Barcelona Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Where to Stay & Eat
Barcelona has been on my list for years, and honestly I have The Cheetah Girls to thank for that. In September 2019, two of my best friends and I headed to Spain for a week of sunshine, sangria, tapas and exploring everything Barcelona had to offer.
We visited in mid-September and had warm, humid weather in the high 70s and low 80s, with fewer crowds than I expected. During our trip, we explored Gaudí's famous architecture, spent a day on the Costa Brava, took walking and food tours, and ate our way through the city.
If you're planning a trip to Barcelona, this guide covers where to stay, the best things to do, where to eat, day trips worth taking, and my honest tips from our trip.
Barcelona at a Glance
How long to stay: I recommend at least 4 days to see the major sights without rushing.
Best area to stay: L'Eixample is a great central neighborhood and where we stayed during our trip.
Getting around: Barcelona is very walkable, but taxis and public transportation are easy options when you're going farther.
Don't miss: Sagrada Família, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter and a day trip outside the city.
My favorite experience: Our Costa Brava kayaking and snorkeling day trip was one of the best days of our trip.
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed in L'Eixample, one of Barcelona's most central neighborhoods, and I would absolutely recommend it for a first trip to the city.
The area felt more residential and was away from some of the busiest tourist areas, while still being close enough to walk to many attractions. We walked almost everywhere during our trip and used taxis when we didn't feel like walking.
If you're visiting Barcelona for the first time, I'd look for a hotel in L'Eixample, the Gothic Quarter, or El Born depending on the type of atmosphere you're looking for.
Hotels I Looked Into
We stayed in an Airbnb during our trip, but if you're looking for a hotel instead, here are a few that I looked into and would consider for a future trip!
Olivia Balmes Hotel
Address: Carrer de Balmes, 117, 08008 Barcelona, Spain
A modern boutique hotel in L’Eixample with a central location, comfortable rooms and a rooftop pool. It's a great option if you want to stay in the same neighborhood we stayed in while still being close to Barcelona's major attractions.
Hotel Condes de Barcelona
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 73, 08008 Barcelona, Spain
Located right on Passeig de Gràcia in the heart of L’Eixample, this hotel puts you close to Gaudí's famous architecture, shopping and many of Barcelona's top attractions. It also has a rooftop terrace with city views.
Seventy Barcelona
Address: Carrer Còrsega, 344–352, 08037 Barcelona, Spain
A stylish boutique hotel located between L'Eixample and Gràcia, making it a great base for exploring Barcelona. The hotel has a rooftop pool, spa and modern Mediterranean-inspired design, and it's within easy reach of Passeig de Gràcia and attractions like Casa Milà and Casa Batlló.
Hotel Ohla Eixample
Address: Carrer de Còrsega, 289, 08008 Barcelona, Spain
A stylish five-star boutique hotel in L’Eixample with modern design, a rooftop pool and a great location near Passeig de Gràcia. This would be a fun option if you want something a little more upscale and trendy.
THINGS TO DO
Barcelona is one of those cities where you could spend weeks exploring and still not see everything. These are the attractions, tours and experiences we actually did during our trip, along with a few things I wish we had more time for.
LA SAGRADA FAMILIA
Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
The Sagrada Família is Barcelona's most famous landmark and one of the most incredible buildings I've ever seen. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, construction began in 1882 and the basilica has become one of the defining symbols of Barcelona.
This is one attraction you absolutely need to book ahead. Tickets are timed, so you can't just show up whenever you want and expect to get in. The basic ticket currently includes access to the basilica and museum, while tower tickets are available for an additional cost.
We booked the Sagrada Família with Towers ticket and chose the Nativity Tower. I would highly recommend doing a tower visit if it's available during your trip—the views over Barcelona were incredible. We also liked that you take an elevator up and walk back down.
PARK GUELL
Address: 08024 Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona’s Park Güell was intended to be an apartment complex for the wealthy, commissioned by Eusebi Güell. But due to the land inability to withhold building structure, Güell then hired Gaudí to turn the 42 acres of land into a whimsical public park.
Do not make the mistake that we made- not all of Park Güell is free.
