travel guide to barcelona

The 17 best things to do in Barcelona in 2024

Feb 12, 2024 • 8 min read

Here are Barcelona's unmissable experiences © Jordi Salas / Getty Images

Barcelona is Spain 's most visited city, and it's not hard to see why – the historic capital of Catalonia is packed with galleries, museums, attractions and an incredible food scene.

Set between the mountains and sea, the city is celebrated for its unique architecture , thriving nightlife and urban beaches . With so many options, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Start your travel to-do list now with our guide to the best things to do in Barcelona .

This article was first published Feb 27, 2020 and updated Feb 12, 2024.

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Barcelona   Travel Guide

Why Go To Barcelona

Barcelona contains both the authentically historic and the wildly bizarre. From the scenic trails of the colorful  Park Güell  to the romantic narrow alleys of the Barri Gòtic , this city by the sea seems to attract all types – the adventurer, the romantic, the partier, the culture lover – with an almost overwhelming variety of things to do. You could stay for a few days exploring its architectural marvels, but chances are you'll need a whole week to explore.

And while the beach lures locals and visitors in droves, it’s the cosmopolitan city that really dazzles. Much of the activity revolves around the Ciutat Vella (or Old City), a series of narrow streets and alleys packed with restaurants, cafes and nightclubs, and the home of Las Ramblas – the wide, tree-lined thoroughfare that’s long been the hub of the city.

Just as unmissable are Antoni Gaudí's masterpieces; the architect, famous for his distinctive Catalan art nouveau style was the brains behind the city’s wavy, whimsical creations, from Casa Milà and Casa Batlló to La Sagrada Família . Beyond Gaudí’s influential mark, you’ll find an eclectic shopping scene, a slew of museums, plenty of parks and exquisite food and wine. You see why we suggest a week vacation? To get a lay of the land, consider signing up for one of the city's best guided tours .

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• # 1 in Best Places to Visit in March 2024
• # 1 in Best Places to Visit in Spain
• # 6 in Best Places to Visit in Europe for 2023-2024

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Best of Barcelona

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• # 1 in Hotel Arts Barcelona
• # 2 in Cotton House Hotel, Autograph Collection
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Best Things to Do in Barcelona

• # 1 in La Sagrada Família (Church of the Sacred Family)
• # 2 in Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter)
• # 3 in Casa Batlló

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Barcelona Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit Barcelona is from May to June, when balmy temperatures in the low to mid-70s mesh with a flurry of festivals that trumpet the advent of summer. The actual summertime is sticky with humidity – locals leave their beloved city in droves to catch a breeze somewhere else. They come back for the fall when the average highs drop back in to the 70s. Winter is mild compared to other Spanish destinations, with highs in the high 50s. And while coming during the spring may seem like smart idea for avoiding crowds, April sees frequent showers, which may put a literal damper on sightseeing plans (most of Barcelona's top attractions are experienced outside). Keep in mind that no matter what time of the year you'll visit, there will be other tourists: Barcelona is the most-visited city in Spain.

Weather in Barcelona

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

Don't visit in August Swarms of locals leave the city in August to catch some relief from the sweltering humidity, which means some of the smaller restaurants and shops are closed until September.

Spanish vs. Catalan Most residents who grew up in the region consider themselves Catalan and speak the Catalan language to each other, instead of Spanish. But don't worry – Barcelona is an incredibly international city and most residents are bilingual. Many are also trilingual, especially in the tourist areas.

Cover up at church Religious sites, such as Barcelona Cathedral and La Sagrada Família, ask that visitors cover up knees and shoulders when entering. If you don't have the proper attire on hand, you won't be admitted (although shawls are for sale at the cathedral).

Take a tour According to visitors, one of the best ways to acquaint yourself with the city is to take a guided tour .

How to Save Money in Barcelona

Go big on lunch Eat a big meal at lunch and you can cash in on the menú del día (menu of the day), which is usually an affordable and tasty three-course meal (they’re normally served on weekdays, although some restaurants offer them on weekends too). A similar meal in the evening costs much more.

Don't eat in touristy areas The more-visited parts of the city like Las Ramblas are known to serve mediocre food at exorbitant prices. Instead, venture away from the crowded areas and you’ll find something better for much less.

Stay in an apartment Cut down on food costs by renting an apartment (rather than staying in a hotel), where you can buy groceries and cook your own Catalan feasts.

Culture & Customs

Barcelona is part of the Spanish province of Catalonia, making its culture a little different from what you'd experience in Madrid , Seville  or Granada . The most noticeable difference is the language. In Barcelona, both Spanish and Catalan are official languages; Catalan is not a dialect of Spanish. The language was derived from Latin during the occupation of the Romans several thousands of years ago. While in Barcelona, you'll see street and roadway signs in both Catalan and Spanish as well as some restaurant menus. However, considering Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in Europe, you will likely find English speaking residents in hotels and tourist areas.

Barcelona's official currency is the euro (EUR). Since the euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate fluctuates often, be sure to check what the current exchange rate is before you go. Major credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops. Like the rest of Spain, tipping is not common in Barcelona. Depending on where you dine, a service charge may be added to your bill. However, if you do want to tip, 10% is more than sufficient. Also similar to the rest of Spain, Catalans eat late and party even later. Restaurants are typically open for lunch between 1 and 4 p.m. and for dinner from 8 to 11 p.m. For locals, dinner usually starts at 9 p.m. at the earliest, going out starts at 12 a.m. and clubs stay open until 5 or 6 a.m. 

What to Eat

In Barcelona, expect to find a mix of traditional Spanish dishes along with Mediterranean-infused Catalonian classics. While here, make sure to sample Spanish staples including jamón ibérico, manchego cheese , tortilla española (potato omelet), gazpacho (cold soup), and patatas bravas (sautéed potatoes typically served with a spicy aioli). And considering the city borders the Mediterranean Sea, you should indulge in paella accordingly. But when in Catalonia, try the Catalan versions of paella. There's arròs a la catalana , which features much of the same ingredients of paella except the dish doesn't use saffron, a key ingredient in Spanish paella. Fideuà is another paella-like dish with a Catalan spin, only instead of rice you get noodles.

Catalonian cuisine is big on meat and fish. And while that may not sound too far off from the rustic, meat-heavy fare found throughout the rest of Spain, the difference here is that the Catalans like to mix both of them together in one dish. Mar i muntanya is the name of the phenomenon ,  so don't be alarmed if while in a restaurant, you notice a dish coming out with chicken and shrimp together on a plate. If that sounds too heavy for your liking, there are plenty of lighter options that are quintessentially Catalan. Grilled vegetables are surprisingly big for a place that loves pork. (Sausage is another staple here. Instead of focusing on chorizo, go for the regional botifarras sausage). One of the most traditional Catalan dishes available is escalivada , which is grilled eggplant and red peppers mixed with olive oil and garlic (sometimes with anchovies) served on top of bread. There's also the vegetarian-friendly, and favored pa amb tomàquet snack, or bread spread with a mix of olive oil, garlic and crushed tomatoes. And if you're visiting from December to early May, seek out a calçot cookout. Calçots are a type of spring onions native to the province, and it's a Catalan pastime to char them on a grill and dip them in romesco sauce. Also part of the pastime? Wearing bibs (often emblazoned with calçots) and eating outside, where the grilled calçots are spread among newspaper. (If that sounds familiar, it's the same way crab and lobster is consumed in the USA.)

Whatever you decide to eat while in Barcelona, make sure to leave room for dessert. Crema catalana is the Catalan version of creme brulee. Cheese is also dessert here. Mel i mató is a goat cheese drizzled with warm honey and accompanied by walnuts. Cava, or Catalan sparkling wine, goes great with these too.

Barcelona is a major tourism hotspot and pickpockets know it. Be mindful of your surroundings especially while touring Barcelona's major attractions. The city sees a moderate rate of conventional crime and principal tourist areas and metros are often the most targeted spots. Men should keep their wallets in their front pockets and carry backpacks in front when traveling on the metro and women should make sure their purses are zipped or secured as best as possible.

Getting Around Barcelona

The best way to get around Barcelona is by metro. A handful of numbered and color-coded lines weave throughout the city, making stops near many of the city's most popular attractions as well as the Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN). City buses are also an option for getting around the city, but be aware that ever-present traffic jams make commuting this way rather time-consuming. You could hail taxis on the street, but if you want to burn a few calories, conduct your tour on foot or by bike. Driving is not recommended.

Entry & Exit Requirements

A passport is required for entry into Spain. The passport must be valid for three months beyond your departure date. Tourists from the United States can stay for up to 90 days without a tourist visa. For more information on entry and exit requirements, visit the U.S. Department of State's website .

Park Güell is one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona, thanks to its excellent views and colorful atmosphere.

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Local experts suggest how to explore the coastal city.

Daniel Gioia/Travel + Leisure

Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city with a reputation for its modernist architecture, diverse neighborhoods, Catalan cuisine, and ample opportunities to set your gaze on the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. When I add up my many return trips and extended stays here, I've spent nearly two years exploring this heart-stealing city, and I have seen how travelers new to the destination are often overwhelmed by its abundance. From Gaudí's iconic Sagrada Familia to Roman ruins hiding in plain sight, you would need a lifetime to discover all of this city's secrets. And yet, we took on the challenge of determining the best things to do in Barcelona, from cava tastings to historic landmarks. With help from tourism professionals Hannah Pentimaki, ground operations manager of Walk and Devour Tours , and Jaime Estellés, the front of house manager at Grand Hotel Central , here's how we suggest getting to know this incredible city.

Related : The Best Time to Visit Spain for Great Weather and Famous Festivals

Marvel at the Sagrada Familia.

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This site is well worth queueing up for — or buy your ticket in advance to save time. A work-in-progress, Sagrada Familia has yet to see the completion of its tallest towers, but you can still go inside to experience the Gaudí masterpiece.

Order tapas.

GMVozd/Getty Images

“Barcelona is a foodie paradise,” says Hannah Pentimaki of Devour Tours. “Go to a tapas restaurant so you can try a bit of everything. Order patatas bravas, which are prepared differently in every bar with their own secret recipe. I also recommend you try pan con tomate, or bread with tomato and olive oil, and the bomba, a fried potato croquette with ground beef simmered in a savory sauce. For dessert, get the crema catalana.”

Take a seat at Park Güell.

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Looking for those colorful mosaic benches and structures that look like gingerbread houses? That's Park Güell, and it's Pentimaki's top itinerary suggestion, right alongside having tapas. "If you only have one day in Barcelona, I recommend getting up early and starting with a visit to Park Güell. Book the first tickets of the day so you get there before it's too busy and too hot in the summertime."

Visit Casa Batlló at night.

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Located in the heart of Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona’s main shopping street, this home is a perfect example of Catalan modernism, which Gaudí was the master of. Designed for the Batlló family, the home is a work of art from the inside and out. The museum can get very crowded during the day, but if you book a Magic Night ticket , you’ll have more space to move about, and you can enjoy live music and a drink on the rooftop.

Go to the rooftop at Casa Milà.

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Just a few blocks from Casa Batlló is Casa Milà , another Gaudí-designed home; this one is also known as La Pedrera, which means “the quarry” in Catalan. The house's undulating façade is a marvel when you see it from the street, but you will need to go inside and climb to the rooftop to get the full effect of Gaudí’s genius.

See Gaudí’s early work at Casa Vicens.

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Pentimaki also recommends visiting Casa Vicens , one of the best-kept Gaudí secrets in town. “Casa Vicens is a very underrated attraction," says Pentimaki. "This was the first house architect Antoni Gaudí designed, and it jump-started his career. Unlike some of his other houses — like Casa Batlló or La Pedrera, which he designed years later — Casa Vicens remains a bit unknown to tourists.”

Go cava tasting.

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This distinct, sparkling wine hails from Spain, specifically the Catalan wine regions surrounding Barcelona. You’ll find it in most restaurants, but Jaime Estellés of Grand Central Hotel recommends guests go to specialists if they want to learn more, including “Agúita in Born District, La Teca de Vila Viniteca , La Vinya del Senyor , and Vinitus .” Pentimaki adds that La Vinya is well-loved among locals. “The bar itself is quite small," Pentimaki says, "but it has a gorgeous outdoor terrace with stunning views of the Gothic church Santa María del Mar.”

Spend time with Picasso.

Reserve your ticket to this museum well in advance if you want to pay your respects to the great Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Set in a series of connected medieval palaces, the museum houses many of the artist’s early works, and exhibits share information about his life in Barcelona.

Walk down the Rambla.

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The Rambla is Barcelona's pedestrian superhighway. It may be touristy, but it’s still worth walking at least once to orient yourself in the city. Start at Plaça de Catalunya and go all the way to the Columbus statue; from here, cross over to Rambla de Mar, a boardwalk that goes over the marina, where there is also an aquarium and a shopping mall.

Attend the opera at Gran Teatre del Liceu.

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On a busy night on the Rambla, it's possible you'll pass the Gran Teatre del Liceu when a show is just letting out. Ideally, you'll go inside yourself. No matter the type of show you see, the elaborate decoration of the city’s oldest-running theater is worth enjoying in person.

Admire the Hospital de Sant Pau.

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You don’t need a doctor’s note to check out this modernist masterpiece, built by another one of the city’s prominent architects, Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The unique building completely reimagines what a hospital might look like, using beautiful design, artwork, and natural light to facilitate the healing process.

Tour the Palau de la Música Catalana.

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If you like the Hospital de Sant Pau, enjoy more of Montaner’s style at the Palau de Música Catalana. Concerts are held here throughout the year, but if you’re visiting in the spring you may be able to catch a special show during the Barcelona Obertura , a classical music festival held across the city’s many music venues.

Visit the MNAC.

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Head inside Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) for the best art collection in Barcelona, or take a seat on the stairs and enjoy the views over Plaça d'Espanya. The collection includes pieces from modernists like Picasso and Renaissance painters like El Greco. Gaudí fans should make sure to visit the collection of the architect’s unique furniture pieces.

Ride the cable car to Montjuïc.

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You will find some of the best city views at the top of Montjuïc, plus a historic fortress and venues from the 1992 Olympics that are still in use as entertainment spaces. Skip the climb and hop on the cable car at Parc de Montjuïc to go straight to the castle.

Graze on pintxos in Poble Sec.

If you’re walking down from Montjuïc, you will end up in this charismatic neighborhood. Head down to Blai Street, where you will find a seemingly endless row of pintxo (or small snack) bars and many locals enjoying after-work drinks and tapas al fresco.

Get lost in the Gothic Quarter.

Getting turned around is half the fun of wandering the winding narrow streets of this medieval district. You never know when you will come across a hidden gem of a wine bar or the remains of an ancient Roman temple. There is plenty of shopping to do and many squares as well; find a sunny place to sit down or to order a traditional vermouth drink.

Visit the Barcelona Cathedral.

This cathedral is at the heart of the Gothic Quarter, and its beautiful architecture dates back to the 13th century. After appreciating the inside of the cathedral, get a view of its fantastic exterior from the rooftop of the Hotel Colon , which is just across the way from the cathedral.

Explore El Born.

One of Barcelona's most picturesque neighborhoods, El Born offers history, nightlife, and excellent shopping. If you're here just briefly, climb up the tower at the Catedral de Mar, then stop at the famous Patisserie Hofmann for one of their show-stopping croissants. On the last weekend of the month, there's a pop-up market on Passeig de Born, where you'll find neighborhood shops and vendors selling their wares.

Pose with the Raval Cat.

There’s no denying the charm of this rotund feline who sits on the Rambla de Raval; the sculpture was created by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. In this neighborhood, you can also check out vintage shops and rambunctious skateboarders, who regularly tear up the concrete in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona .

See Gaudí’s fountain at Ciutadella Park.

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The scene in Ciutadella is always lively, but the park’s centerpiece is this impressive fountain, also by Gaudí. The Cascada Monumental was one of the architect’s early projects, designed while he was still in university.

Rent a paddleboard in Barceloneta.

There’s plenty of activity on the sand at Barcelona’s busiest beach, but you’ll get better views if you’re on the water. Rent a paddleboard at one of the nearby neighborhood shops; hit the water at the right time, and you can watch the sunset behind the city.

Dance all night.

Barcelona’s nightlife is legendary, and people really do stay out until the sun comes up. Classic spots that keep themselves hip include Apolo and Razzmatazz . In Poble Espanyol, a recreation of a typical Spanish village, you’ll also find the music pumping well into the night on the outdoor dance floor of La Terrazza .

Visit many different markets, not just La Boqueria.

La Boqueria is the most famous market in Barcelona, but you can visit other neighborhood markets for smaller crowds and a more authentic shopping experience. Try the Santa Caterina Market in El Born or the Sant Antoni Market.

Have drinks at an incredible cocktail bar.

Barcelona has been making waves in the international cocktail scene for years, consistently ranking on the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars , which is curated by leading industry experts. Paradiso in El Born took the number one spot in the world in 2022, and you’ll probably find a line to match that reputation when you get there. If you don’t want to wait, check out other El Born neighborhood spots with their own specialty cocktail reputations, including Dr Stravinsky and Monk .

Take in the views from Tibidabo.

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The Temple of the Sacred Heart sits at the top of this hill, and the views of the city skyline and the Mediterranean make it a worthwhile trek; you can hike or take the cable car up. You'll also find a theme park on the hilltop. Tibidabo is, of course, yet another great place to watch the sunset.

Get a history lesson on the Spanish Civil War.

In addition to the many great walking tours and food tours available in Barcelona, Spanish Civil War Tours offers history lovers an education in the Spanish Civil War; many significant events happened here in Barcelona. Visit the company website to sign up for a tour with a local historian.

Find the human towers.

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It’s not often that visitors get to experience casteller performances, and when you do, it’s a nail-biting sight you will remember forever. Team members work together to create gravity-defying human structures in this traditional art form. Check the online schedule to see if you might catch them in the act while you’re in town.

Make the pilgrimage to Montserrat.

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The unique geology of this mountain gives it its name, which means “Serrated Mountain,” and the monastery at the top should be on your Barcelona itinerary. Guided tours are available, and note that it’s extremely easy to reach this site by train from Plaza Espanya.

Feast on calçots.

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If you visit Barcelona between January and March, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Catalan barbecue. Many restaurants offer these spring onions and tangy romesco sauce on the menu this time of year, but be forewarned: they can be so messy to eat that they're often served with gloves and a bib.

Take a day trip to Costa Brava.

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You will find the best beaches and the prettiest waters north of the city on the iconic Costa Brava. The easiest day trip is to Tossa de Mar, where you can rent a kayak and explore the nearby caves and coves that define this beautiful stretch of coast.

Related: Best Beaches in Spain

Watch a thrilling race.

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The Formula 1 Aramco Gran Premio de España, better known as the Spanish Gran Prix , will remain in Barcelona only until 2026, when it moves to Madrid. It’s worth noting that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, built as part of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics development program, sits 15 miles north of the city center. Held in late June, the race is often a nail-biter, thanks to the amount of year-round testing done there — meaning the drivers and mechanics are deeply familiar with it. A bit of history: The track enjoyed an incredible debut, with Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna near wheel-to-wheel racing down the straightaway (before Mansell took the victorious lead).

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The hotels were fabulous and we were greeted and treated with care. The itinerary proved outstanding. The drivers were wonderful. He was always on time, ma...

Barcelona – Spain’s second city, and the self-confident capital of Catalunya – vibrates with life, and there’s certainly not another city in the country to touch it for sheer style, looks or energy. It’s long had the reputation of being the avant-garde capital of Spain, its art museums are world-class, its football team sublime, while its designer restaurants, bars, galleries and shops lead from the front.

What to see in Barcelona

Best time to go to barcelona, where to go in barcelona, along the ramblas, barri gòtic, barceloneta, port olímpic, diagonal mar, museu nacional d’art de catalunya (mnac), the eixample, les corts and pedralbes, tibidabo and parc de collserola, festivals in barcelona, accommodation in barcelona, eating in barcelona, barcelona drinking and nightlife, shopping in barcelona, arts, culture and entertainment in barcelona, things to do, #01 la pedrera, #02 the city beaches, #03 a tapas tour, #04 camp nou, #05 fundació miró, #07 museu del modernisme català, #08 tibidabo, #09 casa batlló, #10 la boqueria, #11 museu nacional d’art de catalunya (mnac), #12 the ramblas, #13 parc güell, #14 museu picasso, #15 sagrada família, #16 museu d’art contemporani de barcelona (macba).

In terms of things to do in Barcelona, in Antoni Gaudí’s extraordinary church of the Sagrada Família, the winding alleys and ageing mansions of the picture-postcard Gothic Quarter, and the world-famous boulevard that is the Ramblas, you have three sights that are high up any Spanish sightseeing list. There's also great things to do for free in Barcelona such as the magic fountains or creating your own modernist house hop.

As a thriving port, prosperous commercial centre and buzzing cultural capital of three million people, the city is almost impossible to exhaust – even in a lengthy visit you will likely only scrape the surface.

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Do you want to explore highlights in Spain while staying in nature at the same time? Look no further. Start your Spanish adventure in Barcelona before heading off to the mountains - drive your rental car to Andorra and further on to Basque Country. Decide between driving yourself or guided tours.

Everyone starts with the Ramblas, and then dives straight into the medieval nucleus of the city, the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), but there are plenty of other central old-town neighbourhoods to explore, from La Ribera – home to the celebrated Museu Picasso – to funky El Raval, where cool bars, restaurants and boutiques have mushroomed in the wake of the striking contemporary art museum, MACBA. Even if you think you know these heavily touristed neighbourhoods well, there’s always something else to discover – tapas bars hidden down alleys little changed for a century or two, designer boutiques in gentrified old-town quarters, bargain lunches in workers’ taverns, unmarked gourmet restaurants, craft outlets and workshops, fin-de-siècle cafés, restored medieval palaces and neighbourhood markets.

But endlessly fascinating as these districts are, Barcelona is so much more than just its old-town areas. The fortress-topped hill of Montjuïc, for example, contains the Olympic stadium used for the 1992 Games as well as some of the city’s best art museums, notably MNAC, ie the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya – note the word “nacional”, which tells you all you need to know about Catalunya’s strong sense of identity. Other museums too explore the work of internationally famous Catalan artists, from Joan Miró to Antoni Tàpies, while in the nineteenth-century, uptown extension of the city – the Eixample – are found most of Barcelona’s celebrated modernista architectural wonders, from private houses to Gaudí’s peerless church.

If Barcelona sounds a bit too much like hard cultural work, then simply look instead for entertainment to the city’s harbour, parks, gardens and beaches. Indeed, it’s remarkably easy to forget you’re in a big city at all some times – just to take one example, walking from the Port Vell harbour takes you along the marina, through the old fishing and restaurant quarter of Barceloneta, past the leafy Parc de la Ciutadella , and out along the beachside promenade to the bar-and-restaurant zone that is the Port Olímpic.

Other easy city jaunts include a trip out to the Diagonal Mar conference and exhibition district for the new natural science museum, or up to the distinctive neighbourhood of Gràcia, with its small squares, lively bars and Gaudí’s amazing Parc Güell. If you’re saving yourself for just one aerial view of Barcelona, wait for a clear day and head for Tibidabo, a mountain-top amusement park backed by the Collserola hills, while beyond the city limits the one day-trip everyone should make is to the mountain-top monastery of Montserrat , 40km northwest.

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Barcelona is an established city-break destination with a year-round tourist, business and convention trade. Different seasons have different attractions, from summer music festivals to Christmas markets, but there’s always something going on.

Weather in Barcelona

As far as the weather is concerned, the best time to visit Barcelona is late spring or early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm (around 21–25°C) and walking the streets isn’t a chore. There might be a chill in the air in the evening, but Barcelona in these seasons is sometimes nigh on perfect.

However, in summer the city can be unbearably hot and humid, with temperatures averaging 28°C (but often a lot more). August, especially, is a month to be avoided, since the climate is at its most unwelcoming and many shops, bars and restaurants close as local inhabitants head out of the city in droves. It’s worth considering a winter break, as long as you don’t mind the prospect of occasional rain. It’s generally still warm enough to sit out at a café, even in December, when the temperature hovers around 13°C.

As with most Catholic countries, Carnival is celebrated before lent. Taking place between Febuary and March, Barcelona's main streets see a parade of fancy dress, floats and fireworks as a means of going wild before forty days of abstinence.

September 11th sees Diada Nacional de Catalunya, or Catalonia Day. Thousands take to the streets proudly wearing the Catalonian flag to celebrate culture. In recent years, the day has been used for independence demonstrations, making the day more lively and with a buzzing atmosphere.

Places around Barcelona

Out of Barcelona, the weather varies enormously from region to region. On the coast it’s best – naturally enough – in summer, though from June to September tourist resorts like Sitges are packed. Tarragona, too, can be extremely hot and busy in summer, though it’s worth knowing that Girona is considered to have a much more equable summer climate, and escaping from the coast for a few cool days is easy.

Despite being one of the largest cities on the Mediterranean (population 1.6 million, with a further 3.4 million in its metropolitan area), Barcelona is a pretty easy place to find your way around. In effect, it’s a series of self-contained quarters or neighbourhoods (known as barris) stretching out from the harbour, flanked by parks, hills and woodland.

Many of the best places to visit in Barcelona are in the city centre – the Gothic cathedral, Picasso museum, markets, Gaudí buildings and art galleries – can be reached on foot, while a fast, cheap, integrated public transport system takes you directly to the peripheral attractions and suburbs.

