As I often confess, I have a thing for waterfront cities. I decided to base myself in Bilbao on my journey to the Basque Country. From there, I could easily reach the places I wanted along the coastline. Apart from visiting other places, Bilbao itself is a gem: it enjoys a fantastic location close to the ocean, and the River Nervión flows along it. As you can easily imagine, I went on a Bilbao boat tour, which was a great experience overall.
I always claim that boat trips combine two things: sightseeing and relaxation. One of the side effects of traveling is that intensive sightseeing can tire you. When I decided to go on short boat trips, I realized that flowing through a city translates to a relaxing time. I did that in Bergen, Copenhagen, Ljubljana, and even Berlin. The Bilbao boat trip offered a similar experience and was also relatively cheaper.
Therefore, I will share my honest opinion about my experience in this Bilbao boat tour review. You will also see some of my photos from the trip and share info about choosing the best boat tours in town.
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Bilbao boat tour review: everything you need to know
The River Nervión stretches for 23 kilometers, from Bilbao all the way to the Cantabrian Sea. It’s an integral part of city life, with many iconic landmarks on its banks. Spots like the Guggenheim Museum or the Euskalduna Conference Center are along the way and a boat trip will show different angles of these locations.
Depending on the boat route you choose, several other landmarks will appear on your way -even the iconic Bizkaia Bridge at Getxo. As you will read later in the article, there are plenty of boat tours to choose from in Bilbao.
I chose the 1-hour boat tour that travels to San Ignazio (you can book this tour here). Although it was tempting to sail beneath the Bizkaia Bridge, I decided to move towards the opposite direction. The reason is that I have visited the Bridge area twice, but haven’t been to the other side of town.
The 1-hour Bilbao boat tour itinerary
The 1-hour boat trip I joined started from the pier at Uribitarte Pasealekua, close to Udaletxeko Bridge. Most of those trips start on this side of the city, but make sure to check this out with your provider.
Since it was still early autumn, there were several boat tours. Surprisingly enough, most of them were sold out, so the best advice I can offer is to book your ticket in advance, especially if you are a group of people. While there is enough space to accommodate demand, you might run into a group, and the tickets will be sold out in a moment.
The boat sailed from this spot all the way to San Ignazio. It crossed Bilbao’s most famous bridges (like Ponte Zubizuri and Puente de la Salve) and continued past the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and the Deusto University. It continued toward the city’s Maritime Museum and moved to the outskirts. The final part was truly impressive, with the docks and the warehouses.
Half an hour later, the boat turned and followed the same route back for another thirty minutes. It was very interesting to see Bilbao slowly unfolding on the horizon: I believe that moving from the outskirts to the city center always gives you a better impression than the other way around.
The boat
The boat was spotlessly clean. Despite serving several routes every day, it was clean and tidy. Since it was a warm day, I sat on the deck on the upper floor and enjoyed the sunshine and the wonderful views. However, the lower floor offers a nicely warm interior where you can relax and enjoy the boat ride from the windows.
There is also a small bar selling snacks and drinks. I didn’t buy anything, but I saw that the prices were reasonable.
One thing that deserves mentioning is that there was no guide aboard. Instead, the crew prompted you to download an audio guide on your smartphone and listen to the information while sailing. That said, the tour wasn’t interactive, which is always a nice plus, especially for people willing to ask some questions during boat rides.
Bilbao boat tour: the overall experience
I’m probably biased because I love being close to the water. However, the 1-hour boat tour in Bilbao served perfectly its purpose. It allowed me to see the city from the water and discover various locations I would have otherwise missed. Moreover, seeing and photographing the Guggenheim Museum from the river level, offered a different perspective of the building’s size.
The lack of a guide didn’t bother me, but if that’s a must for you, you might have to search for another similar tour. I cared much more about cleanliness and available space for everyone, and because of these two factors, the tour ticked easily the boxes.
One thing that I want to mention, even though it’s unrelated to the tour itself, is that the river’s water has a brown color, especially close to Bilbao. Therefore, if you want to shoot photos, make sure to find a good angle to avoid having a color that might look bad in your photos.
Overall, I was happy with the Bilbao boat tour. Relaxing for an hour and yet doing sightseeing is always a good thing. So, if you have enough time in town, grab the opportunity and join one.
Information about the boat tours in Bilbao
There’s no lack of boat tours in Bilbao. I always recommend the tours I join, but if you need extra information, here’s where to find it.
First of all, cross-check the departing point of your tour. There are plenty of providers offering similar services, so ask for the exact spot at the pier. The prices are more or less the same for similar tours, starting from 10-15 euros per person.
It is worth mentioning that most tours don’t run year-round. There’s a winter pause and no itineraries during January and February. They resume every March, and they run until early December. As you might expect, there are more itineraries during the summertime and the shoulder months. You can expect 2-3 itineraries per day in early spring and mid-autumn.
You can book the tour I joined here. I chose the 1-hour itinerary, but there is also a boat tour to Bizkaia Bridge that lasts two hours.
Bilbao boat tour review: Final thoughts
Boat tours are always enjoyable and let you discover different city perspectives. Going on a 1-hour Bilbao boat tour was a delightful experience. The crew was friendly, the boat was tidy, and the route it followed was great for first-time visitors like myself. Yes, sailing Bilbao is a great experience overall.
The city of Bilbao is a gem and seeing it from the water level definitely adds an extra layer of experience to travelers’ eyes. Therefore, I can only recommend going on a boat tour in Bilbao if you have enough time. And if you haven’t seen the Bizkaia Bridge, getting on a boat towards it is a good idea. It’s hands down one of the most impressive things to see in your trip to Bilbao and the Basque Country.
More about the Basque Country: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Visit Mundaca, Gernika, San Sebastian
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Last Updated on March 29, 2025 by George Pavlopoulos