Our top 10 things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that is full of attractions; with tapas, sangrias, bars, shopping, parks, museums, architecture, and whatnots.
It has everything from everything and people full of life and joy.
I have made a list with my favorite things in Barcelona. Some of them are more familiar and some of them less.

I stayed 4 times in Barcelona. One time in the Catalonia Plaza Hotel which was great, and the other time in an airbnb at a side street in La Rambla.

One great tip I wish I’d known before our trip is to get a Go City Pass. It can save you up to 90Euro on Barcelona’s top attractions and includes entry to places like Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, and over 100 other sites – all with one pass. It’s a super convenient way to explore as much as possible without worrying about buying individual tickets every time.

Table of content hide

1 Things to do in Barcelona

1.1 Sailing Trip with Barcelona Sailboats

1.2 Atelier Madre Barcelona

1.3 Casa Batlló

1.4 Gaudi tour

1.5 Dinner at a fancy restaurant

1.6 Going to a cool bar

1.7 La Boqeria tour

1.8 Eating tapas and drinking sangria

1.9 Parc Guell

1.10 Ciutadella Park

1.11 Cable car and the magic fountains

1.12 Go and watch a soccer game in camp Nou

Things to do in Barcelona

Sailing Trip with Barcelona Sailboats

When the weather is warm and pleasant, one of the nicest things to do in Barcelona is to go on a boat trip and see the city from a completely different perspective, from the sea. We did a short 40-minute sailing trip in the morning, but we found out that Barcelona Sailboats offers a longer 90-minute cruise that includes a glass of traditional Spanish cava as well as snacks and unlimited drinks included.

The trip departs from Port Olímpic and sails along Barcelona’s coastline, with beautiful views of the city’s most iconic landmarks along the way – the Sagrada Família, the W Hotel, the Mapfre Towers, the Agbar Tower, Montjuïc Hill, and Tibidabo. With small groups of up to 11 people, the experience feels relaxed and intimate, and it’s truly a wonderful and unique way to see the city from a new angle.
Next time we visit Barcelona, we’re planning to try this sailing experience ourselves.

Book a sunset sailing trip with Barcelona Sailboats

Atelier Madre Barcelona

If you’re the kind of traveler who believes shopping should feel like discovering a secret, Atelier Madre is your kind of place. In on one of those quiet, charming streets in El Born, Atelier Madre is an atelier-slash-boutique where you can watch premium leather goods being handmade right in front of you. Think beautifully crafted wallets, uniquely shaped handbags, and pieces that you can personalize according to your taste.
Walk in and you’re not just entering a shop, it’s a working atelier. You’ll find leather hides stacked on tables, tools scattered across benches, and the artisans themselves shaping, stitching, and finishing each item by hand. Just traditional craftsmanship with a modern, quiet luxury vibe.

They only use vegetable-tanned leather from Igualada (Spain’s historic tanning city), and every product is designed, made, and sold under the same roof. Where: Carrer del Rec, 20 Hours: Mon–Sun, 11am to 8pm

Casa Batlló

If this is your first time in Barcelona and you’re wondering where to start – Casa Batlló is undoubtedly the most iconic choice. Gaudí’s impressive building, located on Passeig de Gràcia, is considered one of his masterpieces and the most accessible jewel of Catalan modernism. In 2021, the visitor experience was completely renewed, and in 2022, the site was even awarded Europe’s Best Immersive Experience – an extraordinary experience worth every moment.

Casa Batlló is the ideal destination for anyone seeking to understand Gaudí’s work and the essence of Catalan Modernism. The building features multiple floors with curved spaces, unique windows, colorful mosaics, and imaginative designs that resemble a fantastical world. The 360-degree interactive cube offers a fascinating journey into the architect’s mind, and the use of innovative technology provides a unique experience unlike anywhere else in the world.

The building is one of the city’s most popular attractions, and its central location makes it very accessible. Children up to 12 years old enter for free, making it ideal for families. Casa Batlló is also an opportunity to experience art, architecture, and history together, an experience recommended for every visitor to Barcelona.

Gaudi tour

There are a lot of free tours (based on tips) that you can do in Barcelona. We decided to do the one through Gaudi’s eccentric life. During this tour you pass through structures that Gaudi designed. It is really interesting, usually we pass buildings without knowing anything about them,, and with this tour they tell you the story that stands behind each structure.

The tour duration is about 3 hours. I recommend you to go with comfortable shoes for walking. We took the tour of runnerbeantours company.