Start, as nearly everyone does, with the Ramblas, a kilometre-long, tree-lined avenue of pavement cafés, performance artists and kiosks that splits the old town in two. On the eastern side of the Ramblas is the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), the medieval nucleus of the city – a labyrinth of twisting streets and historic buildings, including La Seu (the cathedral) and the palaces and museums around Plaça del Rei.

Further east lies Sant Pere, set around its terrific market, which adjoins the fashionable boutique-and-bar quarter of La Ribera to the south, home to the Picasso museum. Over on the western side of the Ramblas is the edgier, artier neighbourhood of El Raval, containing both the flagship museum of contemporary art (MACBA) and the pick of the city’s coolest bars and restaurants.

At the bottom of the Ramblas is the waterfront, whose spruced-up harbour area is known as Port Vell (Old Port). Walking east from here takes you past the aquarium and marina, through the old fishing and restaurant quarter of Barceloneta, past the Parc de la Ciutadella and out along the promenade to the cafés and restaurants of the Port Olímpic. This whole area is where Barcelona is most like a resort, with city beaches all along the waterfront from Barceloneta as far as the conference and leisure zone of Parc del Fòrum.

Art- and garden-lovers, meanwhile, aim for the fortress-topped hill of Montjuïc to the southwest, where Catalunya’s national art gallery (MNAC), the Miró museum, botanic garden and main Olympic stadium are sited, among a host of other cultural attractions.

At the top of the Ramblas, Plaça de Catalunya marks the start of the gridded nineteenth-century extension of the city, known as the Eixample, a symbol of the thrusting expansionism of Barcelona’s early industrial age. This is where some of Europe’s most extraordinary architecture – including Gaudí’s Sagrada Família – is located.

Beyond the Eixample lie the northern suburbs, notably Gràcia, with its small squares and lively bars, and the nearby Parc Güell, while you’ll also come out this way to see the famous Camp Nou FC Barcelona stadium. It’s worth making for the hills, too, where you can join the crowds at Barcelona’s famous Tibidabo amusement park – or escape them with a walk through the woods in the peaceful Parc de Collserola.

The good public transport links also make it easy to head further out of the city. The most obvious place to visit is the mountain-top monastery of Montserrat , not least for the extraordinary ride up to the monastic eyrie by cable car or mountain railway. Sitges is the local beach town par excellence, while with more time you can follow various trails around the local wine country, head south to the Roman town of Tarragona or north to medieval Girona or the Dalí museum in Figueres.

It is a telling comment on Barcelona’s character that one can recommend a single street – the Ramblas – as a highlight. No day in the city seems complete without a stroll down at least part of what, for Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, was “the only street in the world which I wish would never end”. Lined with cafés, restaurants, souvenir shops, flower stalls and newspaper kiosks, it’s at the heart of Barcelona’s life and self-image.

The Ramblas splits the old-town areas of Barcelona in half, with the Barri Gòtic on the east flank of the avenue and El Raval on the west. It also actually comprises five separate sections strung head to tail – from north to south, Rambla Canaletes, Estudis, Sant Josep, Caputxins and Santa Mònica – though you’ll rarely hear them referred to as such. Here, under the plane trees, you’ll find pet canaries, tropical fish, flowers, plants, postcards and books. You can buy jewellery, have your palm read and your portrait painted, play cards with a man on an upturned cardboard box (not a good idea), or while away time with the buskers and human statues.

Mercat de la Boqueria

Beyond the Palau de la Virreina lies the city’s most famous market, known locally as La Boqueria, though officially the Mercat Sant Josep. While others might protest, the market really can claim to be the best in Spain. Built between 1836 and 1840, it’s a riot of noise and colour, with great piles of fruit and vegetables, dried herbs, exotic mushrooms, cured meats and an amazing variety of fish and seafood. If you’re going to buy, do some browsing first, as the flagship fruit and veg stalls by the entrance tend to have higher prices than those farther inside. There are some excellent stand-up snack bars in here, open from dawn onwards for the traders – Pinotxo near the Ramblas entrance is the most famous.

The Ramblas statues

You can’t move for human statues on the Ramblas, standing on their little home-made plinths. Classical figures and movie characters have always formed part of the parade, but there’s also some real wit and invention on display, like “Fruit Lady”, a one-woman mobile market stall, or the twin “Bicycling Skeletons”. Then there’s just the plain weird, like “Lady Under Rock”, crushed under a boulder, issuing plaintive shrieks at passers-by. And quite what demons drive “Man Sitting on Toilet”, only he can say.

On the Miró trail

Halfway down the Ramblas, just past La Boqueria, look down at the pavement – that’s right, the large circular mural under your feet is by Joan Miró. The famous Catalan artist was born just a couple of minutes’ walk off the Ramblas in the Barri Gòtic (there’s a plaque to mark the building on Passatge del Crèdit, off c/de Ferran) – and when you’ve seen one Miró in Barcelona, well, you start to see them everywhere, whether it’s T-shirts for tourists or branding for businesses. There’s another large ceramic mural at the airport, for a start, while Miró designed the starfish logo for the Caixa de Pensions savings bank (there’s one splashed across the Caixa Forum arts centre on Montjuïc). And this is all on top of the Montjuïc museum devoted to his life’s work. In many ways, it’s a Miró city, whatever Picasso fans might think.

The Barri Gòtic, or Gothic Quarter, forms the very heart of the old town in Barcelona, spreading out from the east side of the Ramblas. It’s a remarkable concentration of medieval buildings principally dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when Barcelona reached the height of its commercial prosperity before being absorbed into the burgeoning kingdom of Castile.

Things to do in Barri Gòtic

It takes the best part of a day to see everything here, with the cathedral – La Seu – a particular highlight, and you certainly won’t want to miss the archaeological remains at the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat or the eclectic collections of the Museu Frederic Marès. That said, sauntering through the atmospheric alleys or simply sitting at a café table in one of the lovely squares is just as much an attraction.

A good way to see the Gothic Quarter, and to learn about the stories and legends that make up the history here, is to partake in a walking tour. Typical routes walk you through August's Temple, the Cloister Cathedral and the Palatine Chapel of Santa Agata (Place del Rei).

The picture-postcard images of the Barri Gòtic are largely based on the streets north of c/de Ferran and c/de Jaume I, where tourists throng the boutiques, bars, restaurants, museums and galleries. South of here – from Plaça Reial and c/d’Avinyó to the harbour – the Barri Gòtic is rather more traditional (or sometimes just plain run-down).

Boho Barcelona and the Four Cats

There’s not much to see in the shopping zone north of the cathedral, but a century or so ago a tavern called Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats; c/Montsió 3, wwww.4gats.com) burned brightly as the epicentre of Barcelona’s bohemian in-crowd. It was opened in 1897 as a gathering place for artists and literary types, with the building gloriously decorated in exuberant Catalan Art Nouveau style. Els Quatre Gats soon thrived as the scene of poetry readings and the venue for cultural debate, while a young Picasso designed the menu. Today, a modern restoration displays something of its former glory, with the bar-restaurant overseen by a copy of Ramon Casas’ famous wall-painting of himself and café founder Pere Romeu on a tandem bicycle (the original is in MNAC).

A tour of Jewish Barcelona

Barcelona’s medieval Jewish quarter lay nestled in the shadow of the cathedral – under the Church’s careful scrutiny. It was centred on c/Sant Domènec del Call, where you’ll find the most notable surviving landmark, the Antiga Sinagoga (c/Marlet 5, corner with c/Sant Domènec del Call; Mon–Fri 10.30am–5.30pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am–3pm, sometimes closed Sat for ceremonies; €2.50; t933 170 790, w calldebarcelona.org ; mLiceu) – not many people stop by, and if you do, you’ll get a personalized tour of the small room by a member of the local Jewish community. The prosperous settlement persisted until the pogrom and forced conversion of 1391, after which most of the buildings used by the Jews were torn down. However, a plaque further down c/Marlet (junction with c/Arc Sant Ramon del Call) marks the site of the former rabbi’s house, while in nearby Plaçeta Manuel Ribé another house – originally belonging to a veil-maker – now serves as a small museum, the Centre d’Interpretació del Call (Pl. Manuel Ribé; Wed–Fri 11am–2pm, Sat 11am–6pm, Sun & hols 11am–2pm; free; t932 562 100, w museuhistoria.bcn.cat ; mLiceu).

Perhaps the greatest recent transformation in the city has been along the waterfront, where harbour and Mediterranean have once again been placed at the heart of Barcelona. The glistening harbourside merges seamlessly with the old town, with the tourist attractions of Port Vell (ie, Old Port) just steps from the bottom of the Ramblas. Meanwhile, the pleasant walk around the harbour along the waterfront to Barceloneta takes you past the marina, where a boat has been converted into a floating bar, the Luz de Gas, which is a particularly good place for a sundowner.

The old-town area west of the Ramblas is known as El Raval (from the Arabic word for “suburb”). In medieval times, it was the site of hospitals, churches and monasteries, but by the twentieth century, it had acquired a reputation as the city’s main red-light district, known to all as the Barri Xinès – China Town. Even today in the backstreets around c/de Sant Pau and c/Nou de la Rambla are found pockets of sleaze, while a handful of old bars trade on their former reputations as bohemian hangouts. Over the last two decades, however, El Raval has changed markedly, particularly in the “upper Raval” around Barcelona’s contemporary art museum, MACBA. Cutting-edge galleries, designer restaurants and fashionable bars are all part of the scene these days, although you’d hesitate to call El Raval gentrified, as it clearly still has its rough edges.

Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)

Anchoring the upper Raval is the huge, luminous Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona , known as MACBA. Once inside, a series of swooping ramps from the ground floor to the fourth floor afford continuous views of the square below – usually full of careering skateboarders. The collection represents the main movements in contemporary art since 1945, mainly in Catalunya and Spain but with a good smattering of foreign artists as well. The pieces are shown in rotating exhibitions, so you may catch works by Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, Eduardo Chillida, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg or Paul Klee. Joan Brossa, leading light of the Catalan avant-garde “Dau al Set” group, has work here, too, as do contemporary Catalan conceptual and abstract artists.

The Barri Gòtic is bordered on its eastern side by Via Laietana, which was cut through the old town at the beginning of the twentieth century. Across it to the east stretches the quiet neighbourhood of Sant Pere, home to two remarkable buildings, the Palau de la Música Catalana concert hall and the restored neighbourhood market, Mercat Santa Caterina.

There’s no finer place for lunch on a sunny day than Barceloneta, an eighteenth-century neighbourhood of tightly packed streets with the harbour on one side and a beach on the other. It was laid out in 1755 – a classic eighteenth-century grid of streets where previously there had been mudflats – and the long, narrow streets are still very much as they were planned, broken at intervals by small squares and lined with multi-windowed houses. The local market, Mercat de la Barceloneta, was stylishly refurbished in 2007, while at Barceloneta’s famous seafood restaurants – most characteristically lined along the harbourside Passeig Joan de Borbó – for most of the year you can sit outside and enjoy your meal.

The cross-harbour cable Car

The most thrilling ride in the city centre of Barcelona is across the inner harbour on the cable car . The Trasbordador Aeri, which sweeps from the Torre Sant Sebastià, at the foot of Barceloneta, to the Torre Miramar in Montjuïc, with a stop in the middle at Torre de Jaume I (though this middle stop is currently closed for long-term repairs).

Departures are every fifteen minutes (daily 10.30am–6pm, June–Sept until 8pm), though in summer and at weekends you may have to wait for a while at the top of the towers for a ride, as the cars only carry about twenty people at a time. Tickets cost €10 one way or €15 return.

Approaching the Port Olímpic along the Passeig Marítim, the shimmering golden mirage above the promenade slowly reveals itself to be a huge copper fish (courtesy of Frank O. Gehry, architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim). It’s the emblem of the huge seafront development constructed for the 1992 Olympics, and is backed by the city’s two tallest buildings – the Torre Mapfre and the steel-framed Hotel Arts Barcelona – while the surrounding area has filled up with restaurants, cafés and bars. The whole zone turns into a full-on resort in summer, backed by a series of class-conscious clubs along Passeig Marítim that appeal to the local rich kids and A-list celebs.

Beyond the Port Olímpic, the city beaches are split into separate named sections (Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant), each with showers, playgrounds and open-air café-bars. It’s a pretty extraordinary leisure facility to find so close to a city centre – the sands are regularly swept and replenished, while joggers, cyclists and bladers have one of the Med’s best views for company.

The waterfront convention-and-business district of Diagonal Mar was developed in the wake of the Universal Forum of Cultures Expo, held here in 2004. Everything is on a grand scale, starting with Jacques Herzog’s dazzling blue biscuit-tin of a building hovering – seemingly unsupported – above the ground. This houses the main exhibitions of the Natural Science Museum (the Museu Blau), while the vast, landscaped area beyond is one of the city’s showpiece urban leisure projects, the Parc del Fòrum.

You’ll need to reserve at least a day to see Montjuïc , the steep hill and park rising over the city to the southwest. There’s been a castle on the heights since the mid-seventeenth century, but since it was chosen as the site of the International Exhibition of 1929 Montjuïc has been firmly positioned as a cultural leisure park, anchored around the heavyweight art collections in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). This unsurpassed national collection of Catalan art is supplemented by works in two other superb galleries, namely international contemporary art in the CaixaForum and that of the famous Catalan artist Joan Miró in the Fundació Joan Miró . In addition, there are several other minor museums, quite apart from the buildings and stadiums associated with the 1992 Olympics, which was centred on the heights of Montjuïc.

The towering Palau Nacional, centrepiece of Barcelona’s 1929 International Exhibition, is home to one of Spain’s great museums, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) , showcasing a thousand years of Catalan art in stupendous surroundings. Its scope is such that it can be difficult to know where to start, but if time is limited it’s recommended you concentrate on the medieval collection, which you’ll be able to see in an afternoon. This is split into two main sections, one dedicated to Romanesque art and the other to Gothic – periods in which Catalunya’s artists were pre-eminent in Spain. The collection of Romanesque frescoes in particular is the museum’s pride and joy, while MNAC also has impressive holdings of European Renaissance and Baroque art, as well as an unsurpassed collection of “modern” (ie nineteenth- and twentieth-century) Catalan art up until the 1940s – everything from the 1950s and later is covered by MACBA. In addition, temporary blockbuster exhibitions (separate admission charge) change every two to four months.

Romanesque collection

The Romanesque collection is the best of its kind in the world. From the eleventh century, the Catalan villagers of the high Pyrenees built sturdy stone churches, which were then lavishly painted in vibrantly coloured frescoes. To save them from degradation, the frescoes were moved to the museum and now are imaginatively presented in reconstructions of their original church settings. Still luminescent after eight hundred years, the frescoes have a vibrant, raw quality, best exemplified by those taken from churches in the Boí valley in the Catalan Pyrenees – such as the work of the anonymous “Master of Taüll” in the church of Sant Climent; look out for details such as the leper, to the left of the Sant Climent altar, patiently suffering a dog to lick his sores.

Gothic collection

The evolution from the Romanesque to the Gothic period was marked by a move from murals to painting on wood, and by the depiction of more naturalistic figures in scenes of the lives of saints and royalty. By the time of fifteenth-century Catalan artists like Jaume Huguet and Lluís Dalmau, works showed the strong influence of contemporary Flemish painting, in the use of denser colours, the depiction of crowd scenes and a concern for perspective. The last Catalan Gothic-era artist of note is the so-called Master of La Seu d’Urgell, responsible for a fine series of six paintings (Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saints Peter, Paul and Sebastian, and Mary Magdalene) that once formed the covers of an organ.

Renaissance and Baroque collections

Major European artists displayed include Rubens, Goya, El Greco, Zurbarán and Velázquez, though the museum is keen to play up Catalan works of the period, which largely absorbed the prevailing European influences – thus Barcelona artist Antoni Viladomat (1678–1755), whose twenty paintings of St Francis, executed for a monastery, are shown here in their entirety. However, more familiar to most will be the masterpieces of the Spanish Golden Age, notably Velázquez’s Saint Paul.

Modern art collection

MNAC ends on a high note with its modern Catalan art collection, which is particularly good on modernista and noucentista painting and sculpture, the two dominant schools of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rooms highlight individual artists and genres, shedding light on the development of art in an exciting period of Catalunya’s history, while there are fascinating diversions into modernista interior design (with some pieces by Gaudí), avant-garde sculpture and historical photography.

Fundació Joan Miró

Montjuïc’s highlight for many is the Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona’s most adventurous art museum, opened in 1975 and set among gardens overlooking the city. Joan Miró (1893–1983) was one of the greatest of Catalan artists, establishing an international reputation while never severing his links with his homeland. He showed a childlike delight in colours and shapes and developed a free, highly decorative style – the paintings and drawings, in particular, are instantly recognizable, among the chief links between Surrealism and abstract art. Miró had his first exhibition in 1918, and after that spent his summers in Catalunya (and the rest of the time in France) before moving to Mallorca in 1956, where he died.

Inside the museum

Miró’s friend, the architect Josep Lluís Sert, designed the beautiful building that now houses the museum, a permanent collection of paintings, graphics, tapestries and sculptures donated by Miró himself and covering the period from 1914 to 1978. For a rapid appraisal of Miró’s entire oeuvre, look in on the museum’s Sala K, whose 23 works are on long-term loan from a Japanese collector. Here, in a kind of potted retrospective, you can trace Miró’s development as an artist, from his early Impressionist landscapes (1914) to the minimal renderings of the 1970s. Other exhibits include his enormous bright tapestries (he donated nine to the museum), pencil drawings and sculpture outside in the gardens. Young experimental artists have their own space in the Espai 13 gallery. There’s also a bookshop, and a café-restaurant (lunch 1.30–3pm, otherwise drinks, pastries and sandwiches) with outdoor tables on a sunny patio – you don’t have to pay to get into the museum to use this.

The Olympics on Montjuïc

The main road through Montjuïc climbs around the hill and up to the city’s principal Olympic area, centred on the Estadi Olímpic. Built originally for the 1929 exhibition, the stadium was completely refitted to accommodate the 1992 opening and closing ceremonies, while to one side a vast terrace provides one of the finest vantage points in the city. Long water-fed troughs break the concrete and marble expanse, while the confident, space-age curve of Santiago Calatrava’s communications tower dominates the skyline. Around the other side, just across the road from the stadium, the history of the Games themselves – and Barcelona’s successful hosting – are covered in the Museu Olímpic i de l’Esport, Avgda. de l’Estadi 60 (Tues–Sat 10am–6pm April–Sept until 8pm, Sun & hols 10am–2.30pm; €4.50; t932 925 379, museuolimpicbcn.com ; m Espanya then 25min walk, or bus #193 or #50 from Avgda. de la Reina María Cristina).

The 1992 Olympics were the second planned for Montjuïc’s stadium. The first, in 1936 – the so-called “People’s Olympics” – were organized as an alternative to the Nazis’ infamous Berlin Games of that year, but the day before the official opening Franco’s army revolt triggered the Civil War and scuppered the Barcelona Games. Some of the 25,000 athletes and spectators who had turned up stayed on to join the Republican forces.

Teatre Grec and the Barcelona Festival

Montjuïc takes centre-stage each year during Barcelona’s annual summer cultural festival ( barcelonafestival.com ), known locally as the Grec, when arias soar from the open-air stage of the Teatre Grec, a Greek theatre cut into a former quarry on the Poble Sec side of the hill. Starting in late June (and running throughout July and August), the festival incorporates drama, music and dance, with the opening sessions and some of the most atmospheric events staged in the theatre, from Shakespearean productions to shows by avant-garde performance artists. These can be magical nights – a true Barcelona experience – though you’ll need to be quick off the mark for tickets (which usually go on sale in May).

The vast nineteenth-century street grid north of Plaça de Catalunya is the city’s main shopping and business district. It was designed as part of a revolutionary urban plan – the Eixample in Catalan (pronounced aye-sham-pla, the “Extension” or “Widening”) – that divided districts into regular blocks, whose characteristic wide streets and shaved corners survive today. It’s not a neighbourhood as such – and, in fact, is further split into two distinct sections, namely the Dreta de l’Eixample (ie, the right-hand side) and Esquerra de l’Eixample (left-hand side), which fall either side of the two central parallel avenues, Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya. It’s on and around Passeig de Gràcia, above all, that the bulk of the city’s show-stopping modernista (Catalan Art Nouveau) buildings are found, along with an array of classy galleries and some of the city’s most fashionable hotels, shops and boutiques.

Building a designer city

As Barcelona grew more prosperous throughout the nineteenth century, it was clear that the city had to expand beyond the Barri Gòtic. A contest was held to design the city’s new quarters and the winning plan was that of utopian engineer and urban planner Ildefons Cerdà i Sunyer, who drew up a grid-shaped town marching off to the north, intersected by long, straight streets and cut by broad, angled avenues. Work started in 1859 and the Eixample immediately became the fashionable area in which to live, as the moneyed classes moved into luxurious apartments on the wide new avenues. As the money in the city moved north, so did a new class of architects who began to pepper the Eixample with ever more striking examples of their work, inspired by modernisme, the Catalan offshoot of Art Nouveau. Three architects in particular came to prominence in Barcelona and, in doing so, introduced a building style that has given the city a look like no other.

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet Born in Reus, near Tarragona, to a family of artisans, the work of Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852–1926) was never strictly modernista in style, but the imaginative impetus he provided was incalculable. Fantasy, spiritual symbolism and Catalan pride are evident in every building he designed, while his architectural influences were Moorish and Gothic, embellished with elements from the natural world. Gaudí rarely wrote a word about the theory of his art, preferring the buildings to demand reaction – no one stands mute in front of an Antoni Gaudí masterpiece.

Lluís Domènech i Montaner With Gaudí in a class of his own, it was Lluís Domènech i Montaner (1850–1923) who was perhaps the greatest pure modernista architect. Drawing on the rich Catalan Romanesque and Gothic traditions, his work combined traditional craft methods with modern technological experiments, seen to triumphant effect in his masterpiece, the Palau de la Música Catalana.

Josep Puig i Cadafalch Like other modernista architects, the work of Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1867–1957) also contains a wildly inventive use of ceramic tiles, ironwork, stained glass and stone carving. His first commission, the Casa Martí, housed the famous Els Quatre Gats tavern for the city’s avant-garde artists and hangers-on, while in various Eixample mansions Puig i Cadafalch brought to bear distinct Gothic and medieval influences.

Other modernista craftsmen Modernisme was often a true collaborative effort between the architects and their artisans. Antoni Gaudí, for example, always worked with skilled craftsmen, including his longtime collaborator – and a master of mosaic decoration – Josep María Jujol i Gilbert (1879–1949). The other significant name is that of Eusebi Arnau i Mascort (1864–1933), who provided meticulous carvings for all the main modernista architects – much loved is his tour-de-force carved fireplace in the Raval’s Hotel Espanya. Some projects brought together the cream of craft talent, so at Domènech i Montaner’s Palau de la Música Catalana, for example, the glorious stained glass by Antoni Rigalt and elaborate facade sculpture by Miquel Blay form an integral part of the whole.

Treasure-hunting at Els Encants Vells

At the city’s traditional open-air flea market, Els Encants Vells (c/del Dos de Maig; Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat 7am–3pm, plus same times Sun & hols from Dec 1–Jan 5; encantsbcn.com ; mEncants/Glòries), you name it, you can buy it: old sewing machines, cheese graters, photograph albums, cutlery, lawnmowers, clothes, shoes, CDs, antiques, furniture and out-and-out junk. It’s best in the early morning, and haggling for any “old charms” (encants vells) you might fancy is de rigueur, but you’re up against experts. The market is due a new home with the completion of the Glòries renovations, so access, hours and location are subject to change over the next few years.

Gràcia – the closest neighbourhood to the Eixample – was a village for much of its early existence before being annexed as a city suburb in the late nineteenth century. There’s still a genuine small-town atmosphere here, very distinct from the old-town neighbourhoods, while Gràcia’s vibrant cultural scene and nightlife counters the notion that Barcelona begins and ends on the Ramblas. That said, there’s not that much to see, but wander the narrow, gridded streets, catch a film or hit one of the excellent local bars or restaurants, and you’ll soon get the feel of a neighbourhood that – unlike some in Barcelona – still has a soul. Most of the boutiques, galleries, cinemas and cafés are near pretty Plaça de la Virreina, with c/Verdi in particular always worth a stroll. A short walk to the southwest, Plaça del Sol is the beating heart of much of the district’s nightlife, while Plaça Rius i Taulet, the “clock-tower square”, a couple of minutes to the south, is another popular place to meet for brunch. However, the one unmissable attraction is just on the neighbourhood fringe, namely the surreal Parc Güell, by architectural genius Antoni Gaudí.

Parc Güell , Antoni Gaudí’s extraordinary urban park on the outskirts of Gràcia, was originally planned as a private housing estate of sixty dwellings, furnished with ornamental paths, recreational areas and decorative monuments. Gaudí worked on the project between 1900 and 1914 but in the end only two houses were actually built, and the park was officially opened to the public instead in 1922.

Laid out on a hill, which provides fabulous views back across the city, the park is an almost hallucinatory expression of the imagination. Pavilions of contorted stone, giant decorative lizards, a vast Hall of Columns (intended to be the estate’s market), the meanderings of a huge ceramic bench – all combine in one manic swirl of ideas and excesses.

