Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Four days at San Fermín, which runs every year from 6 to 14 July: the eve in the old town, the rocket on the 6th, the saint's procession and a morning in the streets on the 7th, then the way home. A fiesta of crowds, heat and noise, with calm corners in between.
6 to 14 July every year. Dates change every year, so check ahead for the one you are going.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
The eve, 5 July. Arrive and walk the old town while it is still only warming up: the cathedral and two old churches, then the big square for the first evening. The wooden fences of the route may already be up in the streets.
Thick toasted bread rubbed with ripe tomato and drizzled with olive oil, with a coffee with milk. The plain Spanish breakfast, in any cafe on the old town squares.
Local tip Ask for a pinch of salt if you want it. Tell the staff about any gluten allergy first.
The Gothic cathedral of Pamplona, with a calm cloister, tall vaults and a neoclassical front, in the oldest part of town. A cool and quiet start before the crowds. Dress modestly and check ahead for entry.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the crowd.
Local tip Walk the cloister, which is the best part. Cover your shoulders and knees, keep your voice low and check ahead for entry during the fiesta.
The Gothic church of San Cernin in the heart of the old town, named for a patron saint of the city, with a tall tower. A short stop that shows the deep roots under the fiesta. Check ahead for entry.
Go when Midday, as a pause in the old town.
Local tip Look at the tall tower from the street first. If you go in, keep your voice low and dress modestly, since services go on during the fiesta.
Pamplona is known for its pintxos, small bites on bread or on a stick, laid out on bar counters in the lanes of the old town. Choose a few, eat standing and move to the next bar.
Local tip Point at what you like and keep your toothpicks for the count. Ask what each contains if you have an allergy.
A fortress-like church on a quiet street in the lower town, with thick walls and a calm interior. A pause away from the heat. Dress modestly and keep your voice low if a service is on.
Go when Afternoon, out of the sun.
Local tip A cool, plain interior and a quiet street. Dress modestly and step in only if no service is on.
The big square that is the living room of Pamplona, ringed by arcaded cafes and a bandstand. On the eve the benches and terraces fill, people start to dress in white and red, and music drifts through the streets. Plan a meeting point here.
Go when Evening, for the first night of the fiesta.
Local tip Pick a meeting point and tell your group. Keep your bag in front, drink water and expect to be splashed. Leave a path clear when music passes.
A Navarre vegetable stew of artichoke, peas, green beans and asparagus, simmered gently with a little ham. Regional, light and warm, and often on menus in the old town.
Local tip It often contains ham, so tell the staff if you avoid pork or have a food allergy.
The fiesta opens at noon. A calm morning in the park by the walls, the rocket in the town hall square (very crowded and optional), a museum in the afternoon heat and a walk toward the citadel as the first night begins.
A green park on the western edge of the old town, with lawns, old trees and the moats of the old ramparts around it. A calm morning before the fiesta begins, and a cool place to sit in the heat.
Go when Morning, before the fiesta begins.
Local tip Walk the shady paths and the ramparts at the edge, and sit for a while. It is the quietest green space in the middle of town.
A coffee with milk and a pastry or a slice of tortilla, eaten at a cafe table before the fiesta starts. Quiet and unrushed on the morning of the rocket.
Local tip Eat well, because the day is long and lines for food form. Tell the staff about any allergy first.
The town hall square, where San Fermín opens at noon when a rocket, the chupinazo, goes up from the balcony. The square fills hours early and is extremely tight, and people throw wine and other liquids. It is not for children, wheelchairs or anyone who dislikes crowds, and many watch from a screen or the edge of the streets. Details change, so check ahead.
Go when Very early on the 6th, if you choose to be there at noon.
Local tip The square is extremely tight, and the crowd pushes. It is not for children, wheelchairs, or anyone who dislikes crowds, and wine and other liquids are thrown. Watching on a screen elsewhere is a fine choice. Check ahead.
A thin, spiced pork sausage from Navarre, grilled and served in a roll or on a plate. Bars and stalls near the center sell it through the fiesta.
Local tip It contains pork and paprika, so tell the staff about any allergy first.
The regional museum, in an old hospital building, with Roman mosaics, Gothic painting and a famous portrait by Goya. A cool, quiet retreat from the heat and the crowds. Check ahead for entry.
Go when Afternoon, in the heat.
Local tip Start with the Roman mosaics and the Gothic painting, then look for the Goya portrait. Check ahead for entry during the fiesta.
A star-shaped fortress and its wide green moat and lawns at the southern edge of the old town. Walk its paths at dusk, and ask where the nightly fireworks are, since they are usually launched near here. Check ahead.
Go when Evening, around sunset (about 9:43 PM).
Local tip Walk the grass and the paths along the walls. Fireworks are usually launched near here at night, so ask a local where to stand. Mind the crowd afterward.
