Pamplona
Pamplona, the capital of Navarre in northern Spain, is best known for the San Fermín festival in July and its bull run. Outside festival week, the old town rewards a slower visit.
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Pamplona is the capital of the Chartered Community of Navarre in northern Spain, sitting about 450 meters above sea level in a basin of hills on both banks of the Arga river. The city is known worldwide for San Fermín, held from 6 to 14 July, when the bull run starts each morning on the Cuesta de Santo Domingo. Its old town was built from three boroughs, which Charles III merged into one city in 1423.
Outside festival week, the city suits food, history and walking. The Gothic cathedral has an outstanding cloister, and the Museo de Navarra occupies a Renaissance building that was once a hospital. Medieval bridges cross the Arga, and the Ciudadela, a pentagonal star fort, is now a park. Pamplona is also the first Spanish city on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago. Summer days can exceed 39 °C, so spring or early autumn is easier for walking. Hotel rooms run short during San Fermín, so book well ahead of July. Its bars serve pintxos, small Basque snacks.
Pamplona in five
- Decide on San Fermín a year aheadThe festival runs from 6 to 14 July, and hotels fill and prices rise far in advance. If crowds, noise and heat do not appeal, visit in spring or autumn and enjoy the old town in peace.
- Read the official rules before the encierroThe bull run is dangerous, with rules on age, sobriety and where participants may be. Spectators watch from barriers or balconies. Use the city council's official site for current rules.
- Eat pintxos on Calle San Nicolás and EstafetaThe old-town streets have bars that serve small plates on a counter. Order a glass of wine with each pintxo and move on, as locals do, rather than sitting for a full meal.
- Walk the walls and the CiudadelaThe star-shaped citadel and the parks around it make a calm morning walk, with city walls and views over the river. Entry hours and event closures vary, so check locally.
- Come by bus from San Sebastián or BilbaoPamplona's airport has limited routes, and the usual gateways are Bilbao and San Sebastián, roughly 1 to 2 hours away by bus. Check timetables, as services thin on Sundays.Oviedo
Need to know
- Airport
- Pamplona (PNA) has limited routes; Bilbao (BIO) is a larger gateway
- Getting there
- Bus from San Sebastián or Bilbao; train and bus from Madrid and Barcelona
- Getting around
- On foot in the old town; city buses beyond
- Best base
- Old town; book far ahead for San Fermín
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 days; 3 with the Pyrenees
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Days with storms
- Festival
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain13 rainy daysHigh9°Low2°Cold, fogJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 90 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, fog
- FebruaryPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh11°Low3°Cold, clearFebruaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 11°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 65 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, clear
- MarchPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh13°Low4°Cool, springMarchPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 72 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, spring
- AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh16°Low6°Spring showersAprilPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 72 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring showers
- MayPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh20°Low9°Mild, greenMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, green
- JunePartly cloudy10 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh25°Low13°Warm, calmJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 75 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 1
Warm, calm
- JulyClear5 rainy daysHigh27°Low14°San Fermín, hotJulyClear
Best
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 18 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
San Fermín, hot
- AugustClear5 rainy daysHigh28°Low15°Warm, quietAugustClear
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 34 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, quiet
- SeptemberClear9 rainy daysHigh24°Low13°Warm, harvestSeptemberClear
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 59 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, harvest
- OctoberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh19°Low10°Mild, fall colorOctoberPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 70 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, fall color
- NovemberRain13 rainy daysHigh13°Low5°Cold, rainNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 92 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, rain
- DecemberPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh10°Low3°Cold, lightsDecemberPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 83 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, lights
Average daily high and low in Pamplona, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Festivals: Feb Carnivals of Lantz · Mar Carnivals of Lantz
Right now in Pamplona
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
6
- Feels like
- 3°
- Humidity
- 79%
- Wind
- 15 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Pamplona
09:40 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today15°6°0%Monday: Cloudy. High 15°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Tue11°1°0%Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High 11°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed13°1°5%Wednesday: Clear. High 13°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 5%.
- Thu13°3°18%Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 13°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 18%.
- Fri14°3°13%Friday: Cloudy. High 14°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 13%.
- Sat10°3°18%Saturday: Drizzle. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 18%.
- Sun18°4°70%Sunday: Cloudy. High 18°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 70%.
Updated 07:29 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Coming up
Every year
- JanTamborradaSan Sebastián, a day trip
- Feb–MarCarnivals of LantzPamplona
- JulSan Sebastian Jazz FestivalSan Sebastián, a day trip
- AugQuincena Musical de San SebastiánSan Sebastián, a day trip
Day trips by train
- San Sebastiánabout 1 hour 15 min by bus or roadBeaches and pintxo bars on the Basque coast.Read the guide
- Logroñoabout 1 hour 15 min by roadA wine-country city on the Camino with pintxo streets.Read the guide
- Roncesvalles and the Pyreneesabout 1 hour by roadAn abbey and a mountain pass on the Camino.
Before you go to Pamplona
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Rules for Pamplona, checked
- Spain applies Schengen entry rules. Check whether you need a visa or visa-free entry on the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs site (exteriores.gob.es) before you fly.
- During San Fermín, check the festival rules published by the Pamplona City Council (Ayuntamiento de Pamplona) before you go near the bull run route.
- Pamplona is a mixed Spanish and Basque zone under Navarre's 1986 Basque language law, so official signs and street names appear in both languages.
- The emergency number is 112, the same across the EU. Use it for police, fire and ambulance.
Plan around Pamplona
Beaches and pintxos, about 1 hour away
Read the guideBilbao travel guideThe Guggenheim and a larger airport
Read the guideLogroño travel guideWine country on the Camino, east of Pamplona
Read the guideOviedo travel guideThe start of the Camino Primitivo, on the northern coast
Read the guideAll of SpainBasque coast, Rioja and the rest of Spain
Read the guideGetting around EuropeBus, train and car options across northern Spain
Read the guidePamplona FAQ
When is San Fermín in Pamplona?
From 6 to 14 July every year. The festival opens with a rocket at noon on 6 July, and the bull runs start at 8am each morning from 7 July. Hotels fill and prices rise, so book far ahead.
Is Pamplona worth visiting outside San Fermín?
Yes. The old town, walls and pintxo bars are calmer and cheaper in spring and autumn, and the Camino de Santiago pilgrims pass through the city. It makes a good stop between the Basque coast and La Rioja.
Can tourists run with the bulls?
Participants must follow the official rules, including age limits and sobriety, and the run is dangerous, with injuries every year. Spectators can watch from barriers. Read the city council's rules and consider watching.
How many days do you need in Pamplona?
One to two days cover the old town, the walls and pintxo bars. Add a day for the Pyrenees or Roncesvalles, or a visit to Logroño and the Rioja wine country.
How do you get to Pamplona?
By bus from San Sebastián or Bilbao, by train or bus from Madrid and Barcelona, or by flight to the small Pamplona airport. A rental car suits a Navarre and Pyrenees loop.