Most tourists come to visit Barcelona in 3 days, but we give you even more!
You will discover our itinerary recommendations for the main tourist sites and restaurants. The order of things is subjective and you can mix the days at your convenience to create the program of your dreams.
Do not hesitate to leave us a message at the bottom of the page, if you did not find what you were looking for.
General Information
When staying in Barcelona, there are some essential information that you should know first.
You are going to be inundated with options and there is also a good chance that you will find yourself in long lines and paying full price. Using the links below, you'll be sure to get the best prices and avoid the lines.
To read carefully:
- How to get quickly from Barcelona airport to the city center
- How to choose the right discounted transit card
- Where to buy discount attraction tickets and skip-the-line tickets
- How to find the best neighborhood to stay in Barcelona
- My lists of the best budget hotels, luxury hotels, 4-star hotels, cheap hostels and vacation apartments
Map of our itinerary through Barcelona
For your convenience, we have created a practical map of everything there is to see in Barcelona, but also our favorite places to eat, so you always know where to go!
We have assigned a different color on the map to each day of our itinerary for ease of use. In the description of each point of interest, you will find links to more precise information and the purchase of tickets online.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions to improve it!
Barcelona Itinerary Day 1:
The Holy Family
What route does not have? Get a good start with the masterpiece Gaudí's pending subject, the Sagrada Familia. Address Sagrada Familia metro station on the purple line L2.
Once arrived you have two solutions- Stand in line to buy your tickets or, for the more forward-thinking, present your ticket purchased online and avoid the queues.
I highly recommend the second option.
This extraordinary basilica it has just been consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI. Although the end of the works is currently scheduled for 2026, the interior part has just been renovated.
to snack
When time is of the essence and if you don't have much, this is the perfect place to stop and have an aperitif, just a few steps from the Sagrada Familia: Enrique Tomas, Carrer Marina 261.
Here you can taste my favorite tapas dish: Iberian ham (Raw serrano ham). The service is fast and you won't waste a lot of time.
I recommend you taste the Jamon Bellota Premium, a very good high-end ham. Sellers in will cut on the spot and right in front of you. Although it will cost you a little more than in a conventional store, it is well worth it.
If you also want to make your family or friends happy when you get home, you can also take a good portion of vacuum packed ham (EU only). A delicious memory.
And the best If you spend € 10 or more, say that you are friends of Visit Barcelona and they will bring you a coffee! Isn't it a good life?
The Casa Batllo
To continue your journey in the footsteps of maestro Gaudí, return to the metro station, take the purple line L2 and get off at Paseo de Gracia. You will find yourself at the foot of Casa Batlló.
In this wonderfully quirky mansion you will be able to admire its skeletal and visceral qualities. The visit lasts one hour. Also nicknamed the house of the dragon, its light effects will amaze young and old alike.
Is the House of my dreams And when you're done, it'll be yours too
Lunch Box.
It's already noon and your stomach starts to cry. I recommend La Paradeta, in Carrer Consell de cent 318, almost in front of Casa Batllò.
This restaurant specialized in shellfish Will not disappoint you. There are 6 scattered throughout the city and they serve ultra-fresh fish to Reasonable price. You can take a look at their website.
If you don't have a lot of fish, you can try caps in Tapa Tapa, 44 Passeig de Gràcia. It's a place more touristy That cheap but has the advantage of being in the area.
Casa Milà (or Pedrera for the intimate ones)
If you continue a little further up Passeig de Gracia, you will see an imposing building at the second intersection, La Pedrera. This other Gaudí's masterpiece it's best known for its roof and patios actually confused.
Casa Vicens
I want to put you in a good position for an afternoon stroll and an amazing local dinner for you to walk about 15 minutes to the picturesque and bohemian neighborhood of Grace for one of Barcelona's most underrated attractions: Gaudí's recently opened Casa Vicens to the public.
This summer residence with its lush garden It is more magical than at home and less than half the price of its class, it is a great help for Gaudí fans and travelers with a small budget.
If you don't plan to buy tickets to Casa Batlló or La Pedrera, this would be the best way to experience Gaudí's experience in home architecture up close.
Grace neighborhood
If you are not tired yet, after having visited Casa Vicens, I invite you to enter the narrow streets of the Gracia neighborhood and go have a vermouth or a beer in one of its many places, such as plaça de la Virreina, plaça del Sun or more retired Raspall.
Price
Let's get it right: leave a comment on where you're staying and I'll recommend some of the best restaurants in Barcelona.
However, I suggest you take the short walk from Casa Vicens to the famous Plaza del Sol to taste delicious tapas in Sol Soler (Plaza del Sol 21), Butter Lime (Calle del Tordera 62) you Lopez House (Carrer del Topazi 11) are other nearby tapas restaurants for a good dinner.
If you are not interested in discovering Gracia, I would opt for the paella tasting menu at the neighboring Bodega Joan since my readers are getting a pretty good discount.
Barcelona Itinerary Day 2:
After the marathon day of the day before and in anticipation of tonight's night, we can afford a break. After all are you on vacation?
