Secrets Walk, English And French

Feel Bilbao: a journey through secrets, culture, and essence

★ 5.0/5 20 reviews on GuruWalk

Free pay what you want

Run by an independent local guide on GuruWalk

Takes you to the guide's GuruWalk page, where a free place is reserved directly. Nothing is paid here, and the walk is free, pay what you want.

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Language: English and French
Meeting point: Moyua Square, Iruna bar entrance
Where it walks: Ensanche
Guide: Nuria
What it costs: Free, pay what you want

Overview

This walk starts at the main entrance of the Iruña bar on Moyua Square, in the Ensanche district, and runs for 2 hours 15 minutes. It is listed on GuruWalk and led by a guide who was born in Bilbao and has lived in the city their whole life. The idea behind the tour is to connect places and moments in the city's history, from an 18th-century visit by a president of the USA to the French architect behind a building where you can look up at the ceiling and see people swimming. Somewhere between those points sits what the guide calls The Balloon, with a capital letter.

The titanium curves of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao seen from the Nervion riverside promenade, with distant walkers and the river in the foreground

The tour is offered in English and French. The guide describes how the city went from the grey Bilbao of the 80s, when the guide walked the Ensanche as a child looking up at its buildings, to the city that put itself back on the map and began receiving visitors again. Bookings are made through GuruWalk, and the walk is free, pay what you want: guests pay the guide what they think the walk was worth at the end.

The meeting point sits in front of the Jardines de Albia, and the walk stays in the Ensanche area.

Itinerary

Stop	What Happens
Meet at Moyua Square	The guide waits at the main entrance of the Iruña bar, in front of the Jardines de Albia. This is the meeting point, not a pickup; no hotel pickup is included.
Café Iruña	The first stop of the route. The GuruWalk listing shows only the first stops of a route that has 7 stops in total.
Plaza Elíptica	The second named stop on the published route.
La Alhóndiga	The third named stop. The GuruWalk listing shows only the first 3 of the route's 7 stops.
Walk ends	The full route takes 2 hours 15 minutes. Guests pay the guide what they think the walk was worth at the end.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points from the GuruWalk listing are worth knowing before you reserve a spot.

Meeting point. Find the main entrance of the Iruña bar on Moyua Square, in front of the Jardines de Albia. There is no pickup and no transport to the start. Arriving already standing in the Ensanche district means you are in the right area.
Languages. The walk runs in English and French. The guide says explanations are also possible in Spanish and Basque, but this walk as listed is offered in English and French.
Duration and pace. Plan for 2 hours 15 minutes on foot. The GuruWalk listing does not state a distance or a fitness level, so treat it as a standard city walk.

“This was our first GuruWalks experience and we would definitely book another one. Nuria was friendly and warm. Thanks to her tour, we saw sights that we likely would not have explored on our own such as the Azkuna Zentroa centre (a highlight). Learning more about the history of many buildings, the city and the region made our Bilbao visit more memorable.”

Jeannie, GuruWalk review of Secrets Walk, English And French

How payment works. Booking is free and guests pay the guide what they think the walk was worth at the end. The GuruWalk listing states this directly.
Route surprises. The route has 7 stops and the GuruWalk listing shows only the first 3. Expect the full picture only once the walk is underway.

Common issues. The GuruWalk listing does not name food, drinks or entry fees as included, and it does not state that anything is excluded either. The meeting point depends on finding a specific bar entrance on Moyua Square, which takes a moment if you do not know the square. The route beyond the first 3 stops is not published in advance, so travellers who want a fixed itinerary in writing will not find one. No accessibility information is given in the GuruWalk listing.

What To Know Before You Reserve

How Do I Book And What Does It Cost?

You reserve a place on the guide's GuruWalk page. Booking is free and guests pay the guide what they think the walk was worth at the end. There is no fixed price set in advance.

Where Does The Walk Start?

At the main entrance of the Iruña bar on Moyua Square, in front of the Jardines de Albia, in the Ensanche district. No hotel pickup is included. The GuruWalk listing gives no start time, so check the GuruWalk page for departure details.

How Long Is The Tour?

The walk lasts 2 hours 15 minutes. It begins on Moyua Square and covers a route of 7 stops, of which only the first few are named in the GuruWalk listing.

What Languages Does The Guide Speak?

This walk is offered in English and French. The guide says explanations are also possible in Spanish and Basque, so you can confirm the language of your chosen departure on GuruWalk.

Are Food, Drinks Or Entry Fees Included?

The GuruWalk listing does not name food, drinks or any entry fees as included. It does not list exclusions either.

What Should I Bring?

Bring whatever you plan to pay the guide at the end, since payment works on a pay-what-you-want basis. Comfortable shoes for a walk of 2 hours 15 minutes make sense. The GuruWalk listing mentions no other requirements.