Pamplona Running of the Bulls Tours - Experience the amazing Fiesta de San Fermin in 2019 with PP - The Pamplona Specialists
It's the wildest, most emotive and fun fiesta in Europe - Pamplona's San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) Festival is simply something you have to be a part of to experience why it is such a famous event. Join the Running of the Bulls specialists and stay at the CLOSEST and best campsite in Pamplona.! We operate quality party tours to Spain! Choose from coach tours ex London or accommodation packages. The fiesta starts at midday on the 6 July 2019 and accommodation packages are available from the 4th July through to the end on 14th July.
Summary of Tour Options for Pamplona's San Fermin (2019)
 From £139.00 Tour Dates: 4th to 15th Jul 2019 |  From £299.00 Tour Dates: 4th to 9th Jul 2019 |
 Only £439.00 Tour Dates: 5th to 8th Jul 2019 |
Event and PP Tour Information
The San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) Festival is without doubt the wildest and probably most fun festival in Europe. Its amazing festive atmosphere and the way the Pamplona locals Party has to be seen to be believed!! If you are after Serious Fun in Pamplona it has to be PP Travel. This year's San Fermin will be our 26th operation of quality camping tours to the Running of the Bulls. With our great campsite close to the city, value tour option choices - accommodation from just £40 per night - and our wealth of experience we know you will have one of the most memorable party weeks of your life.
It's hard to really describe the spirit & atmosphere of Pamplona's famous Festival of San Fermin. You really just have to experience it for yourself. Even though the festival is best known as The Running of the Bulls, it is the full-on Spanish fiesta - not the bull running - that makes visiting Pamplona at this time such a must do event. The festival starts each year at noon on July 6 with the amazing champagne Opening Ceremony and then runs non-stop 24-hours a day through to midnight on July 14.
The bull running begins at 8am every morning from the 7th to the 14th of July. Even though the festival is known worldwide for this unusual event, it is only a small part of the festival and you really will only want to watch once or twice. Running with the bulls is a relatively new activity when you consider how ancient this festival is.
It is free to run with the bulls, if you want to take the risk. You just have to get a position on the street pretty early. It is a male-only tradition and it is extremely frowned upon by Pamplona locals for females to run.
PP'S Pamplona's Base - The Closest Campsite to the City
There is only one place to stay during San Fermin and that is at PP's party base at Camping Ezcaba. Not only has it got excellent facilities - Ezcaba has the major advantage of being just on the outskirts of the Pamplona - a quick 10 minute shuttle into the old town. Our fantastic convenient position is very important in getting the most out of the fiesta. Being just 7km from the centre of Pamplona, PP can provide free frequent and fast from our camp into the old town, meaning you can party from dawn to dusk and onto dawn again!
Please see our PDF information on travel to Pamplona and our campground - Public transport to Ezcaba
Accommodation
PP'S PAMPLONA BASE - EZCABA - The Closest Campsite to the City
There is only one place to stay during San Fermin and that is at PP's party base at Camping Ezcaba. Not only has it got excellent facilities - Ezcaba has the major advantage of being just on the outskirts of the Pamplona - a quick 10 minute shuttle into the old town.
Our fantastic convenient position is very important in getting the most out of the fiesta. Being just 7km from the centre of Pamplona, PP can provide free frequent and fast transfers from our camp into the old town, meaning you can party from dawn to dusk and onto dawn again!
All PP Pamplona packages are based at Ezcaba. Upon arrival you will be greeted by experienced PP reps and shown to your pre-erected tents. The camp has an excellent pool, plenty of showers, toilets, bars, restaurants and mini market.Not only is Ezcaba the best camp in the region, it is the party camp!. It has its own stage with live music on the nights of July 4, 5, 6 and 7. It also has a resident DJ with the music pumping by the pool throughout the fiesta.
At the camp we provide all you can eat breakfasts daily. With all tours and packages you are given the opportunity to join our extensive Pamplona walking tours to get to know the city, its history, the bull run course and a thorough background to this fabulous fiesta. PP shuttle services will have you in the centre of the action for the noon Opening Ceremony on 6 July and we will be running return shuttles back to the campsite between 2.30pm and 5.30pm. Naturally our shuttle service will be operating for the dawn bull runs on the 7th and 8th. After the 8th you can use the campsite's shuttle service for a small cost. Taxis to the city centre from the campsite are only approx. 15 euros.
