Top Things to Do in Pamplona — Complete Guide 2026
Beyond the bulls — Pamplona rewards visitors with a magnificent Gothic cathedral, Renaissance star fortress, 5km of medieval walls, pintxos culture, and day trips into the Pyrenees. Book eco hotels through IMPT.
Pamplona is famous for seven days in July — but the remaining 358 days of the year uncover a city of surprising depth, beauty, and tranquillity. Founded by Pompey in 74 BC, shaped by Roman walls and later by medieval kings, Pamplona packs more than two millennia of history into a compact, walkable centre. Here is your complete guide to the best things to do in Pamplona, from the essential landmarks to the Pyrenean day trips that few tourists discover.
1. Pamplona Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María la Real)
The cathedral is Pamplona's crowning architectural achievement — a masterpiece of Gothic architecture built between 1394 and 1501 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. The west façade is a Neoclassical addition from the 18th century by Ventura Rodríguez, but step inside and the full Gothic splendour takes over. The interior features a remarkable 15th-century alabaster tomb of Charles III of Navarre and his wife Eleanor of Castile, carved by Janin Lomme of Tournai. The cloister is widely considered one of the finest in Europe — a serene, light-filled quadrangle with intricate tracery, medieval carved capitals, and a small archaeological museum. The cathedral museum also houses an important collection of medieval sacred art including a 13th-century reliquary of the Holy Sepulchre. Allow 90 minutes. Entry fee: approximately €5 (cloister and museum included).
2. The Ciudadela (Citadel of Pamplona)
The Ciudadela is one of the best-preserved Renaissance military fortifications in Europe. Built between 1571 and 1645 under the reign of Philip II to defend against French incursions, the citadel is a perfect pentagonal star fort — five bastions named San Antón, la Victoria, San Juan, Santa María, and Santiago, connected by curtain walls and surrounded by a moat (now dry grass). The military vacated the site in 1964, and today it's the city's most beloved public space. Three of the original five bastions remain, along with the armoury, powder magazine, and bakery. The interior parade ground hosts open-air exhibitions, and the Vuelta del Castillo — the former glacis (sloping defensive ground) surrounding the citadel — is now a 280,000 m² park with tree-lined avenues, lawns, and public sculptures. Walk the full perimeter of the walls (about 45 minutes) for a complete circuit. Free entry to the grounds; interior buildings host contemporary art exhibitions with a small fee.
3. Walk the City Walls
Pamplona's defensive walls stretch for approximately 5 kilometres, making it one of the best-preserved walled cities in Spain. The walls were built and rebuilt over centuries — Roman foundations, medieval expansions, and Renaissance-era refortifications created the system visible today. A marked walking route (the Paseo de Ronda) follows the walls from the Portal de Francia (French Gate) in the northeast, past the Rincón del Caballo Blanco (White Horse Corner) with its views across the Arga Valley, along the baluarte del Redín, and down to the Portal Nuevo. The views from the walls — across terracotta rooftops, church spires, and the green hills beyond — are one of Pamplona's essential experiences. The walk takes 60–90 minutes at a leisurely pace. Free of charge.
4. Plaza del Castillo
Every great Spanish city has its plaza mayor, and Pamplona's is the Plaza del Castillo — though locals simply call it "the living room." This large, arcaded square has been the social heart of Pamplona since at least the 15th century, when it was the parade ground of the castle that gave it its name (demolished in 1513). The elegant yellow-and-white bandstand (kiosko) at its centre dates from 1943 and is the backdrop for Sunday concerts. The square is ringed by historic cafés — most famously Café Iruña (1888), where Ernest Hemingway was a regular, and where the Belle Époque interiors (chandeliers, mirrored walls, dark wood panelling) have been beautifully preserved. Sit outside under the arcades with a coffee or a glass of Navarrese wine and watch Pamplona go about its day. The square is also the site of the famous chupinazo — the rocket launch that kicks off San Fermín each July 6 at noon.
5. The Camino de Santiago (French Way)
Pamplona is one of the most significant stops on the Camino Francés, the most popular route of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Pilgrims have been entering the city through the Portal de Francia since the Middle Ages, and the scallop-shell waymarks are etched into the pavements throughout the Old Town. Even if you're not walking the full 800 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, you can experience a slice of the Camino by walking the section from Zubiri to Pamplona (approximately 20 km, 5–6 hours) — a beautiful route following the Arga River through woods and small villages, arriving at the cathedral bridge. The city has several albergues (pilgrim hostels) and the Oficina del Peregrino (Pilgrim Office) near the cathedral.