Casa Museu Gaudí

One of Gaudí’s collaborators, Francesc Berenguer, designed and built a turreted house within the park for the architect. In the Casa Museu Gaudí, his ascetic study and bedroom have been kept much as they were in his day, while other rooms display a diverting collection of furniture he designed for other projects – a typical mixture of wild originality and brilliant engineering.

Entrance to Parc Güell

Although you can freely enter and explore Parc Güell, if you wish to access the Monumental Core, you will need to purchase a ticket, as with the Gaudi House Museum. Tickets can be purchased on site, although there is also an option to buy online up to three months before your visit.

To the northwest of the city centre, what was once the village of Les Corts is now largely indistinguishable from the rest of the modern city, save for the hallowed precincts of Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s stupendous football stadium. Nearby, across Avinguda Diagonal, the Palau Reial de Pedralbes combines the city’s applied art collections (of clothes and textiles, decorative arts and ceramics), while a half-day’s excursion can be made by walking from the palace, past the Gaudí dragon gate at Pavellons Güell to the calm cloister at the Gothic monastery of Pedralbes.

Camp Nou and FC Barcelona

It’s no exaggeration to say that football in Barcelona is a genuine obsession, with support for the local giants FC (Futbol Club) Barcelona raised to an art form. “More than just a club” is the proud boast, and certainly during the dictatorship years the club stood as a Catalan symbol around which people could rally. Arch-rivals, Real Madrid, on the other hand, were always seen as Franco’s club. The swashbuckling players in the famous “blaugrana” (claret and blue) shirts have transcended national barriers to become every football fan’s second favourite team; indeed, the four-times European champions (most recently in 2011) – mercurial masters of the elegant tiki-taka, pass-and-move style – are often hailed as the world’s best team.

Museum and stadium tour

Together, the 98,000-seat stadium and museum – billed as the “ Camp Nou Experience ” – provide a magnificent celebration of Spain’s national sport. The self-guided tour, complete with audio-guide, winds through the changing rooms and players’ tunnel onto the pitch and up to the press gallery and directors’ box for stunning views. The museum is jammed full of silverware and memorabilia, including the six cups won in 2009 alone, Barcelona’s annus mirabilis, while a cracking multimedia zone profiles historic games and famous players and relives the match-day atmosphere. Finally, you’re directed into the FC Botiga megastore, where you can buy anything from a replica shirt down to a branded bottle of wine.

The views from the heights of Tibidabo (550m), the peak that signals the northwestern boundary of the city, are legendary. On a clear day you can see across to the Pyrenees and out to sea even as far as Mallorca. However, while many make the tram and funicular ride up to Tibidabo’s wonderfully old-fashioned amusement park, few realize that beyond stretches the Parc de Collserola, an area of peaks, wooded river valleys and hiking paths – one of Barcelona’s best-kept secrets. Meanwhile, don’t miss CosmoCaixa, the city’s excellent science museum, which can easily be seen on the way to or from Tibidabo.

Festes de Santa Eulàlia A week’s worth of music, dances, parades of gegants (giants), castellers (human castle-builders) and fireworks in honour of one of Barcelona’s patron saints – the saint’s day falls on February 12.

Semana Santa (Holy Week) There’s a procession from the church of Sant Agustí on c/de l’Hospital (El Raval) to La Seu, starting at 4pm on Good Friday, while Palm Sunday sees the blessing of the palms at La Seu.

23: Día de Sant Jordi St George’s Day, dedicated to Catalunya’s dragon-slaying patron saint – the city fills with roses and books, exchanged by sweethearts as gifts.

Last week: Primavera Sound The city’s hottest music festival heralds a massive three-day bash, attracting top names in rock, indie and electronica.

Last week: Festival de Flamenco de Ciutat Vella Five days of guitar recitals, singing and dancing, plus DJ sessions and chill-out zone.

Usually 2nd or 3rd week: Sónar Europe’s most cutting-edge electronic music, multimedia and urban art festival attracts up to 100,000 visitors for three days of brilliant noise and spectacle. By day, the focus is on events at MACBA/CCCB; by night, the action shifts to out-of-town L’Hospitalet, with all-night buses running from the city to the Sónar bars and clubs.23/24: Verbena/Día de Sant Joan The “eve” and “day” of St John is the city’s wildest annual celebration, with bonfires and fireworks (particularly on Montjuïc), drinking and dancing, and watching the sun come up on the beach. The day itself (24th) is a public holiday.

End June to August: Festival de Barcelona Grec The summer’s foremost arts and music festival, with main performances at Montjuïc’s open-air Greek theatre.

First week: Montjuïc de Nit Once a year, Montjuïc’s galleries throw open their doors for the night, while parks, spaces and buildings across the whole hillside throb with free gigs, dance, theatre, films, street art and family events.

Mid-month: Festa Major de Gràcia Music, dancing, fireworks and castellers in the neighbourhood’s streets and squares.

11: Diada Nacional The Catalan national day is a public holiday in Barcelona.

24: Festes de la Mercè The city’s biggest traditional festival lasts for a week around the 24th – the 24th itself is a public holiday (and there’s free entry that day to city museums). Highlights include costumed giants, breathtaking firework displays and competing teams of castellers.

October/November

Third week: Festival de Tardor Ribermúsica Wide-ranging four-day music festival held in the Born, with free concerts in historic and picturesque locations.

End October to November: Festival de Jazz The biggest annual jazz festival in town highlights big-name solo artists and bands.

1–22: Fira de Santa Llúcia A Christmas market and crafts fair outside La Seu.

Finding a hotel vacancy in Barcelona can be very difficult, so it’s always best to book in advance, especially at Easter, in summer and during festivals or trade fairs. Prices are high for Spain – absolute cheapest rooms in a simple family-run hotel, sharing a bathroom, cost around €50 (singles from €30), though for private facilities €70–80 a night is more realistic. Places with a bit of boutique styling start at around €100, while for Barcelona’s most fashionable hotels, count on €250 to €400 a night. In youth hostels, or cheap hotels with dorms, a bed goes for between €15 and €30 a night, depending on the season. You can reserve hotel accommodation online with the city tourist board or make same-day bookings in person only at their tourist offices.

You’ll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing. However, if you venture no farther than the Ramblas, or the streets around La Seu, you are not going to experience the best of the city’s cuisine – in the main tourist areas, food and service can be indifferent and prices high. Instead, explore the backstreets of neighbourhoods like Sant Pere, La Ribera , El Raval and Poble Sec, where you’ll find excellent restaurants, some little more than hole-in-the-wall taverns, others surprisingly funky and chic. Most of the big-ticket, destination-dining restaurants are found in the Eixample, while Gràcia is a pleasant place to spend the evening, with plenty of good mid-range restaurants. For fish and seafood, you’re best off in the harbourside Barceloneta district or at the Port Olímpic.

Most cafés are open from 7 or 8am until midnight, or much later – so whether it’s coffee first thing or a late-night nibble, you’ll find somewhere to cater for you. Restaurants generally open 1 to 4pm and 8.30 to 11pm, though in tourist zones like the Ramblas and Port Olímpic, restaurants tend to stay open all day.

Whatever you’re looking for from a night out, you’ll find it somewhere in Barcelona – bohemian boozer, underground club, cocktail bar, summer dance palace, techno temple, Irish pub or designer bar, you name it. Best known of the city’s nightlife haunts are its hip designer bars, while there’s a stylish club and music scene that goes from strength to strength fuelled by a potent mix of resident and guest DJs, local bands and visiting superstars.

Local listings magazines Guía del Ocio ( guiadelociobcn.com ) and Time Out Barcelona ( timeout.cat ) cover current openings, hours and club nights, and most bars, cafés and music stores carry flyers and free magazines containing news and reviews. For the Barcelona music scene, check out the websites watiza.com and wbarcelonarocks.com.

Opening hours and closing days Most bars stay open until 2am, or 3am at weekends, while clubs tend not to open much before midnight and stay open until 5am, or even later at weekends – fair enough, as they’ve often barely got started by 3am. Unlike restaurants, bars and clubs generally stay open throughout August.

Admission charges Some clubs are free before a certain time, usually around midnight. Otherwise, expect to pay €10–20, though this usually includes your first drink (if there is free entry, don’t be surprised to find that there’s a minimum drinks’ charge of anything up to €10). Tickets for gigs run from €20 to €50, depending on the act though there are cheaper gigs (€5–20) almost every night of the year at a variety of smaller clubs and bars.

While not on a par with Paris or the world’s other style capitals, Barcelona still leads the way in Spain when it comes to shopping. It’s the country’s fashion and publishing capital, and there’s a long tradition of innovative disseny (design), from clothes and accessories to crafts and household goods. The annual sales follow the main fashion seasons – mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August.

As you would expect from a city of its size, Barcelona has a busy entertainment calendar – throughout the year there’ll be something worth catching, whether it’s a contemporary dance performance, cabaret show or night at the opera. Classical and contemporary music, in particular, gets an airing in some stunning auditoriums, while the city boasts a long tradition of street and performance art, right down to the human statues plying their trade on the Ramblas. A useful first stop for tickets and information is the Palau de la Virreina, Ramblas 99 (daily 10am–8.30pm; 933 161 000; Liceu). ServiCaixa (902 332 211, servicaixa.com ) and TelEntrada (902 101 212, telentrada.com ) are the main advance booking agencies.

The city council’s Institute of Culture website, bcn.cat/cultura , covers every aspect of art and culture in the city. Otherwise, the best listings magazines are the weekly Guía del Ocio ( guiadelociobcn.com ) and Time Out Barcelona ( timeout.cat ), online or from any newspaper stand.

Celebrating Catalan-style

Catalunya’s national folk dance, the sardana, is danced every week in front of La Seu, in Plaça de la Seu (every Sunday at noon, plus every Saturday at 6pm from Easter until the end of November). Mocked in the rest of Spain, the Catalans claim theirs is a very democratic dance. Participants (there’s no limit on numbers) all hold hands in a circle, each puts something in the middle as a sign of community and sharing, and since it is not overly energetic (hence the jibes), old and young can join in equally.

The main event in a traditional Catalan festival is usually a parade, either promenading behind a revered holy image (as on saints’ days or at Easter) or a more celebratory costumed affair that’s the centrepiece of a neighbourhood festival. At the main Eulàlia (Feb), Gràcia (Aug) and Mercè (Sept) festivals, and others, you’ll encounter parades of gegants, five-metre-high giants with papier-mâché heads based on historical or traditional figures. Also typically Catalan is the correfoc (“fire-running”), where brigades of drummers, dragons and devils with spark-shooting flares fitted to pitchforks cavort in the streets. Perhaps most peculiar of all are the castellers, the human tower-builders who draw crowds at every traditional festival, piling person upon person, feet on shoulders, to see who can construct the highest, most aesthetically pleasing tower (ten human storeys is the record).

Is it an apartment building or a work of art? Both, when the building in question – the undulating Pedrera , or “Stone Quarry” – is designed by Antoni Gaudí.

© Loredana Bitculescu/Shutterstock

Barcelona has a golden seafront, with 5km of sandy beaches stretching from Barceloneta to Diagonal Mar.

© Oleg_P/Shutterstock

Hopping from bar to bar, sampling the specialities , is the best way to experience some of Barcelona’s finest food.

© hitch3r/Shutterstock

The magnificent Camp Nou stadium is the home of FC Barcelona, one of the world’s premier sides, with a cabinet full of trophies to prove it.

© Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock

The adventurous Fundació Joan Miró celebrates the work of one of the greatest Catalan artists.

Marvel at the soaring spaces in one of the greatest Gothic cathedrals in Spain.

© Jordi C/Shutterstock

Explore the art, sculpture and furniture of modernista Barcelona in this wonderful collection of paintings and artefacts .

© Boule/Shutterstock

Scale the heights of Mount Tibidabo for fantastic views and a wonderful amusement park.

© SueTot/Shutterstock

The “ House of Bones ” is another modernista masterwork by Antoni Gaudí.

© Dunaeva Natalia/Shutterstock

The city’s best-known market presents an extraordinary range of fresh produce.

© funkyfrogstock/Shutterstock

The National Museum of Art celebrates the grandeur of Romanesque and Gothic art, two periods in which Catalan artists were pre-eminent in Spain.

© TTstudio/Shutterstock

A stroll down Barcelona’s famous thoroughfare is a must for both tourists and locals alike.

The city’s most extraordinary park is a fantasy land born of Antoni Gaudí’s fertile imagination.

© VLADYSLAV DANILIN/Shutterstock

Trace the genesis of the artist’s genius in the city that Picasso liked to call home .

© Jakez/Shutterstock

The temple dedicated to the Sacred Family is the essential pilgrimage for Gaudí fans .

© R.M. Nunes/Shutterstock

Cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions are at home in El Raval’s signature building .

© Teo Stuivenberg/Shutterstock

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Traveling to Barcelona for the First Time: 19 Tips & Tricks

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: January 15, 2024

Traveling to Barcelona for the first time and not sure where to start and what to expect? This article covers all the essential Barcelona travel tips that will help you make the most of your trip.

Planning your first visit to Barcelona, Spain, might be overwhelming. There are so many questions… How much time do you need in Barcelona? When to visit and how to avoid the crowds? Where to stay and what to see? Any local tips and habits to be aware of? Or how to see the best that Barcelona has to offer in a limited time and without breaking the bank?…

To help you plan your first trip to Barcelona, we selected some of the best tips for visiting the city. This no-nonsense practical guide will not only help you plan your trip, but will also show you how to make the best of your time and budget. Find out!

Top 5 Experiences in Barcelona:

• Sagrada Familia .
• Park Güell .
• Montjuïc Cable Car .
• Barcelona Pass .
• Casa Batlló .

Here are our essential Barcelona travel tips:

1. Research & Book in Advance

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when visiting Barcelona for the first time is not to plan your trip in advance. So congratulations – because you are reading this, you already have a head start compared to other visitors!

Whether it’s flights, accommodations, or tickets for the main Barcelona attractions – booking in advance means that you have more choices and much better prices . It also means less wasted time queuing and more relaxing time sightseeing and enjoying this fabulous city. After all, you want to make the most of your time in Barcelona and not spend all your precious time standing in lines.

Also, doing your research in advance means that you will avoid disappointment to find that the places you want to visit are closed or tickets sold out . Below are some examples that illustrate what I mean.

For example, we really wanted to see the dancing fountain of Barcelona, the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc , and were told that it dances every night. However, it’s not the case. Furthermore, since we were traveling in the low season, it was actually only dancing three times a week.

Because we arrived on a Saturday and left before the next weekend, we only had one chance to see the fountains during our visit – on the first evening in the city. So despite an early flight and a very long day, we decided to go. If we hadn’t done the research -assuming that we could just see it any night- we would have definitely missed it.

We also researched whether it was a good idea to visit Montserrat Monastery on Sunday. It turns out that it’s the busiest day of the week. So we booked a tour for Monday instead…

I also heard from some of our readers that they couldn’t visit the famous Barcelona market Mercado de La Boqueria because they didn’t realize that it was closed on Sundays. By the way, all indoor markets in Barcelona are closed on Sundays.

Another reader told us that they couldn’t visit Park Güell because they didn’t buy tickets in advance and no walk-ins were possible… (Btw, Park Güell is one of the most-visited Barcelona attractions and you really have to book your tickets in advance!).

Good to know: Tickets for the most popular Barcelona attractions often sell out up to 2-3 weeks in advance. This is especially the case in high season. Plus, most entry tickets are now timed, so you need to see what’s possible and how to fit it all into your itinerary. Further below, you will find more details and tips, but if you get the Barcelona Pass , you will have the option to pre-book a timeslot for your skip-the-line entry to all the main sights.

By doing your research in advance, you can also compare prices, reviews, and itineraries for the best tours in Barcelona… This brings us to the next point.

READ ALSO: Top Sights & Attractions in Barcelona

2. Save Time & Money When Visiting Barcelona’s Main Landmarks

Visiting Barcelona for the first time also means visiting all the main landmarks and attractions. Of course, you will want to see the famous La Sagrada Familia and the other iconic Gaudi buildings and architecture! Just make sure that you are well prepared so that you don’t waste hours and days standing in lines.

TIP: If you want to make the most of your time in Barcelona, consider skip-the-line tickets for ALL the main landmarks and the most popular tourist attractions. We also recommend booking guided tours for the Sagrada Familia and the main Gaudi buildings – that way you’ll get a much better understanding of all the symbolism and stories behind the architecture.

You can find Barcelona tours and skip-the-line tickets on GetYourGuide and also on Tiqets . More information – further below.

Skip the Line Tickets

Some of the most popular attractions in Barcelona like Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Park Güell, or La Sagrada Familia can have extremely long waiting times. Buying your tickets in advance is essential when visiting these places in any season!

Here you can get skip-the-line tickets for Casa Batllo , Casa Mila , Park Güell , and – the most popular of them all – La Sagrada Familia .

PRO TIP: With this Barcelona Pass , you can immediately reserve timed-entry tickets for the most popular sights, including the towers of La Sagrada Familia (regular tickets don’t include tower access!). This is a digital pass, so you will get tickets per email (= very simple to book and use).

TIP: If you didn’t think of buying the tickets in advance and they are sold out, try booking a guided tour instead. Guided tours prebook tickets and make it possible to visit the main landmarks even if the tickets are sold out. I recommend visiting Gaudi’s buildings and especially La Sagrada Familia with a tour anyway. Read on to learn why!

Guided Tours

Even when we visited in the low season, all the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona were incredibly busy. Often, it wasn’t even clear where to go even if you had already pre-booked your tickets…

That’s why we chose to visit all the Gaudi buildings on a tour. Here you can read more about our experience with the Gaudi tour (we chose this amazing tour that covers all the main Gaudi landmarks in a day).

We visited Barcelona with our three kids who, obviously, have no patience when it comes to long queues. Taking a tour meant that we could relax while the guide took care of everything. We just followed the guide and never had to wait anywhere longer than 10 minutes.

I can’t imagine how different our experience would have been if we had to figure out where exactly to go and wait in endless lines everywhere. We wouldn’t have been able to see half as much, not even to mention our sanity having to deal with bored kids…

Furthermore, having a local guide who explained what, where, and why, enabled us to appreciate what we were seeing. We never knew there were so many symbols and stories behind all the tiny details in Gaudi’s buildings! Gaudi was a real genius and we would have never gotten to know any of that if we had visited his buildings on our own.

Free Museums

Most Barcelona museums have specific days or hours when you can visit them free of charge. In general, you can expect most museums to be free on the first Sunday of the month. But there are also additional times when you can enter free of charge.

For example, the Picasso Museum is free to visit on the first Sunday of the month and also on Thursday evenings. Barcelona Cathedral (not to be confused with Sagrada Familia) is free to visit between 8.30 AM and 12.30 PM and in the evenings from 5.45 PM to 7.30 PM (hours vary a bit per day and on some days are a bit longer, but the hours indicated here apply daily).

Museum of the History of Barcelona (MUHBA Plaça del Rei) is free on the first Sunday of the month and in the late afternoon on other Sundays.

These are just a few examples – there are so many museums and other attractions in Barcelona. So do your research for the places you want to see and, if possible, time your visit accordingly.

City Cards & Package Deals

If you are planning to visit several of the main Barcelona attractions on your own, you may want to look into getting one of the city cards that offer discounts and free entrances to certain attractions and also public transport tickets.

There is also a museum card that gives access to 6 of the most popular museums in Barcelona. So do your research and see if and which card makes sense for you, depending on your interests.

TIP: If you find the choice overwhelming, we recommend this Barcelona Pass . This is the best pass for Barcelona’s top sights including Park Güell & Sagrada Familia. If you also want to visit the towers of the Sagrada Familia (recommended), then this all-in pass is the best option for you. In case you wonder, there is a lift to get to the top of the towers.

Good to know: These passes not only save you money but make it really easy to book fast-track tickets to the most popular attractions in one place. Furthermore, the tickets are digital so you don’t have to waste your time once you get there!

3. Avoid High Season, Bank Holidays, and School Breaks

As one of the most-visited cities in Europe, Barcelona is always busy . Still, there is a huge difference between visiting Barcelona in the high season (June-August), in the shoulder season (April-May and September-October + New Year), or in the low season when there are fewer international travelers and hardly any cruise ships in town.

Because we travel with kids, however, we can only travel during school breaks. For years, we have been postponing a trip to Barcelona for that reason. However, we decided that it was high time to see this iconic city and chose the first week of November (autumn break) for our trip.

We were pleasantly surprised. It was still busy at the main attractions in the city, but it never really felt too crowded or overwhelming AND we had quite a few amazing places almost to ourselves.

Needless to say that this greatly influenced our experience and we loved Barcelona so much more than I ever expected. Based on all the horror stories about the crowds, we were really fearing the worst. But what we found was a really pleasant city that gave us plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sights without having to brush elbows with thousands of strangers.

Furthermore, the weather in early November was fabulous with plenty of sunshine and temperatures that were warm enough to wear a t-shirt during the day.

So if you can, visit Barcelona in the shoulder season or in the low season. It will be so much more enjoyable!

READ ALSO: Best Time to Visit Europe

4. Stay in the City Center

Another very important thing to take into account when traveling to Barcelona is where to stay .

While it’s often tempting to choose cheaper accommodation further away from the city center, we have learned the hard way that it’s not the best idea. Yes, it can save you some money, but it will cost you time and comfort. It’s so easy if you can just walk to a nice restaurant for dinner from your hotel or sleep longer in the morning knowing that your tour starts right around the corner and not on the other side of town…

So if you are visiting Barcelona for the first time and want to make the most of your short trip, stay in the city center! Also, stay somewhat close to a metro station – that way you can always get to the other parts of town quicker.

We recommend staying in the area close to Plaça de Catalunya . It’s a perfect location for sightseeing and you can easily walk to most attractions in the old town or to the nicest Gaudi buildings… There are also plenty of shops and restaurants nearby, and most tours and excursions start in this area.

Here are our hand-picked recommendations with an excellent location near Plaça de Catalunya for all budgets:

• If you are looking for a really nice place to stay in the heart of Barcelona, check out Ohla Barcelona , a fabulous 5* hotel with a rooftop pool and bar.
• Some of the best mid-range 4* hotels are Acta Atrium Palace and  Exe Plaza Catalunya .
• If you are on a l ower budget , check out these popular and highly-rated options with excellent locations: Hotel Lloret Ramblas (the best-rated and most popular budget hotel in the center) or  Hostal Boqueria (a very good, simple hotel on a low budget).

Where we stayed: We stayed at the Acta Splendid Hotel.  The location couldn’t be better and the price/quality was unbeatable for this area.

TIP: Using the map below, you can compare hotels and short-term rental accommodations in central Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya area).

Simply insert your travel dates and group size, and you’ll see the best deals for your stay. Check it out!

5. Explore the Gothic Quarter

One of the most beautiful parts of Barcelona is the old Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic). No visit to the city would be complete without exploring this fascinating area.

While the district gets its name thanks to the 13-15th century Gothic buildings, it’s actually the oldest part of Barcelona with archeological finds dating to Roman times.

The main landmarks here are the Cathedral of Barcelona (The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia), Plaça del Rei , and the underground Roman city that is part of the earlier mentioned Museum of the History of Barcelona (MUHBA). But the real charm of the Gothic Quarter is its fascinating maze of streets and historic buildings.

TIP: This part of town can get really busy. The best time to visit is as early in the morning as possible, or in the low season.

6. Use Barcelona Metro

Barcelona is a big city and its attractions are scattered throughout. So no matter where you stay, eventually, you’ll find yourself in need of a transfer. By far the easiest and the fastest way to get around the city is by taking the metro . And, if you avoid peak times, the metro is surprisingly quiet.

There are all kinds of multi-day and multi-journey tickets available for Barcelona metro and public transport, so choose one that best suits your needs. When we traveled, we got a 10-journey card that could be used by multiple people at the same time. Names and conditions of these cards change often, and you can find the best up-to-date information on the official website .

If you’re just taking the metro (so not a bus and other public transport options), you can easily get ticket cards at any metro station as well. There are ticket machines and everything is well-explained, also in English. Credit cards are accepted.

TIP: You can also take a metro to the airport , but it takes very long (it took us over 1.5 hrs to get to the city center). Alternatively, there are airport shuttle buses that run frequently, cost about the same as the metro ticket, and take much less time. On our way back to the airport, we took a taxi and it was surprisingly affordable. You can find more information about Barcelona airport transport here .

7. Wear Comfortable Shoes

Just as with any city trip, traveling to Barcelona means that you’ll be walking a lot. Make sure that you wear comfortable walking shoes!

Take my word for it, wrong footwear can ruin your entire vacation. Get lightweight sneakers or slip-on shoes for your Barcelona trip. I wear and recommend shoes in this style ; they are light and comfy – ideal for city trips.

TIP: If you don’t like walking too much, consider taking a hop-on hop-off bus instead.

8. Adjust Your Dining Schedule

You may have heard this before – Spanish people have very different habits when it comes to dining times. The main meal of the day is lunch and it usually starts at around 2 – 2.30 PM. Most restaurants will not open for dinner before 8 – 9 PM.

We were a bit worried about late dinner times because we traveled to Barcelona with kids, but it worked out quite well. Since it’s such a touristy place, there are quite some restaurants that have adapted their opening times and it was usually possible to find a place to eat at 7.30-8 PM.

We were told that the best local restaurants don’t open before 8.30-9 PM, but we found plenty of good restaurants that do.

That being said, you won’t easily find a good local restaurant open for dinner before 7 – 7.30 PM.

