BarcelonaBCN
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City guide · 2026 edition

Barcelona,
your way.

Gaudí, the Gothic Quarter, tapas and the sea. Build your itinerary, see how far it is to walk, and add a late dinner and a night out.

Plan your perfect trip

How long are you staying?
Who are you travelling with?
First time here?
What do you want to do?
Your budget?
or start from our suggested plan below
01

Itinerary

Your schedule

Day 1

  1. 09:30 Plaça de Catalunya – Barcelona's central square, where the old town, the Eixample and Passeig de Gràcia meet.
  2. 09:55 La Rambla – The famous tree-lined pedestrian boulevard from Plaça de Catalunya down to the harbour.
  3. 10:30 Mercat de la Boqueria – Barcelona's great covered food market on La Rambla: fruit, ham, seafood and tapas counters.
  4. 11:40 Barcelona Cathedral – Gothic cathedral with a cloister of geese, choir stalls, chapels and rooftop terraces.
  5. 12:50 Santa Maria del Mar – Perfect Catalan Gothic basilica with soaring slender pillars, built by the sailors' guild.
  6. 14:50 Museu Picasso – Picasso's early works in five medieval palaces, including the Las Meninas series.
  7. 16:30 Parc de la Ciutadella – Green city park with a monumental cascade fountain, a lake with rowing boats and the zoo.

Day 2

  1. 09:30 Sagrada Família – Gaudí's unfinished basilica, a forest of stone columns, with colourful stained-glass light.
  2. 11:25 Sant Pau Recinte Modernista – Former hospital by Domènech i Montaner: tiled pavilions, gardens and underground tunnels.
  3. 12:50 Park Güell – Gaudí's hilltop garden city with the mosaic dragon, serpentine bench and views over Barcelona.
  4. 14:30 Casa Milà (La Pedrera) – Gaudí's last civil work: a wavy stone facade, sculpted rooftop chimneys and an attic museum.
  5. 16:00 Casa Batlló – Gaudí's "house of bones": a skeleton-like facade, a mosaic roof and a blue light well.

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02

Eat & drink

Restaurants near your stops

Book your meals into your day. Every day has a breakfast slot (avg. 45m, or mark it as at your hotel), a lunch slot (avg. 1h 15m) and a dinner slot (avg. 1h 30m). Use “+ Add to schedule” on any place below, or pick one straight from a slot in your schedule.

  • El Quim de la Boqueria (Tapas · €€ · Old town)
  • Bar La Plata (Tapas · € · El Born)
  • Bodega La Palma (Tapas · € · Old town)
  • Bar del Pla (Tapas · €€ · El Born)
  • El Xampanyet (Cava bar · €€ · El Born)
  • Cal Pep (Seafood · €€€ · El Born)
  • La Cova Fumada (Tapas · € · Waterfront)
  • Bar Electricitat (Vermouth bar · € · Waterfront)
  • La Bombeta (Tapas · € · Waterfront)
  • Can Maño (Spanish · € · Waterfront)
  • Vaso de Oro (Tapas · €€ · El Born)
  • Can Solé (Paella · €€€ · Waterfront)
  • Can Majó (Seafood · €€€ · Waterfront)
  • Can Paixano (La Xampanyeria) (Cava bar · € · El Born)
  • Can Culleretes (Catalan · €€ · Old town)
  • Granja M. Viader (Bakery · € · Old town)
  • Bar Cañete (Tapas · €€€ · Old town)
  • Bar Muy Buenas (Catalan · €€ · Old town)
  • Els Quatre Gats (Catalan · €€€ · Old town)
  • Dos Palillos (Asian · €€€ · Old town)
03

After dark

Barcelona by night

04

Good to know

Practical info & fares

Pickpockets

  • Barcelona is safe, but pickpockets are common on La Rambla, around the Boqueria, in the Gothic Quarter and on the beach
  • Take care on metro L3 and L4, at Barceloneta, Sagrada Família and the Maremagnum
  • Keep your phone in a front pocket, bag zipped and in front of you, and never leave things on a café table or beach towel
  • Be alert to people who bump into you, ask for signatures or distract you

Book ahead

  • Sagrada Família, Park Güell (monumental zone), Casa Batlló and Casa Milà sell out: book online days ahead
  • Choose morning slots for the Sagrada Família towers (light and fewer people)
  • Many museums are free on the first Sunday of the month or Sunday afternoon; check the official site, those slots fill fast
  • Park Güell's free area is open without a ticket, but the monumental zone needs one

Spanish meal times

  • Lunch is 13:30–15:30, dinner from 20:30 (kitchens often open at 20:00 in tourist areas)
  • Many restaurants close Sunday evening and Monday, and between lunch and dinner
  • A menú del día (set lunch, about €13–17) is the best value on weekdays
  • A service charge is not added; tipping is small: round up or leave 5–10% for good service

Tourist tax

  • Since 1 April 2026 the city adds €5 per person per night to the Catalan tourist tax
  • The total depends on the accommodation: about €9.50 in a tourist apartment, €12 in a 5-star hotel
  • It is usually paid at the hotel at check-out, and is not part of the room price shown by many booking sites
  • The city surcharge rises by €1 a year to €8 in 2029

Paying for transport

  • Contactless card or phone works on TMB buses, and at some metro gates for a single trip (2 h, no transfer)
  • For several trips use a T-casual (10 trips, €13), one person per card; for a group use the T-familiar (8 trips, €11.50)
  • Tap in at the yellow reader on the metro; you do not tap out
  • The airport metro (L9 Sud) needs its own €5.90 ticket; T-casual is not valid there

Beach and streets

  • Swimwear and going topless are fine on the beach and the seafront promenade
  • In the rest of the city (La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia, the old town) you must be dressed: police first ask you to cover up, then fines of €120–500 can follow
  • Barceloneta is crowded in summer: go early or try the northern beaches (Bogatell, Mar Bella)

Sundays and holidays

  • On Sundays and public holidays most shops, markets (La Boqueria) and many restaurants are closed
  • Tourist zones (Ciutat Vella, Barceloneta) and Maremagnum stay open on Sundays
  • Many museums are closed on Monday; Sagrada Família and Park Güell are open daily
  • 24 September (La Mercè) and 11 September (Diada) are local/Catalan holidays: expect closures and crowds
05

Local life

Markets

Markets run on set days, so they are info only and not part of your schedule (La Boqueria is also a sight).

All markets, with a full guide →