10 Best Things To Do in Barcelona

Where to stay in Barcelona, Things to do in Barcelona, Bucket list Barcelona, Travel Guide Barcelona, What to Eat Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain is one of the best cities in Europe and should definitely be on your bucket list of must visit destinations. It’s such a beautiful city with amazing food, incredible architecture, friendly people, and unique art. If it’s not already add it to your list, because they have everything from mouthwatering food, creative buildings, and stunning beaches along the Mediterranean so there is something for every one. We visited Barcelona in December as a Christmas gift to each other and loved it. So whether you’re a foodie, a couple, or just love visiting a new city you will enjoy this post. Here is our list of the top 10 things to do in Barcelona:

La Sagrada Família

If you visit Barcelona you do not want to miss this famous work of art. It’s unique beauty and attention to detail will literally take your breath away. Construction on this masterpiece started in 1882 and is expected to be complete in 2026, meaning over a century! La Sagrada Família is the most popular attraction in the city so if you want to tour it without crowds I recommend getting there early and booking your ticket in advance. Tickets start at 26€ but we use Go City or Get Your Guide for more affordable options.

Tip: To get the best pictures, go to the park across the street, Plaça de Gaudí.

Barcelona Spain things you must do La Sagrada Família

Relax at Parc de la Ciutadella

Looking for something that’s free and relaxing - visit Parc de la Ciutadella. We spent hours here and completely lost track of time. You can have a picnic, take pictures at the gorgeous fountain, visit the zoo, or row boats. There’s a small lake at the park and for just 6€ you can row boats. Grab you some Spanish cava and cheese and you’ve got the cutest romantic date.

DIY food tour at Market Boqueria

La Boqueria is Barcelona’s most visited market for a reason. It’s a great place to explore, grab a lunch, or a light snack. Even if your not hungry it’s still a great place to walk around and awe over the colorful and visually stunning stalls of food. We enjoyed the empanadas, real fruit smoothies, and vibes so much that we had to add it to our top 10. Do not leave Barcelona without trying a fruit smoothie! I don’t know how they do it, but their is something special about them!

Sunset or sunrise at Parc Güell

Parc Güell is one of the most famous and iconic spots in Barcelona. If you like aesthetics and beautiful architecture you will love it! It’s a park filled with Antoni Gaudí’s iconic landmarks, exquisite colorful mosaics, and incredible city views, which makes it the perfect place to watch the sunrise or sunset. Since it’s one of the most visited attractions in the city we recommend getting there early. At the top of Park Güell there’s a beautiful terrace area with mosaic art where you can watch the sunrise and light flow over the city, arguably the best views of Barcelona.

Tip: It’s 10€ to enter but if you get there before or after “opening hours” then you can enter for free!

Explore Gothic Quarter

A beautiful and lively neighborhood you should visit is the Gothic Quarter. It’s in the heart of the city and walking distance from many of the city’s attractions. You can try a new restaurant or bar, visit the famous Barcelona Cathedral, enjoy the lively nightlife scene, or just walk around and enjoy the juxtaposition of the old and new architecture. Either way, it’s an area you don’t want to miss out on.

Try Spanish cuisine

You can’t go to Barcelona without enjoying Spanish cuisine. It is some of the best food in the world for a reason and it was our favorite Barcelona experience! Tapas, cava, fried squid, churros dipped in chocolate, my mouth waters just thinking about them.

Here are some of the foods you must try in Barcelona:

Seafood Paella

Croquettes

Patatas Bravas

Cava (Spanish Wine)

Chipirones

Tortilla (Spanish omelette)

Albondigas (Spanish meatballs)

Leche frita

Some of our favorite restaurants to check out:

Colom - We ordered the seafood paella for two here. It was so good we had to hold ourselves back from licking the dish clean!

9 Nine - Make sure to book a reservation beforehand. They have a full menu but we recommend ordering the tasting menu. It’s 40€ per person including drinks and worth every penny. Not only is it a better deal but it also gives you an opportunity to try lots of Spanish dishes plus everything we ate was a 10/10.

Croq & Roll - One of the best places to get Barcelona’s famous croquettes. We loved the chicken curry croquettes and meatballs the best.

Tip: Typically restaurants start getting busy around 7:30p, so to avoid crowds make reservations, if possible, or arrive before 7p unless you want to wait in a line.

Gaudí Tour

Antoni Gaudí is the most famous architect of Barcelona and his work flows all throughout the city. His unique, vibrant style is hard to miss. Casa Batlló is one of his masterpieces and you can get some of the best views of it for free from the street. Right in front of the Passeig de Gràcia metro and a short walk from our hotel we mesmerized at it’s beauty every time we passed it. We saved our 35€ and opted not to go inside because the street view was so special in itself. Next to Casa Batlló you can also check out Casa Milà, the last residence of Gaudí.

Shop on Las Ramblas

While you’re in the area, shopping or window shopping on Las Ramblas is the perfect way to check out the fashion scene. There are some popular stores like Zara, H&M, and Nike with a huge selection to choose from. We also enjoyed visiting European stores like Mango, which quickly became one of our favorite stores. We both found some trendy jeans for under 30€ and cried a little on the inside knowing we don’t have a Mango back home.

Cable cars to Montjuïc

Even though I’m fearful of heights, riding the cable cars to the top of Montjuïc was the highlight of our trip. It’s an unforgettable way to reach the Montjuïc attractions like Castell de Montjuïc, a Barcelona castle and fort that served as a military area in the Spanish world war. This ride on Montjuïc cable cars will be fun for anyone who wants to see breathtaking panoramic views of the city. A round trip ride will cost you 14€ per person.

Relax at the beach

Walking around the city can be tiring, so set aside some time to relax on the beach. Barceloneta beach is a public beach and a very popular area for tourists. It’s a great place to pass the time, people watch, or enjoy a mojito or a on-the-spot massage from vendors walking around.

Where to stay

NH Collection Barcelona Gran Hotel Calderón

I can confidently say NH Collection GH Calderón is one of the BEST hotels to stay at when you visit Barcelona. Easily on our list of top five hotels we’ve ever stayed at.

Everything from the hospitality, the location, the design, the rooms, the food were perfect and blew us away.

Located in this trendy, beautiful neighborhood in the heart of the city you are walking distance from the hottest shops, restaurants, bars, and attractions.

We stayed in one of the Premium Rooms on the top floor. Our room had an amazing terrace with breathtaking views of the city. The beds were like sleeping on clouds and the breakfast buffet was absolutely magnificent! The best breakfast experience we’ve ever had at a hotel.

The buffet had everything you could think of from pastries, to pancakes, to eggs and meats, fruit, cake, cookies, a juice bar, and even rosè. As if a breakfast buffet wasn’t good enough you also have the choice to order your breakfast fresh and cooked to order! The juice bar was my favorite. I still dream about that freshly squeezed passion fruit juice.

The hotel also has one of the best rooftop pool and bars in Barcelona. It has such an aesthetic cool vibe with amazing views of the city! It’s definitely somewhere you can get away to relax or hang out and order some delicious cocktails. Something else that makes a hotel really stand out for us is quality sleep and let’s just say we slept like babies here. The beds were heavenly, the pillows were divine, and smelled like lavender. There’s just something about getting off of an 11-hour flight and sleeping like royalty that made us fall even more in love with this place. Our stay at NH Collection GH Calderón exceeded our expectations and we cannot recommend this hotel enough!

Travel Diaries