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.
- My lists of best budget hotels, hostels and holiday apartments.
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
Time is of the essence so 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). 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.
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.
Casa Vicens
I want to get you in great position for a late afternoon stroll and an amazing local dinner so we walk up about 15 minutes to the picturesque, bohemian neighbourhood of Gracia for one of Barcelona’s most underrated attractions: the newly minted Gaudi gem Casa Vicens.
This summer chalet mansion with its lush garden is more fairy tale than home and at less than half the price of its contemporaries it offers a tremendous amount of value for both Gaudi fanatics and budget travelers.
If you’re not planning on buying tickets for Casa Batllo or La Pedrera then this would be the best way to experience Gaudi’s home architecture expertise up close.
Dinner
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.
I do however suggest taking the short walk from Casa Vicens to the famous Plaça del Sol for some tasty tapas at Sol Soler (21 Plaça del Sol). Other nearby tapas restaurants for a great dinner are Cal Boter (Carrer del Tordera 62) and Casa Lopez (Carrer del Topazi 11).
If you’re not interested in exploring Gracia I would go for the paella tasting menu at nearby Bodega Joan since my readers get a pretty healthy discount 🙂
3 Days in Barcelona – Day 2
Breakfast
In winter we’re starting the day with a delicious breakfast in Barcelona 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.
Get this breakfast in the earlier the better especially at Boqueria where lines get heavy even around 9:00 am.
Park Guell
Any Barcelona itinerary has to include the city’s most beautiful park and I want us to see it early because the temperatures are cooler, there are less crowds, and the light is better for photography!
We take bus 24 from Passeig de Gracia (just a couple hundred meters from our breakfast spots) and 30-40 minutes later we’re left at the gates. We could also take the yellow metro line to Alfons X and grab the free shuttle (with Park Guell tickets only),
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!
Lunch
Let’s grab that same bus 24 to Plaça Catalunya because we’ll be spending the afternoon in the famous Gothic Quarter, starting with 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.
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. Some of the things we can’t miss are the Barcelona Cathedral, the old Roman walls, and the beautiful squares Plaça Reial and Plaça del Pi.
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.
Dinner
We’re super central and will have to ninja our way around a ton of tourist traps but luckily I’ve found the only authentic place on La Rambla: El Louro. Spanish tapas classics are given a modern twist here and mains like the Galician beef filet and crunchy octopus are to die for.
The kicker? Some of the best original cocktails in the city like the legendary blackberry mojito.
You’ll also get a free glass of cava per diner by reserving no money down via the form below:
A Night on the Town
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 5:00 am (though it runs all night on Saturday).
3 days in Barcelona – Day 3
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.
Beach at La Barceloneta
When talking about Barcelona in 3 days you don’t think we’d leave out the beach did you? We get the metro from wherever we are and grab the yellow line for the Barceloneta stop.
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. For the early afternoon (like locals) you’ll want to work on that tan to make your colleagues jealous so lay down a towel and take it in!
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.
Lunch
We’re getting really local now by having a late lunch (around 3:00 pm) and for this 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.
Looking for something a little closer to home? One of Barcelona’s best burgers is just what the doctor ordered. Kiosko Burger (Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera, 1 bis) is great place to start and it’s no tourist sin! Get the one with traditional manchego cheese.
See? We’re doing Spanish things.
Montjuic
We get to Montjuic Hill by taking the Port Cable Car from the Barceloneta.
At the top of Barcelona’s tallest hill we find the castle with its majestic view of the harbour, the Miro Foundation, the ’92 Olympic Stadiums and the botanical garden.
There’s also the option to experience the fantastic open-air architecture museum Poble Espanyol.
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 – Day 4!
Yes, you didn’t think I’d stop there did you? Barcelona has so many attractions that I couldn’t sum it up in just 3 days.
This Barcelona itinerary is heading to day 4.
Tibidabo
Let’s save some cash and grab the free breakfast at your hotel and get elevated!
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
We get back to the city with the same bus T2A and disembark at Plaça Catalunya. From here it’s just a 15 minute walk to another of Barcelona’s most popular neighbourhoods.
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).
Lunch
When we get hungry we’ll fill up at one of my favourite tapas spots Bormuth (31 Carrer del 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?
Raval
For those a little more rough and ready I suggest we go for a 20 minute walk to get to the ‘gentrified gem’ El Raval.
