Best time to visit Bilbao
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Bilbao
15 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Bilbao).
- 1
Enjoy the Coast of Biscay - 2
Private Guided Full-Day Walking Tour in Bilbao - 3
Bilbao Private Walking Tour - 4
Dragonstone, Mundaka and Guernica from Bilbao - 5
Bilbao Authentic Food Tour with 9 Pintxos and Local Drinks - 6
Rioja & Txakoli Wine Tasting in Bilbao with a Local Sommelier - 7
E-bike tour in Bilbao - 8
Txakoli wine tour from Bilbao - 9
Vizcaya Bridge, Gaztelugatxe and wine tasting from Bilbao - 10
Guided tour in Spanish of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao - 11
Bilbao Historic Walking Tour in Small Group - 12
Semi-Private Rioja Tour of 3 Premium Wineries from Bilbao - 13
The Award-Winning Bilbao Food Tour & Wine Pairing by Basque Local - 14
Pintxo route with Spanish D.O. wines in Bilbao - 15
Bilbao & Guggenheim Museum Private Walking Tour with guide
Last refreshed 2026-05-27.
Similar climatesBordeaux86% · Lucerne86% · Salzburg86%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Bilbao (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Bilbao's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6–13 | 11 | 14 | 192 | 13.7 | 75% | 16 | 125 | 1 | Quiet | 5 |
| Feb | 7–15 | 14 | 13 | 150 | 11.5 | 72% | 17 | 135 | 2 | Quiet | 6 |
| Mar | 8–16 | 15 | 17 | 206 | 12.1 | 68% | 17 | 183 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | 9–18 | 17 | 13 | 176 | 13.5 | 67% | 16 | 194 | 5 | Quiet | 6 |
| May | 11–21 | 20 | 14 | 182 | 13.0 | 67% | 15 | 233 | 5 | Quiet | 7 |
| Jun | 15–23 | 24 | 14 | 183 | 13.1 | 70% | 15 | 222 | 6 | Quiet | 7 |
| Jul | 16–25 | 27 | 8 | 108 | 13.5 | 66% | 15 | 253 | 6 | Quiet | 8 |
| Aug | 17–26 | 28 | 10 | 135 | 13.5 | 64% | 15 | 230 | 6 | Peak | 8 |
| Sep | 15–25 | 26 | 13 | 179 | 13.8 | 64% | 15 | 213 | 4 | Busy | 7 |
| Oct | 13–22 | 22 | 13 | 165 | 12.7 | 67% | 16 | 164 | 3 | Moderate | 7 |
| Nov | 10–17 | 16 | 15 | 213 | 14.2 | 75% | 17 | 131 | 2 | Busy | 5 |
| Dec | 8–14 | 12 | 18 | 239 | 13.3 | 76% | 18 | 115 | 1 | Moderate | 4 |
UV Index in Bilbao by Month
UV index in Bilbao peaks at 6 (high) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in December. July have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.
Best months in detail
July
8/1016–25°C (feels 27°C) · 8 rain days (108h) · 253 sun hours · 66% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)
August
8/1017–26°C (feels 28°C) · 10 rain days (135h) · 230 sun hours · 64% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)
October
7/1013–22°C · 13 rain days (165h) · 164 sun hours · 67% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
5/106–13°C (feels 11°C) · 14 rain days (192h) · 125 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
6/107–15°C (feels 14°C) · 13 rain days (150h) · 135 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
March
5/108–16°C (feels 15°C) · 17 rain days (206h) · 183 sun hours · 68% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
April
6/109–18°C (feels 17°C) · 13 rain days (176h) · 194 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
May
7/1011–21°C · 14 rain days (182h) · 233 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)
June
7/1015–23°C · 14 rain days (183h) · 222 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)
September
7/1015–25°C · 13 rain days (179h) · 213 sun hours · 64% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
November
5/1010–17°C (feels 16°C) · 15 rain days (213h) · 131 sun hours · 75% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low)
December
4/108–14°C (feels 12°C) · 18 rain days (239h) · 115 sun hours · 76% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)
Frequently asked questions about visiting Bilbao
When is the best time to visit Bilbao?
July is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 16–25°C (8 rainy days). The top three months by score are July, August, October.
What is the worst time to visit Bilbao?
December is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 8–14°C (18 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Bilbao?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Bilbao have good weather but fewer tourists?
July (climate 8/10, crowd index 21) and May (climate 7/10, crowd index 19) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Bilbao by month?
UV peaks at 6 (high) in July and is lowest in December at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 3, Apr 5, May 5, Jun 6, Jul 6, Aug 6, Sep 4, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1.
What is the UV index in Bilbao in July?
July is the peak UV month in Bilbao, with a daily-peak UV index of 6 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.
How high can UV get in Bilbao on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 6 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: March, April, May, June, July, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in Bilbao bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 4 months: January, February, March, October. The worst month is February with a typical-day mean of 12 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 24 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.