Things to do in Barcelona

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Whether you are visiting Barcelona for the first time and looking for ideas and inspiration of what to see and do, or if you are simply returning to the city you love and want to re-visit some of the landmarks and attractions you already know about and may have visited before, we can help you!

Barcelona is the capital city of Catalunya and welcomes millions of visitors each year. People visit for a myriad of reasons. To enjoy the culture, the beaches, the architecture, the food and the warmth of the locals

Spain's number one tourist attractions, the Sagrada Familia is located in Barcelona and it draws around twenty million of visitors each year from all over the world to the area, along with other Antoni Gaudi (the architect that designed it) properties. Lets have a look at some of the most popular attractions and see if we can find something that grabs your attention and you would like to visit!

Sagrada Familia - See All Ticket Options (from €33.80)

The Sagrada Familia, Barcelona's iconic landmark and Spain's number 1 most popular tourist attraction and it isn't even finished yet! This is Antoni Gaudi's crowning glory and listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

It was, until recently, due for completion in 2026, but unfortunately due to Covid and now slower funding, the completion has been pushed back and no date currently being given.

Although the Sagrada Familia may still be unfinished, that doesn't stop around 7,000,000 people buying tickets each year to see and enjoy the incredible inside, and its believed a further 15,000,000 visit the area just to view it from the outside, and this makes it Spain's number one tourist attraction!

Construction on the Sagrada Familia began in March 1882 and Gaudi has made it world-famous, attracting visitors from all over the world. One of Barcelona's most famous pieces of architecture, the inside is even more spectacular than the outside. Visitors will sit for hours enjoying it and watching as time passes and the colours and shapes shift through the day.

Sagrada Familia tickets all come with a downloadable audio guide for your smartphone giving you more information on the Sagrada Familia as you walk around it. However, we also offer guided tours (ranging in duration and group size) for those that want to enjoy a special visit and learn more about the building and its history. See our link to All Ticket Options above. The tickets all also include access to the museum inside the Sagrada Familia which offers more history.

Importantly, please note when booking tickets, the standard entry ticket does not include access to the Sagrada Familia Towers, so if you would like to include access to the Sagrada Familia Towers, please ensure you choose a ticket which includes access. Our ticket options are clearly marked where they do include it. If it doesn't confirm Tower Access then it isn't included.

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Casa Batlló - See All Ticket Options (from €35.00)

Casa Batlló. Another Antoni Gaudi design. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site and another of Barcelona's most popular tourist attractions and landmarks.

There aren't many properties around Barcelona that look like Casa Batlló, so you will likely know it when you arrive as the beauty of the building will make you smile and say 'wow' to yourself. Built on Passeig de Gràcia, one of Barcelona's most prestigious and upmarket streets, Casa Batlló welcomes its visitors with a myriad of colours and it only gets better inside. Gaudi took a lot of his inspiration from nature and incorporated it into his designs where he could. He wanted his designs to be bright and colourful like nature but also functional for the people using them. He rarely used straight lines in his designs as he said you don't find straight lines in nature. A modernist building that showcases Gaudi's unique designs and what is typical of Gaudi architecture. Casa Batlló is another firm favourite tourist attraction in Barcelona.

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Barcelona Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour (from €31.00)

One of the best ways to see Barcelona is on a fun Barcelona Bus Turistic (Barcelona Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour). The bus routes run on a loop and take you past several of the most famous and popular landmarks in the city, so its a great way of sightseeing. With it being a hop-on hop-off service, it also means you can hop-off at the sights you want to explore in more detail and then hop-on the next HOHO bus that appears to move on to the next! The route starts at Plaça de Catalunya and takes you past the Sagrada Famila, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, Barceloneta Beach & Port Vell, the Picasso Museum as well as others. Most of the buses also have onboard WIFi available as well, so you can stay connected. The Barcelona HOHO buses really are a great option!

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La Rambla Boulevard, Barcelona

La Rambla or Las Ramblas, depending on which version you call it is another of Barcelona's famous streets. La Rambla is sits in the heart of Barcelona and is a lively street which attracts millions of tourists through the year. Around 1.2 km long, and starting near to the Port Vell (the cruise terminal) and running up to Plaça de Catalunya.

There are several points of interest and tourist attractions dotted along Las Ramblas including the Plaça de Catalunya which is the central square and full of popular shops as well as fountains and sculptures. La Boqueria Market (translated to Spanish is Mercat de la Boqueria) is a very famous market which we would strongly suggest having a wander around. You will find dozens of food stalls selling fresh fish, vegetables and other goods and cafe's offering tapas dishes, as well as local goods from artisans. Take in the market and enjoy the atmosphere. Las Ramblas is also home to Barcelona's Erotica Museum, for those that wish to enjoy a bit of history on the subject! The Columbus Monument (click here for ticket details) which offers incredible views of the surrounding area.

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Park Güell - See All Ticket Options (from €13.50)

Park Güell, Gaudi's magical fairy-tale dreamland park in Barcelona, and another UNESCO World Heritage Site under the "Works of Gaudi" listing. Split into two sections, the forest area, which is free to enter and then the famous Park Güell Monumental Zone area, where you need to purchase a ticket to enter. Covering around 12 hectares and with plenty to see and do, the Park Güell Monumental Zone welcomes around 1,000,000 visitors each year to enjoy its famous residents such as the Dragan Staircase and El Drac and the Hypostyle Room.

Park Güell, or to be precise the land on which Park Güell was created was originally intended to be an exclusive housing estate for the rich and well-to-do from Barcelona, however due to costs, only two properties were ever completed and one of those Antoni Gaudi himself went on to live in until the day he died, the Gaudi House Museum, which is also open to the public to enjoy with the appropriate ticket (clich here for ticket options). However, due to building costs, the land was eventually given to the city of Barcelona and Gaudi went on to create Park Güell for visitors to enjoy.

