Barcelona is such a beautiful city with so much to offer! It has so much to do and see that you definitely need at least 2-3 days there. There is so much to experience so take your time and make sure that you don’t miss anything by only staying a day. 

Things to do

La Rambla Street

This famous street is full of shops, restaurants, and talented street performers. Be sure to take a walk along this street when visiting. Beware of pick pocketing on this street, as it is a heavy populated street.

La Sagrada Familia

This famous church is a must see. The architectural design is out of this world. One side of La Sagrada Familia looks like it belongs in the game CandyLand and the other side looks like a sandcastle thats melting with a gothic feel. That’s the best description I’ve got haha.

Camp Nou

Home of F.C Barcelona, Camp Nou is a must see whether you are a soccer fan or not. The Camp Nou experience gives you a lot for the price. You get to go through their museum, walk out on to the pitch, see the visitor’s locker room, walk through the players walk-out tunnel, visit the press room, and go in the commentator’s box.

Magic Fountain

Wednesday-Sunday at 9:30pm and 10pm, go see the Magic Fountain’s show. The fountain lights up and goes through a bunch of different formations while music is playing. It’s quite a sight.

Fortress

While in Barcelona go see the fortress. The grounds around the walls are beautiful and you get amazing views of Barcelona since the fortress is located on top of a hill. You can walk up to the fortress or ride a funicular. I suggest riding the funicular up as you get better views over the city and then walking down through the multiple gardens.  

Gardens

There a multiple gardens located in Barcelona with lots of plants, flowers, and trees. The gardens are a great place to seek some shade and relax on a hot day.  

L’ aquarium Barcelona

A little overpriced (20 euro to get in per person), but still a fun place to go especially on a hot day. As an ocean lover, I love seeing different aquariums around the world. This aquarium has a great variety of different fish and sea creatures along with a giant shark tunnel. The only downside is that all the tanks are close together and it gets crowded, so you are constantly trying to avoid other people to see the tanks. Click here for more info.  

Cathedral de Barcelona

Europe has so many gorgeous churches and Barcelona has two of them. La Sagrada Familia (scroll up if you already forgot what that is) and the Cathedral de Barcelona. 

Beaches  

You obviously need to go to the beach while in Barcelona. So grab your towel, swim suit, sunscreen, water and go take a dip in the ocean! The water is crystal clear and feels great to cool off on a hot day. Be careful of jellyfish, they sometimes come close to shore. Shout out to the little girl who spotted one a foot away from me and saved me from a painful experience haha. 

Parc de la Ciutadella

This park is one of the most beautiful parts of Barcelona. It is huge and has lots of things to see and do. Located in Parc de la Ciutadella, the Cascada Monumental is a must see. This massive fountain is surrounded by greenery and consists of several beautiful statues. The park has a lake in the middle where you can rent a row boat. The Barcelona zoo is also within the park. 

Park Güell

Built as an estate for wealthy people back in the day, Park Güell is now open to the public so go view the spectacular architecture and artistic ability of Gaudí. 

Places to Eat and Drink

Bo De B

Our friend recommended we eat here and Bo De B did not disappoint! Hands down, my favorite place we ate. For a decent price, you get a lot of food! The dishes are healthy, delicious, and filling.

Café 365

This became our favorite breakfast place. For only 1.70 Euro you got a croissant and a coffee. They also had a wide variety of other breakfast items that we tried. The staff was friendly, they had free wifi, and clean bathrooms which is always a plus.. 

Bonita Bar

Located close to the beach, Bonita Bar was the perfect place for a quick lunch and drink to relax after being at the beach. Try the burrito, it was SO good. 

La Piazzetta 

We went here twice because we enjoyed La Piazzeta’s food so much. Try the paella, it was delicious. This restaurant is right near the Magic Fountain and was a great location to eat dinner at before heading to the fountain for the show.

Docket BCN

Located on Carrer de la Mercè, which is basically a street full of bars. When you go to Docket BCN, get a flight of their San Miguel beers. I love the interior decoration as they have a giant wooden map of the world on their wall.

Enrollat

Located near Park Güell, Enrollat is great to grab a meal after seeing the park. 

Transportation

The city is very spread out. You can walk, but it takes a long time. We like to walk to save money and we averaged 10+ miles of walking a day to get to and from places. On our 3rd day we caved and got a public transit pass to save us time and energy. The city’s transport system is so easy to use and navigate. You can get a 10 ride pass for only 10 euro! The great part about that pass is that you can share it with friends and it works for the bus, tram, metra, etc. Click here for ticket info. You can also rent bikes in Barcelona if you prefer to see the city by bike. 

Accommodation

If you are looking to save money, hostels or Airbnb are your best bet. We stayed at Hostel One Sants. Hostel One Sants is a smaller hostel, but has a great sense of community and is a money saver. They provide breakfast for only 3 euro and dinner is FREE. Every night they have someone cook a vegetarian meal for everyone to enjoy. The hostel also provides free group activities each day. They really try to bring everyone together and make connections. The staff was very friendly and helpful. This hostel also loves a good party. Every night they have a staff member or volunteer bring everyone out to a bar and then to a club (in which you get in the club for free and get to cut the line). Another option is Airbnb if you prefer to have more privacy and it is great if you are splitting the price with multiple people.  

Other Tips

• Beware of pickpocketing! Before we even got to Barcelona, everyone we talked to said, “I love Barcelona, but be careful!” To be honest, we had no problems and always felt completely safe. It all comes down to being aware of your surroundings and common sense. Don’t put your belongings down, lock/zip your bags, don’t have things hanging out of your pockets, etc. 
• Book tickets in advance- for the main tourist attractions book your tickets in advance! We booked our Park Güell tickets the night before and had to go at 7pm the next day because they were already almost all sold out. 
• Be aware of jellyfish on the beaches- Spain’s beaches are seeing more and more jellyfish along the beaches. If you see a yellow flag up at the beach that means a jellyfish was spotted. They will also make announcements. “Medusa” is jellyfish in Spanish. We still swam even after seeing a few jellyfish you just have to be aware and look around you every so often. 
• Stay hydrated- during the summer Barcelona is HOT! You sweat just standing outside. So drink lots of water when walking around and exploring.