Our coach tours take you directly from London to our campsite, arriving on the 5th of July, in time to get set for the amazing Opening Ceremony on the 6th. If you are travelling independently our campsite is just so simple to get to. Local buses run from central Pamplona close to Ezcaba or it is an inexpensive taxi journey.
Accommodation packages: our campsite, being so close to Pamplona, is ideal for those wanting to meet us in Pamplona. We offer flexible packages from just £40 per night from 4 July to the end of the fiesta on 14 July. Two night minimum stay. The nights of 5, 6 and 7 July cost £70 per person per night.
:: Please see our PDF information on travel to Pamplona and our campground - Public transport to Ezcaba
:: PP's Pamplona base Ezcaba on Google maps
:: Pamplona region, campsites and airports
Frequently Asked Questions about Pamplona's San Fermin
What tours does PP offer?We offer a choice of Pamplona packages, covering the entire fiesta from the opening on 6 July through to the closing on 14 July. Our flexible camping (and Glamping) accommodation only packages are very popular with people making their own way to Pamplona. Our London coach tours cover the sensational opening ceremony of San Fermin on 6 July. We offer a choice of 6 day Pamplona or one way coach tours. Best of all, we operate from Pamplona's closest (and best) camping ground - Ezcaba - a fantastic base to operate your Running with the Bulls tour from.
NEW Hotel Accommodation options have now been added to our website also for those who prefer a bit of comfort. PLEASE NOTE the deposit amount on a hotel tour is £100 per person (non-refundable).
Coach Tours
Our 6 day Pamplona tour offers the fabulous opening ceremony party and the first 2 running of the bulls plus plenty of chances to explore the festival and the town of Pamplona.
We also offer a one-way coach tour option. Same as the 6 day tour above but coach travel is either one way from London to Pamplona or Pamplona to London.
Make your own way to Pamplona
Join us at our camp close to Pamplona with our flexible and economical accommodation packages. Available from 4 July to the end of the fiesta on 14 July. Two night minimum stay. Twin share or single tent and dorm room options are available.
NEW HOTEL PACKAGES - Three night packages for the nights of 5th, 6th and 7th of July so you can take in the absolutely amazing opening ceremony and have an opportunity to run with the bulls twice.
Flying and Transfer Options
Fly to Spain and join our accommodation only package. We also offer a tailored transfer service to/from Bilbao or Biarritz airports and other airports on request. From luxury taxis, to mini buses up to full coaches. The price will depend upon the size of the group.
Hire car: use Opodo for very economical car hire, ideal for smaller groups. 3 day hire from around just £75.
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PP's Pamplona party base is at Camping Ezcaba, just 7km from the city centre it is by far the closest campground to the old town. Not only has it got excellent facilities - Ezcaba has the major advantage of being just on the outskirts of the Pamplona - a quick 10 minute shuttle into the old town.
We use pre-erected 4 person tents on a twin share, 2 to a tent, or single occupancy basis.
We normally allocate our tents as two people to a tent (we use 4 person dome tents). If you require a tent on your own you can pay a single supplement of £10 a night.
To make a booking to the Running of the Bulls is easy. You either book on line or call our office to reserve your seats. A deposit of £50 for coach tours or £25 for accommodation packages per person reserves your seat the Pamplona Bull Run. Full payment for all Pamplona tours is due at the beginning of June. All deposits are non-refundable, and bookings are not transferable. Our booking conditions outline refunds payable on cancellations. Balances paid by credit card will be subject to a 2.5% service charge.
All coach tours include return executive coach transport from London to Pamplona and ferry crossings. At our Pamplona campground we provide continental breakfasts (all you can eat), pre-erected dome tents, shuttles to and from Pamplona (on July 5, 6, 7 and the morning of the 8th), local maps and the services of our couriers, ground crew and drivers. We also have free PP Pamps t-shirts and bandanas for all coach passengers and those arriving on accommodation only packages on 5, 6 and 7 July. With its own stage, Ezcaba has live music or DJ on the nights of July 4, 5, 6 and 7. Once at Pamplona, basically all you have to budget on is your meals (apart from breakfast) and your drinking money!
Book ten people on any Running of the Bulls tour and the eleventh goes free!! We offer this discount for groups of 10 booked and paid by the same person on one payment at the same time. Ask our office staff for further details. This offer only applies to those booking direct with PP Travel.
