San Fermín as a Day Out from Donostia / San Sebastián
Pamplona during San Fermín is red, white and wide awake. Plenty of small groups base themselves 84 km or so away in Donostia / San Sebastián and come over by minibus for the day, returning to the sea in the evening.
The 2027 fiesta
The fiestas begin with the Chupinazo from the town-hall balcony at 12:00 on 6 July 2027 and end at midnight on 14 July. At 08:00 every morning the encierro sets off from the corrals of Santo Domingo, ending at the bullring.
Only people aged 18 or over may run, and from 07:15 nobody else may stay on the route unless authorised, so families watch from elsewhere.
Coming over from the coast
Pamplona is not one of the cities this site covers, so plan from Donostia / San Sebastián. The drive takes about 1 h 25 min when the roads are quiet. Flying in? Bilbao airport is some 2 h 30 min from Pamplona by road, about 160 km.
During the 2026 fiestas, only authorised vehicles could enter the old town and the central streets beside it between 22:00 on 5 July and 14:00 on 15 July, and a wide area became a regulated parking zone. The 2027 bando sets this year's rules, so the operator confirms the drop-off once it is published.
Dates and places
- The old town (Casco Antiguo) of Pamplona: the Chupinazo from the balcony of the Casa Consistorial, and the bull-run route through Santo Domingo, the Plaza Consistorial, Mercaderes and Estafeta to the bullring
- 6-14 July 2027: the fiestas open with the Chupinazo at 12:00 on 6 July and end at midnight on 14 July
Morning run or night fireworks
Fireworks fill the sky every night, and the streets near the Ciudadela and the Plaza de los Fueros close in the late evening for them (from 22:00 in 2026). A driver's daily rest is normally at least 11 hours, so a dawn bull run and a late fireworks return rarely fit one trip. Pick one, or plan two separate days.
What travellers ask us
Can we watch the bull run with children?
Under-18s may not run. Watching from a spot away from the route is the calmer choice, and the operator can suggest a drop-off that suits it.
Why not stay in Pamplona itself?
You can, but this site plans transport from Donostia / San Sebastián, the nearest covered city, and many groups enjoy the coast between fiesta days.
Will the 2026 traffic rules apply again?
Pamplona publishes a new bando every year before the fiestas. The 2026 rules are a guide; the 2027 text decides.