Like many big city scenes, Barcelona is absolutely packed with fun activities for every kind of traveler. You could spend your days soaking in the gorgeous sights or fill them with hiking trips, museums, and tours. Whatever you like to do, you have options! However, this can get overwhelming very quickly.
If it’s your first time in Barcelona, there are definitely some iconic things you have to add to your bucket list. You may not be able to fit them all in, depending on how long your trip is. But you can’t go wrong with any of the activities on this list!
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Discover Gaudi’s Creations
The famous architect Antoni Gaudi has incredible works all over Barcelona. His eclectic designs were way ahead of his time, and they still stand out against the traditional architecture of the rest of the city. A visit to Barcelona isn’t complete without seeing at least one of his unique creations. But if you have the time, I highly recommend all four of these iconic stops.
Park Guell
What happens when you pair Barcelona’s most in-demand architect with the wealthiest man in the city? Park Guell! This whimsical park was actually intended to be a residential neighborhood for the Spanish bourgeois. Unfortunately, it was too far from the city center, and the only people to ever live there were Gaudi, Guell, and their lawyer.
But this “failed” project is an incredible place to visit! Thanks to Gaudi’s imagination, Park Guell is a wonderland with intricate stone bridges, whimsical houses, colorful mosaics, fountains, and more! You can spend a lot of time just wandering the grounds and finding new vantage points to see Barcelona far below and the sea beyond. But I highly recommend booking a tour so you can fully understand Gaudi’s vision for each major structure and focal point.
La Sagrada Familia
If you can only fit in one of Gaudi’s works, I highly recommend La Sagrada Familia. Not only is it the world’s largest church, but it’s a masterpiece at every turn. It also towers above the skyline because it is the highest man-made point in Barcelona!
The church has been under construction for 140 years, and it still has about 25% to go. However, the parts that are done are like nothing I’ve seen before. From the intricate facades to the towering stained glass windows, every aspect of this church has a special meaning behind it, and it’s fascinating to hear how Gaudi’s vision came together. I also recommend you get a ticket that lets you go up to the soaring towers to see the church from a whole new perspective!
Casa Mila/La Pedrera
Gaudi redesigned a couple of residential sites throughout the city, including this apartment building called Casa Mila. Your tour through this building allows you to see what the quarters of a bourgeois family would have looked like back in the day, including their bedrooms, kitchen, study, etc. Further up, you’ll tour the gigantic attic (known as the whale’s belly), where the servants would have worked and slept.
But the real attraction at Casa Mila is the rooftop, covered in stairwells and chimneys that Gaudi reimagined as “warriors.” It also provides a stunning 360-degree view of Barcelona (much better than Casa Batllo’s, in my opinion.) Finally, there are two beautiful courtyards here that are filled with light and color, with intricate stairways leading to different levels of the building.
Casa Batllo
If you want to pack on the whimsical, Casa Batllo is another great residential stop to add to your Gaudi list. Gaudi completely redesigned this home when it was bought by the Batllo family and turned it into a spectacular place to live. You can clearly see nautical themes woven throughout, from the spiraling conch patterns on the ceilings to the way the central courtyard shifts from dark to light blue to evenly distribute light through every floor.
The colorful facade here is often seen in pictures of Barcelona, as well as the rooftop, which has a “dragon” along one edge and a plethora of mosaic chimneys. The tour concludes with an immersive experience that gives you a glimpse of what Gaudis’ mind might have looked like.
Visit Montserrat
You can’t go wrong with a trip outside the city center to the highest point in Barcelona: Montserrat. This distinctly-formed mountain is home to a small village and the Montserrat Monastery, which houses the Black Madonna.
You can browse through a small selection of shops in the village, including a row of market stalls selling fresh cheese, meats, and other local trinkets. Then, tour the monastery to see the impressive clock tower, soaring chapel, and of course, the Black Madonna statue. If you have the time, you can even take a hiking trip through the mountainous landscape of the National Park near the monastery.
Pro tip: Time your visit to coincide with the sunset–they’re unbeatable up here!
Explore Montjuic
Montjuic is a district in Barcelona that’s located on a hill near the sea. It’s filled with quite a few fun activities you can pack into a day trip.
Poble Espanyol
Poble Espanyol is a great way to see a lot of Spain in a little time. This open-air museum is a small city designed to show off the most quintessential parts of Spain. Each section of the museum is modeled after a different part of the country and features food, crafts, and exhibits native to that area.
It also has a sculpture garden with a 2-story slide, a “Fiesta” section, which teaches you about festivals from all over Spain, and a fascinating exhibit on the creation of Poble Espanyol.
Olympic Stadium
Did you know that the 1992 Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona? The old stadium still stands in Montjuic, along with its impressive fountains and pillars. You can pay to take a tour of the inside of the stadium or spend a few minutes walking around the outside. Either option makes for a fun stop!
Barcelona Botanical Garden
If you want panoramic views of Barcelona paired with flowers from around the world, be sure to stop by the Barcelona Botanical Garden. It’s laid out very nicely, with each section hosting flowers from a specific part of the world.
And if you don’t have time just to meander, you can follow their map to take an express route that just hits the highlights. Depending on what time of year you visit, you may not get the whole experience. But we were pleased with the beautiful variety during our mid-October trip, despite many things not being in bloom.
