I think you’ll agree that having time for yourself is the reason you’re on holiday in the first place.
So why spend hours and hours planning the thing? That’s why I’m here. In 10 minutes I’m going to show you the places to visit in Barcelona in 3 days from the main attractions to local secrets.
And just how exactly do I know?
Well, for starters I’ve been in the city six years. So if you need extra advice please leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you with custom local advice within 24 hours.
Before You Arrive in Barcelona
When spending 3 days in Barcelona there is some essential information to know first.
You’re going to be inundated with options and there’s also a very good chance you’ll be standing in long lines and paying premium prices: with my links below you’ll make sure you get the best prices and skip lines.
Make sure you read:
- How to get from Barcelona airport to city center quickly.
- How to select the right discount travel card.
- Where to buy discounted attraction tickets and skip lines.
- How to find the best area to stay in Barcelona.
- The list of the best hostels and holiday apartments in Barcelona.
3 Days in Barcelona – Day 1
Sagrada Familia
What itinerary doesn’t have it? If you had just one day in Barcelona the world-famous Basilica of the Sagrada Familia would be the first stop.
This art nouveau behemoth is called ‘the most extraordinary interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages’. I can’t disagree. Get there for 9:00 am since the average tour lasts an hour and a half.
Long lines? Most tourists on a 3 day itinerary get tickets as part of the Barcelona City Pass discount card. It includes skip-the-line access to Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, airport transport, the Bus Turistic, and 20% discount codes to almost every other city attraction.
Snack
Since time is of the essence and we don’t have a lot of time it’s great to hit up a place just a few steps from the Sagrada Familia at Enrique Tomas in Carrer Marina 261.
Here we try my favourite Spanish tapas dish: jamon iberico (Serrano ham/prosciutto).
The service is quick and you won’t end up wasting much time. I recommend going for the Jamon Bellota Premium which is top of the line stuff. They’ll cut it right off the leg at the moment.
For those living in the EU you can also get a great vacuum sealed portion of ham to take home as a delicious souvenir.
The best part? Spend 10 euros or more and mention Barcelonahacks.com for a free coffee!
Casa Batllò
Continuing our homage to master architect Antoni Gaudi we take the purple line (L2) and a few short minutes later get off at Passeig de Gracia.
Here we find the beautifully eccentric mansion called Casa Batllo and revel in its visceral, skeletal qualities. The tour takes an hour. This is my dream house and by the time you’re done with it it’ll be yours too.
Lunch
We’re in tourist trap hell and will need to dodge a few bullets here.
For this reason I suggest lunch at El Nacional (24 Passeig de Gràcia). This multi-zone culinary space serves traditional recipes from nearly every region in Spain.
Fish lovers can’t go wrong at La Paradeta (318 Consell de Cent). Here chefs cook fresh fish that you’ve selected yourself from a market counter. Wash it down with a Blanc Pescador white wine.
La Pedrera (also called Casa Milà)
We’ve barely scratched the surface of things to see when we head to another gem in Barcelona’s architectural crown.
La Pedrera is another Gaudi work and is arguably his best.
You’ll see this wobbling limestone apartment block on all the postcards but don’t miss the view from the incredible rooftop. Get a photo of yourself and the haunting chimneys standing on guard.
Park Guell
Any list of what to do and see in Barcelona has to include the city’s most beautiful park.
We take bus 24 from Passeig de Gracia and 30-40 minutes later we’re left at the gates. We could also take the green metro line to Lesseps but then we’ll have a steep walk waiting for us.
Visiting the park in its entirety should take a couple of hours but fear not: the reward at the end (if lucky) is a fantastic panoramic view of the city sunset!
Dinner
We deserve a good bite so let’s do this properly – leave a comment with where you’re staying and I’ll recommend you some of the best restaurants in Barcelona.
For those with a little more energy I suggest we walk downhill to the picturesque, bohemian neighbourhood of Gracia and sit in the lively square called Plaça del Sol for some tasty tapas at Sol Soler (21 Plaça del Sol).
We night cap it with some drinks at any of the cafe-bars in a nearby square called Plaça de la Virreina.
3 Days in Barcelona – Day 2
Breakfast
In winter we’re starting the day with a delicious breakfast in the city center eating delicious churros con chocolate on historic Petrixol Street.
If it’s summer we’re heading to the even more historic La Boqueria Market for fruit smoothies and tostadas. If you’re looking for something a bit more savory head to the market’s Bar Pinotxo – the classic breakfast here is blood sausage and garbanzo beans.
Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter
No Barcelona itinerary is complete without a stroll on the world-famous pedestrian boulevard La Rambla. There we find enough shopping, street performers, bars, and museums to last a lifetime!
For more info check out my essential Rambla guide.
After we head into the heart of the old city and wander around the quirky Gothic Quarter.
If we feel like a beer (we feel like a beer) we’ll go to my favorite bar: Bar Jardi, a terrace oasis in the middle of the city chaos. It’s on 17 Carrer Portaferrissa. We look for the camel outside the bar and find it at the back of a store called El Mercadillo.
Lunch
Before leaving the Gothic Quarter we go grab another Spanish culinary classic: pintxos!
These bite-sized toothpicked tapas are famous in the Basque region but El Pintxo del Petrixol (9 Carrer de Petritxol) holds the traditions dear. It’s also according to a Catalan friend ‘the only restaurant near the Rambla that doesn’t serve garbage’.
Another option nearby is La Fonda (10 Carrer dels Escudellers) which is a great place to get some of the best paella in the city at a great price.