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Casa Milà - La Pedrera - See All Ticket Options (from €25.00)

Casa Milà - La Pedrera is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site listed Antoni Gaudi property in Barcelona and another very popular attraction.

Referred to as La Pedrera due to it looking like a stone/rock quarry from the front (you can't say that about many houses!), Casa Milà is another example of Gaudi's incredible imagination. LIke Casa Batlló, Casa Milà La Pedrera is also located on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona and was built between 1906 & 1912. La Pedrera was contraversial at the time of construction as Gaudi refused to follow local council building guidelines and the property ended up being bigger than what was allowed, in essence maing it an illigal structure! However, upon completion, the local council deemed the property was 'a monument in nature' and because of that it did not need to abide by the bylaws and was then certified as acceptable! Maybe the council could see into the future and knew how popular Gaudi's properties would become and the money they would generate for the Barcelona economy!

La Pedrera is another typical Gaudi property where again he took his inspiration from nature and like his other properties, you won't find many (if any) straight lines inside La Pedrera.

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Montserrat Mountain and Monastery - See All Ticket Options (from €46.70)

Sitting in the mountain range just outside Barcelona city is Montserrat Mountain which is home to the incredible Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat and a natural park. This is a great day out offering a different side of Barcelona.

The basilica at Montserrat is home to the famous 'Black Madonna' also sometimes referred to as 'The Virgin of Montserrat' or 'La Moreneta'. Its a wooden sculpture that depicts The Virgin Mary, which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. The statue sits behind a sheet of glass to protect it. However, one hand is accessible and holds a sphere that symbolises the world. Its common for those that visit the statue to touch or kiss the hand. Please note, the Black Madonna does sit at the top of some stairs that may not be very accessible for those with limited mobility, however you can still view the statue from the bottom of the stairs.

The Montserrat Museum is also home to multiple pieces by world renowned artists such as Berruguete, El Greco, Caravaggio, Fortuny, Rusiñol, Casas, Nonell, Picasso and Dali, showing pieces from the 13th century through to the 20th century. This is a must for art lovers.

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Poble Espanyol - See All Ticket Options (from €13.50)

Poble Espanyol is the incredible 49,000 M2 open-air museum on located Montjuïc hill. Poble Espanyol was created for the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition as the creators wanted to give a taste of the whole of Spain in one location and that is exactly what they did with Poble Espanyol. The creators visited over 1500 towns and villages across Spain to get inspiration in order they they could show the different cultures and traditions found across Spain.

At Poble Espanyol you will find stalls with artisans selling products that they've created and often offering workshops showing you how they make the products. You can find stalls selling glassware, leather, ceramics, jewellery and others. You will find cafe's and town squares all representing the various areas of Spain and set out in a similar fashion with the town squares being the centre and life happening around them.

You will also find the Fran Daurel Museum at Poble Espanyol, home to one of the best contemporary art collections in Barcelona. Poble Espanyol welcomes around 1,000,000 visitors each year.

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Barri Gòtic (The Gothic Quarter) Walking Tour Ticket (from €18.00)

The Gothic Quarter or Barri Gòtic is old Barcelona mixed with new. With beautiful narrow medieval streets and hidden squares for you to explore. The Gothic Quarter is a wonderful place to wander and enjoy. What will you find around the next corner. Stop at a cafe and enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine and a plate of tapas. Watch the world go by. Head towards the centre of Barri Gòtic and you will find the incredible Cathedral La Seu.

In the Gothic Quarter you will find La Rambla (the start of), Via Sepulcral Roma (the Roman cematary from 1st to 3rd century), the Catedral La Seu of Barcelona, the Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat, Museu Frederic Mares, The Plaça de Sant Jaume, Museu de l'Erotica, Plaça Reial, Museu Maritim, Museu de Cera and the Monument a Colom, so there really is plenty to see and do in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona.

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Barcelona Museum Pass - Articket (from €38.00)

For art lovers that want to enjoy the artistic side of Barcelona, how about our excellent Barcelona Museum Articket Pass. This great multi-museum entry pass gives you access to some of Barcelona's fines museums on one easy and convenient pass and includes access to the Museu Picasso of Barcelona, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), Fundació Joan Miró, The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona & Fundació Antoni Tàpies. The ticket offers skip the line entry, to help you avoid the queues, which means you can enjoy more time inside!

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Barceloneta Beach

Barceloneta Beach is one of the famous beach stretches in Barcelona. A lively beach with restaurants at the edge and the glistening sea ready to help you cool off during the summer months. Barceloneta beach is the place to be seen during the summer, if you can find a spot! From Barceloneta beach why not jump on a cable car ride and enjoy a birds eye view of the city using the Transbordador Aeri del Port (Barceloneta Cable Car - click here for ticket options).

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FC Barcelona Immersive Tour (Tickets from €19.00)

FC Barcelona is a a firm favourite for football fans all over the world. The stadium is currently closed for redevelopment but the FC Barcelona Immersive Tour is still open for visitors and still as popular as usual, and a bestselling ticket in Barcelona. Come and learn about the history of the club and see its future with presentations of the new stadium.

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Palau Güell (Güell Palace) Tickets (from €12.00)

Palau Güell or Güell Palace is another firm favourite on the tourist route. Located in the heart of Las Ramblas, Palau Güell is another incredible Gaudi design and commissioned by Eusebi Güell (of Park Güell) as his family residence. Like most Gaudi designs, you can tell as you approach that it isn't just a normal property. Palau Güell has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984 and although it may not be as famous as some of Gaudi's other designs in Barcelona, such as Casa Batlló, Palau Güell doesn't disappoint.