We read quickly online that the park was free and did not look into it much more. Until we got all the way there and realized the part we wanted to enter is ticket entry only. There are zones at Park Güell, the Monumental Zone and the Free Zone. The Monumental Zone is what you see below- while the Free Zone is more of a public walking garden. Our tickets were for 7:45pm and it was the best choice we could have made. It was during the sunset and just got dark after we finished exploring the park. Nothing better than golden hour looking over the city of Barcelona. It truly was magical. '
Costa Brava Day Trip: Kayaking & Snorkeling
Our favorite thing we did during our trip- kayaking and snorkeling in Costa Bravas. We booked this excursion through Viator.com and wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. While traveling, I like to at least spend a day or two outside of the city to see some more of the country side. This was an eight hour excursion and took most of the day, if you have the time to do this you will not regret it. We spend less than two hours on a bus heading north. We arrived at the beach, got changed into wet suits and into our kayaks with help of our guides. We kayaked across the ocean, explored caves and coves in the crystal clear water of the Mediterranean Sea. It was one of the best days I have ever had.
If you have an extra day during your Barcelona trip, I would highly recommend getting outside the city. This was one of my favorite days of the entire trip.
SANDMAN’S NEW EUROPE TOURS
On any trip in Europe, Sandman’s New Europe Tours is one of the first excursions I book. I have been using these tours since I studied abroad and never been disappointed. I like to start any trip with a walking tour of the city to see the major tourist attractions and to learn about the history behind it. And the best part- THE WALKING TOURS ARE FREE!!! You just tip your tour guide at the end of the trip. Each tour guide I have had spent time after the tour to answer any questions and give us recommendations.
On our walking tour we went through the Gothic Quarter, learned about the city’s Roman heritage and ruins, talked about Pablo Picasso and his life in Barcelona and heard about the Catalan identity and their history. I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of the history of Barcelona and was interested to know more about the country I was staying in.
Along with the general walking tour, we also booked a Tapas and Wine tour. This one we did have to pay for, but it was only around 20 euros. It was a great opportunity to try food hand picked from locals and to meet people from different parts of the world.
Penedès Winery & Cava Tour
Being a huge wine drinker, going out of the city to a winery was the top of my list. We booked our winery tour through viator.com and went to the Penedes region of Spain for a cava and winery tour. The winery is family owned and has been growing vines for grapes for over 2,000 years!! Along with a tour of the winery on a 4 x 4 Jeep, we got an in depth understanding of wine production and of course drank a lot of wine.
Barcelona Beaches: Barceloneta vs. Bogatell
Barceloneta Beach is the most famous beach in Barcelona, so of course we had to check it out! It was beautiful, but honestly, it was way too crowded for me. There were vendors constantly walking up to us, and it didn't feel like the relaxing beach day I had pictured.
We ended up walking farther down the coast and found Bogatell Beach, which I liked much more. It was quieter, less crowded and felt a lot more relaxing.
One bit of information that surprised me was Barcelona’s beaches are NOT natural. When the Olympics headed to Barcelona in 1992, the city was inspired by the French Rivera and built their own beaches to bring beauty into the city and to increase tourism for the future.
My tip: If you're looking for a relaxing beach day, I'd skip Barceloneta and head to Bogatell instead. But if you want to see Barcelona's most famous beach, stop by Barceloneta for a walk and then keep exploring!
Arc de Triomf & Parc de la Ciutadella
If you need a break from sightseeing, head to Parc de la Ciutadella. It's a beautiful green space in the city and a great place to slow down for a little while.
Right near the entrance is the Arc de Triomf, one of Barcelona's most recognizable landmarks. The two are easy to visit together, so I'd add them to the same stop on your itinerary.
CASA BATLLO
Casa Batlló is another one of Gaudí's famous creations and is located right on Passeig de Gràcia.
We didn't get the chance to go inside during our trip, but we did walk by and admire the incredible exterior. If you have more time than we did, I'd definitely consider adding it to your itinerary, especially if you're interested in Gaudí's architecture.
My tip: Even if you don't go inside, it's worth walking by to see the building from the outside.
LAS RAMBLAS
Las Ramblas was one of the top things I was excited for our trip. But ended up spending a good 10 minutes there. I mainly wanted to go because it was in a montage scene from Cheetah Girls where they are running up and down singing. It was mainly filled with shops, most being touristy stores. The restaurants in this area were extremely overpriced and probably all not very good. It was really busy with tourists and we left immediately. It is equivalent to going to Times Square in New York City. Cool to see it once, then never wanting to go back.
Barcelona Attractions I Didn't Get to Visit
Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Summer Olympics
The Bunkers- also known as Bunkers del Carmel, El Turó de la Rovira
La Boqueria- big market place with tons of different food and drinks
Magic Foundations
Montserrat day tour
Camp Nou and Barcelona FC if you are a football fan
Sometimes you just can't fit everything into one trip!
