When to go · Bilbao, Spain
Best time to visit Bilbao
The sweet spot is June, July and August — averages 19°C, 7 rainy days, moderate crowds.
May–June and September for the warmest, steadiest weather; August for Aste Nagusia, nine days of free concerts and fireworks, when rooms go early.
Oceanic and green: mild, damp winters with highs around 14°C, warm summers with highs of 25–26°C, and rain on about a third of days, most of it October to April.
The short answer
19°C · 7 rainy days · mid season
21°C · 7 rainy days · high season
21°C · 7 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: December and January. averages 10°C, 12 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C | 13d | low | Wet |
| February | 10°C | 11d | low | Chilly |
| March | 12°C | 11d | low | Chilly |
| April | 13°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| May | 16°C | 10d | mid | Comfortable but damp |
| June | 19°C | 7d | mid | Comfortable |
| July | 21°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| August | 21°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| September | 19°C | 9d | mid | Comfortable but damp |
| October | 17°C | 11d | mid | Comfortable but damp |
| November | 13°C | 14d | low | Wet |
| December | 10°C | 12d | low | Wet |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February, March, November and December are low season in Bilbao — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $40–70 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.