The best things to do in Barcelona
It’s one of my all time favourite to cities to explore – and if you haven’t been already I hope this guide to all the best things to do in Barcelona will inspire you to book a ticket.
In this Spanish city you’ll find beautiful historic streets, incredible architecture, great beaches and an array of delicious places to eat and drink.
Where to stay in Barcelona
For beautiful historic streets, central location and lots of restaurants and bars – The Gothic Quarter and El Born are both great options, Or for a super pretty neighbourhood with a more village-like, less touristy feel, Grácia is perfect.
Love the beach? Go for a hotel or apartment in Barceloneta and enjoy the best of both beach and city life.
Or find your perfect Barcelona hotel here.
The best things to do in Barcelona
1. Explore the Gothic Quarter
Barcelona Gothic Quarter is a must visit neighbourhood in Barcelona. You’ll find the Gothic Quarter (or Barri Gotic) in Barcelona Old Town (Ciatut Vella in Spanish.) It’s a magical little area filled with narrow medieval streets, picturesque squares, colourful bunting & balconies and vibrant bars & restaurants
Looking for the perfect thing to do in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona? This Tapas walking tour with food, wine and history is a great option!
Where to stay in the Gothic Quarter
Luxury: Wittmore Hotel
Mid-range: Kimpton Vividora
Budget: Catalonia Avinyo
Or browse more Barcelona Gothic Quarter hotels and apartments here
2. Discover El Born
El Born Barcelona is another vibrant neighbourhood in Ciatut Vella, with a perfect blend of medieval architecture, cultural attractions and great little bars and cafes. It comes alive at night, but is also lovely to explore during the day time with pretty streets decorated with fairy lights to wander.
El Born is also home to the Picasso Museum, lots of cute boutiques and coffee shops and close to the pretty green space of Parc de la Cuitadella.
For a fun way to explore El Born and more of Barcelona you can book this half day bike tour that takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of the city.
Where to stay in El Born
El Born is a great neighbourhood to stay in if you’re looking for somewhere with a buzzy vibe and plenty of places to eat and drink right on your doorstop.
These stylish perfectly located deco apartments would be one of my top picks.
Or you can browse more El Born hotels and apartments to find the best place to stay for your Barcelona trip.
Where to get a great coffee in El Born
If you’re looking for the best coffee shops in Barcelona, El Born has some great options.
Hidden Coffee Roasters serves up seriously good coffee in a great space with plenty of seating
and Funky Bakers is perfect if you want to grab a takeaway with a delicious pastry on the side
3. Go for a wander in Gracia
For another beautiful Barcelona neighbourhood – that’s a little less touristy than the Gothic Quarter and El Born – visit Gràcia. Gràcia is in the north of the city, close to Park Güell and has colourful streets, interesting shops and galleries to explore, some amazing Gaudi architecture and great little cafes and bakeries to try.
Where to stay in Gràcia
Gracia is one of my favourite parts of Barcelona to stay in. To feel like you’re living in the neighbourhood for a few days, find yourself a lovely apartment to stay in like Brummel Apartments Gracia, or browse more hotels and apartments in Gràcia to find your perfect Barcelona home for a few days.
Where to eat & drink in Grácia
Make sure to stop for a coffee at pastry at the super pretty Mollo Coffee
Grab a drink and sit and watch the world go by in Plaça de la Virreina
Peruse the Mercat de la Llibertat for lots of fresh local produce
4. Visit Parc Güell
Visiting Parc Güell is always one of the best things to do in Barcelona. This city park & UNESCO World Heritage site boasts beautiful parkland and structures, tile work designed by Gaudi and incredible views over the city.
You need to by Park Güell tickets to visit. Tickets often sell out on the day, so you should make sure to get your ticket before going – you can buy advance tickets here.
Where to stay near Parc Güell
Parc Güell is close to Gracia – you can find a Gracia hotel or apartment here
5. Parc de la Ciutedella
Parc de la Ciutedella – located on the northeastern edge of Ciutat Vella – is a lovely green oasis of a park in Barcelona. If you want a little break from the buzz of the city it’s a perfect place to visit. You can grab a takeaway coffee from El Born and go for peaceful walk round the park or hire a boat and go rowing across the lake. Also make sure to stop and admire the fountain waterfall in the park – one of Barcelona’s prettiest photo-spots.
Where to stay near Parc de la Ciutadella
Motel One Barcelona-Ciutadella is a great reasonably priced hotel just across the road from Parc de la Ciutadella, with a rooftop bar with stunning views over the city
6. Casa Batllo
Casa Battló in Barcelona’s Eixample district is an incredible townhouse, designed by Antonio Gaudi. You can book tickets to explore the inside, or just marvel at the architecture from outside.