9. Try Tapas

No visit to Barcelona would be complete without tapas . In case you don’t know what tapas are, this is just a popular Spanish word for small snacks. Like appetizers in the US or antipasti in Italy. Basically, tapas are just small-sized portions of food – from seafood, meat, to all kinds of vegetables or potatoes ( patatas bravas ).

Everywhere you go, you’ll see tapas on the menu. It’s a great way to try a big variety of Spanish food without having to order an entire dish not knowing whether you’ll like it. It’s ideal if you are traveling with a bigger family or a group of friends because you can order a big variety of tapas and everyone will easily find something they like.

Some restaurants have set tapas menus which are a real lifesaver if you are feeling overwhelmed. After a couple of tapas meals, you’ll get more familiar with the concept, and ordering tapas will actually be fun.

Good to know: Tapas are EVERYWHERE in Barcelona, but they are not the only option (luckily). If you stay in Barcelona longer, it’s quite likely that you’ll eventually get tired of tapas. No worries – there are plenty of restaurants serving traditional Spanish food, seafood, paellas, but also a big variety of international cuisines. After five days in Barcelona, our kids didn’t want to see or hear of any more tapas, so we found a really nice pasta restaurant that the whole family loved.

TIP: If you want to try some of the best local dishes, consider joining a food tour as well! Food tours are our favorite thing to do when visiting any city! Check out this highly-rated tapas & wine tour . Another popular choice is this paella cooking experience + Boqueria market visit .

10. Tipping in Barcelona

Generally speaking, tipping is not that common in Europe, and so also not in Spain. However, American habits quickly find their way here too and it’s now more and more common to tip. That being said, it’s never really expected, let alone obligatory.

In Barcelona, you do not have to tip and locals usually don’t tip or just round up the bill. If you find the restaurant service exceptionally good, you can tip 5-10%. It’s not common to tip at a bar. Taxi bills are usually just rounded up. For bellboys – a euro or two is enough.

Many people tip tour guides, but it’s really your call how much. In Europe, we usually tip 20 EUR for a day tour that we take as a family of 5. If you are alone or traveling as a couple, 5-10 EUR is acceptable, but most Europeans don’t even do that.

11. It’s OK to Haggle

If you are planning to buy any souvenirs from street vendors, at the markets, or at the tourist shops in town, you should know that haggling is completely acceptable. Very often, you’ll see that no prices are advertised and in such cases, you definitely have to haggle or you’ll be overpaying up to twice the price, if not more.

It’s also very common that the same souvenirs will cost twice as much close to the most popular tourist landmarks, compared to some lesser-visited places. However, it’s not always the case.

My best advice is not to buy souvenirs immediately. Take your time, ask for prices, and get a better idea of what’s acceptable before buying anything.

12. Know That Things Are Laid Back

Barcelona is a very laid-back place. You’ll notice it in many ways. Depending on where you’re from and what you’re used to, things might seem a bit too relaxed, or maybe just normal…

The best way to enjoy your time in Barcelona is just go with the flow. Don’t get upset if it takes a bit longer for a waiter to take your order, or if the shops are closed for siesta a bit longer than advertised…

Good thing is that Barcelona is also much more casual in terms of clothing than, for example, Madrid. There is no need for fancy clothing and even at dinner at some nicer restaurants we dined at, most people were quite casually dressed. That being said, when in doubt, I’m always in favor of overdressing.

13. Beware of Pickpockets

Just as in any other big city or popular tourist destination, Barcelona has a problem with pickpockets. These guys are real professionals and it’s not uncommon that they manage to distract attention and even rob a big group of people at the same time.

So take precautions and don’t carry too much money or any other unnecessary valuables around. Also, make sure that you have good travel insurance! Be careful at the most popular tourist places, such as La Rambla or around La Sagrada Familia, and also when using public transport.

An anti-theft backpack might be a good idea too. Or – if you have a regular backpack – wear it in front of you and not on your back. Also, it’s really not a good idea to store your wallet or your smartphone in your jeans pocket.

14. Don’t Try to See Everything

Barcelona is a huge city and there is so much to see and do ! But… there’s no way to see everything in just a couple of days. So plan your itinerary well! If you don’t know where to start, check out our tips on how to spend 1 day in Barcelona and also an itinerary for 2 days in Barcelona .

I recommend choosing a couple of must-see places each day or maybe one specific area, and not try to do it all at once. You’ll enjoy the city much more if you also leave some time for a relaxing lunch at a nice café or some unexpected discoveries.

When it comes to visiting Barcelona, remember that less is more!

I know that it’s very tempting to try and see as many landmarks as you possibly can, but you’ll just get tired and frustrated. Take your time to sample some local specialties at the market, turn into a little picturesque alley and see where it leads, or explore some lesser-known places that don’t involve standing in line for hours… This brings us to the next tip…

15. Get off the Beaten Path

Barcelona is so much more than its most famous landmarks , La Rambla, Gothic Quarter, Barceloneta beach, or Gaudi architecture… There are so many other amazing places that are worth visiting just as much, yet are overlooked by most first-time visitors.

Some of our favorite moments in Barcelona were visiting the lesser-known and less-visited places . And while it’s not easy to find any truly ‘hidden’ gems, even just getting a bit off the main tourist routes will show you a very different side of Barcelona.

One of our favorite places in Barcelona was the beautiful Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site , which we had practically to ourselves. While it is not completely unknown, it was completely deserted when we visited it in the low season… And so worth a visit!

We particularly enjoyed the Port Vell and La Barceloneta – an old fishermen’s quarter with narrow streets and local restaurants. And yes, there is a really busy area in this part of town as well – with a seaside promenade, fancy yachts, and tourist restaurants. But if you take the time to explore deeper, you find a totally different place, just a few blocks away…

The same counts for the El Born and La Ribera areas which are like a labyrinth of narrow streets and passageways – so fun to just get lost and explore this area without a map.

We also went to a more local Poublenou area and explored Gracia , L’Eixample , and Montjuïc on foot. We visited some little-known sights and some really nice markets that had many more locals than tourists (Mercado de La Boqueria is really not the only market worth seeing in Barcelona)…

Each and every area has something special and unique. Behind the busier streets and popular areas, there are always lesser-visited gems just waiting to be discovered.

Even if you just see a few of these more local areas, it will make your trip to Barcelona so much more memorable.

16. Attend a Performance at Palau de la Música Catalana

If you want to experience something really special in Barcelona, try to get tickets for a performance at Palau de la Música Catalana . This stunning music hall is a real masterpiece and worth visiting in itself, but it’s even more special if you can attend a concert here.

They organize various concerts every evening and also during the day on the weekends. From classical music and dance to the most modern musical performances and traditional Flamenco dances – there are always plenty of choices to suit any interest. Most of the time, tickets are available just a few days in advance (or even on the day itself), so check the program and go. It will be totally worth it!

Good to know: You can also just visit the music hall itself. Self-guided and guided tours are available throughout the day and take less than an hour. Here you can get tickets for your visit .

17. Escape the Hustle of the City for a Day

Visiting a busy city like Barcelona can leave you exhausted, especially if you are not used to the crowds or if the summer heat becomes too much for you.

While most tourists head to Barceloneta beach , you’ll hardly find any locals there. The better beaches (nicer and also less crowded) can be found a bit further away. Try Playa de Bogatell if you don’t want to go too far. Or – outside of town – Platja de Castelldefels in the south or Platja de Badalona in the north of Barcelona.

The most popular day trip outside of the city is visiting Montserrat Monastery . Because it’s located in the mountains, the temperatures are usually cooler there too. We also took this day trip and here you can read all about our Montserrat tour .

These are just a few examples of places to visit outside the city. There are many more beautiful areas that you can visit on a day trip from Barcelona! Here are a few other popular options:

• Catamaran Sailing Tours (1.5-2 hrs)
• Kayaking & snorkeling (half a day)
• Hot air balloon flights (half a day)
• Vineyards near the city (half a day)
• Girona and Costa Brava (full day)
• Girona, Figueres and Dalí Museum (full day)
• 3 Countries in a Day (full day)

So if you are staying in town for more than 2-3 days, I suggest you take at least one day trip to see more of the surroundings or just to escape the crowds. As a minimum, rent a bike and drive along the beach – there is a beautiful waterfront promenade with bike paths that bring you to the quieter beaches and districts of Barcelona.

18. Stay Clear of Politics and Protests

Political protests in Catalonia are not uncommon. There were huge protests and even riots in Barcelona just a few days before our trip, and there were also some violent protests in the city while we were there.

But, in general, these protests don’t really influence your travel experience much (unless they block an airport, which happened once a few years ago).

My best advice is to just stay clear of any political protests. If you see any demonstrations, just walk around or take another street. Barcelona is a big city and the chances that you’ll find yourself amidst the protesters are really not that high.

19. Don’t Forget Little Important Details

Here are some  more practical tips  to consider when traveling to Barcelona for the first time:

• You can  pay  by credit card pretty much everywhere, but it’s always useful to have some cash as well. Spain uses the EURO .
• If you don’t have a credit card with a chip and a 4-digit pin , check out this selection of  the best American credit cards for travel and get one – you’ll need a car with a pin everywhere in Europe. I recommend choosing  a card with no foreign transaction fees .
• While you can easily get around using English , it’s always useful to learn a couple of words of Spanish or Catalan. Hola (hello) and gracias (thank you) go a long way.
• Barcelona has a pretty good network of free WiFi with hundreds of access points throughout the city. Hotels and some restaurants also usually offer free wifi.
• Download an offline map of Barcelona using apps like Google Maps or Maps.me. It’s so much easier than a paper map and you can always easily find your way around.
• Make sure to pack a travel adapter . Spain uses  European plugs .
• Remember that many shops and markets are closed on Sunday . However, most museums and other attractions remain open. We chose to do a Gaudi tour on a Sunday and it worked out great.
• Pack comfortable shoes and clothing suitable for the season. It can get really warm in Barcelona and sun protection is an absolute must in summer. Don’t forget your sun hat !
• Make a copy of your travel documents and send it to yourself by email (or save it in the cloud). As with any international trip, make sure that you have good travel insurance .

So, these are some of the most important practical tips that you should know when traveling to Barcelona for the first time.

Below, you can also find some frequently asked questions for your first visit to Barcelona. Take a look!

Barcelona Travel FAQs

The best time to visit Barcelona are the shoulder months between March and May and also from September to October. The weather is best for sightseeing and it’s not as busy as in the summer.

While you can see the main landmarks of Barcelona in one or two days, we recommend at least 3-4 days for your first trip to Barcelona. This will allow you to explore the city at a more relaxed pace, visit Gaudi buildings and a few museums, and maybe even take a tour to Montserrat.

Barcelona is a very popular destination, so it’s best to book your accommodation and the tours that you absolutely want to do in advance. Make sure to book skip-the-line tickets for the most popular landmarks such as La Sagrada Familia!

Yes, Barcelona is a safe destination. However, just like in any other big European city, you should be careful with pickpockets and common travel scams. If you are not sure about visiting certain areas at night, ask your hotel for advice.

We recommend staying in the area close to Plaça de Catalunya . The location is perfect for sightseeing and you can easily walk to the most popular attractions in the city center. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. Most tours also start in this area.

Do you have any questions or maybe want to share your experience when visiting Barcelona? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

More tips for your trip to Spain:

• Best Things to Do in Barcelona
• Barcelona 1 Day Itinerary
• How to See the Best of Barcelona in 2 Days
• Complete Guide to Visiting Montserrat
• Montserrat Tour Review
• Best Barcelona Gaudi Tour
• 1 Day in Seville
• 2 Days in Seville
• Flamenco in Seville
• One Day in Madrid: What to See & Itinerary
• Madrid to Toledo Day Trip

READ ALSO: Spain Bucket List: Top Places & Experiences

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!

More travel inspiration for European cities:

If you are visiting other European cities and are looking for in-depth information for your trip, take a look at some of our city guides:

• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Antwerp, Belgium
• Bern, Switzerland
• Bologna, Italy
• Brasov, Romania
• Brussels, Belgium
• Bruges, Belgium
• Bucharest, Romania
• Colmar, France
• Edinburgh, UK
• Florence, Italy
• Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Krakow, Poland
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Liverpool, UK
• Lucerne, Switzerland
• Manchester, UK
• Milan, Italy
• Naples, Italy
• Paris, France
• Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
• Ravenna, Italy
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• Rome, Italy
• Salzburg, Austria
• Siena, Italy
• Sintra, Portugal
• Venice, Italy
• Verona, Italy
• Read also our tips for traveling to Europe .

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Tuesday 13th of June 2023

Hi Jurga! I love your blog and I'm planning to visit Barcelona in October. Did the Acta Splendid charge you a resort fee in addition to the price of the room & tax?.....Elaine

Wednesday 14th of June 2023

Hi Elaine, I don't remember hotel charging us any special fees. When you book on Booking.com, it's always very clearly shown what's included. Usually, for most places, they already include the city tax in the price, or show you how much it will be. For Acta Splendid, if I try just random dates, I see that it shows me in the booking window that 10% VAT and City tax are included in the price. What sometimes happens is that you first get charged just for the room and then have to pay the taxes at the property separately. But the total price you see on Booking is usually the total of what you'll pay in the end (unless clearly stated otherwise). That's a big difference vs. booking with hotels directly. Most hotels don't show taxes in their price at first and then add it to your bill later. This way, you might think that you are paying less but, often, it's quite the opposite. Just one more reason why we always use Booking.com for all our accommodation bookings. Hope this helps. Have a great trip!

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28 Best Things to Do in Barcelona

The soul-caressing Spanish climate might set Barcelona up as an outdoor city, but its indoor activities have kudos, too. Find world-renowned museums that showcase artistic legends and rising stars, markets rich in local produce, and panoramic viewing platforms to take in the iconic architecture. If it’s sun you want, it’s sun you shall get—but the beach is only one option. From a secret maze to a hilltop fairground, Barcelona’s to-do list is every bit as varied as it is pure fun; Antoni Gaudí’s color-pop architecture ensures that dull moments simply don’t exist here.

Consider this your capsule edit of attractions: the definitive list of what to do in Barcelona for the time-smart traveler, from art, iconic parks, and performing arts spaces to so much more. Spanning big-hitters and under-the-radar gems, these are the best things to do in Barcelona—the Catalan-speaking city's most unmissable spots.  Vamos .

Read our complete Barcelona travel guide here , which includes:

• Gaudí in Barcelona: Our Guide
• The Best Hotels in Barcelona
• The Best Restaurants in Barcelona

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

"The World Begins With Every Kiss" Mural Arrow

This romantically-named mural near the Catedral de Barcelona was only meant to be a temporary exhibition. It was unveiled in 2014 for the 300th anniversary of September 11, 1714, a day known as Catalonia Day, or La Diada, which commemorates Catalan surrender in the War of Spanish Succession. Celebration might sound wrong—after all, they lost—but having undergone 14 months of siege beforehand, the day is a tribute to the Catalan lives lost, to regional identity, and to freedom. Back to the mural though. Catalan photographer Joan Fontcuberta asked readers of El Periódico newspaper to send him photographs of their own moments of freedom. Fontcuberta and ceramicist Toni Cumella then printed 4,000 of these personal shots onto mosaics, arranging them by color and density so that, from afar, the 26-foot-tall mural shows two people kissing. This kiss—a symbol of affection, empathy, and liberty—felt so poignant that the local government never took it down.

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Park Güell is an almost make-believe landscape, home to Barcelona ’s famous mosaic lizard—the image on a thousand postcards—plus spiral towers that look like fairground slides. The city’s grandest park began life as a collaboration between entrepreneur Eusebi Güell (hence the park’s name) and Antoni Gaudí. Güell’s vision was to build an estate for affluent families—Gaudí planned 60 homes, a market, and gardens inspired by British parks (which explains the English spelling of the Catalan word parc), but the scheme never took off. Work stopped in 1914, with only two houses completed, including today’s Porter’s Lodge. Success came later—the park is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Park Güell is so iconic, so fantastical, it’s hard to justify skipping it—though during peak months, tour buses also subscribe to this notion…an interesting add-on is Casa Museu Gaudí, the pink spired building inside the park. When booking, select the General Admission + Gaudí House Museum ticket (€14/$15); Gaudí actually lived there for 19 years, which makes it the home tour of all home tours.

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Ask any local to pick their favorite church and we’d bet a glass of (sacramental) Catalan wine that Barcelona 's Santa Maria del Mar would be it. If you’ve read Ildefonso Falcones’s thriller Cathedral of the Sea , you’ll already know more about it than you think: the novel’s backdrop is the construction of this particular Gothic church, with the lead protagonist one of its stone workers. In real life, the church’s history is almost stranger than fiction: in 1428, it was shaken by a major earthquake. Then, in July 1936, it was set on fire and burned for 11 days straight. Look inside, and you’ll still see the black scorch marks on the roof. There’s a strange sense of calm. It’s put down to the proportions of the building: very tall columns, set 43 feet apart—that’s extremely wide, by building standards. Combine that airiness with vast stretches of stained glass and it almost feels like someone’s pulling you up into the sky. The church prides itself on an everyone-welcome mindset, likely stemming back to its origins, when local merchants (rather than the monarchy) funded its expansion. If you’re in El Born, everyone should feel the atmosphere inside for at least five minutes. Still on the fence? This will help: Santa Maria del Mar is what inspired Gaudí to build La Sagrada Familia .

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Hear the words “fairground on a hill,” and your instinct likely jumps to, “Um, really?” And while Barcelona 's Tibidabo mountain is a fairground, it's also so much more. You’ll first notice it from the city center: high on a summit, the silhouette of a majestic temple makes you wonder, “What is that building?” quickly followed by, “How do I go?” Officially called the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (or Sacred Heart church, easier on the tongue), its roof is topped with an enormous bronze statue of Jesus that you can take an elevator to. Mind-blown (and a little breeze-blown), you suddenly see the charm of the amusement park next to it—like its retro-styled attractions, such as a Ferris wheel with color-pop seating pods, built for the views as much as the screams. It’s great fun. The most iconic rides are the Avió plane that flies you, bird-like, around the site, or Talaia, a metal arm that goes 1,800 feet above sea level. Being at that height for a few minutes was once thought to have medical healing powers. Which you may need to recover from the park’s organ-flipping new launch, Merlí—a 170-feet freefall. Adults love the views; kids love the rides. Finish with a gin and tonic on the terrace of Mirablau Bar , near where the blue tram stops. The edge seats rule.

Gran Teatre del Liceu Arrow

As you’d expect from an opera venue, it’s grand, beautiful, doused with art, and occupies a prime piece of zip code on Barcelona 's La Rambla . Yet, as with many of life’s most interesting characters, not all is quite what it seems. The vestibule, as you walk in, dates back to the building’s original construction in 1847. However, the main performance space—with a striking domed ceiling, red-velvet chairs and ornate gold moldings that have echoes of the Palace of Versailles—was actually unveiled in the grand old year of… 1999. A fire having wiped out most of the building’s structure in 1994. But you would never know. Beauty, one heck of a backstory to the building, and an extremely central location mean we’ll happily sing the Liceu’s praises. While performances will naturally provoke opinions, the setting and sound quality are undeniable hits. Plus, it’s a stunning spot in which to entertain that other great performance art—that of getting dressed up, and observing the well-dressed around you.

Mirador Torre Glòries Arrow

Even if you don’t know Torre Glòries by name, you’ll know it by sight. The gleaming, iridescent tower that pierces the cityscape like (some say) a gherkin, though architect Jean Nouvel had a geyser in mind. It’s possibly Barcelona ’s most famous landmark that Gaudí had absolutely nothing to do with, and at 470-feet tall it’s definitely one of its tallest. Opened in 2005, and famous for housing Meta’s Barcelona outpost, it’s never offered much in the way of visitor interest beyond a snap. That changed in 2022, when the 30th floor became a panoramic public observation deck with unobstructed views across every angle of the city. The visit, including Cloud Cities, takes around an hour—but time flies by. Tickets aren’t cheap—it’s €15 ($16) to visit, rising to €25 ($27) if you include the Cloud Cities climb. But for a memory-making experience that’s unique, ridiculously fun, and which you’ll be chatting about all over dinner, and go again tomorrow, Mirador Torre Glòries is well worth it.

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It’s impossible to wander the spider-web streets of Barcelona ’s old town without being trapped by the presence of its cathedral. It might not have the quirkiness nor the hype of La Sagrada Família , but it holds court: a giant Gothic temple that looms large against the narrow lanes and matchbox shops. Its site originally housed a Roman temple, some 2,000 years ago, when Barcelona was still called Bàrcino (you can track down parts of the old Roman walls and aqueduct nearby). Today, the cathedral’s official name, Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, honors Eulalia, a local girl who refused to accept Roman emperor Diocletian’s demand to recant her Christian faith. His retaliation was 13 forms of torture, followed by decapitation, during which a dove is said to have flown from her neck. It’s why, inside the cathedral’s cloisters, you’ll find a pond with 13 white geese. Not statues, but living, squawking geese. It’s beautiful and atmospheric, as religious buildings so often are. Regardless of your personal level of piety, the architecture inside—plus the city view from the short elevator ride to the top—is quite something. A walk-by, minimum, is a must. Street performers singing and playing instruments in the surrounding lanes make the experience much more memorable than you might think.

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La Boqueria might be Barcelona ’s oldest market—it started life in 1217 as a mere huddle of meat stalls on La Rambla —but tradition isn’t staid. More than 200 stands unite like a foodie’s choir: traders’ shouts, the clink of glasses, welcome greetings sung out ("holaaaa"). Though, for all the atmosphere, it’s the smell that gets you: warm, ocean-salty, freshly fried fish—the kind that lines your nostrils, excites your stomach, makes your physician tense, and has to be washed down with a glass of cava. Once past the swaths of tourists photographing the stained-glass entrance, the crowd is increasingly local. The back half of the market, especially around the quirkier offal stalls, are still where chefs and quality-savvy Catalan families do their shopping. Unlike many landmark food markets that require a 3 a.m. alarm (we’re glaring at you, Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo), don’t waste your snooze button coming before the 8 a.m. opening. The best time is 10 a.m. to midday; or, for possible bargains, before the 8:30 p.m. closing.

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Barcelona ’s most famous street—a nearly one-mile pedestrianized boulevard from Plaça Cataluyna to Port Vell—is still the strolling route for the city's visitors. When it’s charming, oh boy, it’s charming: there’s a past-era nostalgia to its florists, street artists, and stalls glittering with sticky-sweet candies and ice creams. And when it’s intense, it’s intense: a melee of aggressive marketing calls from waiters flogging fluorescent cocktails, as well as the absolute worst in tacky souvenirs. To predict your next question: But is it La Rambla or Las Ramblas? Well, it’s really both. Originally, the area consisted of five mini-ramblas: Rambla de Canaletes, Estudis, Sant Josep, Caputxins, and Santa Mònica. They're often lumped together and today the street sign says La Rambla–from the Arabic for “dry river bed.” If you’ve never been to La Rambla, go. La Rambla has a charm that keeps the 78 million coming. Its building facades can be strikingly beautiful: the opera house, Gran Teatre del Liceu, pulls a crowd both inside and out. At number 83, Antigua Casa Figueras is an unexpected jaw-dropper in Catalan Modernism, all stained glass and mosaics, that’s also a treat of a patisserie. While Plaça Reial (step off La Rambla via Carrer de Colom) is a regal yellow square of bars and restaurants; beside the fountain, find lampposts designed by a young Gaudí. Also, watch your step between La Boqueria and Liceu metro station: artist Joan Miró made a street mosaic that, despite its primary colors, many people miss.

Fundació Joan Miró Arrow

It takes a certain type of space to accommodate Miró—an artist whose works range from a white canvas with a single black line to bold, primary-colored, robot-like sculptures. So it makes sense that Miró worked with his friend, architect Josep Lluís Sert, to design the building himself. It’s modern, very white, and kind of minimalist by Barcelona ’s standards—it's no La Sagrada Família —but the coolest part is knowing that you’re seeing Miró’s work laid out exactly as he intended. However you feel about Miró, the collection is lively and energetic and devoid of the stuffy pretense that art museums can attract. (A blue dot in a white rectangle might have some traditionalists shaking their heads.) But there is a vibe about this place that’s as irresistible and energizing as your morning coffee. As well as space for his own works, Miró wanted a venue for contemporary arts research and conversation—so there’s a wealth of seasonal displays. Downstairs, the Espai 13 studio is always taken over by a freelance curator or emerging artist–you’ll find videos, light installations, even personal performances. Recent years have seen fascinating temporary deep-dives into Miró’s creative and personal relationship with other artists, notably Picasso and Matisse.

Els Encants Arrow

Els Encants is the flea market with the fabulous roof. That ceiling is over 80-feet high, built from undulating zinc and aluminum, and mirrored silver-gold to reflect a kaleidoscopic whirl of stalls below. This market of odds-and-sods has existed in Barcelona since around 1300; for years, as a nomad–goods laid out on ever-changing streets and squares around the city. That changed in 2013 when Els Encants’ sparkling new home opened in Poblenou. The design wizardry of architect b720 Fermín Vázquez (which is now modernizing the city’s iconic Camp Nou soccer stadium), it’s a visual stunner blessed with good-looking neighbors. On one side, the tin-foil-shiny Torre Glòries and Disseny Hub , the design museum. Turn 90 degrees, and there’s La Sagrada Familia saying hola in the background. There are two types of shoppers. Those with a practical list—for a tablecloth, DIY tools, low-cost sportswear, say. And those on a speculative hunt for gems. For the latter, you have to be prepared to wade through tat. But if that’s your vibe, you’ll find stealth members of your tribe here, too—interior and fashion designers, prop sourcers, decorators, and people with homes full of where-did-you-find-THAT pieces.

