San Fermín Festival, Pamplona

The street fiesta, the parades, the encierro viewed from the street and the nightly fireworks are free. You pay for a balcony on the bull run route, a seat in the bullring to watch the runners arrive, and tickets for the afternoon bullfights, which are sold by the Casa de Misericordia, the charity that owns the bullring.

Runners must be at least 18 and sober. Bags, cameras and phones are forbidden, and taking photos or selfies on the course can lead to fines. Police remove anyone who is drunk or unsuitably dressed before the start, and access to the course closes at 7:30.

An international fireworks contest runs most nights of the fiesta, with displays launched from the Ciudadela and watched from the Vuelta del Castillo park and nearby streets. Shows usually start around 23:00. Families with young children tend to watch from the park.

The religious feast of San Fermín, Pamplona's first bishop, was originally held in October. In 1591 it moved to July, to coincide with the trade fairs and bullfights already held then. Running the bulls through the streets to the ring grew out of driving cattle to market, and Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises (1926) made the fiesta famous abroad.

Breakfast after the run means churros from La Mañueta or chocolate and a pastry. Through the day, the old town bars serve pintxos, and the local dishes include chistorra sausage, ajoarriero (salt cod with garlic, peppers and tomato) and stuffed piquillo peppers. Many peñas eat a large almuerzo outdoors mid-morning.

Yes. Spanish public television, RTVE, broadcasts every bull run live each morning from 7 to 14 July, with replays and slow-motion analysis afterwards. Many bars in the old town show it on screens, which is a sensible option if you cannot get a spot on the barriers.

Yes. The Plaza de Toros is open for guided visits for much of the year, and during the fiesta you can buy tickets for the arrival of the runners at 8:00, followed by the vaquillas, young cows released into the ring with amateurs. Get to the bullring early, as seats fill well before the rocket.

San Sebastián is an hour away by road for beaches and pintxos. The Bardenas Reales semi-desert lies about an hour to the south, and the Irati beech forest in the Pyrenees is about the same distance north-east. Olite, with its royal palace and vineyards, makes a good half-day trip.

The giants and big-heads parade each morning, and children love being chased by the kilikis, who tap them with foam sticks. There is also a children's encierro, the encierrito or encierro txiki, with foam bulls pushed along a short route. Afternoons in the Ciudadela park are a quieter break from the crowds.

Sexual assault has been a serious issue at the fiesta, and the city now runs a visible awareness campaign with information points and a dedicated phone line. Stay with friends, keep an eye on your drink, and use the assistance points if anything happens. Police patrols in the old town are heavy throughout the nine days.

The opening day and the first weekend are the most crowded and most alcohol-fuelled. Weekdays in the second half, roughly 10 to 13 July, are calmer and more local while keeping the full programme of runs and parades. The farewell on 14 July is packed but peaceful.