All our coach tours take you directly from London tour our campsite close to Pamplona. If you an doing accommodation only package, you will need to make your own way to Pamplona and then it is very easy to get to Ezcaba, being the closest camp to the old town, just 7km away. For those flying into Spain we can offer transfers on request. The price will depend upon the group size, but ideal and economic for large groups, such as stag or hen parties. Alternatively there are a number of public transport options or you may choose to drive to our campsite by van or hire car. Please see our PDF information on travel to Pamplona and our campground - Public transport to Ezcaba
The most economical to do a Running of the Bulls tour by air is to book a low cost airline, take one of our dedicated PP airport transfers from Bilbao or Biarritz and join our accommodation only packages.
Low cost airline destinations from London include: Biarritz (130km from Pamplona) and Bilbao (160km from Pamplona), Zaragoza (180km from Pamplona) and Santander (260km). Further afield Barcelona (490km) and the capital Madrid (450km).
You can fly into Pamplona Iberia Airlines, but must change flights in either Madrid or Barcelona and flights are normally very expensive unless booked very early.
We offer tailored airport transfers operating from Biarritz or Bilbao (other airports on request) taking you directly to our Ezcaba camping base close to Pamplona. These is no doubt these are the easiest options if you choose to fly to the Running of the Bulls. The price will depend upon the size of each group. For groups up to 3 or 4 people the cost will be from approx £60 each way. Mid sized groups of 8 and above about £33 each. Large groups from £20 per person. Please contact us directly for further information.
If you take public transport from the coastal airports, please be aware that it can take up to 6 hours (depending on bus and train connections) to get from Bilbao or Biarritz airports to our campsite. Transport will NOT be running from Bilbao airport after about 8pm in the evening so please make sure you are aware of this if choosing an evening flight into Bilbao. All Spanish bus companies seem to have a siesta midday between about 12 and 2pm so also please be aware of this.
If don't take a PP transfer from Bilbao or Biarritz - the best option is for you to fly into Pamplona's local airport. These flights from the UK will ALWAYS be via either Madrid or Barcelona and are normally much more expensive than flights to Bilbao or Biarritz. From Pamplona airport you catch a bus or taxi into the city then a bus to our camping base (about 20km). A taxi directly from the airport to our camp will cost around 25 euros, which is a good option if there is a group who can share the cost.
Other airports: You may consider Zaragoza or Santander. While budget airlines fly into these destinations, public transport will prove all most impossible but we can organise transfers from these upon request. You can fly cheaply into Madrid or Barcelona, but will be looking at least a 6 hour train or bus to Pamplona city and then local bus to our base.
If you are planning on not coming back to London and continuing your travels after your Pamplona Tour, we offer a one way special package. Book and pay for our 6 Day tour at a reduced cost (£20 discount). Once down in Pamplona, you can decide when you want to depart. We also offer a San Sebastian drop off on the afternoon of July 8th. Cost 15 Euro and subject to availability.
Make sure you have your valid passport with you. We supply your pre-erected tents and breakfasts at the camp. You'll need a sleeping bag, airbed/mat and your party boots! You may also want to bring a pillow. We will allocate tents (two people per tent) on the journey to Spain or upon arrival for accommodation only passengers.
No camping gear? No problem, as we have sleeping bags for sale as well as sleeping mats in Pamplona from just 5 euros for mats and 30 euros for sleeping bags,
The weather should be hot and sunny, so bring your swimmers, towel, and sun cream. But be warned: it can get cool late at night - so also bring something warm. Occasionally it can also be cool and wet. So basically be prepared for everything!
Traditional fiesta clothing is all white with a red bandana, so bring all your old white t-shirts and pants/skirts.
At camp we offer a free security valuables service, where your valuables such as passports, wallets and electrical gear will be locked up at reception. You have access to these valuables during breakfast. Please note, as per our booking conditions, whilst all due care will be taken in providing security for these items, any passengers using this service does so completely at their own risk. No responsibility will be taken by this firm for any losses or damages that may occur whilst under our care. General personal items such as clothes and sleeping bags are normally ok left in tents which are not obviously not secure. Please remember that all personal items taken on any tour is the full responsibility of each passenger. Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance to cover any unfortunate losses.