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It’s easy to see why Casa Batlló has been likened to Claude Monet’s Water Lilies: covered in shards of stained glass, the façade given a restorative facelift in 2019—sometimes appears blue, then green, then shimmering like the glassy layer of a lake. Even in a city stuffed with beautiful buildings, Casa Batlló (pronounced ‘Casa Bat-yo’) feels otherworldly. Textile industrialist Josep Batlló commissioned Gaudí to design this home after seeing what Gaudí had done with Park Güell —his brief was to create a house style that none of Batlló’s other family members would have, and which also paid homage to Catalonia’s patron saint, Jordi (who you’ll know as Saint George of dragon-slaying fame). The result is both grand and intimate—and, per the instructions, unique. You come for the architecture—or, rather, to get your head around the architecture. Influenced by nature, Casa Batlló has no straight lines (because they don’t exist in nature, said Gaudí), stone pillars that contort like animal bones, and a tall, ocean-blue stairwell that’s very Jules Verne. Inside the Gaudí Dome, 1000 screens and 38 projectors animate the architect’s inspiration process. While the LED-walled Gaudí Cube immortalizes his imagination. Digital art pioneer, Refik Anadol, used machine learning to unpick the patterns running through Gaudí’s out-there constructions and then turned them into an audiovisual experience. It’s vivid, kaleidoscopic stuff—and very smart.

Palau de la Música Catalana Arrow

It might be the Palace of Catalan Music, but you come as much for your eyes as your ears. Outside, hefty stone pillars draped in floral mosaics hint that something special lies within—that, and the small matter of a UNESCO World Heritage classification. Still, the auditorium will surprise you: a kaleidoscope of roses, chandeliers, and stained glass, it’s like 50 brides threw their wedding bouquets and they all exploded in the sky. For once, we don’t have Barcelona poster boy Gaudí to thank. This is the work of Modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, a building some say is even prettier than the mosaic master’s La Sagrada Família . Built to house the Orfeó Català symphonic choir, today’s musical acts span from choral to pianists, jazz, flamenco, and operas such as La Traviata and Carmen . Ticket prices vary with notoriety, from around €18 ($22) to a bank-note-hitting €175 ($215) for a headline act. A key decision is whether to visit in daylight, for a tour, when the building is at its most spectacular, or at night, for a concert, when the music is.

Barceloneta Arrow

Barceloneta is the high-school jock of beaches: loud, popular, and boisterous. Its version of a buff torso? A strip of sand that’s no less of a showoff; at one end, there’s the metallic, sail-like silhouette of the W Hotel , at the other, the blinding gold sculpture of a fish by starchitect Frank Gehry. When you’ve arrived at Barceloneta, you know it. Barceloneta is convenient, chaotic, and a must-see carnival. But it’s increasingly proving its mettle as an LA-esque outdoor lifestyle destination. Take the promenade running towards the W Hotel. It’s a-buzz with joggers and inline skaters; there’s an outdoor pool that’s serious about laps not lazing; while outdoor gyms contain a spaghetti tangle of lithe limbs that raise weights and the impressed eyebrows of people walking by. At the walkway’s very end, a new elevated viewing platform (that opened in 2022) presents a sweeping perspective across the Mediterranean and Barcelona ’s urban center. We’re calling it: this is Barceloneta, rebooted.

Montjuïc Arrow

There are many grand elements to Montjüic, Barcelona 's green lung that’s a whole lot more than ‘just a hill’. A great introduction starts from the roundabout at Plaça España, where a dramatic, architectural staircase leads up to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Museum of Catalan Art). It looks like a fairy-tale palace, and the water feature in front is even called the Magic Fountain. (Recent drought conditions have paused its famous evening water-light spectacular—but check for updates here ). So far, we’ve described about 400 meters of Montjüic: the remainder boasts internationally acclaimed arts institutions, stadiums from the 1992 Olympic Games, exotic gardens, and enough panoramic views to jam a smartphone camera roll. The site is vast; you can spend hours circumnavigating it, only to discover entire sections you’ve missed. Focusing on its outdoor potential, don’t miss Montjüic Castle, particularly in July and August, when its grounds host an open-air sunset cinema. Walk around the old Olympic stadium site, taking in the giant spike in the sky: a telecoms tower built by architect Santiago Calatrava. There are also two great gardens: the botanical garden, Jardí Botànic, and a more secluded one dedicated to cacti. If the catchy name Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera doesn’t help you locate it, it’s by the back of the Miramar hotel and the sea.

La Sagrada Família Arrow

It’s practically illegal to go to Barcelona and not visit La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s extraordinary temple dedicated to the Holy Family—otherwise known as the world’s largest unfinished church. The latest projected end date for structural work (excluding decorative details) is 2026, tying in neatly with the centenary of the architect’s death, though local theorists speculate it will never be done in order to preserve its in-process cachet. To say you'll experience a sense of wonder feels corny, but it’s very hard to walk inside, tilt your head up to the vaults and rainbow stained glass, and not gasp out loud. So, good corny. The bread and butter of a first-timer’s itinerary, La Sagrada Família will also be the one you keep returning to. Not just to witness quantifiable increases in height, or scale, or intricacy, but for the feeling inside—which is, simply, magic.

Mercat de Sant Antoni Arrow

Imagine Barcelona 's iconic La Boqueria –the heaving, calamari-scented food market on La Rambla —before it became famous. When the only voices were local, and daily specials were scribbled in felt-tip pen on scraps on paper. That’s Sant Antoni today. A food and clothes market that’s revered by locals and cemented in their daily routines. Telling an international audience about it feels like breaking a secret code, so come with respect for that authenticity and a willingness to practice your high-school Spanish–as well as an appetite. Oh yes, you’ll definitely want the latter. Aim for that sweet spot where you’ll salivate upon seeing trays of olives piled like sandcastles, but aren’t so ravenous that you’ll blow all your hunger on the first stall of cured meats you come to. The flavors here are as traditional as the maroon-and-gold market itself: built in 1882, it recently closed from 2009 to 2018 for an €80 million refurb. Today, it’s restored, reopened and thriving–with the surrounding blocks becoming car-free to enhance the community-first experience. On Sundays, when the main market is closed, the outside edge turns into one of Europe’s largest open-air book markets, selling vintage editions and stamps. It starts at 8:30 am and is open until 2:00 pm—though Barcelona isn’t known for its early starts, so you’re safe to press snooze.

Barcelona Architecture Walks Arrow

While most sightseeing tours simply describe what’s in front of you, Barcelona Architecture Walks explore a building’s wider context: from the juicy politics of how that frightfully out-of-context glass office block really swung planning permission, to what the wealthy textile tycoons who commissioned Gaudí actually thought when he left them with a swirly ceilinged bedroom covered in religious motifs? Of the five tours available, the flagship is Barcelona & Gaudí—a three-hour, pre-reserved ramble around Eixample that’s capped at 20 people. Expect fast-paced historical insight that spans Barcelona’s Roman origins, recent attempts to greenify the city, as well as explainers into the technical wizardry and mathematics behind Gaudí’s zany ideas. Guides are all architects—either practicing, or professors—and this knowledge and critical eye really adds credibility. These are fantastic, talking-point tours for anyone who wants to know more about a building than simply how it photographs.

Picasso Museum Arrow

A museum spread over five palaces—we’d expect nothing less for Picasso, who moved to Barcelona as a 14-year-old boy and made frequent trips back throughout his life. Downstairs, a courtyard and Gothic archways lead into white studios that illuminate his works. Upstairs, the rooms are lavish: epic painted ceilings that almost drip crystal chandeliers. Visitors flock here to see Picasso's work, but the special setting is why they come back again and again. If you’re expecting Picasso’s big-hitters, you might be disappointed—for a few minutes. Guernica resides in the Reina Sofía in Madrid , The Weeping Woman at London ’s Tate Modern . What Barcelona’s museum has, is everything around those postcard images. In chronological order, it shows every brushstroke (all 4,251 works’ worth) of how he moved from a classically trained painter (see Ciencia y Caridad in Room 3) to a Cubist pioneer, plus some things we never knew he did, like ceramics.

Moco Museum Barcelona Arrow

A hot-pink logo. A giant sculpture of a Smurf posing like Frankenstein’s monster in the courtyard. And a mirrored room where hundreds of dangling diamonds change color as you walk inside. Have you got all of that? Barcelona 's Moco Museum is a riot–of colors, of styles, of pushing artistic boundaries. Mainly, of joy. It may be next door to the Picasso Museum, but you’re about as far away from Picasso’s melancholic blue period as you can get. Here’s the thing: you cannot be bored here. The majority crowd is young, cool and scene-y: wearing outfits intentionally curated for the visit, with bodies contorted into angles to snap the best social-media content. After all, aesthetic impact is kind of the point of this place. Don’t be fooled though; museumgoers are very much here for the art. Discussions with animated hand gestures try to unpick what’s on the walls, while many works provoke a long-linger. Even if you hit 10,000 steps by lunchtime, Moco’s fluorescent, lively, reaction-provoking collection is a guaranteed perk-you-up. Yes, even if you’ve been known to yawn at the word “museum”. One last hack: tickets for time slots before 11am and after 6pm are cheaper.

Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site Arrow

This is a hospital, you say? Well, it was—but one with a twist. Built by legendary Modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner (he of Palau de la Música Catalana fame) with all the features of Catalan Art Nouveau—extravagant domes, stained glass windows, epic pillars—it was designed to be a building that people enjoyed recuperating in. His vision was a garden city for nursing the sick instead of the clinical-looking spaces we still know today—buildings are oriented for maximum sun exposure, for example. When the hospital was moved further north in 2009, this site went through its own rehabilitation: into a museum and arts venue. It now hosts the runways for Barcelona Fashion Week. The pavilions earned UNESCO World Heritage status, so the buildings alone are inspiring, particularly given their previous incarnation. The gardens, with lime trees and sleepy lavender bushes, make it good for the eyes and soul. This is the landmark to visit if you want a less obvious, less traveled itinerary. While locals expect you to do the Gaudí gems, they’ll be genuinely impressed if you come here—because they do.

Parc de la Ciutadella Arrow

“And here’s the Arc de Triomf”—a phrase you might not expect to hear in Barcelona . It gets even more confusing when you discover that the monumental stone gateway at the entrance of Parc de la Ciutadella (which indeed shares a name with the French landmark), was actually supposed to be the Eiffel Tower. True story: The Barcelona council rejected Gustave Eiffel’s design, leading him to pitch it to Paris. Inside the Ciutadella? The core is a tree-lined boulevard with couples promenading, kids running, street artists blowing giant bubbles, locals training their dogs, students sunbathing on the grassy banks, and older folk watching on. The site is vast: few parks could house a city’s zoo and its regional parliament, let alone put them next door to each other, which is the case here. Other beautiful structures that are open for strolling include the cast iron Umbracle , where arched roofs shade verdant kentia palms, fig trees and giant elephant’s ears; the recently restored Hivernacle , a spectacularly decorated 135-year-old greenhouse; and the natural sciences museum, Centre Martorell d’Exposicions .

Hivernacle Arrow

This ornate greenhouse inside Barcelona 's Parc de la Ciutadella dates back to 1888, when architect Josep Amargós i Samaranch designed it as a grand reception hall for the Universal Exposition fair. Sadly, as with many projects whose purpose post-event isn’t given much thought, by the 20th century it fell into disrepair. The Hivernacle had spells as a bird and reptile house, and even as a bar, but its recent history is one peppered with disuse and dashed promises of renovation projects. Until–cue a big cheer—a detail-orientated 15-month renewal was completed in December 2023, restoring the ironwork and decorative details back to their 1888 glory. It’s now an atmospheric, serene plant house that’s ideal for resting or reading a book under soft, leaf-shaded light. That it’s an essential stop for plant-lovers and gardeners is a given. But it’s also a beautiful example of urban conservation done right, and a relaxing—and free—stop-off to sample Parc de la Ciutadella’s expanding focus on natural history and sciences.

The Barcelona Pavilion by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Arrow

The Barcelona Pavilion was designed by German architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the 1929 International Exposition—a global showcase of architectural styles. Exposition over, the pavilion was duly dismantled back to Germany. It was only in the decades after—cue: a face-palming moment of hindsight—that the architectural community realized just how pivotal Mies van der Rohe’s founding symbol of modernist architecture was. In 1980, Barcelona City Council enlisted a team of Catalan architects to turn salvaged photographs and drawings into a delicate, atmospheric reconstruction. Most people’s overarching takeaway from the Pavilion is that it’s smaller than they imagined, so use this as your battery recharge before tackling the other arty big-hitters on Montjuïc , such as Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and Fundació Joan Miró .

Camp Nou Arrow

The importance FC Barcelona soccer club has in the city can be felt in the noise of its home stadium, the Camp Nou. At 99,354, it’s the biggest in Europe—and there's an expansion plan in place to push it to 105,000. All seats are actually owned by season-ticket holders, who then release them to the public if they can’t go. Don’t worry: it means there’s usually a good chunk available, especially against lower league teams, and 72 to 48 hours before a match. Barcelona’s home matches in La Liga—the Spanish soccer league—usually run from mid-August to the end of May, and tours of the stadium and the FC Barcelona museum are still kicking off (from €28 or $30.50). Glimpse Messi’s trophies, the players’ tunnel, and the first team’s bench.

Museu de l’Art Prohibit Arrow

A word to the easily offended, cover your eyes now: This is the world’s first museum comprised entirely of artworks considered so scandalous that they were banned, censored or withdrawn from public view. New to Barcelona ’s arts scene since the end of 2023, spot it via bright-red flags (evoking smut-shop undertones) hanging outside the juxtaposed setting of a grand Modernista-era townhouse. Word is still getting out, so it’s enjoyably uncrowded, which is helpful as you’ll get the most out of the visit by lingering at each work and reading about the wider context. The free digital guide, accessible via QR code, contains everything you need to know. Continuing the cheeky theme, the store features hand-shaped candles flipping the bird, necklaces with the word “no”, banana vases, and mini lamps with Keith Haring illustrations. An hour gives you time to see everything, read most of the blurbs, and do a spin of the gift shop. Architecture buffs may want to spend longer admiring the building itself (called Casa Garriga Nogués by architect Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia), which has spectacular stained glass.

Casa Vicens Arrow

Wildly colorful ceramic flowers? And tiles that look like a green and white chessboard? No, we haven’t been tippling the lunchtime vermouth—this is the feeling upon discovering Casa Vicens down an unsuspecting side street in Barcelona 's arty Gràcia district. Built in the 1880s as a summerhouse for stockbroker Manel Vicens, it was the very first house Gaudí designed. Following a refurb, it opened in November 2017 as a museum space and a fascinating house to snoop around. Forget the Gaudí of La Sagrada Família fame, this is his Orientalist Period. What’s it like? Imagine a Moorish palace married a Rubik’s cube and had a child. It’s crazy. Anyone who’s a fan of tiles or maximalist design will geek out on the (dare we say jumble of) oriental palms, pink walls, flower-adorned tiles and flying birds. Add in a terracotta roof terrace, a couple of elaborate domes, and some Gaudí ironwork and you’re left wondering how it all harmonizes together. Because, weirdly, it does.

Superilla Arrow

Superilla, which means “superblock,” is a transformative new pedestrian project that’s created some of the loveliest strolling routes across Barcelona . Urban planners picked congested, lung-clogging roads within the Eixample neighborhood’s tic-tac-toe-shaped grid and converted them into green streets. Today, these paved avenues prioritize walkers, cyclists and planted areas, and café terraces dance out across what was once highway. A wonderful walking route is the horizontal street, Consell de Cent. It runs left from Passeig de Sant Joan, a wide tree-lined boulevard known for its comic stores, across to Parc Joan Miró, a sandy, parakeet-filled park that features Miró’s ‘Woman and Bird’ sculpture. Walk continuously, and the almost-two-mile route takes around 40 minutes. But that’s kind of missing the point. This is a stretch in which to savor the hubbub of Mediterranean life: stop for a lazy café con hielo (iced coffee), join the older residents reading newspapers in the shade, and snap the typography of the preserved-in-time shopfronts. It’s enough to have La Rambla quaking in its boots.

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Essential travel guide to barcelona [updated for 2024].

Barcelona is constantly alive with activity and excitement. La Rambla teems with people enjoying a stroll, heading out with a group of friends, and taking in the sights of the city. The Gothic Quarter tells the story of Barcelona’s ancient past with its narrow streets and medieval architecture.

All around the city are the famous works of beloved architect Antoni Gaudi, like Sagrada Familia . These are a few of the areas that tourists absolutely love about Barcelona and can’t seem to get enough of.

Whether you’re visiting Barcelona for a few days or a few weeks, you’ll find our essential travel guide to Barcelona very useful. It contains all the best things to do in Barcelona, places to eat and drink, and even includes our top picks for where to stay, all in one short infographic.

If you’re looking for where to eat in Barcelona , check out this post for top restaurants, and we also love going on a food tour in Barcelona to learn where to go back during your stay. Here’s a great 3-day Barcelona itinerary .

If your plans take you to other parts of Europe, check out our how to plan a trip to Europe guide. 

Are you planning your trip to Barcelona?

If you’re  traveling to Barcelona , ensure you have lodging and tours booked ahead of time! Below are some of our top picks to help you plan!

• Book a transfer from the airport to Barcelona city center with Welcome Pickups.
• Rent a car from the Rome airport through Discover Cars .

Where to Stay in Barcelona See all hotel options

• Grand Hotel Central ⇒ 5-star luxury near La Rambla with poolside bar, rooftop terrace
• ME Barcelona ⇒ 5-star hotel near La Rambla
• Catalonia Catedral Hotel  ⇒ 4-star eco-friendly hotel near Plaça de Catalunya

Best Tours and Experiences in Barcelona:

• Skip the Line: Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia Guided Tour (definitely the way to go)
• Barcelona Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour (we loved this tour)
• Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona (if you have extra time – super fun)

» Want more info on what to eat in Spain? Check out our Spain travel guide . I highly recommend a pinchos crawl in Logrono or pintxos in San Sebastian , in Northern Spain. If you’re going to Southern Spain, find out  where to eat tapas in Seville. And don’t miss a trip to the Rioja wine region .

Table of Contents

What to Do in Barcelona

I love Barcelona for the sheer number of things there are to do there. You will not have a quiet moment, unless you plan it into your itinerary.

For me, it’s all about trying all the great foods Barcelona is known for, so the first thing I recommend is taking this Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour . It’s about 3 hours long and is a great introduction to Barcelona and it’s food and wine.

If you want to see the Sagrada Familia (and of COURSE you do!), it’s always a good idea to book ahead for priority access, so you can avoid standing in the atrocious line. This is a good one to book: Priority Access: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour .

Other popular things to do in Barcelona include:

• Visit Park Güell, Casa Mila, and Casa Batlló – all Gaudi’s amazing masterpieces
• Walk along Las Ramblas from Plaça de Catalunya down to the waterfront
• Go to the beach – Barcelona has beautiful beaches that stretch for miles
• Eat your way around La Boqueria – this market has been around forever and there are dozens of places to eat both inside and out.
• Visit the Barcelona City History Museum – you’ll go underground to see the remains of the Roman sites that are long since buried
• Go on a wine tasting trip to try wine and Cava outside Barcelona. Here’s a tour you can book:  Wine and Cava Day Trip from Barcelona

Other Notable Attractions

Aside from the top attractions mentioned earlier, there are still several other notable attractions in Barcelona that you should consider visiting during your one day itinerary.

If you’re a fan of art and architecture, you should not miss Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, two of the most famous buildings designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí. Casa Batlló is known for its colorful facade and unique rooftop, while Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera, features a wavy stone facade and a stunning rooftop terrace with chimney sculptures.

For those interested in art, the Picasso Museum is a must-visit. The museum houses an extensive collection of works by Pablo Picasso, including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. You can also visit the El Born neighborhood, where you can find several art galleries and boutiques.

If you’re a football fan, you can visit the Camp Nou stadium, home to FC Barcelona. You can take a tour of the stadium, visit the museum, and even step onto the pitch.

Montjuïc Hill is another off-the-beaten-path destination that offers stunning views of the city. You can take a cable car to the top, where you can find several attractions, including the Montjuïc Castle, the Joan Miró Foundation, and the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Passeig de Gracia is a popular shopping street that features several high-end boutiques, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel. You can also find several notable buildings along the street, including Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

Plaça Catalunya is Barcelona’s main square and a bustling hub of activity. You can find several shops, restaurants, and cafes in the area, as well as several notable buildings, including the Barcelona Cathedral.

The Gracia district is a charming neighborhood that is known for its bohemian vibe and narrow streets. You can find several shops, cafes, and bars in the area, as well as several notable buildings, including the Casa Vicens and the Parc Güell.

Tours to Go On in Barcelona

We always schedule at least a few tours with local tour guides when visiting Barcelona. It’s a great way to learn more about the city and find all the great places to go during the rest of our trip. Indulge in some of the best food and drink that Barcelona has to offer on one of these fantastic tapas tours .

Here are some of the top tours we recommend:

• Barcelona in One Day: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell & Old Town with Hotel Pick-up
• Barcelona Segway Tour
• Paella Cooking Experience with Professional Chef and Bottomless Wine
• Barcelona Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour
• Flamenco Show at Tablao Flamenco Cordobes Barcelona in Las Ramblas

How to Get to Barcelona

Most international flights will come into El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN). From there, it’s a 20-minute taxi ride or 30-minute train ride to the city center.

Another option is to take the Aerobus, the airport express bus. It comes to the airport every You can’t miss it – it has Aerobus across the side of it. They park right out in front of the terminal. The main bus stops in Barcelona city center are at Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça España. The cost is €5.90 for a single and €10.20 return.

For the train, the RENFE train runs every 30 minutes between the city and the airport. It takes about 25 minutes. You can catch the train from Clot, Passeig de Gràcia , or BarcelonaSants.

What to Eat & Drink in Barcelona

Barcelona is full of options for eating and drinking, from high-end restaurants to food markets, and tapas bars. You’ll want to get ready for a giant list of things you need to try while you’re there.

A few of the foods you must try in Barcelona are:

• Pimientos de padron
• Patatas Bravas
• Brocheta de Camarones

If you’re looking for a more sophisticated meal, there are a lot of fine-dining restaurants that will blow your mind, like Caelis, Moments, Alkimia, and Cinc Sentits. Be sure to make reservations well in advance to get a table.

Craft beer is also very big in Barcelona. You can make a day of it and visit some of the top craft breweries, like BierCaB, Ale & Hop, BlackLab, and Garage Beer Co.

Where to Stay in Barcelona

There are a couple of things we’ve come to expect from hotel rooms in Spain . One is that the walls and floors are typically not well insulated, so you can hear your neighbors in their rooms, in the hall, walking around, etc. Another is that the beds are not as soft or comfortable as in U.S. hotels. As long as you understand those two things, your expectations will be set appropriately.

Here are our recommended hotels in Barcelona . Please feel free to use any of these links to read reviews, see prices and book your stay (they are affiliate links that help us keep the lights on around here): For more choices, check out these  Hotels in Barcelona, Spain

Check out this post for what to do in Barcelona with kids .

Hotel Indigo

4-star hotel in the middle of the action in Plaza Catalunya, with a pool and Gaudi-inspired lobby.

Read Reviews | Book a Stay

W Barcelona

5-star beachfront hotel in Barceloneta, with a full-service spa, 3 restaurants and 2 bars.

4-star hotel with a restaurant, 2 bars/lounges and an indoor and outdoor pool.

Essential Travel Guide to Barcelona

You might also like:

• What to see in Barcelona in 3 Days  (by Surfing the Planet)
• 23 Fun Things to Do in Barcelona  (by Hostel Geeks)
• How to enjoy La Boqueria market in Barcelona

Be Prepared For Travel Planning is the most important part of any successful trip. Do it the easy way:

🧳 Travel Packing List | ✔️ Why You Need Travel Insurance | ✈️ What to Do Before You Leave Home

• Find and book the best hotel (our favorite booking site is Expedia)
• Research flight options (our favorite tool is Skyscanner )
• Book a tour (we always use Viator to find the best tours)
• Rent a car through Discover Cars (they search the best deals for you!)

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Where to Eat in Barcelona: Top 10 Restaurants to Try

Try This Devour Barcelona Food and Wine Tour

21 of the Best Cities to Visit in Europe

The Perfect 7-Day Costa Brava Itinerary (Spain)

Like this post? Why not save it to Pinterest? FOLLOW US  on  Pinterest ,  Instagram ,  Facebook  for more great travel inspiration and tips.

Laura Lynch, creator and writer of Savored Journeys, is an avid world traveler, certified wine expert, and international food specialist. She has written about travel and food for over 20 years and has visited over 75 countries. Her work has been published in numerous guidebooks, websites, and magazines.

3 thoughts on “ Essential Travel Guide to Barcelona [Updated for 2024] ”

Cervesería Catalana was amazing! There’s always a long line-up there when we went. We also tried its sister restaurant Ciudad Condal – similar menu and just as delicious.

you have some nice tips for people here for the first time in Barcelona. If you are ever back in Barcelona I own a food tour business here in BCN and I would be happy to show you around some great spots to eat.

Absolutely will do!

