Bilbao sits in a valley, which is why the best view of it is from above. The Artxanda Funicular has been carrying people up the hillside since 1915, it takes three minutes, and with the right ticket it costs less than a euro.
Prices: use a Barik card
This is the single most useful thing to know, and most guides leave it out.
The funicular is part of Bilbao’s integrated public transport network, so you can tap on with a Barik card exactly as you would on the metro or a tram. Doing so cuts the fare dramatically, to somewhere around €0.65 a journey rather than the standard single of roughly €2.50.
- Standard single: around €2.50, roughly £2
- Standard return: published figures range from about €3.50 to €5, so treat it as roughly £3 to £4
- With a Barik card: around €0.65 a journey, about 55p
- A Barik card costs a few euros to buy and can be topped up, and it works on the metro, tram and buses too
Published fares vary between sources and change, so check the official hours and prices page before you go. The Barik saving, though, is consistent and large enough that if you are in Bilbao for more than a day the card pays for itself almost immediately.
Opening hours
| When | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 07:15 to 22:00 |
| Sundays and public holidays | 08:15 to 22:00 |
| 1 June to 30 September, Fri, Sat and holiday eves | Until 23:00 |
Departures run every 15 minutes. The late closing matters if you want to be up there for sunset, which in midsummer is well after 21:00 in northern Spain.
Where it leaves from
The base station is at Plaza del Funicular, near Matiko, on the far side of the river from the city centre. From the Guggenheim it is a short walk: follow the river and cross the white Zubizuri bridge, then follow the signs.
The ride covers 770 metres of track with a gradient reaching 44 per cent at its steepest, which is what makes a three-minute journey feel like an event rather than a lift.
What is actually at the top
- The Mirador de Artxanda viewing terrace, looking down the Nervión valley over the Guggenheim and the whole city
- The giant “Bilbao” letters, which is the photograph everyone comes for
- A park with plenty of grass, and a children’s playground
- Restaurants and traditional Basque asadores, grill houses, which locals come up for on weekends
- On a clear day, a view all the way to the sea
It is not a five-minute stop. Allow an hour or two if the weather is good, and consider walking back down into the city rather than taking the funicular both ways.
Rules worth knowing before you queue
- No eating or drinking anywhere on the premises, including in the carriage. Save the picnic for the park at the top.
- No smoking or vaping, and no music without headphones.
- Dogs are allowed but must travel in the marked compartment, on a short lead, with the lead kept on until you have left the premises. Breeds classified as dangerous are not permitted. Small animals stay in their carrier throughout.
- There is no air conditioning. In late July and August the carriage gets genuinely hot, and nobody limits how many people get in. Early morning or evening is more comfortable as well as quieter.
A bit of history
The funicular was proposed in 1901 and finally opened in 1915, built partly as practical infrastructure and partly as a leisure route, giving workers in the smoky industrial valley a way up to clean air and open ground. Locals still call it the Funi.
Artxanda also has a darker history: the Battle of Artxanda was fought on the hill on 18 June 1937, and its fall led directly to the capture of Bilbao during the Spanish Civil War.
Arriving in Bilbao by ferry?
One thing to plan for: the ferry terminal is not in Bilbao. It sits at Zierbena on the Abra bay, about 21 kilometres from the centre, so you need a bus, a train via Santurtzi, or a taxi before you get anywhere near the funicular. Our guide to getting from Bilbao port to the city centre covers the options.
A Barik card is useful here too, since it covers that transfer as well as the funicular.
Direct sailings arrive from Portsmouth and from Rosslare in Ireland, and the Bilbao ferry port guide covers parking and transfers at the terminal end.
When to go
Early morning or late afternoon, for three reasons: clearer air, fewer people, and a carriage that is not stifling. Weekends are busiest, particularly Sunday lunchtime when half of Bilbao is heading up to eat.
Go on a clear day if you have the choice. In drizzle you pay for a view of cloud. Our guide to when to visit Bilbao covers the weather month by month, and things to do in Bilbao has the rest of the city, including which museums are free on which days.