Pro tip: Visit on a Sunday to get free admission to the garden!
Montjuic National Palace
Don’t visit Montjuic without stopping by the National Palace! It was initially built for the 1929 International Expo, but it’s now home to the National Art Museum of Catalonia.
The palace’s exterior is incredibly impressive and provides a great view of the city beyond the Venitian Towers. If you time your visit right, you’ll also see the Magic Fountain out front putting on a spectacular water and light show!
If you have time, head inside and enjoy the art. If not, at least swing by and gawk at the palace’s gorgeous facade!
Attend a Flamenco Show
If you want to experience Barcelona’s authentic culture, a Flamenco show is a must! The Barcelona City Hall hosts daily shows for a very affordable price. The theater is small, so you’ll be able to see with no problem from even the “cheap seats.” The dancers perform a few sets to the beat of guitars, hand-clapping, and singing. My favorite part was when these two ladies came out in the iconic long-trained dresses with multi-colored underskirts.
Walk the City
If you’re into old architecture, want to shop, or need an espresso, you can’t go wrong with just strolling around the city to take in the sights. You’ll get different vibes in different parts of the city, which makes it more fun to get off at a metro stop and start walking. But here are a few of the ones we particularly enjoyed.
Gothic Quarter
The Gothic Quarter is the oldest part of the city, and you can clearly see a difference in the architecture here versus other parts of the city. There’s a lot of heavy stonework, little town squares, and a Roman wall. However, it’s not completely authentic. A lot of this area was redone in the early 1900s to look better for the 1929 International Exhibition. So, while some of it still dates back to the Middle Ages, not everything is quite as old as it seems.
La Rambla
In all honesty, La Rambla is a huge tourist trap. But it’s still fun to walk around on a Friday night, and there’s a definite reason people flock here. And if you want a standard souvenir, this is one of the easiest places to find one outside of specific attractions.
This long street is populated by shops, gelato and crepe stands, and many restaurants. We noticed quite a few American brands here that we didn’t see anywhere else in the city, which was a definite testament to the fact that tourists flock to this area. The streets branching off of La Rambla are filled with more shops and restaurants, plus the occasional mini-mall. However, if you want a more authentic shopping experience, I’d stick to other parts of the city.
Park Ciutadella
Park Ciutadella was one of my favorite stops! We detoured here between scheduled tours and enjoyed a peaceful walk around the grounds. However, there’s more to do than walk. You can spend a lot of time here if you want, like exploring the gardens, visiting the Barcelona Zoo, checking out the Modern Art Museum, and even paddling a boat around a small lake.
If nothing else, I recommend you take a loop to see everything from the outside and spend some time at the gorgeous fountain.
Passeig de Gracia
For a nice stroll with more traditional cafes and shops, try Passeig de Gracia. It starts right above La Rambla and runs past Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. It’s got some gorgeous architectural elements and great energy. Playa Catalunya at the end of the boulevard is a popular spot for feeding pigeons and enjoying the beautiful fountains.
Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona
Just down the road from Park Ciutadella, you’ll find the Spanish Arco de Triunfo, which is absolutely gorgeous! It’s the focal point of a small park at the end of Passeig de Sant Joan and was built for the 1888 Universal Exhibition, leading the way to the exhibitions at Parc Ciutadella.
Shop at a Supermarket
If you really want to deep-dive into an authentic experience, head over to a supermarket! Inside, you’ll find booth after booth selling fresh produce, meats, cheese, and even full meals! The market we visited was divided into some rather obvious sections: meat, seafood, fruits, veggies, etc. There was even a large table for kids to sit and color while their parents shopped.
In the back, the market switched to more of a greenhouse, with various merchants selling plants.
What really stuck out to me was how absolutely fresh the meats were–the chickens still had heads, and the fish had their eyes and teeth! Definitely not what I’m used to!
Tour the Barcelona Cathedral
If you want to add another gorgeous church to your list, the Barcelona Cathedral should be your first pick. This historic church is located in the Gothic Quarter, and the inside is just as impressive as the exterior facade.
The main sanctuary is surrounded by little alcoves filled with beautiful statues and paintings, and the crypt of Saint Eulalia is below the main platform. The cathedral also has a courtyard out back where they keep 13 geese in honor of St. Eulalia, who was 13 when she died. You can explore the whole sanctuary, choir loft, and the cloister out back, which has a small museum and shop.
Be sure to take an elevator ride up to the roof for a panoramic view of Barcelona, too!
Closing Thoughts on Visiting Barcelona
It may be hard to pick and choose if you don’t have a lot of time in Barcelona, but you’ll have a great time with any of these activities and tours! When possible, I definitely recommend booking a tour with an English-speaking guide to help you understand what you’re seeing and what the significance is. That was particularly helpful for us at Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia.
You can find a lot of 3rd-party tours on sites like Viator, but we had good success booking straight from the websites as well.
Feel free to drop any questions in the comment section below! And stay tuned for a special Barcelona itinerary download coming soon! I’ll also be continuing my Barcelona series with more detailed posts on many of these places above, so don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to get notified when each one comes out!
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What You Need to Know Before Visiting La Sagrada Familia
Thanks for joining me today to learn more about Barcelona, and I hope you get to visit soon!
Happy travels!
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