Things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona was the second stop on our Iberian Peninsula trip in November. As the most visited city in Spain, particularly for international visitors, there is an abundance of things to do in Barcelona.

Getting around the city

When we landed at the Barcelona airport, we took the Aerobus to get into the city. Tickets were 5.90 euros per person for the one-way trip.

The public transit system in Barcelona is very robust, with buses and trains going through every area of the city. We were staying in Barcelona for three nights, so we picked up a three-day Hola Barcelona travel card when we got off the Aerobus. For 23.80 euros per person, you have access to unlimited trips on Barcelona’s public transit. There are Hola Barcelona passes of varying lengths depending on how long you’re in the city.

The only times we did not use public transit was when we took the Hop On / Hop Off tour (purchased through Viator) and the Uber we took to the train station for our journey to Madrid.

Gaudi’s Works

Barcelona is famous for being home to many of Antoni Gaudí’s most prominent works.

La Sagrada Familia is well worth a visit when you visit Barcelona. The church is largely associated with Gaudí, but he was actually the second architect to lead the project, with his leadership starting in 1883. The church was less than 25 percent complete at the time of Gaudí’s death and is still in progress today.

Park Güell is another one of Gaudí’s works that draws a lot of visitors in Barcelona. Spend a few hours strolling in the park and enjoying the designs of Gaudí.

For cost-saving, you can couple your Sagrada Familia and Park Güell visits with a skip-the-line tour: Book through Viator.

The Sagrada Familia and Park Güell are probably the most famous of Gaudí’s works in Barcelona, but Gaudí’s works are visible all throughout the city, including at the Casa Batlló.

Museums

We visited two museums while we were in Barcelona – the Moco Museum and the Picasso Museum, which are located very close to one another if you want to make a day of your museum visits.

The Picasso Museum has a lot of the artist’s early work among their collection of over 4,000 pieces. The Moco Museum hosts the work of modern artists like Banksy, Yayoi Kusama, and Jeff Koons.

Other places to visit

The Gothic Quarter is well worth a walk around for both the architecture of the winding streets and the many delicious restaurants.

La Rambla is the most well-known street in Barcelona. A pedestrian street, stroll through the shops, restaurants, and cultural sites as you’re exploring the city.

For a bite to eat, make sure you stop by La Boqueira, Barcelona’s most famous market – you can even enter from La Rambla. Pick up olives, seafood, tapas, or one of Spain’s famous iberico jamon sandwiches.

It’s hard to go wrong in Spain. Beyond our list, there are so many things to do in Barcelona that it’s hard to capture in one trip.