If you're gearing up for the world-famous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, one of your biggest challenges will be finding a place to stay during the bustling San Fermín festival from July 5-14. With thousands of visitors flooding the city, securing accommodations requires some strategy—so where should you start?
First, you need to know that every summer during the dates July 5-14, travelers from around the world converge in Pamplona to enjoy the unending music, lively street parties, regional dancing, and of course, the adrenaline-pumping bull runs (aka encierros). More than a million visitors descend upon Pamplona during the San Fermin fiesta dates of July 5-14, and there are very limited numbers of hotels that have availability. Many of Pamplona's hotels are booked by the same large travel groups, year after year, and with so many visitors arriving for the festivities, finding a room in or near Pamplona can be a real challenge.
Here are some tips that will help you to secure a room or apartment during the San Fermin fiestas:
Book Early – Very Early!
Because Los sanfermines is Spain’s most popular festival, accommodations in Pamplona fill up many months in advance. If you want to stay in the heart of the action, planning ahead is essential. We suggest that you reserve your room at least 6 months (or sooner!) before the festival, or as soon as you know your arrival and departure dates. Booking your accommodations early will ensure that you will have a better selection of places to choose from and may allow you to snag cheaper rates before prices skyrocket in the weeks just before July 5-14.
Consider Adjusting Your Travel Dates
If you have some flexibility, consider adjusting your travel dates to the latter half of the festival (July 10-14). These dates tend to be far less crowded than the earlier dates of the festival, which means finding accommodations will be significantly easier.
Accommodations for the Fiesta
We suggest that you stay inside Pamplona’s historic center, also called the "Old Town," which is where the famous bull runs take place each morning. This is where the festival takes place, so staying in this section of the city will allow you maximum freedom to enjoy the festival all day and all night long. However, these hotels may not be budget-friendly for you, so we have included several other accommodation options that are about a 10 to 30-minute walk to the San Fermin fiestas.
Gran Hotel La Perla - ★★★★★ – Plaza del Castillo, 1, 31001 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 22 30 00. This is a super luxury, historic hotel, located directly on the Plaza del Castillo, which is the central location for many of the events related to San Fermin. Also, this hotel is where many famous bullrunners, writers and celebrities have stayed during their visits to Pamplona, including Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles, Charles Chaplin, Woody Allen, Julio Iglesias and Pablo Sarasate. Some rooms offer balcony views of the bullruns below on Calle Estafeta, but you will need to book these rooms extra early! Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.granhotellaperla.com
Pamplona Catedral Hotel - ★★★★ – C. Dos de Mayo, 4, 31001 Pamplona. Phone +34 948 22 66 88. This is a gorgeous boutique hotel located just few minutes' walk from Pamplona's main cathedral and also just steps to the bullrun course - making it a perfect hotel for those planning to run with the bulls. It's pet-friendly, and their website offers free cancellation until May for bookings in July. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.pamplonacatedralhotel.com
Hotel Maisonnave - ★★★★- Calle Nueva, 20, 31001 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 22 26 00. This is one of our favorite hotels in Pamplona. It is very centrally located and is about a 5-minute walk to our balconies on Calle Mercaderes. A fun fact is that this hotel is where many matadors spend their mornings and afternoons before they head to the bullring for their bullfights. You may very well see a matador or two and their entourage if you are lucky enough to score a room at this lovely hotel. The Hotel Maisonnave has a very friendly, multilingual staff, high-speed internet, on-site gym and restaurant. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.hotelmaisonnave.es
Hotel Tres Reyes -★★★★- Calle Taconera, 1, 31001 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 22 66 00 This hotel is located just outside the old city, which makes it an easy walk to all the activities related to San Fermin. The Hotel Tres Reyes boasts modern rooms, high-speed internet, pool, and on-site gourmet restaurant. If you don’t mind the high price tag and if you’re looking for luxury accommodations close enough to the fiesta where you can walk and still far enough away from the all-night bands, this is the place for you! Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.hotel3reyes.com
Hotel Pamplona Plaza - ★★★ - Avenida de Marcelo Celayeta, 35, 31014 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 13 60 12. This hotel is located on the other side of the River Arga near the residential neighborhood known as the Rochapea and about a 30-minute walk to the Plaza del Castillo and the San Fermin fiestas. If you’re traveling with a rental car, you may like to know that the Hotel Pamplona Plaza offers free underground parking. The rooms are simply furnished with newly renovated bathrooms and are more affordable for budget travelers. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.hotelpamplonaplaza.com
Hotel NH Pamplona Iruña Park - ★★★★ - Arcadio M Larraona, 1, 31008 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 19 71 19. This hotel has been popular with our previous balcony guests and is located in the university hospital area near the Yamaguchi Park, about a 25 minute walk to the fiesta streets in the old city, Pamplona. There are rooms, Junior suites and full suites that, as of today, are still available for the upcoming 2025 San Fermines. Also, you may like to know that there is a limited number of pet-friendly rooms, so if you are traveling with your pet, we suggest that you contact the hotel asap to book one of these rooms. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.nh-hotels.com/en/hotel/nh-pamplona-iruna-park
Hotel Blanca de Navarra - ★★★★ - Avenida de Pio XII, 43, 31008 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 17 10 10. The Hotel Blanca de Navarra is a more affordable 4 star hotel, and, in past years, it has been very popular with many of our balcony guests. This hotel is about a 30-minute walk to our balconies on Calle Mercaderes and Calle Estafeta and very near the Yamaguchi Park in the university hospital area. Because it is located outside the fiesta streets in the old city Pamplona, this hotel is a quiet option if you plan to sleep during the night hours. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.hotelblancadenavarra.com
Hotel Europa Pamplona - ★★★ – Calle Espoz y Mina, 11, 31002 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 22 18 00 This boutique hotel is located just off the very central Plaza del Castillo and just a minute’s walk to the Plaza de Toros (bullring) and the bullrun route on Calle Estafeta. As you can see from our website, so many of the San Fermin events happen on the Plaza del Castillo, so this hotel is the perfect location for those of you who want to be in the middle of the party and don’t mind the all-night concerts and marching bands that play very near your doorstep. All the rooms have been recently refurbished, and the Hotel Europa is proud of their Michelin star restaurant with Navarran menus from the local chef Pilar Idoate. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.hoteleuropapamplona.com
Hostal Arriazu - ★★ - Calle Comedias, 14, 31001 Pamplona. Phone: +34 948 21 02 02 This is a lovely hostel, perfect for the budget conscious visitor to the San Fermines. It is located about a 2-minute walk to the Plaza del Castillo, in the absolute heart of the San Fermin fiestas, and just off the very lively Calle de San Nicolas. There are only 20 rooms in this boutique hostel, so be sure to contact them early to book a room, especially for the super popular dates July 5-14. Each room has recently been sound-proofed and has a Wifi connection and private bathroom. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.hostalarriazu.com
Hostal Aloha - ★★ – Calle de Sanguesa, 2, 31003 Pamplona. Phone:+34 948 15 33 67 This hostel is located outside of the old city and is still within easy walking distance of most of the festival events of San Fermin. If you have balcony reservations on our Mercaderes balconies, you will walk for about 12 minutes from the Hostel Aloha to our Mercaderes apartment. This hostel has various types of housing options: Mixed shared rooms for 4 persons (bunk beds) with shared bathrooms in the common area; private double rooms with shared bathrooms in the common area or with private bathrooms; three-bedroom apartments with two private bathrooms. Check out their website for current availability and room rates: www.alohahostel.es