Guggenheim Museum, History & Gastronomy Experience, Bilbao

Enjoy a private stroll in Bilbao by combining its history and world-famous gastronomy. A passionate local guide will lead you around the city, through Bilbao's colorful Old Town, into its modern neighborhoods, along the river, and to the Guggenheim Museum. Along the way, learn about its history while stopping to try traditional pintxos, Northern Spain's version of tapas.

Bilbao's scenic Casco Viejo (Old Town) features 700-year-old buildings and architecture dating back to the 13th century, and a local guide will help you see it all. After meeting your host at San Nicholas Church, you'll start your stroll along the cobbled streets of the oldest part of Bilbao, passing through iconic sites, starting with Plaza Nueva. As for tapas bars, your guide will show you some of the best near Plaza Nueva, where you'll enjoy a lunch of traditional pintxos and drinks in the company of your host, who will help you understand the region's gastronomy and its connection to the Basque language. Though Spanish is also spoken in Northern Spain, Basque is its own fascinating language, with pre-Roman and pre-Latin origins.

You'll then continue to the Gothic Cathedral of Bilbao with its Fuente Plaza Santiago, then to the Church of Saint Anthony near the river. One of the more important stops you'll make is Ribera Market, the largest covered market in Europe. Enjoy people-watching as locals shop for their daily goods and try regional favorites, such as salted cod, spicy chorizo, and calamari.  

Your personal guide will now lead you outside the Old Town to explore the more contemporary parts of the city, which helped transform Bilbao's reputation. You'll start by strolling along the Nervion River. As you enjoy the riverside views, your guide will share how this twisting waterway has continuously impacted the city's history and economy. Today, its main appeal is the collection of unique architectural pieces, including the Spider by Louise Bourgeois, Puppy by Jeff Koons, Arati Isozaki Towers, and Zubizuri (White Bridge), designed by Calatrava.

Of course, a must-see in Bilbao is the Guggenheim Museum, known for its unique architecture designed by Frank Gehry. Your walk through Bilbao ends here with a guided tour of the museum. Start your visit by admiring the building's exterior, a mix of shapes and reflections tricking the eye, all bouncing off a titanium coating. Whether you like contemporary art or not, the interior will surely fascinate you! Peruse the famous works of Andy Warhol, Anselm Kiefer, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and local Basque sculptors, including Eduardo Chillida and Jorge Oteiza. Your guide will explain why Bilbao commissioned the building and how its reputation has grown in such prestige.