Breakfast
How to come to Spain and not try an authentic chocolate with churros? For enthusiasts, head to Petrixol Street in one of the best areas of Barcelona: the Gothic.
Then direction La Boqueria, the oldest market in Barcelona. An explosion of colors, smells and flavors that will awaken all your senses.
You can also consult our article dedicated to breakfast in Barcelona.
Parc Güell
Visiting the most beautiful park in Barcelona, or even the world, according to some locals, requires some time. We suggest that you spend the rest of the afternoon there. This park is actually unavoidable.
Although now it is paid, it is still the attraction that you will want to dedicate more time to if you only stay a few days in Barcelona.
To get there from Passeig de Gracia, take bus 24, it will drop you off at the park entrance. I don't recommend taking the metro to get there, you will have to walk to get to the park and the road is quite steep.
Lunch Box.
Let's take the same bus 24 to Plaça Catalunya, as we will spend the afternoon in the famous Gothic Quarter, starting with another Spanish culinary classic: pintxos!
If you choose the caps, I recommend it The Petrixol Pintxo (9 Petritxol Street). C'est a tapas bar who will be December pinchos, typical Basque tapas, ave 9 rue Petrixol.
As an alternative I offer you a paella to La Fonda (10 Calle Escudellers). C'est un restaurante very turistic but we eat divinely well, the service is impeccable and the price / quality very correct.
Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter.
We finished the morning in style with one of the most famous avenues of the world: La Rambla, with its good and bad sides. To travel from end to end, wait a good half hour.
Pay close attention to your belongings, but still enjoy the street artists and the many shops that dot it.
So the idea is be lost in the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter. Admire, at your convenience, its different churches until you reach the picturesque Plaza de Sant Felipe Neri.
If you feel the need for a refreshing drink, head to Bar Jardí. This true urban oasis Hidden deep in a souvenir shop is located at 17 Carrer Portaferrissa.
Price
You are right in the center of the city and you have to fight your way through a lot of tourist traps, but luckily I found the only authentic place on La Rambla: The Louro. Spanish tapas classics get a modern twist here, and main dishes like Galician beef tenderloin and crunchy octopus are not to be missed.
The more? Some of the best cocktails original city like the legendary blackberry mojito.
You will also receive a free glass of cava per dinner by not reserving money using the following form:
An afternoon in the city
Today we give it our all (hoping it is Friday or Saturday!).
First the best and choose in advance which of Barcelona boxes you're going to shake Without knowing your musical tastes, I invite you to consult the list of the main nightclubs in Barcelona.
If you let me decide, go to Razzmatazz or Apolo, the two clubbing institutions in Barcelona.
The Razz is located in calle dels Almogavers 122 (Marina station, red line L1 or Bogatell, yellow line L4). For the "before" I recommend the huge Ovella Negra pub on Calle Zamora 78, table football, Spanish billiards and a good mood.
To get to the Apolo, take the green line L3 to the Paral-lel station. To warm up, head to the Marsella bar, a bar Historical that he counted Hemingway and Orwell among his regulars, to name a few. It is located at number 65 Carrer de Sant Pau, a rather run-down area, but quite safe. They serve absinthe there, although it is not the best way to remember the evening.
Time to go to sleep. On Friday, the subway starts again at 5am and runs all night on Saturday.
Barcelona Itinerary Day 3:
If you followed yesterday's program to the letter, you may know a new word in Spanish this morning “la hanaca”. Literally the swell of the ocean waves, but better known here: the hangover.
To avoid any tension in this advanced state of weakness, this morning I suggest you make a "separate band", we are going to make two teams, one to do the stores, and one who will visit the Camp Nou.
Shopping at the Nou Camp
For shopping, the most famous shopping areas are Passeig de Gracia, Porta del Angel, Carrer Portaferrissa and the Born district. From Plaza Catalunya you can reach all these areas on foot.
To get to the Camp Nou and visit it, the best solution is to take the green line L3 and get off at the Les Corts stop. The journey takes about 30 minutes from Plaça Catalunya in total.
the Barceloneta
When we talk about Barcelona in 4 days, don't you think we would leave out the beach? We take the subway wherever we are and we take the yellow line for stop Barceloneta.
Now let's Sea, along the Port Vell (Old Port). During this tour we will pass in front of the Columbus statue. In just half an hour you will find yourself in the historic center of Barceloneta.
Formerly only inhabited by fishermen, the district is today a clever mix of mass tourism and popular traditions.
You can also board bus 59 from La Rambla, which will drop you directly on the beach. I advise you not to get off the beaten track by tourists and to discover the adjacent streets that are full of little bars and characters. colorful.
You doubt it? Come to the Leo bar to meet its owner ... This Andalusian flamenco bar is located at 34 Calle de Sant Carles.
Those who already need it can now return to the beach. On the other hand, for those who are more tempted by a cocktail on the seafront, I recommend a splash at the Santa Marta bar on Calle Grau i Torras 59.
Lunch Box.
We are getting really local now having a late lunch (around 15:00 pm) and for that I recommend going for some quality tapas in Binnacle (at the back of the restaurant there is a small cool terrace) at 1 Carrer Balboa.