There are tons of good value bars and ethnically diverse eateries here – if you’ve skipped my tapas advice above there’s no shame getting a €5.00 curry lunch on the fly at Bishmillah (Carrer Joaquin Costa 22).
Then you can round out the afternoon going to one of my favourite contemporary museums: MACBA (the modern art museum) or the CCCB (a contemporary culture museum).
Flamenco
We round out the evening taking in a show of not only one of the most popular art forms in Spain, but the entire world.
The flamenco shows at the Palacio del Flamenco have been known to bring guests to tears, and you’ll find out if you’re one of them watching the intricate dances, passionate yelps, and spirited guitar rhythms.
Shows run daily at 6:30, 8:30, and 10:30 and can include drinks and dinner.
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!
Steven Zai
Hi Ash,
My wife found your website and I’m pleased to find so much useful advice and information here. We are staying at the hotel Room Mate Anna in the Eixample district and wanted to know if the itinerary here would be ideal for our 3 night visit in Barcelona. We are actually only staying in Barcelona for 3 nights/2.5 days since one is a travel day.
Trying to gauge out what sights/activities we should see as this is our first time in Spain. My friend mentioned the Hop on/Hop off bus tour which you have listed here as part of the City Pass which we are leaning towards.
**Note we are huge foodies and love to immerse ourselves in the local culture and food, so half of everyday we’ll probably have some sort of food and/or drink in our mouths! 🙂
The items we definitely want to hit are:
-Magic Fountains
-Gothic Quarter area (not sure how long this will take)
-La Sagrada Familia
-Camp Nou stadium tour
-Boqueria Market
In addition I saw that you mentioned the Magic Fountains to be open Thurs-Sun, but if I am reading their site correctly they say show days are Wed-Sunday.
Thanks!
Ash
Hola Steven,
Thanks so much for the kind words, glad to help 🙂
You’ve got a very nice and doable itinerary here though I would note that there some notable absences. Park Guell would be the first which is a must see (and included in the City Pass) and the Gaudi mansions Casa Batllo and La Pedrera should also be on the list.
Other than this you’re doing fine without overdoing it and stressing yourselves out with travel etc.
You should be able to see the entire Gothic Quarter in 2-3 hours.
As for the fountains… it’s kind of misleading how I wrote it and I apologise. I said there are no shows Monday to Wednesday but then I mentioned that in high season it’s Wednesday-Sunday…I will change this now!
Ash
Sophia
Hi Ash- Thats helpful, thank again! I will be staying at Eurostars Ramblas
Ash
Ah ok! This is good because I was worried if you were a bit far out we’d have to adjust some of the itinerary to compensate this… but you really can’t be more central so this will make things quite easy. You’ll never be more than 30 minutes from any of the things on your list 🙂
Sophia
Hi Ash- you recommendations all sound great! I have been reading through the comments and your replies to other visitors of your site- but to my knowledge I have not seen any 2 day trip/1 night visits. I am traveling to Spain as a part of an all-inclusive vacation package that sends me straight to Madrid. I have heard tons about Barcelona though, so I booked a 2 day/1 night trip at the end of August to Barcelona. If I arrive into the Barcelona train station at 11am and leave the next day at 8pm- What do you think would be the best things to cram into the days? I think the food market you mentioned is very up my alley. My significant other also wanted to see/tour Camp Nou. Is it feasible to get into Barca at 11am and do Camp Nou tour and Sagrada Familia in the same day? Then I hear I should do Parc Guell and one of the beaches-also I am a big foodie! Any advice on how to do the city some justice in 33 hours?
Ash
Hi Sophia,
Thanks for the kind words 🙂
The first two days of my itinerary above can definitely be customized for your needs… cut what you don’t like and shift around a few things, but do try to follow the logic as I’ve grouped the attractions for proximity and transport.
My can’t miss attractions would be Sagrada, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, and the Gothic Quarter and Boqueria Market etc.
If you get in at 11 am you could definitely schedule one of Sagrada or Camp Nou for around 2 or 3 and then easily get to the other for a later evening visit. But I wouldn’t try and fit much else in.
Where is your hotel? Knowing where that is and its proximity to the station would help in sorting it all out.
To do it justice I would try and do as much of day one and two of the itinerary and squeeze in some beach time… you could almost follow the first two days to a T but substitute Camp Nou for Casa Vicens and then for the day two stuff, cram in some beach down by Barceloneta (about 30 minutes walk from the Gothic Quarter) just to get some sea air.