La Barceloneta
Over Barcelona in 3 days you don’t think we’d leave out the beach did you? Let’s take a walk down the Port Vell (Old Port) and check out the Columbus Statue, the giant crab, and hundreds of anchored boats.
Feeling lazy? No problem, we hop on bus 59 from La Rambla and get beach-side in no time.
Barceloneta is a great neighborhood to explore inner alleyways where elderly residents sit outside playing cards while young people gather to socialize in kitschy bars.
It’s not one of the best beaches in Barcelona but we’ve only got a couple days so let’s be time-effective. A few hours suntanning here and now, finally, the holiday begins!
After we can’t stop by without saying hello to Mrs. Leo, a little spark-plug of a woman in her 70’s who owns a bar where on weekend afternoons Andalusian flamenco and live Spanish guitar is the name of the game! Bar Leo is at 34 Carrer Sant Carles.
Dinner
There are quite a few options to eat in Barceloneta.
I’d recommend going for quality tapas at Bitacora (at the back of the restaurant there’s a cool little terrace) at 1 Carrer Balboa.
There’s also the ridiculously cheap wine bar La Champagneria at 7 Reina Cristina. We also can’t miss the minuscule fried fish restaurant Can Maño.
All places are fifteen minutes or less walking from the beach.
Optional After Dinner Night Out
I won’t pretend to know what kind of music you like but if you’re looking for a big night out I suggest checking out my list of the best clubs in Barcelona.
My first choice is Razzmatazz, a massive five room club. If this is the case we’ll be pre-gaming at Ovella Negra at 78 Carrer Zamora. It’s the ideal pub for all sorts of revelry and it’s easy to get to know locals playing a game of Spanish billiards.
The second choice is Sala Apolo, a former theater that’s been transformed into one of Barcelona’s most famous clubs! We take the green metro line to Parallel.
Pre-drinks in the area go down at Bar Marsella, a dusty ol’ bar that served Hemingway and Salvador Dali in the not so distant past. It’s located at 65 Carrer de Sant Pau. People go here for the absinthe, but if you’re not in the mood for the green fairy they have enough beer to get you through the night.
When we finish we head to bed: the metro opens at 5 am (though it runs all night on Saturday).
3 days in Barcelona – Day 3
Breakfa… Brun… Lunch.
If you’re feeling a bit rough after the night out pass on that hotel breakfast.
We need grease and one of Barcelona’s best burgers is just what the doctor ordered. Kiosko Burger (Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera, 1 bis) is a great place to start but it’s no tourist sin! Get the one with traditional manchego cheese.
See? We’re doing Spanish things.
Shopping or Camp Nou?
We’ve got two choices now and I’ll leave it up to you, my distinguished guests.
There’s tons of world-class shopping in Barcelona city center. The largest shopping areas are Passeig de Gracia, Plaça Catalunya, Las Ramblas and Portal del Angel.
If we’re allergic to shopping (I really am!) we really have to ask ourselves what Barcelona itinerary wouldn’t include a tour of historic Camp Nou stadium – home of Messi and that little squad called FC Barcelona.
From Plaça Catalunya we get there in 15 minutes with the green metro line getting off at Les Corts.
Montjuic
We get to Montjuic Hill with the 150 bus from Plaça Espanya or by cable car from the Parallel metro station. I’d recommend taking the bus, that way you’re left right at the top of the hill.
At the top we find the castle with its majestic view of the harbour, the Miro Foundation, the ’92 Olympic Stadiums and the botanical garden.
The Magic Fountain
Always high on the list of things to do in Barcelona, this beautiful fountain of towering water sprays to the rhythm of contemporary music – the view of Plaça Espanya is really something!
We find the fountain a short fifteen minute walk away at the foot of Montjuic. Make sure to check the Barcelona Magic Fountain show schedule first.
Dinner
We’re looking to keep it local for the third night so we hit up Can Margarit (21 Carrer de la Concordia) for some authentic Catalan fare. Here it’s all about rustic charm, cask wines, rabbit, squid, and cod.
For something a little more upscale that’s a modern take on Spanish classics we go to Plata Bistro (23 Carrer de Sepúlveda), which is just a short walk from the fountains. You can book your table with a simple message on their Facebook page.
Looking for something a little cheaper?
Head for Calle Blai and its endless supply of one euro tapas and beer bars. I recommend La Tasqueta de Blai (Carrer de Blai 17).
After Dinner
In the Gotico area we’ll head to Manu Chao’s bar. This incredibly eclectic French singer who sings in 7(!) languages sometimes shows up to play guitar.
The bar is called Mariachi and is located at 14 Carrer Codols. Of course, I’ve been a little pushy with my ideas haven’t I? We’d actually be good going to any of Barcelona’s best bars.
That’s 3 perfect days in Barcelona down!
3 Days in Barcelona – Extras
Tibidabo
Tibidabo (I will give you in Latin) is a 3 in 1: a basilica with a gigantic statue of Christ, the highest panoramic view of the city, and a retro theme park counting 25 rides. The latter is truly unique for the antique rides like the airplane one from 1928.
This is a must for Barcelona travelers with kids.
We get there in 45 minutes from Plaça Catalunya with bus T2A.
If we don’t feel like the long bus ride we can just as easily spend a few hours in centrally-located Ciutadella Park. The city’s largest green space has a zoo, a lake for row-boating, and holds a ton of events throughout the year.
