(About local )
25 November 2024
Joseba è stato molto disponibile e simpatico nell'accompagnarci durante il tour. Preparato sulla storia e particolarità del posto. Siamo rimasti molto sorpresi ,non ci aspettavamo una Bilbao così bella!
Grazie a Joseba per tutte le indicazioni !Sorpresi da Bilbao!!!
Silvia🇸🇪 Sweden
(About local )
18 November 2024
Mabel was very knowledgeable and accomodated out wishes to include more sights into her tour. She was very helpful when we unfortunately found out that one us had been the victim of a theft during the tour.Bilbao moderna e medievale
Withlocals experiences
are always
Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.