What I Would Prioritize in Barcelona
If you're short on time, these are the experiences I'd prioritize based on my trip:
Must-do:
Sagrada Família
Park Güell
Explore the Gothic Quarter
Costa Brava day trip
Barcelona walking tour
Worth doing if you have extra time:
Casa Batlló
Parc de la Ciutadella & Arc de Triomf
Barcelona's beaches
Penedès winery tour
I'd skip or limit:
Spending a lot of time on Las Ramblas
Spending an entire beach day at Barceloneta
Of course, everyone's Barcelona itinerary will look different, but these are the experiences I would prioritize based on my trip.
WHERE TO EAT In barcelona
The food in Barcelona was honestly one of my favorite parts of the trip. These are the restaurants and cafés I actually visited and ate at during my trip—not a giant list of places I haven't personally tried.
There were definitely a couple of tourist traps along the way, but most of our meals were incredible. And sometimes we were so excited to eat that I completely forgot to take pictures!
CASA LOLEA
Everything on the menu is to die for, recommend calling ahead for a table since the restaurant is very small. We wanted to go back a second time, but it was too busy. Casa Lolea also sells their own bottle sangria that you can get in the states as well!
BRUNCH AND CAKE
This place was recommended by so many people who have been to Barcelona before and was something people made it seem like it was a must go. And they were right. We went back twice because we needed to try everything on the menu. The line moves faster than you would think.
TOC DE GRALLA
We stumbled into this place in the L’Exiample area where our Airbnb was. We didn’t discover it in our research but so glad we found this place! The restaurant had a family owned feel to it and the staff were so kind and friendly to us. We probably ordered 10+ different tapas and left feeling like we needed to be rolled out of there.
L’EXCAMARLA
Our original plan was to head to El Xringuito Escriba for lunch on the beach but they were only accepting customers with a reservation. Which was a bummer, but we walked a couple of minutes down the beach and found this place! We got the paella for lunch and of course some patatas bravas too.
THE SERRAS
We didn’t get the chance to eat here, only had drinks but wanted to mention it for the cute rooftop bar they have that looks over the ocean!
VINITUS
Vinitus is a popular tapas spot and was one of our stops during the trip. If you're looking to try a variety of Spanish dishes, tapas are the way to go because you can order a bunch of different things and share.
SEGONS MERCAT
We stumbled across Segons Mercat while exploring Barcelona and decided to give it a try. It had a great atmosphere and was a fun spot to stop for a meal while exploring the city.
Some places we didn’t get a chance to eat at but looked great:
7 Portes- need a reservation and we couldn’t get one so that’s why we never went!
Cal Pep
Els Quatre Gats - Picasso’s favorite
Da Greco
Cera 23
Rosa Negra
Set Portes
Spanish Foods to Try
You can't visit Barcelona without trying some classic Spanish and Catalan dishes! A few things to look out for while you're exploring are patatas bravas, paella, tapas, croquetas, jamón, pan con tomate, crema catalana and churros.
And of course, don't forget the sangria!
Even if you don't recognize everything on the menu, I recommend ordering a few different tapas and sharing them with your group. It's one of the best ways to try a little bit of everything.
Barcelona Travel Tips
Watch your belongings. Barcelona's busiest tourist areas can attract pickpockets, so keep your phone and wallet secure.
Wear comfortable shoes. You'll probably walk much more than you expect.
Book major attractions ahead of time. Especially Sagrada Família and Park Güell.
Don't overplan your days. Leave time to wander through the neighborhoods and stop for tapas or coffee.
Carry a little cash, although most restaurants and shops accept cards.
Keep an eye on your belongings. Don't leave your phone, wallet or bag unattended anywhere.
How Many Days Do You Need in Barcelona?
I would recommend at least 4 days in Barcelona for a first trip. This gives you enough time to see the major Gaudí attractions, explore the Gothic Quarter, eat your way through the city and still have time for a beach day or another activity.
If you have 5–6 days, I'd use one of those days for a day trip outside Barcelona. Our Costa Brava kayaking and snorkeling excursion ended up being one of my favorite experiences of the entire trip.
Final Thoughts on Barcelona
Barcelona was one of those trips where we tried to pack in as much as possible, but I still left feeling like there was so much more to see. Between Gaudí's incredible architecture, the food, the beaches and the easy access to beautiful places outside the city, there's something for pretty much every type of traveler.
If I could go back, I'd spend more time exploring the neighborhoods, visit some of the places we missed and definitely do another day trip outside the city.
And yes, I would absolutely go back to Barcelona—although I'd probably spend less time on Las Ramblas this time around.
Until the next adventure,
xo,
Jenna