The Born
Despite its history of jousting this area full of unique bars and boutique shops is one of Barcelona’s best neighborhoods. We get there by metro getting off at Jaume 1 (yellow line).
We can’t walk through without seeing Barcelona’s second Gothic behemoth: La Santa Maria del Mar. We could also check out the more than 4000 pieces at the Picasso Museum (15-24 Carrer Montcada).
When we get hungry we’ll fill up at one of my favourite tapas spots Bormuth (31 Carrer Rec).
I haven’t mentioned it before but you should be drinking vermouth on your itinerary. This a red or white aromatised wine is a massive part of Barcelona’s drinking culture. We get a couple here with the tapas and boom! This is so good, how can we ever go back home?
For those a little more rough and ready I suggest we go for a walk in the ‘gentrified gem’ El Raval.
It’s not as pretty as the Born but it has never claimed to be. There are tons of good value bars and ethnically diverse eateries here.
Fine Tune Your Itinerary in the Comments
We’ve done 3 days in Barcelona and it’s time to go home but wait! If you’re missing that special something that would really tie all of this together please get a hold of me in the comments below for custom advice.
As I said earlier if you need any extra advice fire away! And please let me know how your Barcelona holiday went by leaving a comment below.
Also don’t be afraid to join the 3 day itinerary discussion in my new Facebook group called I’m Off to Barcelona – here you can ask any questions, air out grievances, chat with fellow travelers, and more – anything goes!
Alice says
Hi love your website.
Whats the best order to do Casa Batllo, Sagrada Familia and Park Geull in one day?
Ash says
Alice,
Personally I would recommend Park Guell first thing in the morning because the lighting is spectacular and there are way less crowds. In fact, if you’re there around 8 am the monumental part will be free! Then you can head downhill to Sagrada and then on to Casa Batllo, which will leave you in the centre of the city and in good striking distance to lots of good restaurants for dinner.
Doing this in reverse is fine though personally if you’re ending the day at Park Guell negotiating all those stairs and hills is a bit harder to do after a day of sightseeing already in the bag.
Ash
Thuy says
Thanks Ash!! Two more questions:
Where can I find the best churros and what are some good things to do on a Sunday since most things are closed?
Thank you again! 🙂
Ash says
Hi Thuy,
I’ve thankfully got articles for both of these questions…
Here:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/best-churros-barcelona/
And here:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/what-to-do-on-a-sunday-in-barcelona/
Hope this helps 🙂
Ash
Richard Ng says
Hi Ash,
I am visiting Barcelona next week. Read some horror stories of tourists being ripped off by Cabify and Taxi app by being mysteriously hit with large unexplained fees.
Is it safe to use the taxi apps? My credit card number would be registered for fees to be charged.
I do need inexpensive transport from Barcelona airport to my downtown hotel as I have suitcases with total 2 passengers,
Help!
Richard
Ash says
Hi Richard,
That is very strange. Though I’ve had some issues with Cabify because they don’t have the greatest coverage at times, I have never heard of any hidden fees.
The fee you see on the screen is what you pay, and there shouldn’t be any exceptions.
Ash
Jan Fortgang says
Dear Ash,
We are 2 active seniors visiting Barcelona Sept. 23 leaving early morning on Sept. 27.
We would like to maximize our time seeing the popular sites. We learned that the La Merce festival will be going on at that time. Our hotel is on the La Rambla near Plaça de Catalunya. Is the city going to be extremely busy during this time to see all of the sites. The city of Girona looks interesting. Do you recommend a side trip there?
I have seen your suggestions to other travelers which sound good, my concern is the large crowds for the La Merce, might make it difficult getting around the city.
Not afraid to walk in crowds … but the lines might be very long at this time. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Jan
Ash says
Hi Jan,
If you’re looking for a pretty city with a small town vibe (the opposite of the chaos of La Merce for example) then Girona is a great place to see. I’ve got more info on it here, perhaps it could sway you either way:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/girona-airport-to-barcelona-city-center/
As for La Merce it will be quite busy during the day but not much more than the regular high season crowds. Lines shouldn’t be any busier than usual.
You will however notice at night though that the major squares of the Gothic Quarter will be quite crowded. I would simply avoid walking around too much at night if you’re looking to avoid crowds.
Ashley says
Wow! So much information! Already planning for our first trip next fall. We’ll be doing 4 nights with our daughter who will be seven at the time of travel. Trying to maximize seeing the city, but also not wanting to wear ourselves out as this will only be part of a 2 week vacation. My fear is that we are missing something big or are spreading ourselves too thin and should focus on visiting just a couple of districts.
We will be arriving early on Day 1 so thinking an airport pick-up tour to see the highlights. Drop-off at hotel in Born. Rest/check-in and then exploring Born and eating there.
Day 2 Morning walking through the market, eating there, walking La Rambla; 2-3 hours rest at hotel; Walking Passeig Gracia, rooftop drink and dinner somewhere in the vicinity
Day 3 Morning kid-centered walking tour of Gotic Quarter, lunch/Parc Citudella; couple hours at hotel; Poble-Sec or Montijuic for walking/dinner
Day 4 Bike rental along beach/time at beach/lunch; rest at hotel; Gracia area for dinner.
Also, the sightseeing tour will take us inside Parc Guell, but not inside Sagrada Familia – would it be suggested to still try and squeeze in a visit inside? Possibly Day 2 evening?
Ash says
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for writing and for the nice compliments 🙂
First off, I’ll direct you to my article on visiting Barcelona with kids if you haven’t seen it already:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/barcelona-with-kids/
There are some great options here to round out the trip.