As with most of western Europe, the local currency in Spain is the Euro. We strongly suggest you change up the bulk of your money before leaving. While there are plenty of ATMs about in Pamplona (not at the camp).How much? This will depend very much on how much you drink. Pamplona, being a street fiesta, is quite cheap, budget on 60-100 euros per day to cover food and general partying.
All our coaches to Pamplona are fitted with TV/video, stereo, toilets and air conditioning. Refreshments will be available on the coach. All coach tours depart from Embankment, opposite Embankment tube station. We cross the channel by ferry from Dover to Calais then do a night drive to Spain arriving just after dawn. All our coaches are non-smoking, however we have regular stops along the way. Each coach has a PP courier to assist passengers.
We encourage all passengers to have adequate travel insurance on our tours - the possibilities for injury or loss are considerable and medical costs can be extremely expensive - but we do not force you into purchasing insurance.
You can treat yourself to viewing the Running of the Bulls on a balcony as the they run immediately below you. Limited balconies are available but must be pre-booked. Cost £75 per person.
All passengers will need to carry a valid passport. Those travelling on South African and Zimbabwean passports will need a Schengen visa from the Spanish consulate, unless you have a valid one, already issued by another country. Australians, New Zealanders and EC passport holders do not require visas. Remember, visas are your responsibility. Please organise your visa in plenty of time, as it usually takes weeks - up to 8 is not uncommon!
As all deposits are non-refundable you will lose at least this amount if you cancel. Please note that bookings and names are not transferable. If you have paid in full, refunds (if any) due will depend upon when we receive your written, faxed or emailed cancellation instructions. Our full booking conditions are printed on each confirmation invoice, which will be emailed to you. Or they are available upon request from our office.
The PP Pamplona's San Fermin Experience
It is hard to really describe the spirit & atmosphere of Pamplona's famous Festival of San Fermin. You really just have to experience it for yourself. Even though you probably know the festival as The Running of the Bulls, it is the full-on Spanish fiesta not the bull running that can make visiting Pamplona during this period such a life changing experience.
At PP, we aim to to not only operate the most organised, best fun tours to the Running of the Bulls, we are determined that you really get to discover and experience this unique atmosphere for yourself. And with our long experience at San Fermin and our large professional team, we believe we know what it takes takes to make this happen.
The cornerstone of PP's determination to operate the most professional tours to the Running of the Bulls, is our deliberate policy of operating out Pamplona's Ezcaba camp - the closest to the city's old town - as well as offering tours that also stay on the Spanish coast at Zarautz. Being so close to all the action means you really can make the most of your San Fermin Fiesta experience - you can really party from dawn to dusk and then dusk to dawn! Not only is Ezcaba the best camp in the region and only a 15min shuttle ride away, it is THE party camp. With its own stage, live music runs from July 4 to 7 and the atmosphere at the camp is electric.
All PP Tours to the Pamplona cover the sensational opening ceremony of the festival of San Fermin at noon on the 6th. If you are going to head to Pamplona for the Bull Run, then you MUST be at the opening - it will blow you away!
PP Travel is the only major Pamplona tour company that operates it's own security system. Upon arrival we will check in all your valuables - passports, cards, tablets, phones etc. These are available during breakfast daily. Pamplona during the fiesta is not the place to take any valuables with you. This is an excellent service to all passengers.
PP Travel is one the largest operators to the Running of the Bulls annually taking over 1000 passengers to the Pamplona Bull Run and we are proud of our reputation of quality tours achieved over the past 24 years.
Whether you are travelling on a coach tour from London, making your own way and joining our Pamplona accommodation only packages or flying in and joining one of our airport transfers - all PP reps are thoroughly trained and will be sure to show you a great Pamplona/San Fermin experience.
The festival starts each year at noon on July 6 with the amazing champagne Opening Ceremony and then runs non-stop 24-hours a day through to midnight on July 14. The Running of the Bulls begins at 8am every morning from the 7th to the 14th of July. Even though the festival is known worldwide for this unusual event, it is only a small part of the festival and you really will only want to watch once or twice. Your PP Pamplona Tour will transfer you into old town early on the 7th and 8th in plenty of time to get a position to watch the run or join in yourself! Experienced PP reps will give you a thorough background to the run, where best watch it from and will even walk bull runners to the best starting position.