Ash
Vladislav Papper
Hi Ash,
Really thanks for such a useful site.
I’m planning now our trip to Barcelona in the second week of April. Our baby will be 2 years old. We’ll come with the rented car from Toulouse-Andorra (staying in Andorra for two nights and then continuing to Barcelona). The 3-day itinerary that you’re proposing here looks really nice, but I doubt I’ll have the budget for 3 nights accommodation in Barcelona. Therefore, let me ask you if it’s possible to have the similar itinerary for 2 and a half days with 2 nights? We’ll walk with a stroller, of course. Alternatively, is it possible to stay somewhere in a rural house or farm near Barcelona for three nights and just come with the car each day in the morning to Barcelona? Do you have any ideas? Also, is the daily parking expensive there?
Thank you in advance,
Vlad.
Ash
Hi Vladislav,
It is certainly possible to cut down this itinerary to two days. In fact, the first two days include the most important sights so you can just do day one and day two and still have seen most of what is needed.
As for the rural houses or farms it’s a tough one as it’s not too common a question. I would search for camping on Booking.com and see what comes up.
Parking can be quite expensive but you can get discounts using Parlick which is a handy application.
I explain how to do this in my parking in Barcelona article:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/barcelona-parking/
Cheers,
Ash
Vladislav Papper
Thanks so much for your advice, Ash!
I have eventually found a nice rural place to stay: Masia Can Canyes & Spa. It’s just 45 minutes from Barcelona. I’ll definitely use the Parclick as you suggested. I think we’ll start the first day with Parc Guell and them continue to follow your itinerary. I’m anyway planning the third night at that place and the third day in Barcelona for the amusement park, aquarium and other attractions that you well described in one of your posts. Eventually, on the way back, we’ll probably visit Montserrat.
That’s my plan.
All the best,
Vlad.
Ash
Hi Vlad,
That sounds great! Please let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Cheers,
Ash
Sam McCormack
Hi Ash,
Thanks so much for putting together this guide. We will definitely follow your 3 day guide as it covers exactly what we want to see and do.
We are staying in Hotel Catalonia Park Guell. Would you recommend any particular restaurants near there?
Thanks,
Sam
Ash
Hi Sam,
I’m not very familiar with the area but I’d definitely consider going down into the Gracia area and checking out any of the restaurants I’ve got listed in my article.
Though I haven’t been myself I’ve also heard of good things about Jardi de l’Apat.
Cheers,
Ash
Judy
Hi,
Great website! Looking for a good steak restaurant with atmosphere and also a good and reasonably priced tapas place on the beach that we can bring our teenage boys to this weekend.
Thanks!!!
Ash
Hi Judy,
I would go for the Venue Steakhouse or Patagonia Beef and Wine… never been disappointed there 🙂
As for tapas there aren’t many good ones on the beach, but my favourite by far is Xiringuito Escriba… great paella there as well.
Cheers,
Ash
Alli
Hi, I’m a bit confused on how the bookings with Barcelona City Pass work and how do I schedule the English guided tour at 9AM in Sagrada Familia and then the next day in AM in the Park Guell. Do I buy it first and then go back and book times? I want to make sure that I can get in on Sep 17 and 18. I’m worried that if I purchase the passes and times are not available I will not get in. Any help you can give me on how this pass works is greatly appreciated.
Ash
Hi Alli,
Yes, you would book the tickets first and then select your times after they’ve emailed you – in the unlikely event you can’t find a time they will refund you the money or come to another arrangement 🙂
Cheers,
Ash
Chris
Hi Ash,
I came across your page with a simple google search, and i’m so glad I did! I’ll be in Barcelona in a few weeks and staying at the Hotel HCC Regente on Rambla de Catalunya. Wondering if you have any suggestions for nearby breakfast and/or lunch spots? and bars in the area?
Thanks so much!
Chris
Ash
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the very kind words on the blog, I am glad to help 🙂
You’re super central so will be striking distance to a lot of great choices… for breakfast I would recommend Brunch and Cake for a modern touch, Granja Viader for a throwback Spanish experience, or El Pinotxo for a savory Med style meal.
I break them down a bit further here:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/breakfast-barcelona/
For lunch I’d pencil in El Nacional, Bodega Joan, or Ciudad Condal.
