Itinerary For The Running Of The Bulls

Itinerary for the running of the bulls:

Arrive in Pamplona-Iruña and check into the hotel. Standard check-in time is 2:00 pm. Early check-in is available if you are arriving on the 5th of July. Be sure to contact us, or the hotel, regarding a late arrival.

el chupinazo at noon in the town hall square

It's "Bulls before Breakfast" beginning on the 7th, a tradition unique to Pamplona as breakfast is generally not served until after the bulls have run.

The encierros, the Running of the Bulls, commence on the 7th of July at 8:00 and continue each morning through the 14th, giving us "eight days of the encierro".

Pastories walking the route before the encierro

The encierro along Calle Mercaderes

The 7th is also the religious procession of Pamplona's famed patron saint, San Fermin. The procession begins at the Capilla de San Fermin after the 10:00 am mass and slowly winds its way through the narrow streets of the old city accompanied by the official city band, city dignitaries, hundreds of Pamplonicas and the Gigantes and Cabequdos (giants and big heads).

The regular daily procession of the Gigantes y Cabezudos begins at 9:30 each morning starting on the 8th of July and finishes up the afternoon of the 14th at 2:30 when the children come to say good-bye for another year.

The procession of San Fermin along Calle Mayor

Come and enjoy the music. The festival offers everything from traditional Basque folk music to rock and jazz. All of the concerts are provided free of charge by the city of Pamplona. Concerts begin at noon daily in Plazas Consistorial, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Fueros and in the Paseo de Sarasate, continuing until the early morning hours.

Special concerts are held nightly in the Plaza del Castillo, Parque Media Luna, Park de Antoniutti and the Plaza de Compañia. Performers in the past have included Kepa Junkera (2002 & 2006) and Celia Cruz (2002), Rosario, Carlinhos Brown (2004) and Chuck Berry (2008).

There is dancing nightly in the Plaza del Castillo, as well as special performances by traditional Basque dance groups and singers throughout the week. Children and families are central to the fiesta and you will find a number of special events daily during the fiesta.

Traditional Basque Rural Sports competitions (Force Basque) are held daily at noon in the Plaza de los Fueros.

Bullfights begin promptly at 6:30 in the afternoon. You will need to be at the Plaza de Toros by 6:00 to purchase a seat cusion (1 Euro) and find your seat. You will not be allowed into the seating area once a fight has begun, so don't be late and don't forget to bring your wine and a little something to share with your friends and those seated around you. It's another Pamplona tradition.

The "Toro del Fuego" (bull of fire) appears at the Plaza de Santiago, adjacent to the Plaza Consistorial, every evening at 10:00.

There is a nightly fireworks compitition at 11:00 in the Parque de la Ciudadela which begins on the 6th of July. Each night a different internationally known group, invited by the city to compete for the grand prize, puts on a display of their best work in front of the crowd of ten of thousands the cities largest public park.

Restaurants serve lunch from 1:00 to 4:00 and dinner from 9:00 to 11:00. Meals are also available at the food tents operated by local clubs and communities which can be found at the Park Taconera. Ask us about restaurant recommendations. Reservations are required at during the fiesta, especially during the opening and closing weekends when the crowds are the largest.

Our special excursion lunches will be at 1:30 at a selected restaurants.

The fiesta's closing event, the "pobre de mi", a candlelight ceremony, takes place at midnight on the 14th in the Plaza Consistorial.