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Home » Europe » Spain » Barcelona

EPIC BARCELONA Itinerary! (2024)

Jam-packed outdoor markets, restaurants, museums, and cathedrals, the Spanish-Catalan city of Barcelona is an incredible travel destination!

Come to Barca to visit Gaudi’s vibrant masterpieces and enjoy the Catalonian and Spanish traditions! These include a long-standing love for good chocolate, chorizo and the seductive art of Flamenco.

There’s so much to see and do in the beautiful, busy city of Barcelona so we’ve put together a 3 day Barcelona itinerary consisting of all the very best attractions to help you out! So if you’re spending 3 days in Barcelona, or much longer, here’s all the things you should be sure to tick off the list. As well as tips on how and when to do it!

The best way to experience the city is by staying at one of the affordable hostels in Barcelona . That way you can spend your money on some really cool attractions!

A Little Bit About This 3-Day Barcelona Itinerary

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This awesome 3-day Barcelona itinerary has been designed to help you maximise your time in this awesome city. So whether you’re backpacking around Spain or you’re on a short city break, you can be sure to see the best of this incredible city.

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3 Day Barcelona Itinerary Overview

• Day 1 in Barcelona: Casa Batllo, Barcelona History Museum, Taperia Princesa, Picasso Museum, La Boqueria Market, Flamenco Dance Show
• Day 2 in Barcelona: Park Güell, Palau de la Musica, Las Ramblas, Barceloneta Beach,
• Day 3 in Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Cathedral, Gothic Quarter, Camp Nou, Parc de la Ciutadella
• More Places to See in Barcelona: City Sights Highlight Bike Tour , Montjuïc Cable Car , Paella Cooking Class & Boqueria Market Tour

Barcelona, like most modern cities in Europe, has a great variety of neighbourhoods. Choosing where to stay in Barcelona is a question of working out what you want. From bohemian to ancient, and even super-chic, you can find an environment that suits you perfectly, or get totally out of your comfort zone.

Stay in the charming Gothic Quarter, with narrow medieval streets filled with food-and-flower vendors, unusual bars, clubs, and exciting restaurants. The neighbourhood’s Gothic church is really impressive and hosts a weekend art market. There’s so much to see in this old-town area, you’ll always enjoy the walk back to your hostel every evening.

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For something a little different, look for Barcelona hostels in the neighbourhood of Gràcia on Carrer de Les Carolines. The first house designed by Antoni Gaudi, Casa Vicens Gaudí, can be found here. It is a great example of Art Nouveau, which Barcelona embraced, and is super cool! There are lots of trees and old buildings in the neighbourhood – a beautiful combination.

Barcelona is in a great location along the coast to explore other places from. You can back up your car (or jump on a bus) and head to some pretty epic spots. These are my favourite day trips from Barcelona .

There are also loads of top-quality Airbnbs in Barcelona in case you fancy living like a local.

Onefam Paralelo – Best Hostel in Barcelona

This is a lovely place to stay and get to know the locals! The staff are experienced and multilingual and love to chat. It’s a perfect place for chilled-out travellers, with a great atmosphere. It’s a bit out of the way, but the dorm room rates are some of the lowest prices you can find, and it’s well worth the easy trip!

Your Romantic Beach Getaway – Best Airbnb in Barcelona

This is one of the best places to stay in Barcelona for backpackers or couples on a budget. Perfectly situated for exploration—so much so that you won’t need to spend much time inside. This charming apartment is located in the heart of Barceloneta right by the beach and gives you easy, walkable access to most of Barcelona’s major sites. With a double room and sofa bed, modern amenities, it’s perfect for two to three guests. 

Hotel Pelayo – Best Budget Hotel in Barcelona

Just a two-minute walk from the famous La Rambla, this value-for-money hotel is a great stay! It’s vibrant and clean. The rooms have great views, and there’s a snack bar! It’s right in the middle of everything. With clean, comfortable rooms, you’ll find you have everything you need!

Want to save money on accommodation?

We got you. For reals.

9:00 AM – Casa Batllo

This brightly coloured fairytale building is an absolute must-see for your first time in Barcelona. A modernist masterpiece by the UNESCO respected Antoni Gaudi , you’ll find no straight lines here. Multicoloured mosaics and organic shapes make it really unique and super vibrant.

Marvel at the details and the building’s utter rejection of traditional architecture. This house is more of a sculpture than a building. The morning sun does wonders with the colourful glass.

Inside, you can go on an augmented reality tour. It brings the experience to life in weird and wonderful ways and is a really exciting innovation in tourism. Totally different to anything else you’ll see, you will be really glad you didn’t miss it, trust us.

• Cost –  $28, $44 for an early tour or $42 for a theatrical tour
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –  1 hr
• Getting There –  It’s centrally located. Walk or take the bus from your base.

10:30 AM – Museum of the History of Barcelona

This is a Barcelona city highlight. The medieval museum conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the historical heritage of the city of Barcelona. From the city’s origins in Roman times until the present day, it has everything!

The coolest part of the museum tour is the excavations of the Roman ruins beneath the museum. Here you can see that there is a whole city beneath the streets of modern Barcelona.

It is the best opportunity to really see the way Barcelona has developed over the millennia. You’ll see an ancient launderette, factory, dyers, and winery! Pretty cool!

The audio tour is excellent and allows you to go through the museum at your own pace, with all the information you need to understand and appreciate what you’re seeing.

Also, go check out the close-by Montjuic that has an amazing mirador overlooking the sea and the city. Check the Magic Fountain lighting times to watch the amazing light show that happens a few times a week.

• Cost –  $10
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –  1 – 1.5 hr
• Getting There –  It’s a 3 minute walk from the History Museum

12:00 AM – Lunch at Taperia Princesa

By this point, you may well be feeling a bit hungry. This delightful Taperia is located a mere 1-minute walk from the Picasso museum (your next stop) and despite its being near a major tourist attraction, it actually serves good quality food! They do good quality tapas and Catalan food served with great wine.

• Cost –  $15 per person will be enough
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –  60 minutes
• Getting There –  Walk from Picasso museum

1:00 PM – Picasso Museum

This incredible museum houses one of the most extensive collections of artworks by the 20th-century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. 

Before he died the artist himself began the project, and now a massive 4,251 works are exhibited here. The fact that one artist could have painted so many pieces blows our minds, never mind the fact that most of these are his early works.

If you’re interested in art, the museum is a key reference for understanding the artist’s formative years. Picasso spent his apprenticeship as an artist in Barcelona and returned to live here later.

The museum is well set out and highly informative. A lovely touch is that the story of Picasso’s life is overlaid with the paintings  – the way you can see the important transitions in his style  reflected in key life events  is fascinating! No matter how well you know the artist and his work, you’ll come away knowing more about him than before.

• Cost –  $15
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –  90 minutes
• Getting There –  It’s a 12 minute walk from Casa Batllo

3.00 PM – La Boqueria Market

This huge public market has been around since the 13th century. It’s amazing to stroll through it and think about everything that must have changed, and everything that has stayed the same!

Locals sell fresh produce and haggle at all the stalls. You can find fresh fruits, fish, vegetables, and seafood, among other things. We recommend you try the fruit smoothies, they are seriously phenomenal.

Full of different colours and smells, the market is a sensory cornucopia. There’s so much to experience, you will want to dedicate at least 2 hours to it. The stall-holders and merchants are very fast and friendly.

You can really find a lot of interesting products. Buy some local handmade chocolates for the folks back home, and some exotic fruits to eat while you walk. It’s a foodie’s heaven – and those chocolates are famously good… Actually… Forget the folks back home, buy a bunch for yourself!

Worried about going in the afternoon? Don’t be, other than the early morning the late afternoon is ideal as the tourist crowds have subsided and the locals are back to pick up some ingredients for dinner. The market is open until 8 pm so you’ll still have plenty of time to explore.

If you’re spending less than 2-3 days in Barcelona be sure to tick this one-off. It’s an integral part of the city.

• Cost –  Whatever you buy
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –  1 – 1.5 hrs
• Getting There –  It’s a 10 minute walk from the Taperia

5.30 PM – Refresh Time

By now, you’re probably gonna be in need of a sit-down and a shower. Hopefully, your accommodation offers both. I suggest you go back to your digs for a power nap and a shower before tonight’s Flamenco show!

7.30 PM – Flamenco Dance Show at the City Hall Theatre

This traditional Flamenco show is a must-see. Appreciate the artistry of the talented performers and experience the vibrant spirit of this authentic form of Spanish dance and expression. Flamenco includes music, singing and dancing arranged together in a beautifully seductive atmosphere.

Some of the most talented artists in Spain perform at the City Hall Theatre. Watching the show, you can participate in the Jaleo , the hand-clapping, foot-stomping, and shouts of encouragement of traditional Flamenco. It is a lot of fun. You’ll also enjoy the lovely traditional features of the City Hall.

• Cost –  $20
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   1 hr
• Getting There –  Take Metro lines L1 and L2 to “Universitat” station, lines L1 and L3 to “Catalunya” station, lines L3, L4 and L2 to “Passeig de Gràcia” station

9.30 PM – Dinner

The Spanish are a truly debauched bunch and eat pretty late compared to most wholesome, righteous, God-fearing people. By 9.30 pm, the squares and tapas joints will be rammed with locals and tourists alike. Find a place you like the look of, dive in, and Bon appetite!

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

10:00 AM – Park Güell

This huge public park system is composed of gardens and architectural elements designed by Gaudi. It’s a playful urban park, with plenty of winding paths and peaceful greens, as well as Gaudi’s many sculptures and mosaics. It gets really busy because of the park’s status as a primary landmark, so it’s good to get there early.

Enjoy the tranquillity of the early morning. You could even have a picnic in the park, with stunning views of Gaudi’s creations while you snack. The exceptional park is a beautiful mix of nature and art.

Since you don’t want to be one of the tourists waiting in line to get their tickets (which can be up to 1200 at a time and takes up hours of your day), you can make everything a lot easier by booking ahead of time. Click here and you can skip the line and get an expert guide for a tour around the park.

The staff ensures that the park does not get over-crowded by limiting the number of people in at one time – another reason to go early! With more than 17 hectares, it is one of the largest green spaces in Barcelona.

Gaudi’s structures and unique, colourful fantasies are present throughout the park. The highest point in the park also gives you a great view over much of the Barcelona sights.

• Cost –  $12
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   2 hrs
• Getting There –  Take the L4 metro to Urquinaona.

12:30 PM – Palau de la Música Catalana

The concert hall itself is really something to see. If you’re lucky, you can even enjoy a performance here. The musical offerings range from symphonic orchestras and opera to jazz and Cançó, traditional Catalan songs.

Built-in 1908, the architectural style has been described as a ‘riot of ornament’. You will immediately see why, with the vibrant colours and patterns, and the decorative flourishes. Still, the function is prized over form here. Every seat in the house has a perfect view of the stage, and the sound is exquisite. It’s quite an experience just to see how function and beauty work together so beautifully.

If you plan ahead you can catch a show here in the evenings. However, for our Barcelona itinerary in 3 days we are only coming for a tour of the buildings as there are no concerts during the day. 

• Cost –  $12 for a self guided tour
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   60
• Getting There –  Its a 6 minute walk from the Cathedral

Save more and experience more. Get a city pass before you travel.

1.30 PM – Las Ramblas & Port Vell

Las Ramblas is just a street! But it’s one of Barcelona’s top tourist destinations. This tree-shaded boulevard runs through the heart of the city and is an interesting but possibly overrated place to visit!

Take in the beautiful buildings on either side. Enjoy the street performances and artists. Some really great performers can be found here, and many go on to perform at live venues, but do be aware of scams and pickpockets.

This is also a great place to people watch, and just soak in the sunshine, but don’t spend too much time here.

Ok, so it’s a bit touristy and it can be pretty crowded. We don’t recommend having any food around here as it can be a bit overpriced and underwhelming, but the street is somewhere you just have to tick off when you come to Barca. We recommend having a stroll down to the bottom where the Statue of Christopher Columbus lives, it’s next to the Port area where you can see the historic Port Cable Car/ aerial tramway and the redeveloped area around Port Vell which includes some great shops and restaurants.

• Cost – It’s free
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   1 – 1.5 hrs including the port
• Getting There –  Walk here from the concert hall. Takes 13 minutes

3:00 PM – Barceloneta Beach

Continuing the relaxing portion of your day, take a trip to Barcelona’s best beach . The white-sand beach stretches farther than you’d think for a city beach! If you’re inclined, you can walk the length of it and enjoy watching locals and tourists enjoying the sun, sand, and sea. Otherwise, join them!

You can rent a beach lounger, or lay a towel on the sand and catch a late-afternoon tan. Wash off the sweat of the day in the calm blue ocean. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city, and its beach attests to that. It’s also a top place to surf and you can easily rent a board if you’re into that!

The water is reasonably warm, and it’s really lovely to swim in Summer. If you’re visiting Barcelona for the first time in Winter, you may not want to swim but the beach is still worth a visit. All-year-round you’ll see a beautiful coastline whether you explore it from the boardwalk or the sands!

The beach can get quite crowded in Barceloneta, but this should be late enough in the day that it’s emptied out nicely. Either way, you’re sure to find a spot to lay down your towel and to swim. The brightly coloured towels and happy people only add to the scene and atmosphere here.

Stay here and give your feet a break for the rest of the evening, whatever time of year it is it’s a great spot for sunset.

• Cost –  Free
• Getting There –  Take the 59 bus from La Ramblas until Pg Marítim – Pepe Rubianes

7.30 PM – Dinner

stick around the area of Barceloneta for the evening, it’s home to a whole host of incredible restaurants serving some of the best seafood in the city. You can either enjoy the sunset from the comfort of the beach or retire earlier to a beachside restaurant and watch the sun go down over a glass of sangria and a plate of paella.

Bear in mind sunset varies a lot depending on the time of year.

In the winter months, it can be as early as 5:20 pm and in summer as late as 9:30 pm. So plan accordingly.

9:00 AM – La Sagrada Família

Start off your adventures with a stop at the Antoni Gaudi masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia! The cathedral is like no other. Combining several architectural styles and ignoring the rules of all of them, this impressive and intricately decorated church is something to see!

It is still under construction, 140 years on. But that doesn’t stop it from dominating its surroundings and changing your mind about what a church should look like. Of all the many things to do in Barcelona , this one tops most lists.

The early morning sun shining through the coloured glass windows will leave you in awe. It also shows Gaudi’s love for organic shapes and nature in all their complexity and beauty. Even if you’re not religious, the architecture here is something you just cannot miss.

Arriving early will also miss out some of the crowds that develop during the day. Either way, you should pre-book tickets to avoid queueing.

• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   2 hours including the museum
• Getting There –  Take the L4 metro from Jaume 1 to Verdaguer.

11:30 AM – Cathedral of Barcelona

This Gothic cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The cathedral was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, and has been one of the most important structures in Barcelona since then!

The views from the exterior are amazing as you stand on the street in the sunshine. It’s easy to appreciate the magnitude of the architecture from any angle. The interior is equally beautiful and very gothic.

Throughout there are beautiful religiously themed paintings and sculptures. You can spend a long time wandering through the cathedral and admiring all it has to offer.

• Cost –  $8
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   1 hrs
• Getting There –  Take the L4 metro to Jaume 1

1:00 PM – Gothic Quarter & Lunch

After exploring Barcelona Cathedral, the heart of the Gothic Quarter, it’s time to wander around the area as a whole.

Spend a few hours exploring the narrow streets and maze-like alleyways that make up one of the most historic areas in the city. The architecture will blow you away and despite it being quite touristy, it’s easy to find a quiet corner of this vast area.

The labyrinth of passages and squares will keep you easily occupied for a good few hours. There are heaps of cafes, bars and restaurants too if you get a bit peckish. Why not tour the area stopping by every now and then for a few small places of tapas as you go!

The cobblestone streets around here are pretty much all as enchanting as each other and you can’t take a wrong turn! But some of the highlights of the area include the Bishop’s Bridge on Carrer del Bisbe, the tragic history of Plaça Sant Felip Neri, the stunning palm treelined Plaça Reial and the lively Plaça de la Generalitat.

• Cost –  Pay for what you drink or eat
• How Long Should I Stay Here? –   1 -2 Hrs
• Getting There –  Walk from the Cathedral, Take the L4 metro to Jaume 1 from elsewhere.

3:30 PM – Camp Nou

Despite Spain being a Catholic country… it’s not the main religion here! Nah, that instead would be football and in Catalunya, their passion for the beautiful game is even more intense and with such a talented team as FC Barcelona, it’s no wonder. You just can’t visit this region and in fact, this city, without exploring this side of the local culture. Not only is visiting the Calderon like stadium of the Camp Nou a fascinating experience, but it’s also bloody impressive!

Holding over 99,000 people and playing host to some of the most talented footballers ever to play the game, the stadium is steeped in atmosphere and history. Walking up the terraces you’ll get a feeling of grandeur that could only be beaten on the day of a game!

On a stadium tour, you’ll not only get to sit in the seats of this famous stadium, but you’ll get to explore behind the scenes and see places like the dressing rooms and media areas. There’s also an extensive museum where you can see the myriad of silverware this team has brought home over the years alongside an incredible array of memorabilia… including some belonging to Messi!

Cost –  $30 How Long Should I Stay Here? –   2 hours including the museum Getting There –  Line 3: Metro stop Palau Reial or Les Corts / Line 5: Metro stop Collblanc or Badal

5:00 PM – Parc de la Ciutadella

Take an evening stroll around this beautiful and historic park to round off your last evening in this wonderful city. There’s quite a bit to see here including the Catalan Parliament buildings, but the star attraction is the fountain. Unsurprisingly, it’s another one of Gaudi’s creations, this one is an early piece whilst he was a student and is an interesting look into the beginnings of this master.

Other highlights include the lake where you can rent out a little boat for an idyllic and relaxing evening before heading onwards. There are also many historic buildings including the Umbracle, a tropical greenhouse, the Geological Museum dating back to 1882 and the Hivernacle which was built in 1888 for the World Exposition.

Technically not in the park but linked to it, the Arc de Triomf, built for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair is a must-see landmark too.

Cost –  Free How Long Should I Stay Here? –   As long as you like Getting There –  Take the L4 metro to Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica or Arc de Triomf.

Looking at what to do in Barcelona for 3 days? There’s so much. Take your pick of these exciting classes, activities, and tours. They really round out the Barcelona experience!

City Sights Highlight Bike Tour

Get your day started right with this awesome bike tour. You join a fun and knowledgeable local guide and ride around the streets of Barcelona on a 3-hour tour. Explore the unique era of Spanish Art Nouveau amidst the modern city.

You will be able to see so much in this activity. That’s why we love cycle tours. It’s faster than by foot, but so much more engaged than by car.

On the tour, you’ll see ancient aqueducts, Barcelona’s first World Fair, parks, memorials, and plazas. 17th-century factories which epitomise the Industrial Revolution and a lovely ride along the beach promenade are two highlights of the tour.

It’s a brilliant combination of historic and contemporary Spain. And you’ll hear interesting facts and details about all of it.

This is a great tour for groups of friends or families. But if you’re alone, don’t worry! You’ll meet others in the group. The tours are conducted in English, French, and German. Local guides will show you the hidden corners of this exciting city and tell you their secrets.

The tour starts at 10:30 am and ends at the same place it starts. There are only two tours daily and it’s a popular one, so we suggest you book your ticket early. You can also request a private tour for something a little more intimate or personalised.

Catch the Montjuïc Cable Car 

This hill above the city is one of the most beautiful places in Barcelona. Surrounded by woodlands, the historic castle is a sight to see. The original fortress dates back to 1640! Some of this structure remains, but it’s been bombed and resurrected multiple times since.

From the cable car, the castle is just a short walk up the slope. It’s steep, so pack some water and prepare to lean against a wall and breath heavily. It’s a classic pose in tourism and must be accomplished at least once on a trip. Here’s your chance.

The gardens are beautiful and exotic, carefully curated by the castle groundskeepers. You’ll be able to see all the other stops on your itinerary up here.  Get some photos  pointing to a few of your favourites. The views over the port and city are unbeatable.

For centuries the hill overlooking the harbour played a strategic role in Barcelona’s defence. The castle served as a political prison for some time and was a bit of a sinister symbol all-around. Now, however, its positive associations override the negative.

It’s a popular place to visit both for locals and tourists. You can learn its long history and appreciate the artefacts collected here on a self-guided tour.

The cable car was recently upgraded and refurbished. Now the 8-man cabins are super cosy, and the best way to get up to the castle! You can also take the bus – a handy option for those who are staying in Barcelona for a longer period and have a bus pass!

If you’re spending 3 days in Barcelona, this is a really worthwhile activity.

Paella Cooking Class & Boqueria Market Tour

You must have had a few great paellas in Barcelona by now. Here’s your chance to learn to make it yourself. Bring home a bit of Barcelona with you! There’s nothing that reminds us of a great trip like cooking the traditional food. And eating it.

This is a really great experience for those of you looking for an authentic Spanish activity. Explore the world-famous La Boqueria market, which dates back to the 13th century. You’ll have strolled through it on Day 1, but this is a totally different way to experience the market.

Here you’ll find fresh seafood, herbs, and vegetables for your paella, guided by the chef. You also tour the beautiful old town on your way from the market.

Stash your cash safely with this money belt. It will keep your valuables safely concealed, no matter where you go.

It looks exactly like a normal belt  except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Barcelona gets very hot in summer and is pretty mild in winter. Spring and Autumn are generally very pleasant with temperatures being ideal for walking around.

The summer months are the most popular and the city can and does get quite busy, prices go up and the pickpockets are in peak hunting season. However, the atmosphere is pretty electric. If you’re looking for cheaper prices and a quieter vibe, the winter months offer a much different vibe.

There’s no bad time to visit, it just really only depends on your preferences.

Need a place quick? Here’s the best neighbourhood in Barcelona:

Barrio gotico.

Barrio Gotico is the heart and soul of Barcelona. The oldest neighborhood in the city, it’s filled with charming narrow streets, picturesque boroughs, and quaint terraces and plazas, making it the best area to stay in Barcelona for first-time visitors.

• Wander along Las Ramblas, a pedestrian street packed with shops, restaurants, entertainment, and stunning historic attractions.
• Explore the Palça del Rei, a Gothic style city square where royal receptions were held.
• Browse the stalls off fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and sweets at Mercat de la Boqueria on Las Ramblas.

There are rather a lot of places to visit in Barcelona but thankfully, it is super easy to get around with all the public transport options available. The trains and trams are completely safe and well-priced. You can even get a public transport ticket .

The great thing about Barcelona is that almost everything is within walking distance. If you’re a healthy walker, you won’t even need public transport.

If you’re feeling a little daring, rent a scooter for the day. So many locals get around with scooters, you’ll see them everywhere. They are lots of fun, and a great way to see the city. This is, of course, only for those with licenses. Often, rental places will accept a non-Spanish license, but they won’t let you drive if you have none at all.

However you’re getting around, this city is a great place to explore. Pack your walking shoes and sunscreen, this is going to be memorable.

Now let’s get into what to do in Barcelona for 3 days and more!

As with all cities, there are some valuable safety precautions in Barcelona. This will ensure that you leave the city with as much or more than you came with!

Violent crime is really uncommon in Barcelona. It’s considered safe to walk around and take public transport during the day and night! Still, we suggest never walking around alone at night, particularly for women. Walk in groups and stick to the well-lit areas and apply common sense.

There are pickpockets in the busier areas, so keep your bag closed and close to you. It’s always better to stay alert and aware. So don’t walk while looking at your phone. That makes it clear you’re a tourist and not a very aware one at that.

Criminals choose easy victims – so if you make it clear you’re not going to be taken unawares, you’ll be just fine.

A popular scam in Barcelona is the distraction/theft scam. So if anyone asks you for directions or assistance in a public place, and you feel a little suspicious, trust your gut! It’s usually right.

Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance for Barcelona

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Find out what people want to know when planning their Barcelona itinerary.

Are 3 days in Barcelona enough?

A Barcelona 3 day itinerary will give you enough time to see all of the top sights. However, having an extra day is ideal if you don’t want to rush.

What can you do in one day in Barcelona?

You can do a lot in a day, but you’ll need to wear some comfortable shoes ! Start off in Park Güell, then make your way down to the Gothic Quarter via Casa Gatllo and the Cathedral of Barcelona for some top sightseeing experiences.

Where should you stay for a weekend in Barcelona?

The Gothic Quarter is ideal for a quick trip, putting you close to many of Barcelona’s top attractions. If nightlife is what you’re after, check out El Born.

When is the best time to visit Barcelona?

September and October are the best months to visit to enjoy warm weather without huge tourist crowds.

Now you know all the best things to do in and around Barcelona . It’s a really magical city, with so much to offer.

So whether you’re doing Barcelona in 3 days or more, this is the best way to see Barcelona. Barcelona has lots of exciting stops and a good range of things to do.

If you’re working with a shoe-string budget, don’t worry! Budget travel is more possible than ever. So save up, book your tickets and get pumped! Exploring Barcelona will be one of the best trips of your life.

Also, whatever you end up doing in Barcelona, make sure to take travel insurance ! 🙂 Better be safe than sorry.

Made it this far? You get 15% OFF to book a place to stay ! Offer valid exclusively for Broke Backpackers 😉

Mathilde Magnier

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Barcelona Travel Guide

Last Updated: February 12, 2024

Barcelona is the second-largest city in Spain and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe . From family travelers to cruise ship crowds to partying budget backpackers, everyone seems to end up in Barcelona, especially during the summer.

