Check out this article for our list of the 17 best things to do in Barcelona. You’re sure to enjoy the best things the city has to offer.
1. Visiting Parc Güell in Barcelona
This is Barcelona’s main park and one of the city’s postcards. Its construction took around 14 years, starting in 1900 with the famous architect Antoni Gaudí, who lived there with his family from 1906 to 1926.
Like Monet’s house in Giverny, Gaudí’s former home was turned into a museum in 1963. We recommend that you take a guided tour. You can buy the ticket online here and you get access to the park and an expert guide.
2. Visit Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia cathedral
Barcelona’s Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia is Barcelona’s main church and the city’s biggest tourist attraction. The building, although not yet finished, impresses with its tall towers and wealth of detail, capable of enchanting any visitor.
To visit the church, you need to buy a ticket in advance, as visits take place on the day and at the time scheduled.
3. Visit Casa Batlló in Barcelona
Like La Pedrera or Casa Milà, Casa Batlló is one of Gaudí’s works and is located on Passeig de Gràcia, right in the center of Barcelona. Casa Batlló was a project requested by Josep Batlló i Casanovas, a very famous name in the textile industry. At first, the idea was to demolish the building, but Gaudí ended up convincing the owner to renovate it.
You can also take a tour of the interior of Casa Batlló, the ticket for which can be bought in advance here.
4. Visiting La Pedrera or Casa Milà in Barcelona
When Casa Batlló was nearing completion, Josep Batlló i Casanovas was visited by his partner, Milà. At first glance, Milà wanted to build a different building and it was there that he met Gaudí, who designed the entire house in a project that took six years to complete.
If you want to buy your ticket now, click here.
5. Walking around Barcelona’s Picasso Museum
This is the city’s main museum and is entirely dedicated to the work of the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. Located in the former Berenguer d’Aguilar palace, a building with Gothic architecture, the Picasso Museum was founded in 1963 and houses more than 4,200 works that make up the permanent collection. Visits take place from 11am to 9pm from Tuesday to Sunday.
6. Go to Barcelona Cathedral
This Gothic church, formerly the Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia, is located at Pla de la Seu, 3.
Visiting hours for this beautiful place are from Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 5.45pm to 7.30pm. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, however, visiting hours change: from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 5.15pm to 8pm.
You don’t have to pay anything to visit the temple and cloister, but if you want to see the whole place there are specific tickets.
7. Visit Plaza de San Jaime in Barcelona
Located in the Gothic Quarter, Plaza San Jaime is very popular in Barcelona. It has kept the same features since the beginning of its history in 1823, as well as the Casa de la Ciudad de Barcelona and the Palacio de la Generalidad de Catalunya, which is also the seat of the Presidency of the Generalidad de Catalunya.
8. Visit Plaza del Rey in Barcelona
The Plaza del Rey is another popular attraction for tourists in Barcelona. This place recreates the Middle Ages, with buildings worthy of royalty, the main attraction being the Palau Reial Major, a monument that housed Catalan counts until the 15th century, in a Gothic-style building.
In this square, you can also visit the royal chapel of Santa Ágata and the Casa Clariana-Padellàs, which houses the Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA).
9. Walking around Plaça del Pi in Barcelona
Plaça del Pi is very close to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi and, although it’s small, it’s the perfect place for tourists looking for antiques.
10. See Miró’s Mosaic in Barcelona
This was one of the places that most exudes the art present in the streets of Barcelona. The mosaic, which draws attention for its beauty, was made by the surrealist artist Juan Miró and is located on one of the sidewalks in the Gothic Quarter.
Juan Miró left his legacy in artwork stencilled throughout the streets of Barcelona, which remains intact to this day. It was made strategically to welcome tourists arriving in the city by sea.
11. Go to the Moll d’Espanya in Barcelona
This pier offers tourists a special view of the Gothic Quarter. It is connected to the Moll de la Fusta by the charming Rambla de Mar footbridge, which has the curious shape of a wave. As well as passing by and taking incredible photos of your trip, you can take the opportunity to visit the Maremàgnun shopping center and L’Aquàrium.