In general, even though churches in Europe for me can be quite boring and monotonous this one… Sagrada is much different. You simply can’t comprehend the genius of Gaudi without going beyond the fences. The inside is truly remarkable.
I would fit it in on night 2 or night 4. It will only take 90 minutes.
As for spreading yourself too thin, I can say that you’ve covered the main bases here without going overboard. I don’t see anything main that you’re missing unless of course your walk along Passeig de Gracia doesn’t include La Pedrera or Casa Batllo. Make sure you see these even from the outside.
Also while walking down La Rambla make sure you duck into Boqueria market. At the very least you should grab one of the euro smoothies, kids love them and they’re fairly healthy 🙂 I assume that’s the market you’re referring to.
Anyway, this looks to be quite a well balanced itinerary and I’ve got no issues with it!
Let me know if you need any more help.
Ash
Ashley says
Thank you so much for your help by the way!! Another quick question. In addition to biking at the beach one day, is there another day/afternoon that would make sense to do on bikes? Thinking it might be easier to cover some ground and less walking for the kid might be nice – just unsure of the areas or if the bike paths are all suitable for young riders – was thinking possibly Day 2 to help cover more ground, but can’t decide if walking would be more suitable.
Ash says
Hi Ashley,
Personally aside from the beach I would love a ride through any of the historic centre neighbourhoods. The Gothic Quarter offers mostly traffic free streets and a ton of things to discover. You could also duck into the Born area for much of the same.
If you’re wandering outside of these major areas and into areas with traffic I would say that the bike paths are slightly more dangerous as they’re shared with car traffic… only on the major thoroughfares like Gran Via or Passeig de Gracia are they separated by a barrier.
I would totally recommend another day by bike especially in the sun. Children tend to like this better than walking and it can be a great way to cover a lot of ground as you said.
HIMANI JAIN says
Dear Ash,
I have to admit to you that planning 3 days in Barcelona has taken us more time than the rest of the Andalusian region that we are doing in 15 days! After having gone through some 150 websites and links and suggestions, I was relieved to bump into barcelonahacks.com. I see your passion and willingness to help and reach out, so sharing my final stage of 3 day itinerary. It has some missing dots that I am hoping to connect with your help. Do I have the permission to run it by you please … !
So its the two of us.
Visiting on Fri-Sat-Sun (21-22-23 Sept)
Looking at getting the city pass + 2 days of Hola card
Staying at Parktik Vineoteca in Eixample (near Universitat, Passeig de Gracia and V15 bus)
We’d like fast lane online tickets (no guides) to all the places we’d like to go to.
Very excited and want to pack in a lot of experiences in our first trip to Barcelona.
Day 1 – City Attractions
Arrive at Airport from Seville at 9 : 20 hrs. Use either the Aerobus+Taxi option or Taxi option to get to the hotel. Saving time is a priority.
At 11 or 11 : 30 am, get on the Hop on Hop Off Blue Line Bus (not sure which stop to start from?) to see Casa Batllo (try to add Casa Ametller (if time permits) – Casa Mila (try to add casa de les Punxes from outside) – Sagrada Familia – Park Guell. Being an interior architect myself, not sure how much time to set aside (Can I also fit in G Experiència?)
–
Change to red Route (somewhere?) to drive through that side of the city and till the Montjuic hill top (how do I reach the top of the castle?)
Evening – Book the 6:30 pm Tablao Carmen Flamenco show as advised by you (We may not have any time to make it to the castle top) and the evening with the Magic Fountain show (is the Fran Daurel Museum worth a miss?)
Day 2 – Soak in the streets and the neighborhoods
Start the day with a lovely fruit breakfast at La Boqueria Market, as suggested by you! followed by catching some Street Art & graffiti at El Raval. (Have to figure out how to reach all these places)
And squeeze in at least two of the following in an order recommended by you:
La Ramblas
Gotic quarter
La Roca Village
Eixample area
Night – Catch a Sunset boat tour at Post Vell
(and/or ??) Gaudi’s La Pedrera rooftop light show (is it advisable to give the day tour a miss?)
Day 3 – Dali Museum in Figueres & Girona (full Sunday)
Catch the fast train at Sants or Passeig de Gracia to Dali’s Figueres Is the Dali’s jewels museum recommended?).
Then possibly catch the local train to go to Girona. Find a walking tour to cover as much of the quaint streets, the Eiffel bridge etc to show us through (it may be tough to find a tour on a Sunday afternoon)
And somehow reach the station to catch the fast train again, back to Barcelona.
Night – sit and relax in is one rooftop hotel in Eixample, close to our hotel since we have an early morning flight to catch
So, in case I haven’t already asked enough questions, adding some more right here :
1. Do the taxis accept cash on their apps – didn’t see that option on MyTaxi and Cabify
2. Can you please help trim and tighten this wishlist to a more fun and doable one please? we are also keen on squeezing in further – Barcelona Modernism and Gaudi Walking Tour, BUNKERS DEL CARMEL (either this or Mont Juic Castle), one odd museum and/ or gallery which we are open about, depending upon the time and your suggestions.
3. I see that the 65 euros city pass is not serving its full purpose – since we may not be able to take the aerobus at the airport due to time constraints. Then, we may not have the time on Day 1 to sit and enjoy the ride on the second route after finishing the 4 Gaudi buildings and then wanting to catch the flamenco show. Do you suggest another way to get fast online tickets to the places that we wish to go to?