With its delicious sangria, unique gin cocktails, mouthwatering food, stunning beaches, warm weather, rich history and culture, and unique architecture, it’s no surprise that this city attracts a wide swatch of travelers (and thereby struggles with overtourism).

Despite the crowds, I love visiting Barcelona. Every visit makes me fall in love with the city even more. It’s a city steeped in history (its Barri Gothic dates to the Roman Empire and you can see Gaudí’s architecture from the 19th and 20th centuries in almost every district) and the nightlife here is virtually unrivaled. People party late here!

I can never get enough of the city. It has an infectious energy, its historic streets are intoxicating, and its people are full of life.

This travel guide to Barcelona will help you travel cheaper, better, and smarter during your visit.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Barcelona

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Barcelona

1. Wander Gaudí’s Architecture

Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) is Barcelona’s most famous architect, and his work is everywhere in the city. His quirky method of blending Gothic and Art Nouveau resulted in futuristic architecture that pays homage to natural shapes. The highlights for me are Park Güell (10 EUR), a 45-acre garden complex designed and built between 1900-1914; Sagrada Familia (26 EUR), which has been under construction for over 100 years, Casa Batlló (35 EUR), a multi-story home heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau style, and Casa Milà (25 EUR), also known as “La Pedrera” (the Stone Quarry) as the building has a facade of limestone. For more information on the specifics of his work in the city, here’s a guide to Gaudí’s Barcelona . For behind-the-scenes tours, check out Get Your Guide .

2. See the Picasso Museum

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist, and his sculptures and paintings are some of the most famous and iconic in the world. While I’m not a huge fan of much of his later work, I still got a lot out of the museum. It was super interesting to learn about the life and craft of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His works varied from cubism to surrealism to neoclassical so there is likely an art style here you’ll enjoy. With over 4,000 pieces of art, this is one of the biggest Picasso museums in the world. Even if you’re not a fan, I think you should visit. Admission is 14 EUR when bought online in advance or 15 EUR at the ticket office. Admission is free Thursday from 4-7pm and the first Sunday of each month.

3. Enjoy the beach

Stretching over 1 kilometer (.6 miles), Barceloneta Beach is a wide and long stretch of sand that is within walking distance from the city center and has a lot of restaurants along the boardwalk. If you walk further along the shore, you’ll get to some quieter beaches (I recommend Nova Icaria and St. Pol de Mar). If you’re visiting in the summer, try to get here early and avoid the weekends as the crowds are huge. Also, don’t leave any valuables here as petty theft is common. There are daily storage lockers available for 4.95 EUR.

4. Visit the Barcelona History Museum

Barcelona has one of the best city history museums I’ve ever visited. It contains 4,000 square meters of Roman ruins beneath the city that you can see up close. You’ll also see the evolution of the city, and be able to peer into the remains of historic homes. There is a free (and detailed) audio guide and meticulous explanations of all the mosaics, frescoes, graves, ancient documents, and more. It’s the best intro to the city and its past and is a must for history buffs. I can’t say enough good things about it. Admission is 7 EUR.

5. Get lost in the Barri Gotic

Barcelona’s old Gothic Quarter is my favorite part of town. It’s where you’ll find the oldest parts of the city, dating back more than 2,000 years. Go wander ancient Roman walls and medieval buildings that are all connected by narrow, winding streets. Today, this neighborhood is filled with bars, clubs, and restaurants, as well as one of Gaudi’s first projects, highly decorative street lamps in Plaza Real(Plaça Reial). You can easily spend a day getting lost in this district. At night, it becomes one of the busiest areas with late-night partyers.

Other Things to See and Do in Barcelona

1. take a walking tour.

The first thing I do in a new city is take a walking tour. It’s the best way to see the main sights, learn some history and culture, and connect with a local expert who can answer your questions. For free walking tours, check out New Europe. If you’re looking for more in-depth and specific tours, go with Take Walks. They are my go-to walking tour company because they use expert local guides and run insightful, in-depth tours.

2. Enjoy contemporary art

The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art has hundreds of exhibits, with a large collection of Spanish and international artists, including Tàpies, Klee, Saura, and others. While it’s not really my favorite style of art, if you love modern art, be sure to add this to your itinerary, as the building itself is an interesting piece of Modernist architecture. Admission is 11 EUR when bought online (12 EUR if bought onsite) and entry is free on Saturdays from 4pm-8pm.

3. Stroll down La Rambla

This famous street in Barcelona is where all the tourists go. There are overpriced shops, restaurants, and camera-toting tourists all over this traffic-free promenade. However, despite that, there is an upbeat energy here. It became a hotspot for a reason — there are many beautiful buildings to see, including the Gran Teatre del Liceu (the city’s opera house) and a mosaic by Joan Miró (a Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist from Barcelona). You’ll also see a lot of street performers here. While I wouldn’t shop or eat here, it’s a great place to take in the city and people-watch. Just be prepared to be elbow-to-elbow with people in the high season.

4. Take a food tour

To learn more about the history and culture behind Barcelona’s cuisine, take a food tour. It’s the best way to eat your way around the city sampling the best eats Barcelona has to offer (from local fish and cheese to jamón ibérico and vermouth) while learning what makes the cuisine unique. Devour Tours runs in-depth food tours led by expert local guides that will introduce you to the food culture and its history. If you’re a foodie like me who wants to learn more about each dish, this tour is for you! Tours start at 89 EUR.

5. Visit the Barcelona Cathedral

Located in the heart of the Barri Gotic, this Gothic cathedral (officially named The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia) was built on the top of an 11th-century church. Walk around the beautiful cloister (built between the 14th and 15th centuries) and see Saint Eulalia’s Crypt (Eulalia was a 13-year-old Christian martyr from Barcelona). Be sure to go up to the roof to enjoy the incredible panoramic view of the city. Admission is 14 EUR for tourists (free for worshipers).

6. See the Gaudí Fountain

Gaudí outdid himself with this huge fountain located in the Parc de la Ciutadella. It’s a tribute to the god Neptune. There are massive griffins spouting water, Neptune on his chariot, and a gold statue on top. With plenty of benches and an ice cream place nearby, it’s a good place to relax after a lot of walking around, and there are plenty of shady areas on hot, sunny days. It’s one of my favorite parks in the entire city. Bring a book and watch the world go by.

7. Learn to cook Spanish food

Since Barcelona is such a food-centric city, taking a cooking class is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. Learn how to cook paella, Catalan tapas, and much more. Some tours even begin in one of the city’s large markets, where your chef helps you select fresh produce and ingredients for your meal. There are different classes based on what you want to cook, with most lasting 3-4 hours and costing around 70 EUR. And of course, you get to feast on your final product. Check out BCNKitchen for more information.

8. Ride the port cable car

The 1,450-meter-long (4,757 ft) harbor aerial tramway connects Montjuïc Hill and Barceloneta. It starts in Barceloneta on the top of the 78-meter (255 ft) Torre San Sebastian tower and has an intermediate stop at Torre Jaume I tower (close to the Columbus monument), which can be reached by elevator from the ground. The Torre Jaume I tower is 107 meters (351 ft) and is the second tallest aerial tramway support tower in the world. Taking the cable car is one of the best ways to soak in the view of the city and see iconic sights such as the Sagrada Familia and Olympic Stadium from above. Round-trip tickets cost 20 EUR.

9. Explore Montjuïc Hill

Here you can enjoy the view of the city (an especially great sunset location) and visit the Castell de Montjuïc. The 17th-century military fortress isn’t the prettiest, but it’s a great stop for history buffs. Once used to imprison political prisoners under Franco’s rule, today you can climb the watchtower and enter the dungeon (12 EUR). In addition, on top of the hill you’ll find Poble Espanyol, a huge replica of a historic Spanish village, an Olympic stadium from the 1992 Olympics, and series of gardens (rose, cactus, and Mediterranean) at the top of the hill. There are a few options for food, but this is a great place to bring a picnic lunch. Round-trip cable car tickets are 14.40 EUR.

10. Stroll through the Raval

Barcelona’s old literary district is known as the Raval. It used to have a bit of a dark, edgy feel but is now filled with trendy shops like boutiques and vintage stores. There are a few architectural highlights, too, like the Romanesque monastery and Palau Güell. Take a stroll around the area, especially along El Raval’s mini-La Rambla, which is a popular meeting place for dining and nightlife. I think this is one of the best neighborhoods in the city and recommend staying here if you can.

11. Catch an outdoor film

If you’re in Barcelona in July or August, consider heading up to Montjuïc Hill to catch an outdoor film around the castle moat. Screenings take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the evening usually starts out with some cool live music. You can buy food and drinks here too. Tickets are 7.50 EUR or 10.50 EUR with a chair.

12. Day trip to Montserrat

Montserrat is a small village and Benedictine monk monastery in the mountain range of the same name. Located just outside of the city, it makes for a great day trip. You can reach the area by taking a one-hour train ride. Once there, walk around the natural park area and pay a visit to the famous shrine of the Black Madonna (it dates to the Middle Ages and is located within the monastery’s basilica). It’s a scenic area and is a nice break from the urban atmosphere of Barcelona. There’s also a local market here where you can buy artisanal foods and crafts, and there are lots of hikes and rock climbing in the area as well. Return train tickets cost around 27 EUR.

13. Explore La Boquería

Located near La Rambla is La Boquería (Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boquería). It’s a huge public market that’s hundreds of years old (the first mention of a market being here dates to 1217). La Boquería has a range of food stalls and restaurants selling seafood and locally-grown produce, as well as nuts, candy, wine, and tapas. While the market isn’t as big as it used to be, it’s still iconic and not to be missed. It does get incredibly busy with locals and tourists, though, so arrive early to avoid the crowds.

14. Have fun at an old-school amusement park

Tibidabo Barcelona was built in 1899 and is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. There are rides (including a ferris wheel overlooking the city, a Venetian carousel, and an immersive experience within a former castle), an area for small children that includes a puppet theater, and restaurants. It’s located at the top of a tall mountain in the Serra de Collserola, providing stunning views of Barcelona and the coastline. It’s a fun place to come with or without kids. Admission is 35 EUR.

15. Watch a soccer match

The first “football” game I ever saw was in Barcelona (I still have the shirt I bought on the day). If a match is going on, try to get a ticket (they’re generally quite affordable) as it’s an amazing and boisterous spectacle. Locals are obsessed with the sport, and you’ll make a lot of good friends while you’re there! If you can’t make a game, you can tour the stadium and the FCB (or Barça) Museum for 15-30 EUR.

16. Admire Barcelona’s free public art

There’s colorful and historic public art all over Barcelona. There are lots by Gaudí, so be sure to check out the huge Cascada Fountain in the Parc de la Ciutadella, lampposts in Plaça Reial and Pla de Palau, and the Miralles gate and wall on Passeig de Manuel Girona. Painter and sculptor Joan Miró also has some great art around the city, including the “Woman and Bird” sculpture at Parc de Joan Miró and the mosaics on La Rambla and at the airport. At the seafront, you’ll find El Cap de Barcelona (The Head of Barcelona), a sculpture created by pop artist Lichtenstein for the 1992 Olympics. Gato Gordo (the fat cat) is a fun sculpture that’s been located all over the city but is now found on Rambla del Raval.

17. Day trip to Girona

Located just 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Barcelona, Girona is one of my favorite cities in Spain . Here you can climb along the medieval city walls, wander the narrow lanes of the Jewish Quarter, and soak up the city at one of the many cafes. Don’t miss the many museums in the city, such as the Jewish History Museum or the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia. Also, don’t forget to visit the lion statue at the base of Sant Feliu and kiss its bottom – doing so apparently means you will return to Girona. You can also take a Game of Thrones tour here too (scenes from King’s Landing and Braavos were filmed here). If you can, spend at least a night here.

18. See Güell Palace

Palau Güell is another one of Gaudí’s masterpieces — but it doesn’t jump out at you like other Gaudí structures. It’s one of Gaudí earliest works. He designed it between 1886-1888 for his patron Eusebi Güell. The home is centered around a central party room. The room has a high ceiling with small holes near the top where lanterns were hung at night to give the appearance of a starlit sky. There are colorful tree-like chimneys on top. It’s a bit creepy and gothic but it’s one of my favorites! Admission is 12 EUR.

  For more information on other cities in Spain, check out these guides:

• Granada Travel Guide
• Madrid Travel Guide
• Seville Travel Guide
• Valencia Travel Guide

Barcelona Travel Costs

There are a few campsites outside the city for those traveling with a tent. Prices start around 25 EUR per night for a basic plot for one person without electricity.

Budget hotel prices – Two-star hotels with basic amenities like TV, AC, and a coffee/tea maker average around 125-150 EUR per night. Expect to pay at least 30% more in the summer.

Airbnb is available all around the city as well. Private rooms in a home start around 60 EUR per night while an entire home/apartment costs at least 150 EUR if you book early (but expect to pay at least double that if you wait until the last minute).

Airbnb has caused a lot of problems in Barcelona, however, as it has pushed locals out of the city center and authorities are clamping down on illegal listings. Be sure yours has listed its tax ID number and avoid staying with hosts who have multiple listings (they are corporate housing disguised as Airbnb).

Average cost of food – Spain has a strong food culture, where meals can last hours and dinner often isn’t served until after 8pm. Each region in the country has its own local dishes and food culture. In Catalonia, be sure to try local favorites such as cod soup, cured pork, escudella (meat and vegetable stew), grilled snails, and Catalan cream (a local version of Crème brûlée).

You can get a meal comprised of cheap tapas for around 10-15 EUR. If you want wine included, expect to spend about 20-25 EUR per meal.

If you go out for dinner at a mid-range restaurant, then you should plan to spend at least 35-40 EUR for a meal including a dish like paella, drinks, and appetizers.

Cheap fast food (think McDonald’s) costs around 9.50 EUR for a combo meal. Chinese food is around 10 EUR for a main dish while pizza costs 10-14 EUR.

Beer costs 3-4 EUR while a latte/cappuccino is around 2.25 EUR. Bottled water is about 1.60 EUR.

If you buy your own food, expect to spend about 45-65 EUR for a week’s worth of groceries. This gets you basic staples like pasta, rice, seasonal produce, and some meat.

Some of my favorite restaurants include Cervecería Vaso de Oro, Tapeo, La Alcoba Azul, Cervesería Catalana, and Quimet & Quimet.

Backpacking Barcelona Suggested Budgets

If you’re backpacking in Barcelona, expect to spend around 100 EUR per day. This budget covers staying in a hostel dorm, cooking most of your meals, limiting your drinking, taking public transportation to get around, and doing mostly free activities like free walking tours and relaxing in the parks. Add at least 20 EUR per day to your budget if you plan on drinking or partying a lot.

On a mid-range budget of about 215 EUR per day, you can stay in a room in an Airbnb, private hostel room, or a budget hotel, eat out at inexpensive restaurants for most meals, have a few drinks, take the occasional taxi, and do more paid activities like cooking classes and museum visits.

On a “luxury” budget of 375 EUR or more per day, you can stay in a hotel, eat out and drink more, take taxis, and do more guided tours. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get an idea of how much you need to budget daily. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you spend more, some days you spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in EUR.

Barcelona Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Barcelona is an incredibly popular destination and, as such, pretty expensive. Accommodation prices have risen a lot following COVID. Moreover, food, drinks, and tours can also really add up if you aren’t watching your spending. Here are some suggestions on how to save money in Barcelona:

• Get the Barcelona Card – The Barcelona Card offers free public transportation and all sorts of discounts at museums, nightclubs, entertainment facilities, shops, and restaurants. The Barcelona Card includes unlimited travel on all public transport and comes as either a 3-, 4-, or 5-day card costing 48 EUR, 58 EUR, or 63 EUR, respectively.
• See the free sights – Many museums in Barcelona are open to the public for free. All city museums are free on the first Sunday of each month. Check their websites to confirm, as some have specific times or require reservations.
• Eat seafood for lunch – Head down to the beaches during the day for seafood. The restaurants in this area are really expensive but, during the day, you can get a good plate of food for under 25 EUR. (It’s double that during dinner).
• Shop at the local markets – Fresh foods can be bought for super cheap at some of the open markets in the city. Buy your produce and meats here to save some cash. La Boquería is one of the biggest in the city, with a rich history and a convenient location (right next to La Rambla).
• Take a free walking tour – Free walking tours are fantastic for getting oriented in a new city and learning lots of interesting history. Most tours last a few hours. New Europe’s free walking tour is the best one to get you started. Just be sure to tip at the end!
• Stay with a local – There are plenty of Couchsurfing hosts throughout the city, so if you plan ahead you shouldn’t have a hard time finding someone to host you. This is the best way to save a few euros during your stay and has the potential to better connect you to the local scene.
• Drink at a hostel – One of the cheapest ways to enjoy a drink (and meet other travelers) is to drink at the hostels. Many hostels have their own bars and offer extended happy hours, so they are a good way to drink cheap. You don’t even need to be staying there to take advantage of them, either. If you’re looking for a fun, cheap hostel bar, St. Christopher’s is one of the best in the city!
• Take the train from the airport –

The Barcelona Metro has two stops at the airport — one in each terminal. The fare is 5.50 EUR, but there isn’t great direct service to the city center. Check out the directions while you’ve got free airport Wifi, as you’ll likely need to transfer trains.

• Bring a water bottle – The tap water here is safe to drink so bring a reusable water bottle to save money and reduce your plastic use. LifeStraw is my go-to brand as their bottles have built-in filters to ensure your water is always clean and safe.

Where to Stay in Barcelona

I’ve stayed at a lot of places in this city. Barcelona has options for every budget. Here are my recommended hostels and budget hotels: Hostels

• Mediterranean Youth Hostel
• St. Christopher’s Inn

For more hostel suggestions, check out my complete list of the best hostels in Barcelona .

• Saint Antoni Market
• Hotel Colón
• Hotel BestPrice Gràcia

How to Get Around Barcelona

A 10-journey travel card is 12.15 EUR while a 48-hour unlimited pass (known as a Hola Barcelona card) is 17.50 EUR. The 72-hour/3-day pass is 25.50 EUR (there’s also a 4-day and 5-day pass too).

Barcelona currently has 8 subway lines that can take you anywhere in the city. There’s also an urban rail network known as the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC), which takes you to the suburbs. The ticketing system works the same as the bus ticketing system.

Bicycle – You can easily rent a bicycle to get around the city. Daily rentals start around 5-10 EUR. Donkey Republic, a bike rental app with locations all over Europe, has bikes in Barcelona for just a few euros an hour. However, renting from a place like Mattia 46 or Ajo Bike is cheaper if you want a full-day rental.

Taxis – Taxis are expensive in Barcelona and I don’t recommend taking one unless absolutely necessary. Rides start at 3 EUR and charge 2 EUR per kilometer. It costs over 30 EUR to go from the airport to the city center, so skip the taxis if you can and take public transportation.

Uber is not widely available in the city, but the app can be used to call a local taxi. Cabify is the more popular local app used to do the same.

When to Go to Barcelona

Barcelona is a year-round destination, although late spring/early summer (May/June) and fall (September/October) are my favorite times to visit. The weather is always nice, there are endless blue skies, and tourist traffic is at a slight lull. Spring boasts temperatures around 20°C (68°F) and the autumn offers highs of around 23°C (73°F). If you love the ocean and beach area, the water is typically warm enough to swim until late September.

July and August are the hottest months to visit, with daily temperatures over 28°C (85°F). It can be really humid, but at least you can cool off at the beach. However, this is peak tourism season and the city is oversaturated with travelers, especially vacationers from Europe and cruise ship passengers who can inundate popular areas from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

Barcelona’s summer months are definitely upbeat and fun, but all those crowds can be hard to handle. Travel in the shoulder season if you can to get the most out of the city.

The winter in Barcelona doesn’t get super cold, with daily highs between 10-15°C (50-60°F). The city isn’t quite as lively, but the tourist hordes have dispersed so things are quieter, and prices are generally lower. You’ll also find Christmas celebrations, and many galleries feature short-term exhibits and art shows starting in early fall (special exhibits are limited in summer). While it’s not the best time to visit, there’s still lots you can see and do during this time.

How to Stay Safe in Barcelona

Barcelona is pretty safe to visit as violent crime here is rare. That said, Barcelona is known for its extensive petty crime and pickpocketing problem. The pickpockets here are incredibly skilled so keep your valuables safe and secure at all times. It’s rampant, especially on the metro or in crowds in Las Ramblas, so be on guard. It’s a real issue to be worried about.

Be mindful of your belongings, like bags, phones, and cameras at outdoor cafes and restaurants, and never leave them on the table.

If you go out to the bar, only take the money you need for the night.

Scams are prevalent here too. Keep an eye out for groups of kids trying to distract you, as they’re probably trying to take your money. Also, be wary of people offering to carry your luggage or take your photo. They may try to charge you a large fee for the “service.” You can read about common travel scams to avoid here.

Solo female travelers should feel safe here. However, the standard precautions apply (don’t leave your drink unattended at the bar, don’t walk around intoxicated at night, etc.). Many hostels offer female-only dorm rooms. You can visit any one of the numerous solo female travel blogs for specific tips as they will be able to provide advice.

If you experience an emergency, dial 112 for assistance.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Barcelona Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• HostelPass – This new card gives you up to 20% off hostels throughout Europe. It’s a great way to save money. They’re constantly adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and glad it finallt exists.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• The Man in Seat 61 – This website is the ultimate guide to train travel anywhere in the world. They have the most comprehensive information on routes, times, prices, and train conditions. If you are planning a long train journey or some epic train trip, consult this site.
• Rome2Rio – This website allows you to see how to get from point A to point B the best and cheapest way possible. It will give you all the bus, train, plane, or boat routes that can get you there as well as how much they cost.
• FlixBus – Flixbus has routes between 20 European countries with prices starting as low 5 EUR! Their buses include WiFi, electrical outlets, a free checked bag.
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!
• Fat Tire Tours – For bike tours, use this company! They have fun, interactive tours led by expert local guides. You’ll get to see all the main sights without breaking the bank!
• BlaBlaCar – BlaBlaCar is a ridesharing website that lets you share rides with vetted local drivers by pitching in for gas. You simply request a seat, they approve, and off you go! It’s a cheaper and more interesting way to travel than by bus or train!
• Take Walks – This walking tour company provides inside access to attractions and places you can’t get elsewhere. Their guides rock and they have some of the best and most insightful tours in all of Spain.

Barcelona Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on backpacking/traveling Barcelona and continue planning your trip:

The 7 Best Hotels in Madrid

The 7 Best Hotels in Barcelona

The Best Walking Tours in Barcelona

The Best Walking Tours in Seville

The Perfect 3 Day Granada Itinerary

The 7 Best Hostels in Seville

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• Where To Stay
• Transportation
• Booking Resources
• Related Blogs

Best Time to Visit

Weather & Climate

Airports Near Barcelona

Neighborhoods to Know

Public Transportation Guide

Day Trips From Barcelona

Top Things to Do

Free Things to Do

Barcelona's Best Museums

Top Beaches in Barcelona

Mount Tibidabo Guide

Sagrada Familia Guide

Food to Try in Barcelona

Barcelona's Top Restaurants

Best Bars in Barcelona

Your Trip to Barcelona: The Complete Guide

 Gokhun Guneyhan/Getty Images

Barcelona is a city of contrasts: it's Catalan and Spanish, traditional and modern, and exciting and laid-back, all at the same time. But it's this perfect harmony that makes Spain's second-largest city fascinating enough to draw around 20 million tourists every year.   As one of Europe's chicest cities, home to no shortage of things to see and do , it's important to make every second count while in Barcelona. Here's everything you need to know about planning your getaway to guarantee the trip of your dreams.

Planning Your Trip

Best Time to Visit : Spring and fall feature mild, sunny weather and a pleasant, laid-back vibe. These low-season periods are ideal for both tourists and residents—accommodation prices and lines for major attractions will be on the lower side, and fewer crowds make it easier for locals to go about their daily lives.

Language : Spanish is the official national language of Spain. In Catalonia, Barcelona's region, Catalan has co-official status, so you may see signs and menus written in one or the other—or both.  

Currency : Spain uses the euro .

Getting Around : Barcelona boasts a widespread, inexpensive, and efficient public transportation system, making it easy to get around town in a flash. The metro , bus, and tram networks are all safe and easy to use.

Travel Tip : Lines at some of the major Barcelona attractions—such as the Sagrada Familia and the Picasso Museum—can get quite long at the box office. Skip the queues and buy your tickets for important tourist sites online in advance before you go, which will save you valuable time.

Things to Do in Barcelona

You could easily spend months in Barcelona discovering its thriving Catalan heritage and colorful modern culture. Home to great art, live music, and shopping in addition to some of Spain's most iconic tourist attractions, Barcelona is a city where it's nearly impossible to get bored. And if you ever need a quick break, head to one of its gorgeous parks or beaches for a quick dose of vitamin D.

• Discover the works of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, from masterpieces such as the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell to grandiose residences such as Casa Vicens .
• Explore the world of wonders that is Montjuic Hill, home to the National Catalan Art Museum , an entire miniature Spanish village , and some pretty spectacular views.
• Visit a bustling neighborhood market to get an authentic glimpse of local life—consider Mercado de Santa Caterina or Mercado de Sant Antoni as alternatives to the touristy Boqueria.

Get more inspiration with our complete lists of things to do in Barcelona , as well as things not to do .

