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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Pamplona
Iruña
Give Pamplona 2 nights outside San Fermín (6–14 July); in festival week either book 6+ months ahead or stay in a nearby town and bus in.
Pamplona is the first big city on the Camino Francés and the capital of Navarre, small enough to walk end to end in 25 minutes. Outside 6–14 July it is a calm, green city of pintxos bars, medieval walls and a Gothic cathedral; during San Fermín the population roughly doubles and beds and prices go with it. Two nights covers the old town, the walls and the cathedral without rushing.
- Country
- Spain
- Local name
- Iruña
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul (San Fermín crowds and prices); Aug is hot and many old-town kitchens close
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Local police 092
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Pintxo at a bar | €2–4 |
| Menú del día at lunch | €12–20 |
| Glass of Navarra wine | €2.50–4 |
| Patxaran (local sloe liqueur) | €3–5 |
| City bus ride | €1.50 |
| Museo de Navarra entry | €2 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PNA · Pamplona–Noáin
- About 6 km south of the centre; few routes, mainly Madrid and Barcelona. Check current schedules.About 3.7 mi south of the centre; few routes, mainly Madrid and Barcelona. Check current schedules.
- BIO · Bilbao
- About 156 km by road; more international flights, then bus or car.About 97 mi by road; more international flights, then bus or car.
- BIQ · Biarritz (France)
- About 115 km by road; useful for UK and Ireland flights.About 71 mi by road; useful for UK and Ireland flights.
Typical fares
- Airport bus PNA → centre
- about €1.50–2, 20–25 min (check)
- Taxi PNA → old town
- €15–20 (check)
- Bus Pamplona → San Sebastián
- about €10–15, 1 h (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable: old town to citadel is about 15 minutes on foot. City buses (Línea 4, 9, 12 and others) link the station, the centre and the university; single rides are cheap, and a rechargeable card lowers the fare. Taxis queue at Plaza del Castillo and the bus station. A car is only worth it for day trips to Olite, Estella or the Pyrenees.
See and do
Known for
- San Fermín and the encierro (6–14 July)
- Pintxos on Calle Estafeta and San Nicolás
- Camino de Santiago stopover
- Medieval city walls and citadel
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Roncesvalles | Bus toward the French border, or car over the Ibañeta pass | About 1 h 15 min by car |
| Uterga | Camino Francés on foot, or a short drive south-west | About 4 h on foot from Pamplona |
| Olite | Bus or car south | About 45 min by car |
| San Sebastián | Bus or car north-west | About 1 h by car |
Sleep
- Casco Antiguo (old town)
- Estafeta, San Nicolás and Plaza del Castillo: pintxos, nightlife and the encierro route on your doorstep. Noisy at weekends and in July.
- Segundo Ensanche
- 19th-century grid just south of the old town: quieter hotels, 5–10 min walk to the bars and the bus station.
- Around the citadel and Taconera
- Parks, bigger hotels and parking; 10–15 min walk to the old town.
- Near the train station (San Jorge / Rochapea)
- Cheapest beds and easiest with bags, but a 15–20 min uphill walk to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| One pintxo, please | Un pintxo, por favoroon PEEN-choh por fah-VOR |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Fifteen people have been killed in the bull runs since 1911; running is dangerous and police remove anyone drunk.
- Pickpockets work the San Fermín crowds; keep bags in front and nothing in back pockets.
- In festival week do not wear sandals or flip-flops — the streets are littered and there is broken glass.
- Outside July many old-town kitchens close after the 15:30 lunch service; dinner starts around 21:00.
- Pintxos are not free with a drink in Pamplona, unlike parts of southern Spain.
Pamplona is a safe, walkable city; the real risks are the bull run itself, pickpockets and broken glass during San Fermín, and heat in July and August.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pamplona yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- San Fermín and the encierro (6–14 July)
- Pintxos on Calle Estafeta and San Nicolás
- Camino de Santiago stopover
- Medieval city walls and citadel
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Pamplona city council (official): www.pamplona.es/
- San Fermín official festival site: www.sanfermin.com/
- Aena — Pamplona airport: www.aena.es/en/pamplona.html
- Wikivoyage: Pamplona, revision 5300878 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300878
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PamplonaIruña
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Pamplona; most countries are represented in Madrid, with consulates in Bilbao or Barcelona (check).
San Fermín week: beds sell out months ahead and prices can triple.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pamplona). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.