6. Museo de Navarra
Housed in the former Hospital de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, a 16th-century building with a Renaissance courtyard, the Museo de Navarra is the region's premier cultural institution and deserves a solid two hours. Its collection spans archaeology (superb Roman mosaics from villas across Navarre, including the mosaic of the Triumph of Bacchus from the 2nd century AD), medieval art (Romanesque capitals from the cathedral, Gothic altarpieces), and a fine-arts section that features works by Goya — look for his Marqués de San Adrián portrait, painted in 1804. The museum also has a wonderful collection of 19th- and 20th-century Navarrese landscape painting. Entry fee: €2, free on Saturdays and Sundays.
7. Parque de la Taconera and the Jardines de la Taconera
The Taconera is Pamplona's oldest public park, laid out in the 1830s on the site of a former bastion of the city walls. It feels like a secret garden — formal French-style parterres, towering plane trees, sculpted hedges, and a small moat enclosure with peacocks, deer, and swans (the children's favourite). The park connects to the old city through the Portal de San Nicolás and is a five-minute walk from the Plaza del Castillo. The Monumento a los Fueros de Navarra — the grand 1903 monument celebrating Navarre's historic rights and self-governance — stands at the park's southeastern entrance. Free entry.
8. Day Trip to the Irati Forest (Selva de Irati)
Forty-five minutes north of Pamplona, in the Pyrenean valleys above the village of Ochagavía, lies one of Europe's largest and most beautiful beech-fir forests. The Selva de Irati covers 17,000 hectares of ancient woodland, with marked hiking trails from gentle family walks to multi-hour mountain routes. Autumn (mid-October to early November) is spectacular — the beech trees turn copper, gold, and crimson in a display that rivals New England's fall colours. Even in high summer, the forest canopy keeps temperatures cool. The information centre at the Embalse de Irabia (a reservoir in the forest's heart) provides maps and trail recommendations. Bring a picnic and sturdy shoes. Free entry; parking fee at some access points (around €5).
9. Bardenas Reales Semi-Desert
An hour and twenty minutes southeast of Pamplona lies one of Spain's most surreal landscapes — the Bardenas Reales, a 42,000-hectare UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of eroded badlands, sculpted clay formations, and flat-topped mesas (cabezos). Declared a natural park in 1999, the Bardenas look like something from the American Southwest dropped into northern Spain. The most famous formation is the Castildetierra, a tall clay chimney that is the park's unofficial symbol. You can drive a loop road (40 km, unpaved but navigable in a standard car in dry weather) or rent bikes at the information centre in Arguedas. Visit in spring or autumn — summer temperatures can exceed 40°C with no shade. Free entry.
10. Planetarium of Pamplona and Yamaguchi Park
A surprising gem in the San Juan district, the Planetario de Pamplona is one of Spain's largest planetariums, with a 20-metre dome, rotating astronomy exhibitions, and shows in Spanish. Next door, the Parque Yamaguchi is a Japanese garden gifted by Pamplona's twin city of Yamaguchi, Japan — complete with a koi pond, stone lanterns, cherry trees, and a wooden bridge. An oasis of calm, particularly beautiful during the cherry blossom season in late March.
11. San Saturnino Church and San Cernin
The Iglesia de San Saturnino (also known as San Cernin) is one of Pamplona's oldest churches, dating from the 13th century and built over an earlier Romanesque structure. Its twin towers — added in the 18th century — define the Old Town skyline. Located on the charming Calle San Saturnino, the church is dedicated to the city's patron saint (Saint Saturnin of Toulouse, martyred in the 3rd century). The attached tower offers one of the best viewpoints of the Old Town — climb the narrow spiral stairs for a panorama of terracotta roofs and the cathedral. The adjacent Plazuela de San Cernin is a lively local square with outdoor cafés.
12. Running of the Bulls Route (Even Without the Bulls)
Outside of San Fermín, the encierro route is just a series of streets — but walking it is still an iconic Pamplona experience. Start at the corral on the Cuesta de Santo Domingo (look for the small statue of San Fermín in the alcove where runners sing a prayer before the run), continue past the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) on the Plaza Consistorial, turn onto Calle Mercaderes, and finish on Calle Estafeta before the bullring. The route is about 875 metres, and plaques along the way mark the route. It takes about 20 minutes to walk — a very different experience from the three minutes it takes the bulls to run it.