What to see in Pamplona in one day. A walk through the capital of Navarra

Visiting Pamplona in one day is perfectly possible because all the points of interest in this beautiful city are very close and you can reach practically all places on foot.
Pamplona is also a perfect place to stay and visit the rest of Navarra since it is very close to almost all the points of interest that it offers us and a wide range of hotels.
Here we tell you the best things to see in Pamplona in one day, with a route accessible to all people and with which you will not miss anything.
What to see in Pamplona in one day
The Castle Square
The beginning of our tour of Pamplona can be the beautiful Plaza del Castillo, the nerve center of the Old Town of Pamplona. There is also an underground car park where you can leave your car if you go by this means of transport.
Around the Plaza del Castillo we find different bars and restaurants, whose terraces animate this area of the center of Pamplona.
Among the buildings that we can highlight in the Plaza del Castillo are the Palacio de Navarra, the Teatro Principal and the Hotel La Perla. The kiosk in the center of the square also stands out.
The running of the bulls and the Baluartes, hallmarks of Pamplona
From there we can walk along Avenida de Carlos III, one of the most commercial streets in the city, to the Monument to the Encierro, made up of 19 figures and which represents one of the hallmarks of the city.
The Plaza de Toros would be our next destination, located a few meters away and where the bust of Hemingway is located, the brilliant writer who made the Sanfermines known throughout the world.
Next door is the Pamplona Fortifications Interpretation Center, which is another hallmark of the city, built to defend the city for centuries. From there we walk next to the Baluarte de Labrit and the Baluarte de Guadalupe until we reach the Mirador del Caballo Blanco, from where we have a beautiful view of the Arga River and even the mountains near Pamplona.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria
Now it’s time to enter the Old Town again to reach one of the main places to see in Pamplona in one day, the Cathedral of Santa María, built between the 12th and 14th centuries and from which we can enjoy a great neoclassical façade. The pity is that it cannot be admired from afar as in other cathedrals since it is located between streets.
Visiting the interior of the Cathedral of Pamplona is also mandatory as it is the most important Gothic complex in Navarra and one of the best in Spain.
Of it we must highlight the wonderful Gothic cloister and the rooms that surround it, such as the Barbazana Chapel, the Chapter House or the Kitchen.
The Old Town of Pamplona
After visiting the Cathedral of Santa María, we descend until we reach Calle Estafeta, famous for the running of the bulls during the Sanfermines, and Calle Mercaderes, where the bulls also run. The Pamplona City Hall building will surprise us thanks to its fantastic Baroque façade. The chupinazo that begins the famous festivities is celebrated there.
Leaving aside the Town Hall, we find a steep slope, Calle de Santo Domingo, the first street that the bulls run in the Sanfermines and that takes you to the Museo de Navarra, the main museum in the city, located in an old hospital and in which we find different works that review the history of Navarra, with works from the Palaeolithic, from the Roman era, from the Islamic era and with paintings even by Francisco de Goya.
After the visit to the Museum of Navarra, essential when visiting Pamplona in one day, we retrace our steps on the way to the Plaza del Castillo but visiting first the Church of San Saturnino in Gothic style and with the appearance of a fortress thanks to its two towers.
Once in the Plaza del Castillo, we will continue walking through the Old Town along Calle de San Nicolás, where we find numerous bars and restaurants where we can enjoy the famous Pamplona pintxos and the typical architecture of the Old Town of the city.
In this street there is also another of the famous churches to visit in Pamplona in one day, the Church of San Nicolás, from the 12th century and also with the appearance of a defensive fortress. Inside is the oldest organ in Pamplona, while on the outside its great tower and clock stand out.
We continue through the Old Town, this time in the direction of the San Francisco de Asís Square, where we find new points of interest such as the Public Library, in the La Agrícola Building and the Monument to San Francisco de Asís, which pacified the city in 1213.
Strolling out of the Old Town
We continue walking and, leaving the Old Town, we arrive at the Taconera Gardens, the oldest in Pamplona, one of the busiest and also one of the quietest. It dates from the 19th century and in them we can admire remains of the old wall.
In the Jardines de la Taconera we find several very interesting monuments such as the Julián Gayarre Statue, the Mariblanca Monument or the Portal de San Nicolás, one of the entrance gates to the park, where we also find the Baluarte de Gonzaga.
Very close to the Jardines de la Taconera we find the Citadel of Pamplona, with a pentagonal floor plan and Renaissance style.
But if you want to visit a very special park in Pamplona, we recommend you go to Yamaguchi Park, about a 30-minute walk away, although you can also go by bus. It is a Japanese-style garden that will surprise you and where the Pamplona Planetarium is also located, whose attendance at one of its projections is also highly recommended.
If you go to this area, and have time, you could visit the University Museum of Navarra, specialized in contemporary art and whose building is the work of Rafael Moneo. In it we can find works by Picasso or Kandinsky.
You can find more information about what to see in Pamplona in one day on the official Navarra tourism page.