4. Are night buses (paid extra) – the only way to be out in the evenings?
5. And finally, as per your suggestions, what are the best modes of transport to reach each place or section.
With appreciation and gratitude
Himani Jain (India)
Ash says
Hi Himani,
Thanks so much for the kind words and I hope I can help 🙂
Let’s see, a few things for Day 1:
– If you’re staying at Parktik Vineoteca then simply walk over to Casa Batllo, then up Passeig de Gracia to Casa Mila and further to Punxes if you like. From here you can grab the Bus Turistic at the Passeig de Gracia stop, near Casa Mila. The blue line will take you to Sagrada Familia and later Park Guell. If you’re visiting inside each of these consider 60 minutes minimum and up to 90 for Batllo and Sagrada (in my opinion!).
– After Park Guell you can change to the red line from the blue at Diagonal Bus Turistic station. This will take you to Montjuic and you’ll be about as high as it gets getting off at the Miramar station.
– If you’re looking to make it to the flamenco show I’d recommend not fooling around too much at the beginning, maybe only see two of Gaudi’s buildings from the inside, and if you’re running late skip most of the Montjuic sights to go straight to the show. In my opinion the Fran Daurel museum wouldn’t be the end of the world if you missed it also.
Day 2:
– From La Boqueria it’s literally only a one minute walk to Raval and maybe about 8 minutes to the MACBA museum or the CCCB (two ‘weird’ museums even if mainstream) etc. No need to go nuts planning transport from here.
– I wouldn’t go too crazy trying to fit in a boat cruise and the light show at La Pedrera.. one or the other. Honestly I haven’t done any boat cruises so would lean to La Pedrera, if this is the case definitely skip the day tour on day 1.
– La Roca Village is quite far out. You’d be better off just checking out the shops on Portal del Angel as its in the Gothic Quarter and you could fit it in much easier.
Day 3:
– If you’re a big fan of Dali or surrealism it’s definitely worth the trip out to Figueres. Combining it with Girona is also a great idea since it’s a very cool city.
In general:
– MyTaxi will accept cash, Cabify not.
– The Bunkers is prefered to Montjuic but it’s more of a sunset/day chilling vibe.. based on your itinerary I can’t see where to fit it in?
– I would just via Amatller from outside and honestly, if you’re in a hurry it wouldn’t be the end of the world not to see Casa de las Punxes from outside either.
– You could put in a walking tour of the Gotico on day two that will take you to all the places you recommended. Unfortunately I’m currently looking for a recommended guide so can’t specify which 🙁 Perhaps ask the hotel.
– If you don’t think you’ll max the value of a City Pass there’s no shame buying them individually. I’ve got links to the best prices that will still get you skip the line access here:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/barcelona-attraction-tickets/
– Nightbuses or taxis are the best and only options in the evening, though keep in mind on Saturday night the metro is open all night.
– It would take me forever to map out the transport options to every attraction you’ve mentioned but I’m pretty sure I’ve got articles explaining pretty much everything so I suggest please looking at the blog. If you can’t find info on a specific attraction though I would be willing to help!
Hope this gets you off on the right foot 🙂
Ash
HIMANI JAIN says
Hi Ashley,
I can’t begin to thank you enough! You have been very kind. You have put us to work now and we will surely get back to you with another few, soon!
Hope to find a similar quality of information on Seville and Madrid.
Himani.
Ash says
You’re welcome Himani! I’ll be expecting your next comments shortly 😉
September Sucher says
Hi,
Thank you so much for all the information in your site!
It is great and so helpful!
I will be visiting with my husband (who has a convention to go to during the week days) from September 15-22. 2018. Trying to plan my itinerary of things to do on the weekends with him and things to do on my own or with a couple girl friends who may meet me there.
I have never been to Barcelona and am excited especially after reading your site.
Would love to include the following in my itinerary.
A cooking class at Cuina Canela Fina.
3 hour bike tour
2-3 hour sailing during the day
Flamenco show
Wine and Tapas tour
any suggestions tips would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again!
September
Ash says
Hi September,
That’s certainly a cool itinerary you’ve got planned there… action packed and tasty, just as I would have done 😉
Let’s see, I’ve tried various flamenco shows, cooking classes, and tapas tours and only end up promoting the ones I find are the best. From my own experience (and the American foodies that joined me) the best tapas tour is the Tastes and Traditions Tapas Tour by Devour.
Also, the best cooking class I’ve attended is the Full Menu Experience by Paella Club because you’re taught amazing skills by some top chefs, it’s super modern and cool, you get bottomless wine, and it’s just a lot of fun.
For Flamenco I’ve included my reviews and suggestions of the best in the city in my dedicated article:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/flamenco/
Unfortunately I haven’t had any experience with any sailing trips though I would recommend going through the Barcelona Tourisme office as they usually recommend the most credible ones. Just search for ‘sailing’ using this link and you should get one to your liking.
For the biking I’ve done a couple tours and the one at Barcelona Ciclo Tour was very thorough and a nice day out.
Other than this if you haven’t already I suggest you check out my 3 day Barcelona itinerary to get any more ideas.
Hope this starts you off on the right foot! If you’ve got any more questions by all means fire away 🙂
Ash
Mindy says
Hi Ash,
I just came across your website and I am so grateful for your tips given the overwhelming amount of information on Barcelona. I am prone to use your 3 day itinerary, but we have four kids ages 6-14 as well as my 73 year old MIL joining us on our trip. The kids are well behaved and my MIL is adventurous and up for anything, but wanted to get your feedback on our trip. We are staying at Hotel Europark. We get in at 9:30PM (21:30) on Sunday, August 5th. I looked at the various discount city cards, but there is so many of us (7) that I wonder if we would spend a bunch of money on it and not get the rewards. Do you recommend the Aerobus in from the Airport? Given we have kids and we arrive late, we are looking for simplicity/ease without breaking the bank.