For bars there’s the legendary George Payne (not local of course), the roof top bar at Hotel Pulitzer, or Banker’s Bar. You also can’t go wrong going for a wander in the nearby Gothic Quarter because it’s got so many bars.
Cheers,
Ash
Hannah Goodwin
Hi Ash,
I just wanted to leave a comment to say thank you for all the very helpful advice, I went to Barcelona with my sister and a friend last week and we used your blog every day!
Dry Martini was an excellent recommendation and El Celler del Vermut was our favourite restaurant, we only wished we went more than once! We also loved El Quim at La Boqueria Market.
The Free Now app also saved our lives, so thank you again!
Ash
Hi Hannah,
Thanks so much for this! It’s rare that somebody gets in touch after the trip to validate (or even criticize haha) my suggestions and blog.
Please do come back again 🙂
Ash
Ling
Hi Ash,
This is an amazing and informative website that you’ve created here! I wish I had found it sooner in our planning for our Barcelona visit. We will arrive on August 19 as a family of 4 with 2 boys 10 and 13yo who are not big fans of walking, but love to bike and play at the beach. On August 22, we will be joined by the rest of my husband’s side of the family and we will then be a group of 15 in total with age range from 9-81. We will depart from Barcelona to other lands on the morning of August 25.
We generally try to limit our tourist sites to max 3/day because that is all the boys will tolerate and we tend to spend longer than the average amount of time at each place because of our relaxed pace and love of taking photos/videos.
Our current somewhat loose itinerary goes something like this:
Monday:
arrive in Barcelona late morning and hopefully drop our luggage off at our Airbnb at the corner of Carrer de Mallorca and Carrer de Padilla. Your suggestion for best way to get to the Airbnb from the airport?
Grab some lunch/snack nearby — any suggestions?
Head to Gran Teatre del Liceu to meet our guide at 3:30pm for a family walking tour of the Gothic Quarter x 2 hours.
Hang out in the Gothic Quarter for the evening.
Tuesday:
visit la Boqueria Market or other local market for breakfast. I am a lover of farmers markets and try to check one out everywhere we go.
Apparently I have nothing else planned so far for Tuesday. Bogatell beach? Check out La Fiesta de Gracia?
Wednesday:
Barceloneta beach in the morning -perhaps ride bikes along the beach or boogie board if there is somewhere to rent boogie boards; otherwise playing in the sand and swimming in the water also would be great.
Any beachside restaurants worth checking out for lunch? La Cova Fumada or Bitacora?
Cable car up to Montjuic and wander up to Montjuic castle.
Snack -suggestions?
Catch Magic Fountain show.
Eat dinner at Taberna Can Margarit.
Thursday:
Ciutadella Park and your day 4 itinerary, probably omitting flamenco.
Friday we will join some of the in-laws which will include my 81yo father in law who uses a cane/walker:
Hopital de Sant Pau in the morning
have snack/lunch somewhere
Casa Mila in the afternoon -maybe around 3 or 4pm
Join the rest of our group of 15 for dinner. Any suggestions for a restaurant that is either near Casa Mila or Sagrada Familia (the neighbourhood where most of us will be staying) and will accommodate such a large group?
Saturday as a group of 15:
Sagrada Familia at 9am -tickets purchased with Nativity Tower, no guide
Eat lunch -suggestions for a place that will hold our group?
Park Guell -tickets purchased for the Monumental zone at 4pm. Could arrive an hour earlier to check out the free zone. Is there still construction in the Monumental zone?
Dinner — dinner for group of 15 -suggestions for restaurant welcome
Sunday:
Pack and say adéu to Barcelona
When would be a good time to visit Hofmann Patisserie for this proposed itinerary? Too bad I didn’t know about the Barcelona City Pass before we booked Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, but not sure we would use the Bus Turistic. If the weather is too hot, we might check out the aquarium. Any suggestions to better bunch things together? Anything we should see that we haven’t included?
Many thanks for reading all of this!
Ling
Ash
Hi Ling,
Thank you so much for your very kind words, I am happy to help 🙂
I’ll try and fire the answers off as quickly as possible here.
To get to Carrer de Mallorca and Carrer de Padilla I would take the Aerobus to Plaça Catalunya, then walk up to Passeig de Gracia metro station and grab the purple line to Sagrada Familia. From here it’s just a 10 minute walk to the hotel.
For lunch near there I would go to either El Celler del Vermut or La Paradeta (if you like fish!).