There is also the ridiculously cheap wine bar La Champagneria at 7 Reina Cristina. Nor can we miss the small fried fish restaurant. Can Maño.
All locations are within a fifteen minute walk or less from the beach.
Looking for something a little closer to you? One of the the best burgers in barcelona It is exactly what the doctor recommended. Kiosk burger (Avinguda del Marquès de l'Argentera, 1a) is a good starting point and is not a tourist sin. Take the traditional Manchego cheese.
You see? We do some things in Spanish.
Montjuic
We get to Montjuic by taking the cable car to the port of Barceloneta.
At the top of the highest hill in Barcelona is the castle with its Incredible views in the port, the Miró Foundation, the 1992 Olympic stadiums and the botanical garden.
There is also the possibility of discovering the fantastic open-air architectural museum Poble Espanyol.
The Magic Fountain
The Magic Fountain is an important attraction of Barcelona, it consists of a ballet of jets of water and lights against the background of classical music. The view of Plaça Espanya and the Royal Palace completes this picture idyllic.
It is located at the foot of Montjuic and going down the hill on foot will not take you more than half an hour. However, do not forget to consult the article on opening days and hours to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Price
Discover Catalan culinary specialties, it only takes 10 minutes on foot to get there from the source.
For carnivores, we prefer to choose Can Margarit, a Catalan restaurant of the most authentic. If you decide to go on foot, wait 20 to 30 minutes from the fountain, although you can get there by taking the green metro line L3 one stop, to Poblesec. The restaurant is located on Carrer de la Concordia, 21.
For something a little more exclusive that is a modern take on Spanish classics, we go to Plata Bistro (23 Carrer de Sepúlveda), which is a short walk from the fountains. You can reserve your table with a simple message on your Facebook page.
Looking for something a little cheaper?
Head to Rue Blai and its endless supply of tapas bars and beer for one euro. Je RECOMMENDED La Tasqueta de Blas (Calle de Blas 17).
After dinner
In the Gothic Quarter, 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 it is located at Carrer Codols, 14. Of course, I was a bit arrogant with my ideas, right? You could go to any of the best bars in Barcelona.
Enough to end the third day in Barcelona in style!
Barcelona Itinerary Day 4:
Here we are on the fourth day of our itinerary. Now we've done all the safety pins, let's focus on the things that make us very funny.
For the nostalgic, you can return to the places that marked you the most. If you can't decide, here are some ideas for your last day.
Tibidabo
Tibidabo is 3 1 and : A basilica with a giant statue of Christ, the highest panoramic viewpoint in the city and an amusement park for the little ones.
To get there, wait 45 minutes with the T2A bus from Plaça Catalunya. Once there, an hour will be more than enough if you don't go to the amusement park.
Lunch and afternoon in the Born or in the Raval
The T2A bus will take you back to Plaça Catalunya. From there, I suggest Two options, or rather two neighborhoods: Born and Raval.
If you choose El Born, be sure to visit the majestic Santa maria del mar, La Catedral del Mar for connoisseurs (if you haven't read the book, I recommend it!). To build it, the parishioners themselves loaded the blocks on their backs from Montjuic.
But El Born is not limited to this wonder, the numerous workshops that dot it, and the environmental vitality that emerges, make this neighborhood an authentic world apart of Barcelona life.
If you want to finish with an artistic touch, the Picasso Museum will be your thing, it is located 15-23 carrer de Montcada.
When hunger strikes, I suggest you eat tapas in Bormuth for the last time, 31 carrer Rec. A classic that I usually frequent. If you have a fierce craving for fish and you didn't get it on the first day, La Paradeta is still a good choice at 7 Carrer Commercial
If, on the other hand, you opt for the Raval, you opt for a Multicultural environment with its ethnic shops and terraces. Come and see BOTERO's cat in the rambla del raval.
Whether you choose El Born or El Raval, allow two hours to visit them.
If you have time to kill or if these two neighborhoods do not attract you more than that, take a walk to the park of the ciutadella. A haven of peace, populated by palm trees and a small lake. People go for a run, relax, have a picnic or just take a nap ...
Flamenco
We ended the evening with a performance of one of the most popular art forms in Spain, but also around the world.
The flamenco shows au Flamenco palace They are known for making guests cry, and you will find out if you are one of them by watching the intricate dancing, passionate howls and lively guitar beats.
The shows take place every day at 18:30 p.m. and 20:XNUMX p.m. and may include drinks and dinner.
Refine your itinerary in the comments
Here I hope that this itinerary prepared with attention and passion will convince the most skeptical and eventually make them fall in love with this unique city. Feel free to ask me for a more personalized advice in the comments below?
Like I said, if you need additional information, go ahead! And let me know how your vacation in Barcelona was by leaving a comment below. Don't forget to also check out my complete guide to Barcelona.
Also, don't be afraid to join the discussion of your plans to visit Barcelona in 3 days on my new Facebook group called “For City Lovers”. Here you can ask questions, voice your complaints, chat with other travelers and more - anything goes!