What to Eat & Drink in Barcelona

When thinking about food in Spain, one word probably comes to mind: tapas. These aren't just small plates—here in Spain, going out for tapas is an entire social event centered around sharing food and good conversation with friends at a crowded bar. If you're in the mood for a sit-down meal, you'll also find plenty of rustic, traditional Catalan fare, as well as an exciting array of international restaurants representing the city's vibrant immigrant community.

Barcelona is one of Spain's most exciting cities for wine lovers, with century-old bodegas standing side-by-side with sleek, contemporary wine bars. Beyond the typical Catalan reds and whites—which are excellent—you'll also find a lot of locals drinking vermouth and cava, Spain's answer to champagne. Beer lovers will be pleased to know that the city is also home to a growing number of microbreweries serving up some of the most fascinating craft brews in the country.

Find more foodie tips in our guides to the top bars and restaurants in Barcelona .

Where to Stay in Barcelona

When it comes to where to stay in Barcelona, the best neighborhoods are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the city center. By staying here, you'll save money on your accommodation and avoid the louder touristy areas, making for a more pleasant stay.

Gracia , formerly its own village before being swallowed up by the ever-expanding metropolis that is Barcelona in the 19th century, retains plenty of small-town charm while keeping you close to the action of the modern city. Just south of that is Eixample, a chic, sophisticated district with a great shopping and dining scene. And if a seaside atmosphere is what you're after, you'll love the quaint old fishermen's quarter that is Barceloneta (while the beach of the same name is far from Barcelona's best, the neighborhood itself offers irresistible charm).

Take a deeper dive into where to stay in Barcelona with our guides to the city's top hotels and top boutique hotels.

Getting There

Three major Catalan airports serve the Barcelona area, but if you're staying in the city itself, your best bet is likely to fly into Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) which welcomed 52.9 million passengers in 2019  . If you're already in Spain or even elsewhere in Europe, the city is well-connected by bus and train as well, and is conveniently served by Spain's high-speed train line ( the AVE ).

Culture & Customs

Though legally part of Spain, many residents of Catalonia—including Barcelona—consider themselves Catalan rather than Spanish. This means you might be more likely to see and hear the Catalan language being used, and some people may get upset if you identify them as being from Spain, so be respectful of the local identity. Large, peaceful demonstrations in favor of Catalan independence are not uncommon.

Tipping in Spain is not as customary as it is other countries, most notably the United States. As a general rule, a small tip (such as rounding up the bill to the nearest euro) is appreciated, but is not necessary in most industries.

Barcelona is generally a safe city, but petty crime such as pickpocketing does happen. Keep an eye on your belongings, and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Money Saving Tips

• Come lunchtime, look for restaurants serving a menú del día . This multi-course meal deal includes two dishes (usually you'll be able to choose from a short list of options), bread, a drink, and coffee or dessert, all for one low price.
• Or, grab some goodies from the market and head to the park for a DIY picnic that's even cheaper.
• Take the bus or train from El Prat Airport to the city center and pay a fraction of what a taxi would cost for the same trip.
• Use a T-10 travel pass to save on public transportation within the city.
• If museums are your thing, plan your trip for the first Sunday of any given month, when they're free throughout the city.

Get more bang for your buck (or euro) by reading our complete guide to free things to do in Barcelona .

Observatory of Tourism in Barcelona. "2019 Tourist Activity in Barcelona Data Has Been Published." February 12, 2020.

Turisme de Barcelona Consortium. "Language."

Observatory of Tourism in Barcelona. " 2019 Tourist Activity in Barcelona Data Has Been Published." February 12, 2020.

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Barcelona, Spain

An up-to-date travel guide written by locals to all Barcelona lovers. Plan your visit with local info and all you need to know for your trip.

Most visited city in Spain

Visitors in 2023

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Barcelona is one of the most exciting, beautiful and breathtaking cities in the world.

In our Barcelona Travel Guide you’ll find recommendations for choosing the right hotel and neighborhood to visit, as well as moving around Barcelona like a local.

From the gridlike layout of the emblematic Eixample district to the magic and appeal of the labyrinthic streets of the Gothic Quarter , we show you where to stay in Barcelona , 100% stress free.

Barcelona is a cultural melting pot, with impressive museums and a remarkable modernist architecture. Visit the the amazing creations of catalan architect Gaudí like Casa Batlló , Park Güell and Sagrada Familia .

Immerse yourself in the charm of the Old City and discover all the things to do in Barcelona . Get ready to fall in love with this wonderful city!

Barcelona Travel Guide

Essential info to plan your trip to Barcelona

Barcelona Neighborhoods

Learn all about Barcelona's most important neighborhoods

Where to stay in Barcelona

Find the right accommodation in your favorite neighborhood in Barcelona

Best 20 Things To Do in Barcelona

Discover the best attractions and places of interest in Barcelona

Barcelona Museums

Barcelona is a world class city with museums covering every possible subject from art, architecture, history, science and sports

Barcelona Transport

Find your way around Barcelona by public transport and make the most of your trip

Barcelona Airport

Check all the options of transport available to get from the airport to Barcelona

Beaches in Barcelona

Barcelona’s coastline has achieved the status of having the best urban beaches in the Mediterranean

Barcelona with kids

Barcelona has plenty of children friendly spaces that are a delight for kids, where the fun can also be guaranteed for adults as well!

Barcelona's Nearby Attractions

Barcelona is fascinating city packed with interesting attractions, with equally interesting nearby attractions

Shopping in Barcelona

Discover the most popular shopping centers and best areas to shop in Barcelona

Eating in Barcelona

Find all about the most typical dishes and what to eat in Barcelona

Practical Info

Recommendations and tips about things you should know before coming to Barcelona

Every section in our guide is organized into categories with information on the top museums in Barcelona , sightseeing and activities .

The use of touristic cards -like the Barcelona Pass – will give free access to more than 20 top attractions in Barcelona.

Book in advance a Hotel or an Apartment to find better deals and save money .

Make the most of your trip, planning your visit and booking your accommodation in advance!

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5 incredible things to do in Barcelona that you must add to your bucket list

The best things to do in barcelona.

Like a vibrant painting, Barcelona excites your senses and changes your perspective. A warm, inviting climate invites days on the beach and seaside sunsets. Local markets offer regional produce for a taste of something new. Renowned art museums showcase masters of years gone by, along with work by the next generation. Antoni Gaudí’s architecture uses bright colors and inspiring shapes that add pizzazz to the everyday. 

When the wheels hit the tarmac, you’ll have abundant options to explore. To help you get the most out of your visit, we’ve compiled our favorite things to do in Barcelona so you’re out and about, not researching and deciding. Here’s where we’d go.

The 5 best things to do in Barcelona

When you visit an art museum, there’s something new around every corner. Whether artistic styles or inspiring ideas, each piece brings a unique character and appearance—Barcelona’s like that. From whimsical architecture to centuries-old markets, the capital of Catalonia is a cultural feast. 

Park Güell

A dream-like expanse created by entrepreneur Eusebi Güell and Antoni Gaudí, the park features multi-colored tile mosaics, a lizard sculpture, and spiral towers. This UNESCO World Heritage Site lets your imagination wander with shapes and sights that seem like fantasy. 

Due to its popularity, you must book ahead and be on time for your selected spot. While you’re there, a worthwhile add-on is visiting Casa Museu de Gaudí, where the architect lived for 19 years. While that costs an extra $5.50, its historical significance and pink spires make it worth the expense.

Palo Market Fest  

As its name suggests, this event is a festival . What does it celebrate? Eclectic cuisines, sustainable creative works, and musical performances. Occurring on the first weekend of each month (not August), the Palo Market Fest takes place inside an abandoned factory, where food trucks and local artisans line the aisles. DJs and bands liven up the mood, the atmosphere a vibrant display of Barcelona’s culture.

Moco Museum Barcelona

Moco is a portmanteau of “modern” and “contemporary,” and this museum has plenty of both. Featuring works by icons like Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol, along with present-day creators like Banksy and KAWS, the museum is a kaleidoscope of creativity. Even if you’ve walked miles inside the walls, intriguing works keep popping up, taking you on a journey of the global artistic landscape. 

Something to keep in mind — tickets are cheaper before 11:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. We’d grab a tapas dinner at nearby El Xampanyet , then spend the evening taking it all in.

La Boqueria

This historic market — in existence since 1217 — takes you on a trip through Spain’s culinary past. Whether meats, cheeses, fruit smoothies, or tapas, over 200 stands immerse you in aromas and flavors of centuries-old traditions. At El Quim de La Boqueria, try fried eggs with wild mushrooms or wagyu beef tartare. After filling up, go on a savory shopping spree and try local specialties like percebes (goose barnacles) or manchego (goat cheese). Cured meats are another well-known pick, including jamón ibérico (ham) and jamón serrano (ham). 

The market covers 13,000 square meters, so bring your walking shoes and your appetite. You can visit the market from Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. A walk through Barcelona’s food culture seems like the perfect way to end the day. 

In Europe, the passion for soccer runs deep. That’s on display at Camp Nou, home to Barcelona FC, a top team in Spain’s La Liga soccer league. It’s the largest venue in Europe — with a 99,354-person capacity — creating an epicenter of action on the pitch. You can catch a game from mid-August through May, and though season-ticket holders own every seat, there’s usually plenty available against lower-level teams. Between 48 and 72 hours before a match is your best bet to score seats.

While you’re there, take a stadium tour ($30), where you can view Messi’s trophies, the first team’s bench, and the player’s tunnel. For the sports aficionado, it’s a must-visit. 

Barcelona travel: Culture, cuisine, art  

When you travel internationally , you don’t just want to see the world; you want to feel it. New experiences — food, people, or artwork — make memories, and Barcelona delivers each. Park Güell’s wild forms and colors take you to a whimsical world. Camp Nou immerses you in European soccer and what it’s like to root for the home team. Local markets provide tastes and aromas formed over hundreds of years. For a perspective-changing trip, Barcelona should be on your list.

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Maui is one of the natural wonders of the world, with stunning landscapes and aquamarine waters. You can snorkel at Molokini and watch the ocean’s hidden underwater magic. Take a boat tour and view humpback whales breach the surface. Or, when the conditions are right, watch the world’s finest surfers drop in at Pe’ahi (Jaws) and tame the ocean’s power.

Understandably, Maui is a popular vacation spot. That’s led to numerous investment properties and short-term rentals taking up housing stock. The problem is that it leads to fewer long-term rentals, higher rents, and fewer places for locals to live. Last year's Lahaina wildfires only exacerbated the issue.

In the United Arab Emirates, positioned along the Persian Gulf, Dubai continues to grow as an international destination. From its origins in the 1800s to today, it’s gone from a fishing village to an epicenter of culture, trade, and tourism. Around every corner, there’s something new to explore.

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Italian cuisine is the work of the gods. From iconic pasta dishes to refreshing summertime drinks, the Mediterranean nation seems to have it all. The Italians could have stopped at pizza but they went on and gifted the culinary world so, so much more.

Barcelona vs Valencia: A Comparative Travel Guide

B arcelona and Valencia are comparable destinations in Spain so it is no surprise that travelers wonder which destination comes out on top in a Barcelona vs Valencia face-off. The port cities are two of Spain’s most metropolitan areas. Valencia is located on the eastern coast of Spain while Barcelona is farther north . The destinations are technically a little over 200 miles away from each other. Tourists can travel between the two via car, bus, plane or train. The quickest commutes are by plane or train ride. While they are not very close to each other, travelers often seek to explore both locations during one trip.

Some travelers may even need to choose between the two if the journey is not plausible. Instead of travelers commuting between Barcelona and Valencia, it may be wiser for them to select which destination is a better fit for their itinerary. But some travelers may have extended trips and therefore are able to visit both destinations. If that is the case, this assessment of both destinations in Spain will provide guidance on their popularity and local offerings.

Tourism and Attractions

These activities are the top options for travelers in these two cities of Spain. Tourists will find that both areas offer distinct experiences and attractions. Barcelona and Valencia have plenty for tourists to do while they are in town. Learn more about the tourism industry in both cities and the popular stops for visitors who are considering traveling to Barcelona vs Valencia.

Tourism in Barcelona

This city is popular for its vibrant nightlife and thriving modern culture. Barcelona may be a better tourist destination for younger and more active travelers since the city is faster-paced and tourist-friendly. But this also means that this destination may have more crowds. The beaches of Barcelona are not as pristine, seemingly due to their popularity, so this city may not be the best place for beachgoers. On the other hand, Barcelona is popular for its food and shopping scene. It is a world-class shopping destination with many shopping districts. Travelers surely will not go hungry since Barcelona is filled with taverns and gourmet spots that offer fresh plates of Spanish dishes.

Things to Do in Barcelona

Barcelona has many popular tourist attractions that travelers should not miss. At the top of that list are Sagrada Familia, La Rambla, the Picasso Museum, La Boqueria Market, Barceloneta and Casa Milà. Sagrada Familia is soon to be the world’s tallest church. The church has been worked on for 130 years and is set to be completed in 2026. The grand church is a huge architectural feat and attracts millions of tourists per year. Travelers can book a tour to get the full experience. La Rambla is the iconic street that locals and tourists love. The street is filled with shops, art and markets, so tourists in need of any necessities can rely on this central area.

The art scene of Barcelona is thriving, which is clear because so many of its popular attractions are works of art. The Picasso Museum and Casa Milà are testaments to that legacy. The museum holds nearly 4,000 works in its collection and is quite popular. Travelers should book their tickets for admission ahead of time to avoid lines or extended waits.

Casa Milà, on the other hand, is enjoyed by tourists from outside of the building. The building is an architectural gem and has even gained recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its innovative stone construction. La Boqueria Market and Barceloneta are both charming areas for recreational activities. Barceloneta lines the marinas and has seafood restaurants that serve fresh catches. The market is another place that travelers can taste local delicacies since there are usually over 300 stalls to explore.

Tourism in Valencia

Much of Valencia’s appeal is due to its historic importance. Valencia is technically one of the oldest cities in Spain. It was founded in the Roman period, around 138 BC. Valencia is also an aesthetically pleasing destination but it offers a more classic beauty for travelers to admire. It is a good walkable city with plenty of accommodation options that fit an array of budgets. Valencia is also a popular option for hikers. If tourists venture out of the central areas they will find that the countryside has nice walking trails. They can explore orange groves, vineyards and even pine forests while on foot.

Things to Do in Valencia

Valencia has plenty of popular tourist attractions to offer visitors. The Mercado Central, Oceanografic Valencia, Bioparc Valencia, Valencia Cathedral, Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas (the Ceramics Museum) and Plaza del Ayuntamiento are the top tourist spots in Valencia. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento and Mercado Central are the best spots for shopping and cultural immersion. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento encompasses the town hall and square. It is a great area for first time tourists of Valencia since the tourism office is located there and there are seasonal community festivals.

Mercado Central is a central shopping area that even locals love. It is one of the oldest food markets in Europe and has over 1,200 trusted local vendors. The building that the market is held in spans 86,000 feet and has been standing since 1928, so it is historically significant. Oceanografic Valencia and Bioparc Valencia are exciting attractions that are good options for families. The former is the largest aquarium in Europe and boasts unique architecture. It has the longest underwater tunnel on the continent. Travelers that have a soft spot for aquatic animals will appreciate this attraction.

Bioparc Valencia also offers travelers unique experiences. It is a 25 acre immersive zoo. The immersive element of the zoo comes from its organization of animals and displays. The complementary animal species reside together. The barricades between humans and the animals are not easily visible, which provides the illusion that visitors are out in the wild.

The Valencia Cathedral and Ceramics Museum are also significant cultural centers. The cathedral dates back to 1262 and has diverse architectural influences. Once travelers obtain admission tickets, they get an audio guide that provides information about the historical context of the site. The museum building was rebuilt by the order of Brother Andreu d’Albalat during the 15th century. It officially houses the largest collection of ceramics in the country and even has work by Pablo Picasso.

Safety: Barcelona vs Valencia

Overall, both Barcelona and Valencia are safe areas for travelers. But the level of crime is technically lower in Valencia. Locals and tourists generally feel safer in the destination too. Neither city is considered dangerous, but travelers may notice they feel a different safety level in each location. Barcelona is a bit more of an urban city, so that may make a difference to some travelers concerning where they should stay . Travelers should really only be concerned by local petty crimes. Barcelona does have a higher rate of pickpocketing, so travelers should secure their belongings in public areas.

Affordability: Barcelona vs Valencia

The cost of living in these cities in Spain differ pretty noticeably. The cost of living in Barcelona is certainly more expensive. It is actually one of the pricier areas of Spain. Many locals say that the cost of living is comparable to Madrid, the metropolitan capital of Spain. Things like groceries, transportation and restaurants are higher priced in Barcelona. Since Valencia is more affordable in comparison travelers may find it to be a more appropriate option for lodging and recreational spending. Travelers that are on a budget are commonly partial to Valencia.

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• Member for a Night at the Soho House Barcelona

One writer gained brief access to the exclusive Soho House location in Barcelona, where hotel guests enjoy complete access until privileges vanish at check-out.

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I am not a member of the Soho House Barcelona . I am not a member of any Soho House around the world. And yet, here I am — about to saunter through the front doors without a second glance. It's been almost exactly 30 years since the first Soho House opened in London. Since then, the trendy, members-only institution has expanded to some 45 properties around the world. Time has not diminished its reputation, nor its exclusivity. In 2024, over 100,000 hopefuls remain on the waitlist to join worldwide. If you manage to meet the club’s qualifications, outlast the waitlist, and impress the selection committee, you’ll pay a few thousand dollars a year for full membership. But there’s a secret entryway. At Soho Houses around the world, a hotel component has been added to the roster. Pay for a night, and you’re as good as a member. In Barcelona for a day, I decide to see just what it’s like. I'll admit just a touch of trepidation.

At check out, my privileges vanish like Cinderella’s carriage.

This account is written strictly from memory. Among the Soho House rules is a ban on any video, photography, tablets, or PCs, with only a few exceptions. But even without a phone full of photos, the location just outside of the historic Barrio Gotico neighborhood (facing the Marina Port Vell at the corner of the Duc de Medinaceli Square) is impossible to forget. Walk inside and the house style washes over you, a bohemian aesthetic inside an 18th century building stocked with Catalan bricks and opulent ceramics. 

But with the clock ticking down on my membership, I don't have time to stare.

I would typically take this time to read the morning paper and munch a tostada, but at Soho Club, it becomes apparent, the morning is for the gym. Already, it’s the teeming site of runners, cyclers, and weight lifters: a collection of people who have seemingly never even heard of tostadas.

Before I’m guilted into the treadmill, I head to the basement for a look at the large indoor pool, lined with tiles in the style of Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner (whose work can be found at the historic Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site ). The Cowshed Spa has the feel of a 1930s barber shop, and a nearby staff member cheerfully explains that the name dates back to 1995 and the second Soho House ever founded. In that Georgian manor house in Somerset, the first Soho House spa was born — set in the manor’s old stable. This one’s a more exclusive stable than I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’m tempted to book the “Pre-Party Workout,” a facial exercise that promises to restore the radiance of the skin. I have no party planned tonight, though, so I bid the spa adieu and continue my journey into the Soho world. The Club is the beating heart of every Soho House around the world, and I grasp the energy of this place immediately. This is not the spot to read a book. This is no ashram. This is an elegant, yet informal, club in which to designers, stylists, architects, and artists sip Soho Mules and pop olives. If you’re hoping to jump into a conversation, make sure to have an anecdote outside the world of finance. One qualification of Soho House membership: employment in a field of creativity or art. A few floors up is the spectacular rooftop terrace, among the most beautiful in the city, with its own bar/restaurant and a nicely sized pool. I stop here myself for an avocado toast with a view, and struggle not to sneak my phone for a photograph.

At last, I head to my accommodation, one of the unabashedly named Tiny Rooms. At 21 square meters, it’s enough to fall in love. A charming space in shades of ochre, black, brown, and deep green, the old-fashioned atmosphere is peppered with the modern comforts (bedside bluetooth speakers and usb plugs) you expect from the brand. The bathroom is lined with two-toned ceramics and equipped with a courtesy set the likes of which I’ve never seen, bursting with creams, serums, and shampoos. My view is an ordinary side street, but I hardly mind. If I get the urge for breathtaking views, I'll head back to the terrace. I’m writing this very article when a knock at the door calls me back, followed by the lively call to “cocktail service!” Behind the door, a mixologist accompanied by a bar cart offers me a welcome drink of choice. With the prospect of another hour to write this piece, I ask for something light and receive a house caipirinha. Those who aren’t spending their holidays at a writing desk don’t need to fret — you can summon a bartender at your convenience, any time between 7 and 9:30 pm, to mix you a room side aperitif. It’s a great perk — and as I sip the caipirinha, I reflect on the Soho. Most likely, I’m not quite the target member: the artsy, well-to-do, elegant creative. And yet, even for me, the Soho House Barcelona is truly a special place. The amenities are a resounding enticement, the room a thoughtful refuge, and the public spaces among the most sparkling in the city. The view from the terrace, alone, is worth the price of admission. And no one will force you to use the gym. ▪

Anna Bonci is a contributing writer to the MICHELIN Guide based in Rome. 

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I've lived in Catalonia for 8 years. There are 5 things tourists should know before traveling to this part of Spain.

• Nicola Prentis moved from Madrid to Catalonia 8 years ago with her then-partner and young son.
• When she struggles to speak Catalan, she finds locals prefer switching to English than Spanish.
• Food, traditions, and wine are all different from other parts of Spain.

If your idea of Spain is eating paella, dancing flamenco, and improving your Spanish, Catalonia might surprise you .

Even those who have visited the regional capital, Barcelona , might have missed what makes Spain's second most populated region different from the rest of the country.

I wasn't prepared when, in 2016, I moved to Catalonia from Madrid with my then-partner and our 18-month-old son. As foreigners in Spain , Madrid was getting expensive, and we were thinking about a second baby. The greenery and clean air of Girona appealed as much as the lower rent we found on a two-bedroom apartment at that time.

We moved two months later, but it took me a while to realize that we hadn't just left Madrid. In many ways, we'd left Spain.

1. The main language in Catalonia is Catalan

Although Spanish is the most common language and almost everyone is bilingual, Catalan is the main language outside Barcelona.

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Some Catalan words are the same or close enough to Spanish, for example, "hola" is still "hola" while "adiós" is "adéu" (ad-ay-oo). But you'd never guess others, like strawberry is "fresa" in Spanish but "maduixa" (mad-oo-sha) in Catalan.

Living here, you're expected to speak Catalan, though many foreigners don't. Now, as a single mom of two boys, my children have only two hours a week of Spanish instruction in school, and the default for all school communication with parents is Catalan. I regularly have hybrid conversations with other parents where I speak Spanish, and they respond in Catalan. Luckily, I can follow the majority of the conversation. But if I get lost, they'd usually rather switch to English than Spanish.

For many Catalans, the language is a political and emotional representation of cultural identity, not just a communication tool. Catalan independence is a heated topic since the 2017 independence referendum, which Spain declared illegal. Instead of ignoring it, the police used force to prevent people from voting.

No wonder the parents of my children's friends feel so strongly about what the language represents. The school my kids attend in Girona was a polling station and TV footage of the violence at the gates there circulated widely.

2. The paella looks different

Despite not being a seafood fan, I love paella because I can just pick out the prawns and mussels. Until I got to Catalonia and discovered that the yellow rice with seafood, vegetables, and chicken or rabbit is Valencia style. Catalan paella is dark brown in color, much more seafood heavy, and never contains vegetables.

There's also the Catalan version of paella made with short noodles (fideua) and served with aioli (garlic mayo) or the dramatic squid ink dish (arroz negro). My children call it Halloween Rice because it stains their teeth, tongues, and everything else, black.

3. You'll want to branch out into Catalan wines

Many people think of rioja when they think of Spanish wine . While I can certainly drink wines from La Rioja in Catalonia, the waiter is much friendlier if I ask for Catalan wines. An award-winning local sommelier once told me rioja is only famous because it was the favorite wine of Franco, the Spanish dictator who ruled from 1938 to 1975.

Whether that's the real reason or not, local is king, so you'll be recommended wine from the Penedès if you're in Barcelona, from Priorat in Tarragona, and from the L'Empordà in Girona. And, of course, Catalonia is also home to Cava — Spain's sparkling wine similar to Champagne.

4. There are many traditions unique to Catalonia

After moving, I was surprised to find everything closed on September 11 for Catalonia's national day. In the post 9/11 world, the date can be jarring, but it's been celebrated since 1886.

As a family, we have incorporated local traditions like the gift-pooping log at Christmas, Caga Tió, but I've given up any ideas about flamenco. People here love the Sardana — a dance so sedate I initially thought they were just warming up as they slowly moved in a big circle, alternately tapping their feet in front of them. But, what's beautiful about it is how everyone, young to old, participates.

Human towers, another Catalan tradition, are much more exciting to watch and deserve their listing as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. But I'm glad that, so far, unlike some of their classmates, my two boys haven't asked to join the neighborhood "Colla" group, climbing on the shoulders of several tiers of people to the peak.

5. Catalans tell the time differently

One thing I still struggle with is the Catalan system of telling the time. It's expressed as fractions but in a different way to Spanish. So 4:15 is "un quart de cinc" (one quarter of five); 4:30 is "dos quarts de cinc." Even when you see it written down you still have to try and remember if the quarters are after or before the hour. My brain just can't do the math, even though I understand the words.

Correction: August 16, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the Catalan system of telling time.

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