For Tuesday since you’re starting out at La Boqueria you could do an easy walk over to MACBA or the CCCB whicha re both very interesting contemporary museums. You could also check out Palau Guell. That said… why not go to the beach? You may want a relaxing day without too many sights 🙂
Bitacora isn’t quite beachside but it’s highly recommended for eating in Barceloneta. My favourite beachside restaurant which is further up the coast is Xiringuito Escriba. I would eat at either of these.
Honestly I would pack my own snack up to Montjuic since the pickings are slim up there – and the food is way overpriced.
There are lots of restaurants near Casa Mila but many would be hard to find a place for 15. The first thing that comes to mind is Bodega Joan… I went there with a crowd of 25 Italians once and it was one of the better dinner experiences of my life 😉 If you’d like to support the blog you can book a tasting menu with them through this website.
That said, if you’d like to order à la carte please let me know at date and time and I can get in touch with the owner to set up a table for you.
Otherwise you may want to try El Nacional or Ciudad Condal though these places are super crowded with tourists at this time of year and 15 may be a squeeze.
The Monumental Zone at Park Guell is no longer under construction according to the official site.
For dinner the next night I recommend Louro. It’s amazing high quality modern tapas with great service. It’s literally one of a kind on La Rambla because pretty much the rest of the restaurants there are tourist traps.
I was so impressed when the owner came by to ask how my meal was (and showed a type of friendly service extended to foreigners rarely seen in Spain) that we got to chatting and I even asked him to help me set up a no money down reservation system for my blog readers… here is a link if you’re interested:
https://visitarebarcellona.typeform.com/to/rgus9G
Again though, no pressure… any of the restaurants in this comment will be good!
I would stop in to Hofmann Patisserie during your Gothic Quarter walk as it seems like the most logical time without going way out of your way.
Anyway, it seems like you’ve bunched all the attractions together quite nicely so I don’t have any comments to make on that front. You’ve also included everything I would ever think of seeing so can’t really say much… you may want to try and add in the Picasso Museum or a flamenco night but other than this, I have no complaints 🙂
Anyway, I think this is a record for my longest response in the history of this blog so I think I’ll shut up now 😉
Cheers,
Ash
Ling
Hi Ash,
I feel honoured that you graced me with your longest blog response! Your suggestions have really been very helpful. Just a few more questions…
If we decide to do the beach after the Boqueria Market as you have suggested, would it be best to go to Barceloneta which we plan to visit on the next day or try Bogatell or another beach?
Thanks for letting me know about the snack situation in Montjuic. Gives me a chance to buy something at the market to pack for the next day.
We are actually heading to a cruise on our last day. What would you suggest is the best way for the 13-15 of us to get to the cruise port? And then from the cruise port to the airport, there will be 6 of us …so best way to get to the airport? I seem to be losing in-laws as the trip ends..haha.
Lastly, given that we’ve already purchased Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell tickets, and are planning to visit Casa Mila, Hopital Sant Pau, Montjuic Castle and maybe one of the art galleries you’ve suggested, is there any benefit to buying the Barcelona City Pass?
I will let you know if we decide to go the a la carte option for Bodega Joan. If we go with the paella tasting menu or eat at Louro, then I will book via your link.
Cheers,
Ling
Ash
Hi Ling,
Barceloneta is indeed the closest beach to La Boqueria, though it wouldn’t be that much furtehr up the coast to get to Bogatell. If you’re interested in doing some sports and not just chilling on the beach for an hour this is a fine choice. But in the end, they’re all massive wide sand beaches filled with tourists… you won’t get much variety so they’re not independent destinations in my opinion.
I wouldn’t worry about seeing multiple ones because if you’ve seen one you’ve almost seen them all (aside from the nude one!).
To get to the cruise port from Sagrada I’m just going to recommend getting 3-4 taxis because it’s just going to be a big hassle otherwise. It’ll set you back around €20.00 per taxi but at €5.00 a head it’s really nothing.
If you’ve already bought Sagrada and Park Guell tickets I don’t see how you could recoup the lost value with the Barcelona City Pass… I would just buy the subsequent attractions individually so there’s no pressure to make up the value 🙂
And yes… let me know about the restaurants!
Cheers,
Ash
Jenae
I honestly can not get over how informative this site is. All of this information is so helpful. I actually stopped looking at other sites because this one has everything!!!