For day one, I planned to follow your itinerary to Sagrada de Emilia and arrive early at 9am. Do they offer scheduled tours there? You mentioned something about a tour….. Doing the snack @Enrique Tomas in Career Marina 261 and heading over to Casa Batillo for a one hour tour. Question. Do you suggest doing both Casa Batillo and Casa Mila with the kids?? Just one?? Tour?? Is it too much to head to Park Guell for awhile thereafter? I will note that my 6 yo son has more energy than his 14 yo sister, so they usually do ok holding up if they are interested in what we are doing. Would this day appeal to kids? If not, any suggestions?? People always suggest zoos and kid museums to us, but I kind of think we have that stuff at home, so what can we do that will interest the kids, but ALSO the adults.
On day 2 we have a private runner beans family tour set up from 9:30-12:00 in the gothic quarters. Would it make sense to do the Picasso museum? Is it worth it? Any other suggestions in the area that kids would get on board with?
On day 3, I thought I would follow your plan for Las Ramblas and the La Boqueria market. Do you think La Barcelona would be a good area to head to afterwards? And then the magic fountain that night??
Im tempted to take the kids to Camp Nou, but FC Barcelona will not have a match while we are there and before coming to Barcelona, we will have spent 10 days in England with my daughter’s soccer team looking at Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United Stadium. Is it really make sense to do another tour????
Any information you have on the discount cards, transportation and things that will keep both our kids and adults interested alike would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
Ash says
Hi Mindy,
Thanks so much for the kind words, I’ll try and deal with all these questions in a quick point form 🙂
– For 7 people you’d need two taxis (70+ euro) or be paying about 40 euro in total for the Aerobus. The cheapest would be to grab the airport train to Passeig de Gracia and walk the 400 meters to your hotel. It is quite a simple trip but may take around an hour. Not so bad, especially since it’ll cost you less than 10 euro with the interpersonal T-10 transport card bought at the ticket machines.
– Even for adults, unless they’re massive Gaudi or architecture buffs I usually recommend visiting the inside of only of of Casa Batllo or La Pedrera. The kids will like Casa Batllo better because of the interactive video guide, and it’s just much more magical in my opinion. See La Pedrera from the outside but skip the tour inside.
– There are (highly recommended) guided tours of Sagrada starting early and you can get the info here.
– Provided you really get out to a 9 am start it’s totally doable then to include Park Guell towards the end of the day in the later afternoon (as I’ve indicated in the itinerary article above)… just make sure you leave a break in the middle of the day to rest and eat because the kids will need it.
– The Picasso Museum is worth it if your kids like art, but I’m not sure they do so will leave this to you 😉 Another good thing to do in this area is go through Ciutadella Park and watch some of the performers, maybe have a little picnic, and visit the fountain etc.
– If you haven’t already please check out my guide to visiting Barcelona with kids.
– La Barceloneta is a great idea after the Rambla because it’ll give you a chance to walk along the beach and soak up a fairly authentic neighbourhood. I wouldn’t suggest anybody skip this.
– For the Camp Nou tour it is certainly amazing and will have a different vibe with a different history and trophies etc… if your kids are real soccer nuts I would say yes. But I would wait till I’ve visited the others and then ask them if they’re tired of it or not.
– For the discount cards it’s hard in big groups especially with wide age ranges so I wouldn’t bother with the stress of having to do a minimum amount of attractions to get value. I would simply buy all the tickets (still skip the line) individually for all the attractions using my links here.
– And yes, the Magic Fountain is totally recommended!
Hope this helps 🙂
Ash
Liz says
Hi Ash,
You are so knowledgeable and have so many great tips! Thanks for helping so many people “customize” their trips.
Much of our upcoming trip (July 3-8) is already planned, thanks to your advice. However, we’d appreciate your recommendations given our plans for these 3 days.
We’re staying in the Sagrada Familia neighborhood and–thanks to your recommendations–we’ll go to El Nacional, La Boqueria, and El Celler Vermut on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On THURSDAY morning, we plan to go to Montjuic. Where do we get on the cable-car and get off the cable-car? Are tickets 1-way or round-trip? How do you get from the cable-car to Poble Espanyol, and to the Miro Foundation? If we go to Poble Espanyol, how long would it take to see it? How would we get to the Miro Foundation from Poble Espanyol? Alternatively, how do we get from the cable-car stop to the Miro Foundation (if we decide to skip the Poble Espanyol)? And how long would it take to see the Miro exhibits?
You recommend that we bring our own lunch, since food and drink on the Hill are pricey.
In the afternoon, we’ll go to the Museu Historia Catalunya. We read that the rooftop bar and restaurant are excellent and have a wonderful view. We’d prefer to have a drink there, but then go for dinner somewhere nearby, or somewhere en route between Barceloneta and La Sagrada Familia. What restaurants would you recommend? (As I noted, we will have already eaten at El Nacional, La Boqueria, and El Celler Vermut.)
On the next day (FRIDAY), we have tickets for the 9:30 pm “Gran Flamenco” performance at the Palau de la Musica. We want to go for an early dinner before the show (7 pm), and also have ample time to walk around the outside of the Palau and to see the inside of the building before the show starts–so we’re looking for a restaurant near the Palau. Would you recommend that we go for tapas at El Xampanyet–and how far is it from the Palau? Or is there an outstanding paella restaurant to the Palau?