12. Visit Barcelona Football Club’s Camp Nou stadium
The home of Barcelona FC is one of those places that is a must for anyone who wants to travel around Barcelona. The Camp Nou Stadium is considered to be the largest stadium in all of Europe and there you can visit the stands, the Barça museum and all the stadium’s facilities.
Buy your ticket for the Camp Nou Stadium tour here to learn all about the team’s history. Our tip for those who want to visit the stadium is to keep an eye on the Barça website to see the fixtures, as when there is a match at the Camp Nou, the tour times change.
13. Las Ramblas in Barcelona
This is the best known and most visited street in the city. Strolling along it, you’ll see a statue of Christopher Columbus, which dates from 1888 and is over 50 meters high, pointing towards America. A curiosity that few people know is that inside the statue there is an elevator that allows visitors to admire Barcelona from above.
In addition, La Rambla begins in the Plaza de Catalunya and continues to the Old Port in the direction of the beach. During the day, Las Ramblas is an incredible place for shopping, as it has many high street and department stores. At night, on the other hand, this street is full of clubs for those who want to party in the city.
14. Going to Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona
For those who want to enjoy a beach on their trip, Barcelona has a very rich coastline, the most famous of which is Barceloneta Beach. It is also very popular with families, as the sea is very calm.
Another plus point is the location of the beach, which is very close to the center of Barcelona and therefore offers a wide variety of bars and restaurants for those who want to enjoy typical Catalan cuisine by the Mediterranean.
Our tip is to go to this beach in the morning when there is less traffic, as during the summer it is much more difficult to find any space on the sand.
15. Visit the Ciutadella Park in Barcelona
This park is home to a beautiful building: the Arc de Triomphe, which was inspired by the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Paquer de la Ciutadella is perfect for those who want to stop between walks to relax and get in touch with nature.
16. Walking around Barcelona’s Boqueria market
This incredible market is located on Las Ramblas and offers visitors a gastronomic experience rich in the aromas and flavors of typical Spanish cuisine. There you’ll find fruit stalls, typical foods and delicious, inexpensive natural juices. You can also stop for a meal at one of the market’s many restaurants.
17. Going to the Montjuic area in Barcelona
Finally, another incredible place to include on your list of Barcelona sights is the Montjuic area, which is located in the highest part of the city. From there you’ll have an incredible view of many tourist attractions, such as the Olympic Stadium, which was built to host the 1992 Olympics, and Camp Nou itself.
Our tip is to take the cable car up to Montjuic and visit the Juan Miró Foundation, which is located in the neighborhood and is one of Barcelona’s most popular museums.
How to save on tickets to paid attractions in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a city full of attractions to visit, both free and paid. But the tip here is that you can save (and save) on the attractions that do cost some money.
We’ve traveled all over the world and found a great company that offers all the main guided tours in Barcelona at very good prices. On our last few trips, it was precisely this Barcelona Tickets website that we used. Take a look for yourself.
As well as being one of the biggest ticket sellers in the world, this site is very secure. You can buy all your tickets in one place. It’s worth noting that it’s always cheaper to buy in advance, online, to avoid queues and to avoid wasting your travel time.
Save money on your trip to Barcelona:
Saving money: do you want to plan your trip while making the most of your budget? Be sure to read our article on how to travel to Barcelona cheap, with all the tips to save the most, while still enjoying it!
Car: if you are thinking about renting one this is the best website. It compares the price at all rental companies and finds unbeatable prices. You can save up to 30%!
Mobile chip: we always use this chip. It’s electronic (eSIM), you install it instantly and you can use your cell phone’s Internet anywhere in the world.
Hotels: our article on where to stay in Barcelona. You will find out the best areas and how to save a lot on the hotel.
Travel insurance: medical care in another country is very expensive and it is extremely important to take out travel insurance for any trip abroad. This is the website we always take out our insurance on. Reliable and at a good price.
Transfer: do you need one from the airport to the hotel? Find out here how to book and for the lowest price!