It will be our 25th year at Pamps in 2015. Pamplona 2015 will mark PP Travel's birthday and it is sure to be be a great party. Our first tour back in 1991 was to Pamplona with just two coaches. We are very proud of how we have grown so much from our humble beginnings and the quality of the tours we have run to Spain over the past 25 years. We will ensure that our San Fermin 2014 tours are something special
If you only go to one fiesta in Europe this year - Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls it has to be. It really is a must!
History
WHAT IS THE FESTIVAL OF SAN FERMIN?
It is impossible for anyone to accurately describe the spirit and atmosphere of Pamplona's famous Festival of San Fermin - it is something you'll really just have to experience for yourself. Also it is very difficult to explain why the festival is so important to the locals, all its ancient traditions and why the people of the region go so crazy during the week of San Fermin. Even though most tourists know the festival as "The Running of the Bulls" it is the amazing party atmosphere, a full-on Spanish fiesta, not the bull running that makes visiting Pamplona during San Fermin such a memorable experience.
The festival begins each year at noon on July 6 with the amazing champagne opening ceremony and then runs non-stop 24-hours a day through to midnight on July 14. Today's modern festival is a combination of three ancient festivals that were united in 1591. It obtained its name from Saint Fermin who is the patron saint of Navarra. He was the first bishop of Pamplona and died as a martyr in Amiens, France, way back in the 1st century AD. He has always been worshipped by the people of Pamplona as he was considered their original martyr of Christianity. The cult of San Fermin grew when his relics arrived in 1187 from Amiens with more relics arriving in the 1500s. Originally this festival was held in October when tradition says San Fermin first arrived in Amiens. It was moved to July in 1590 basically because of better weather. The other two festivals that now make up the modern one are the bull fighting festival which began in 1385 - bull fights are only held in Pamplona now during the festival -and an ancient trade fair that used to be held on St Peters Day - 18 July, when taxes were exempt.
WHAT IS THE BULL RUNNING ALL ABOUT?
The Running of the Bulls occurs at 8am each morning from the 7th of July through to the 14th. Even though the festival is famous for this unusual event, it is only a small part of the fest, something you really only want to watch once or twice. Transporting the bullfighting beasts to the ring is simply what the running of the bulls is all about. The bull run is known as the "encierro" which means "enclosing" (the bulls in the bullring). In old times there were no trucks to take the bulls from farms into the pens at the rear of the ring so they were hearded through the streets just after dawn when things were starting to quiet down. Running beside the bulls is a relatively new occurrence when you consider how ancient this festival is. It is believed men first started proving their manhood by running with the bulls during the early morning transport to the ring in the early 1800s. Running was outlawed then. But it grew through tradition and authorities officially allowed it in 1867.
Today all the shops and streets along the route in the old town are boarded off about 7am and cleared by police. At 8am a gun goes off and the bulls are released from a pen on one side of old Pamplona and it takes only a few minutes for them to charge the 1 mile (approx) through the narrow cobblestone streets into the ring. Once the bulls are safely in their pens, young steers are released into the thousands of runners in the ring for a bit of fun. By 8.30am the whole event is over, then it is back to the party ...! It is not easy to get a good position to watch the bull running on the streets. It is free to go into the lower sections of the bullring but for a few euros you can go to the upper tiers and watch the runners enter the "tunnel of death" and then watch the small bulls knock a few runners over. The bullfight occurs each evening about 6.30pm. Tickets to the fight cost anything from 25 to 70 Euros.
CAN I RUN THE BULLS? IS IT DANGEROUS?
It is free to run, if you want to take the risk. You just have to get a position on the street relatively early. It is considered a male-only tradition and it is extremely frowned upon by locals for females to run.
There have been 14 deaths in the run since 1910, the more recent being 22 year old American tourist Mathew Peter Tassio in 1995 and local veteran bull-runner 63-year-old Fermín Etxeberria Irañeta in 2003 - so it obviously is dangerous. However these numbers are not huge compared to the massive amount of runners who take on the 800 metre dash each year. In fact, it is those thousands who run - not the bulls - that you usually have to watch out for. Runners often fall over each other during the panic as the bulls get close putting limbs etc. at risk. Like a bungy jump, the thrill of the run is surviving.
PP Travel does do not encourage anyone to run or to dive off the statue in the mussel bar. If you do either, you do so at your own risk (insurance will not cover either) and PP Travel will take no responsibility for the consequences.
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