The next day, SATURDAY (our last day in Barcelona), we plan to shop in the El Born area in the morning; then go to the Picasso Museum in the afternoon. Where do you recommend we have lunch? Also, for dinner after seeing the Picasso Museum, is there a very nice paella restaurant nearby? Or should we plan to go to El Xampanyet for tapas, and go to a paella restaurant the previous night (before the performance at the Palau)?
Thanks for any advice you could give! We are foodies, so we really want to maximize our limited time in the city.
Ash says
Hi Liz,
If you’ve read my article on Montjuic you’ll know it can probably be a bit confusing since there are two cable cars. Are you referring to the one starting at the port or the one on the hill itself?
The one from the port can be used as transport to get up the mountain and it’ll leave you at Montjuic Castle. From here it’s a fairly easy downhill walk to get to all the other attractions you’ve mentioned like Poble Espanyol and Miro. I wouldn’t recommend doing it in reverse.
If you’re not taking the port cable car (it’s 11 euro one way, 16.00 return) I would simply take the funicular from Paral-lel metro station and from here it’s an easy walk to Poble Espanyol and the Miro Foundation.
You can do Poble Espanyol in an hour or 90 minutes if you’re thorough and include the art museum. For the Miro I would spend an hour or less.
Near the Catalan History Museum I would walk into Barceloneta and eat at any of the following: Bitacora, Somorrostro, or Barraca.
El Xampanyet is about a 6-7 minute walk from the Palau de la Musica so it’s a great option in my mind. Another great option near both the Palau de la Musica or the Picasso Museum (with paella) is Nou Celler. I haven’t had it myself but a friend said it was excellent – so don’t shoot the messenger 😉
Hope this helps!
Ash
Gaetane ONeill says
hi Ash, I have written to you before, we are going to Barcelona on the 13th of August and leaving on the 18th. I have a guided Sagrada Familia tour reserved for 4pm on the 14th, just because we do not know the city and I did not want to be rushed on our first morning there. . Our hostel is on Carrer Sant Pau 2 Ciutat Vella 08001. Do you have any suggestions of what we could see before Sagrada Familia still giving us ample time to find the meeting point for our guided Sagrada Familia tour which is an office at Carrer Sardenya 311. If you could also give us transportation hints . We will have probably the Hola BCN pass. We want to buy a ticket for Park Guell also but don’t know when to book it for , we could make it a different day. Also , would there be a reasonably priced restaurant you could suggest for dinner on the 14th either on our way back to the hotel or near Sagrada Familia. Would you know if the meal portions in most restaurants are large enough to share a meal. I know in Canada they are not but the Us they give you too much food for one person. Hoping to hear from you soon,
Gaetane
Ash says
Hi Gaetane,
Just not to make things too hectic I wouldn’t take any other tours in the morning because you may end up cutting it too fine. I do however suggest that you take advantage of your privileged central position to use this morning and early afternoon to discover the gems of the Gothic Quarter on foot… I’ve got a guide for doing this here.
From Jaume 1 you can take the yellow line up to Verdaguer and then from there get the blue line to Sagrada Familia. I would make sure I leave the Gothic Quarter by 3 pm to ensure I get there in time and am not in a rush.
There are more transportation hints in my transport guide.
For Park Guell you can easily get there from Sagrada:
Use the Carrer Marina exit and follow the street uphill (to the left) for about 10 minutes until you reach the corner of Sant Antoni and Maria Claret. Here you’ll grab bus 92 and it’ll leave you right at the entrance to the park. It’ll take about 40 minutes.
If all went as planned you’d be there for around 630/7 and that’s a good time of day to visit for the lighting and because the day has cooled off a bit. Make sure though to book your tickets in advance or you may be out of luck. You could also book the last entry (8:30 pm) after having dinner near Sagrada.
Around there there is a good tapas place called El Celler de Vermut – it’s affordable and super authentic. Also around there is an amazing fish place called La Paradeta. Can’t go wrong with either.
That said, saving it for another day may be a better option if you’re not looking at being so active.
Portions in Spain are much smaller than North America so I wouldn’t count on splitting meals unless you’re really not big eaters.
OK, hope this helps 🙂
Ash
Frank says
Hey Ash,
Great recommendations, actually great webpage overall. I keep getting distracted by different links on one page, leading me to another, which I then get distracted from until I somehow forget where I started but I expect my upcoming trip to be no different.
Anyways…,I’ll Be there with my (future)wife for our honeymoon in Mid October (11-14th) staying at The Majestic day one and Le Meridian days 2 and 3. Any special recommendations would be most welcome on places to eat/drink and also if anything special goes on that time of year I should know of. Also, I understand leading into October that the beach life winds down. Will some of the beach bars still be open or is it pretty much deserted come October?
Thanks for all your help!
Jess says
Hi Ash,
I absolutely love your information. Coming from someone who has just started travel blog, you have really inspired me and your work is so captivating. You’ve guided my upcoming trip to Barcelona so well; I can’t wait 🙂
Ash says
Great stuff Jess! Once you’ve got your travel blog launched make sure to share the link with me 🙂
I am PKR says
Impressive website. What’s your stance on Catalan independence? I would be somewhat dismayed if it involved supporting Arrimadas.