I really love this itinerary and think we will follow this when we come. We actually have an additional 2-3 days extra when we visit in September. We were considering the following options for day trips…we like beaches, wineries and Game of Thrones.
1) Sitges (beaches)
2) Tarragona & Ebro Delta (I was interested in the Roman Amphitheatre etc and the beach)
3) Tossa de Mar (because of the beaches and that castle)
4) Wineries (Penedes Region) -Cordoniu, Recaredo & Freixenet
5) Girona (colorful buildings and Game of Thrones locations)
6) Casta Brava (the beaches)
So the best I got is 3 extra days so that we can actually visit Barcelona. Any recommendations on how you would put that together for 3 days with the above locations ; like is there any of these that can be combined as 2 locations in 1 day so that we can see more? Or is there any spot that I can leave out. Want to plan the best possible day trips, but there is TOO MANY AWESOME THINGS TO DO HERE! lol.
Any suggestions would be so much appreciated. Thank you!!!!
Ash
Hi Jenae,
Wow! Amazing praise, thank you so much… makes my hard work worthwhile 🙂
You’ve got a lot on your plate there but luckily some of these things can be combined. For number 6 (the Costa Brava beaches) you can kind of narrow this down to Tossa (which is my favourite Costa Brava beach!) and combine it with Girona, which is nearby.
So on one day I would head to Girona early morning and then from there explore Tossa de Mar (or maybe Palamos or Lloret depending on your tastes). There’s no point going up the coast twice so you should try and fit in as much as possible in one day – but please get an early start!
Honestly if you’re going up the Costa Brava I don’t see much need for Sitges… which is essentially a small city beach that isn’t nearly as pretty. I would cut it out.
You’re then left with 2 days… one of the wineries and one for Tarragona… sounds like you can easily do this, though keep in mind this is a very intense itinerary with a lot of travel! 😉
Cheers,
Ash
Jenae
My pleasure. You have an incredibly informative site and are very helpful to answer all of our questions; so appreciated. Thank you!!! 🙂
I like all of your ideas that you mentioned…
1) For Tossa de Mar and Girona…can we get to BOTH places on a day trip using public transportation or do we have to rent a car?
Also, I know you mentioned that to see both places properly we would have to get an early start…do you think we should book a room overnight like go to Girona in the AM then check into a hotel overnight in Tossa de Mar and spend the whole next day at Tossa de Mar and head back to Barcelona that night? Or do you think both places can comfortably be done on a day trip and we should not take away any time further from Barcelona?
2) if we were to take a train to Tarragona…is it easy to get around once there to see the Roman Amphitheater and the beaches? Is the beach nice there too, because my friend is very interested in seeing beaches on this trip?
3) Any must see winery or wineries? Do you have a favorite one? I read about several highly recommended ones that are easily accessible from Barcelona. Are there any that you recommend that happen to be near any beaches?
Thank you so much again for everything! Your tips are really helping me put together this vacation. 🙂
Megan
Hi Ash!
Your site is awesome and full of info. Thank you so much!!!
Based on what we’ve read here, my husband and I are staying in El Born. We have 2.5 days (31/8-2/9 arriving mid day Saturday) and want to see the following:
Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Las Ranblas, Picasso Museum, and maybe Casa Vicens.
How would you recommend we split it up? I wasn’t sure if we should try and do Park Guell/Sagrada Familia together, or follow the guide above. We prefer timed pre-purchased tickets. We didn’t want to go to the Picasso Museum on free Sunday due to crowds? Are Sundays ok for the Sagrada Familia? Whats the best way to get around?
I appreciate any advice, and thank you!
Ash
Hi Megan,
Thanks so much for the kind words! Glad to help 🙂
In general I recommend following the itinerary above as it maximizes time at attractions and minimizes travel, though if you like it’s certainly possible to swap Casa Vicens (day 1) and Park Guell (day 2) so you can finish with a sunset up in the hills! Your choice 🙂
As for the Picasso Museum… I have been during free days and also during paid time slots and honestly didn’t feel that big of a difference. There are still time slots that are allocated so the visits are staggered to avoid over crowding. I didn’t feel it was all that chaotic, but then again I went in March for the free one. Maybe July might be a bit more packed.
Sundays are fine for Sagrada… most time slots are all sold out in the summer anywhere so there will hardly be a difference between than and say a Tuesday.
Best way to get around for me other than walking in the sunshine is the metro… it covers the entire city, is super convenient, and air conditioned 🙂
Ash