Running of the Bulls (Encierro)
Running of the Bulls (Encierro) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Pamplona. Give it roughly ~120 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- Pamplona Pamplona guide
About Running of the Bulls (Encierro)
The world's most famous bull run, held every morning from July 7-14 at 8am through Pamplona's old town streets, covering 875 metres from the corral to the bullring, attracting thousands of runners from around the world since the 14th century.
The encierro, the running of the bulls, is the centrepiece of Pamplona's San Fermín festival and one of the most famous events in the world, immortalised by Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises (1926). Held every morning from July 7 to July 14 at precisely 8:00am, six bulls and six steers run 875 metres through the narrow streets of the old town from the Calle Santo Domingo corral to the Plaza de Toros (bullring). The run typically lasts between 2 and 5 minutes. Participants, traditionally dressed in white with red scarves and sashes, run ahead of the bulls, and the danger is real: since records began in 1910, 15 people have been killed and hundreds injured. The tradition began in the 14th century as a practical way of moving bulls from the corrals to the ring; it evolved into a demonstration of courage and became an international phenomenon after Hemingway's description made it famous worldwide. The route passes through Calle Santo Domingo, Plaza Consistorial, Mercaderes, and Calle Estafeta, the sharp turn between the last two, at the Town Hall, being the notorious "dead man's corner".
Did you know? The encierro lasts between 2 and 5 minutes on most days, the entire distance of 875 metres is covered in that time. The fastest recorded encierros have lasted under two minutes; the slowest, when the bulls separated and went in different directions, have lasted around 30 minutes and were among the most dangerous.
How long is a visit to Running of the Bulls (Encierro)?
Set aside roughly ~120 min for Running of the Bulls (Encierro). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Running of the Bulls (Encierro) worth your time?
Running of the Bulls (Encierro) is among the 15 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Pamplona, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Pamplona
Hear the story of Running of the Bulls (Encierro)
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