Trout from the clear rivers of Navarre, fried and filled with cured ham, a regional classic. A fine supper before the first night of the fiesta.
Local tip It contains ham and fish, so tell the staff about any allergy. Watch for small bones.
The 7th is the saint's day. Watching the encierro is optional and starts very early; the procession of San Fermín follows in the morning; then the afternoon is for the quiet walls, and the evening for the bullring and the fiesta.
Almuerzo is the big mid-morning meal, a roll of ham, tortilla or chistorra with a coffee or a glass of wine, taken after the bulls have run. Bars around the old town serve it.
Local tip Tell the staff about any allergy first, and order a coffee if it is early.
A long, narrow old street that is part of the route of the encierro, which usually starts at eight in the morning. The run is dangerous, and this page does not plan taking part. Watching is from official places that fill very early, so check ahead, or watch on a screen at a cafe. The giants and big-heads parades usually pass through the old town during the morning.
Go when Not for taking part. If watching, arrive very early, often before dawn.
Local tip This page does not plan running. Watch only from an official place, never from a fence or a balcony not meant for it, and follow police and stewards. Some people would rather skip a bull event, and that is fair.
The church with the chapel of San Fermín, where the saint's image is kept. On the 7th the procession of San Fermín usually sets out from here in the mid morning, after the run, with clergy, giants, bands and the city council. It is a religious procession, so keep your voice low and give the crowd room. Check ahead for the route and time.
Go when Mid morning of the 7th, for the procession.
Local tip Give the procession room, keep your voice low and do not cross in front of it. Details of route and time change, so check ahead.
Lamb stewed with sweet peppers and tomato in a rich, red sauce, a dish of Navarre and Aragon. A rich lunch on a festival day.
Local tip Peppers and lamb are both in the dish. Tell the staff about any allergy first.
The long ring of old stone ramparts around the old town, with a green path along the top, gates and lookouts over the river valley. A calm walk away from the crowd, in the best shade late in the day.
Go when Afternoon, where there is shade, or at dusk.
Local tip Walk a stretch of the top and look over the valley. The paths can be uneven and the drop is steep in places, so stay back from the edge.
Fried sticks of dough dipped in thick hot chocolate, a classic fiesta treat at any hour. Cafes in the old town serve them hot.
Local tip Eat them hot. They contain wheat and egg, so tell the staff about any allergy.
The bullring at the end of the encierro route, one of the largest in Spain. Bullfights are held here in the evenings in fiesta week and are part of the festival's tradition. Views on them differ widely: some people love them and others object strongly, and you can simply skip them. Look at the building from the outside.
Go when Evening, from outside, whether or not you go to a fight.
Local tip Bullfights are part of the fiesta and are a matter on which people differ strongly. You do not have to go, and the building is worth seeing from the outside either way.
Salt cod cooked in oil with garlic, peppers and tomato, a Navarre dish with muleteers' roots. A rich, warm dinner from the small old town restaurants.
Local tip It is a fish dish, so tell the staff about any fish allergy. It is also garlicky.
The 8th. A slower morning on the avenue and the monument, a look at the government palace and a last coffee, with the rest of the day for the way home. The fiesta goes on for six more days, so travel plans take planning.
A strong coffee with milk and a croissant or a slice of cake, standing at a bar or sitting at a table in a plaza. A quiet morning before the way home.
Local tip Tell the staff about any allergy first. Bars may be crowded, so be patient.
A tree-lined walk beside the old town, with benches and shade. A calm place for a slow stroll, and the road in and out is busy, so check ahead.
Go when Morning of the 8th, for a quiet walk.
Local tip A wide, shady promenade that is easy on tired feet. Cross the roads with care, since traffic is diverted during the fiesta.
A stone monument to the old laws and liberties of Navarre, at the edge of the old town, near the government palace. A short stop, and a good place to meet.
Go when Midday, as a meeting point.
Local tip The monument is a good, easy place to meet your group. Look at the carvings, then move on.
Sweet red peppers from southern Navarre, roasted and filled with cod, meat or cheese, served warm in a light sauce. A regional lunch before travel.
Local tip The fillings vary, so tell the staff about any allergy first.
The seat of the regional government, a palace of the 1800s beside the square and the monument. Look at the front from the street, since the inside is not open to casual visits.
Go when Afternoon, from the street.
Local tip It houses the regional government, so it is seen from the outside. A quick look is plenty.
A plate of sheep's cheese from the valleys of Navarre with honey and a few nuts. A simple taste of the region before you leave.
Local tip It contains dairy and nuts, so tell the staff about any allergy first.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, April to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Pamplona. This plan is built for early July, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 4 days in Pamplona, planned for early July. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 0.2 to 2.0 kilometers between its stops, and 4.7 kilometers in all across 4 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
3 days in San SebastiánAbout 60 km awayAn easy add-on
4 days in MadridAbout 320 km away
3 days in BarcelonaAbout 350 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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