Ash says
Hello,
Thanks so much for the compliment 🙂
As for the question: we live in a world of complexity and I would only be willing to take a firm position and entrench myself on either side if I had a degree in history, economics, political science, and perhaps even philosophy.
I will let you know if I go back to school 🙂
Ash
Samantha G says
Hi Ash!
I just discovered your blog and have been binge reading as I leave for Barcelona next week.
I was wondering what your recommendations are for the best walking streets, for just perusing down and popping into tapas bars, shops (granted I understand you hate shopping) etc. I like to spend my vacations walking around, drinking and eating…
Also- What would be your recommendations for the perfect chill day on a Sunday after Sonar…
P.S.- I’m from Vancouver BC 🙂
Thanks!
Sam
Ash says
Hi Samantha,
Great to hear from a fellow Vancouverite! 🙂
Walking drinking and eating is also my preferred method of attack to new cities haha. Without a doubt if shopping is your thing you’ll need to hit Passeig de Gracia (there’s some amazing architecture here too) and Portal del Angel. From here you could wander down into the Gothic Quarter… Calle Escudallers and Calle Ample are rammed with bars and cool food options.
You should also make sure you have a drink in some of the squares like Plaça George Orwell and Plaça dels Traginers.
Moving over to the next neighbourhood you also can’t go wrong on Passeig del Born… wide open street rammed with bars and tapas and anything you want really.
On Sundays I love going to free museum days especially at CCCB or just having a relaxing coffee in the cool squares in Gracia.
Also, it’s kind of hidden but if you haven’t already I’ve got an article on what to do on Sunday in Barcelona.
Hope this helps 🙂
Ash
Aubrey says
Love the site! My husband and I are headed to Barcelona next month, celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We get in on a Monday evening (around 20:30) via train from Paris, and are staying at the Yurbban Trafalgar hotel (I think El Born area?). I figure that night we will go get checked in to our hotel and will want to get out for a bit and wander and have some food and drinks. Any suggestions on where to start? I don’t need to have too much of a set plan, but I also don’t want to get there and feel intimidated or overwhelmed.
For the rest of our agenda, we plan on checking out the Gaudi sights (in addition to Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, we were thinking Magic Nights at Casa Batllo, are you familar with this?) We plan on dedicating a day to the beaches, possibly a movie at the Outdoor Cinema, and considering doing a food tour our first day. Also thinking about buying tickets to Cruilla festival on our last day. Love your bar and restaurant recommendations, those will come in handy!
Ash says
Hi Aubrey,
Thanks for writing 🙂
Let’s see, the first night I usually like taking it a bit easy so would suggest you wander around the El Born area. If you haven’t read up on it already you can check out my dedicated article because it’ll give you the best bars and restaurants and sights nearby.
You may also want to take an early evening stroll through Ciutadella Park since it’ll be nearby.
Other than this your itinerary looks pretty solid… I’m not sure I can add much 🙂 Just make sure you check out some of the July events because some of them can be really cool.
Ash
Taylor says
Hey, this is great, I’m going to Barcelona with my girlfriends for three days in early july, and this was a great itinerary, but I was curious to see what type of budget should I set for such an itinerary, let me know! Thanks 🙂
Ash says
Hi Taylor,
I’ve got a budget section in my Barcelona Guide and you can find it here.
Hope this helps 🙂
Ash
Gie says
I’m going to Barcelona in less than a couple weeks and this post help me a lot to plan my itinerary. Thank you!
Ash says
Hi Gie,
So glad I could help! Any more questions though I am certainly here for you 🙂
Ash
David says
Hello and thanks for putting this site together! you have a reader from Vancouver, BC, Canada! We’re planning our honeymoon for September 2018, we’ve heard of a great biking culture in Barcelona, is this true? If so, what’s a nice bike route to take? we love to eat, have some beverages and tour all the important sites… is bike the best way to do this or only by the beach?
Any restaurant recommendations? We are foodies by nature. In fact, we have planned our trip around our dinner reservations haha. We’re waiting to get our reservations at Tickets Bar. We don’t mind cheap or expensive meals, if you have any restaurants that we must go to, please suggest them. Look forward to hearing from you and all the best from us Canadians!
Ash says
Hello David,
Nice to hear from a fellow Vancouverite 🙂 In fact I’m just in the process of booking a summer flight home and you’ve got me feeling even more excited!
For the biking culture here’s what I love to do. I ride my bike through the Gotico and Born neighbourhoods, there’s so much to see and soak in… with many bar and restaurant stops. You can also loop down towards the seaside and the promenade called Passeig Maritim and follow it all the way up the coast. Something about that sea air really gets me… kind of like doing the seawall in Vancouver with only about 18% of the scenery 😉
If you’re looking for something a bit more active I would take the somewhat challenging uphill bike towards the Bunkers of Carmel and Park Guell. Around here you’ll get an amazing birds eye view of the city and some nice bike paths.
For restaurants I’ve got my master list here:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/best-restaurants-in-barcelona/
If you’re riding along the seafront though a great paella lunch spot would be Xiringuito Escriba… just park your bikes outside and go in for some great traditional Spanish food. If you want a burger along the way go to Kiosko… I’m also a big fan of dinner at Arume, which is a modern take on Spanish food from Galicia. Top notch from the appies to the cocktails to mains.
As a Vancouverite I would stay away from pretty much anything Asian, especially sushi and Chinese, because it’s so below what we’re accustomed to… but then again I don’t think you came to Spain for that! But the warning must be issued anyway 😉
This should get you started.
Any more questions I am here!
Ash