You can buy tickets for Casa Batllo here or for a really special experience you can book an Intimate night visit with welcome drinks
7. Casa Vicens
Another Gaudi masterpiece – Casa Vicens is a stunning building in Gràcia that’s absolutely worth a visit. Like Casa Battle you can choose to buy a ticket to explore the inside too, or you can just enjoy the beautiful architecture rom the outside.
Casa Vicens tickets
Don’t wan’t to wait – grab yourself a Casa Vicens skip the line entrance ticket here.
8. La Sagrada Familia
Probably Barcelona’s best known landmark, and for good reason the Sagrada Familia is an absolutely stunning church that should absolutely be added to your Barcelona bucket list. Designed by Gaudi – work begun on the Sagrada Familia in 1882 and is still ongoing!
For an incredible view of La Sagrada Familia reserve yourself a seat at this hotel rooftop bar. Tip – it gets booked up very quickly and you can only make reservations a week in advance, so it might be worth setting an early alarm to make sure you snap up a spot!
This Barcelona famous church is another place that’s beautiful to just admire from the outside, but also absolutely worth getting a ticket at least once if you want to see the Sagrada Familia inside. If you want to see La Sagrada Familia interior you can book Sagrada Familia tickets here.
Where to stay near La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is in Barcelona’s Eixample neighbourhood – you can explore Eixample hotels here
9. Pont del Bisbe
The Pont del Bisbe in Barcelona is a stunning neo-gothic bridge in the Gothic Quarter. The Pont del Bisbe is one of Barcelona’s best photo spots, but does get very busy with lots of other people wanting to take pics! I’d recommend visiting early in the day if you want to get a great shot.
10. Drink sangria in Placa Reial
This beautiful palm tree filled square in Barcelona is pretty touristy, but still always high on my list when I visit the city. Plaça Reial is has plenty of tapas restaurants and bars to choose from, all perfect for sitting and watching the city go by and enjoying a relaxing drink.
11. Rooftop Yoga
One of my favourite experiences on my last trip to Barcelona was going to a rooftop yoga class at Yoga Weeks. Yoga Weeks run sunset rooftop yoga classes every evening from March-October and you can also book (very reasonably priced) yoga retreats in Barcelona with them. The yoga classes are taught in English and open to all.
12. Barceloneta
Cities that come with beaches are absolutely my favourite kind of cities. Barcelona is one of those cities that offers you the best of both worlds. If you want to enjoy beach life when you’re in Barcelona, definitely take a stroll down to Barceloneta beach. Barceloneta is a vibrant sandy beach strip home to some great Barcelona beach bars.
Where to stay in Barceloneta
Love a chilled beach vibe? Barceloneta is the perfect place if you’re after a Barcelona beach holiday.
Feeling boujee? W hotel in Barcelona is a stunning hotel in a perfect beach-front location. Or you can browse more Barceloneta hotels here
Where to eat & drink in Barceloneta
Stop for a sangria and a tasty burger or salad at MakaMaka
Or enjoy a cute brunch at Brunch & Cake by the Sea
13. Mollo Coffee
The perfect aesthetically pleasing displays, delicious pastries and of course great coffee makes Mollo Coffee is one of the best Barcelona coffee shops. You can find this little gem of a bakery in coffee shop in Barcelona’s Gràcia neighbourhood. Mollo Coffee is takeaway only, but they have a couple benches just outside the shop, perfect for sitting sipping your coffee on on a sunny day.
14. Arc de Triomf
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but did you know that Barcelona has one too? The Arc de Triomf in Barcelona is located close to the Parc de la Ciutadella and can be found at the end of a pretty palm tree line walkway.
How to get around Barcelona
Is Barcelona a walkable city?
Barcelona is a really walkable city once you’re there and is an absolute dream to travel around by foot. It’s also well connected by underground metro.
How far is Barcelona from the Barcelona airport?
Barcelona El-Prat Airport is located fairly close to the city centre. You can either get a bus or metro, hop in an uber or (the more commonly used in Barcelona) FREENOW taxi, or book a very reasonably priced transfer for the quickest and easiest journey.
Exploring further afield
If you fancy exploring a bit of beautiful Catalonia you can hire a car and see more of the Pyrenees mountains and Mediterranean beaches.
The best bookable experiences in Barcelona
For a super memorable experience in Barcelona you can book one of these great tours – Complete Gaudi tour, Sagrada Familia & Park Guell with hotel pick-up, Barcelona in 1 Day: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell,Old Town & Pickup, Barcelona: Daytime or Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Drink
If you enjoyed discovering the best things to do in Barcelona, why not explore more more travel guides below –
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