Dinner at a fancy restaurant

In Barcelona you can find delicious, high-quality food and excellent service. If you are in the mood for a gourmet restaurant, then Barcelona is the city for that.
We deliberated between several restaurants and in the end we chose Montiel restaurant.

This was a perfect decision because it was undoubtedly one of the best meals we have ever had.
This restaurant has a fixed menu and the price is ~70 euro for a person for an 8 dishes meal.
The price is a little bit expensive but it’s worth it.

We ate dishes of: kobe beef, lobster, and special cheese, and each dish was served beautifully. There wasn’t one platter that was disappointing.
Everything tasted amazingly good and the service was 5+++.

If you want to eat a meal that you will remember all your life, this is the restaurant to go to.
Opening hours: every day 13:00-14:30 and 19:00-22:30
Address Calle Flassaders, 19, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 932 68 37 29 28

Going to a cool bar

In Barcelona there are plenty of nice bars. We’ve been in several of them, but the bar that we liked the most was Boca Chica cocktail bar.
It’s located in a building in which on the first floor there is a restaurant, on the second there is a bar, and on the last floor there is a club.

The bar is designed with high class and luxury. The service is very good and the cocktails were excellent.

The cool part of this building is that when you go down to the bathrooms it’s a full floor that has not only toilets but also a DJ. You can go there with your drinks and people are dancing there. It’s weird and cool.

La Boqeria tour

Two-thirds of the way up on the ramblas, on the lift you will see one of the largest and most famous markets in Europe.
This is one of the markets we liked visiting the most.

There you will see tourists and locals, and food from all around the world in the same plane. You can find bars and restaurants as well. You can buy their hard cheese and sausages. You can drink a fruit shake or fresh fruits. You can find their fresh breads, and more, and more. This is a culinary experience for all the senses.

Address
La Rambla, 91, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Opening hours monday-saturday 08:00-20:30, on sunday it closed

Eating tapas and drinking sangria

I think that I drank sangria every day in Barcelona; it’s so tasty and cheap that every time I wanted to drink it.
In Barcelona there are a lot of tapas restaurants and if you like to taste a lot of dishes instead of only one big one, then the world of tapas in Barcelona is exactly what you need.

I really liked Cervecería Catalana. There is a big selection of tapas and a great atmosphere.
Address Carrer de Mallorca, 236, 08008 Barcelona, Spain

Another great place is the Ticket bar. But for this place you need to book a table in advance. It’s considered as one of the best tapas restaurants.
Address Av. del Paraŀlel, 164, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
And don’t forget to try the desert catalana cream. It’s so good.

Parc Guell

Parc guell is definitely one of the most famous sites in Barcelona that was designed by Gaudi.
It was ordered by Eusebi Guell, who wanted to create a styled park for the nobility of Barcelona.

The park has many entrances; the most impressive one is the main entrance, which is from Carrer d’Olot.
In this entrance you will see two houses and one of them is actually a museum. And at the beginning of the stairs you will see the statue of the famous dragon.

There is a lot what to see in the park, like rocks, and poles that look like they grow from the ground like tree trunks (Gaudi was very inspired by natural shapes and he used them in his work).
On the upper side of the park there is a wonderful view to observe the entire park and Barcelona. There is also a nice, small restaurant where you can buy something to eat and, of course, a sangria.

The entrance from the main road costs money. You can enter from other entrances, but the arrival to them is more complicated and includes climbing many stairs. There is a bus station near the main entrance. It’s also possible to buy tickets online.

Ciutadella Park

A huge park and probably the greenest abode in Barcelona. It invites you to relax, to charge you energy, to walk, and to do picnicking.

In the park you can find many shaded areas so it’s fun to go there and just sit on the grass and relax. In the park you can find a Zoo which is one of the main attractions. There is also a beautiful lake and many visitors come there for a walk near the lake. There is an option to rent a pedal boat. There is also a zoological museum in the park,

The entrance doesn’t cost any money and it’s really recommended to visit there and to enjoy the beautiful sculptures and the calming atmosphere.
address
Passeig de Picasso, 21, 08003 Barcelona

Cable car and the magic fountains

I recommend going up the cable car while there is still light outside, this way you will have a great view of all Barcelona. After raising in the cable car, go visit the magic fountains. The fountains change their colors and move accordingly the music. The duration of the show is 15 minutes.

Fountains address
Pl Carles Buïgas, 1
Magic fountains schedule
Afterwards you can go back down with the cable car or by feet.

Go and watch a soccer game in camp Nou

If during your stays in Barcelona there is a soccer game, I recommend you to go and watch it. Even if you are not a soccer fan] and you never watch games on TV, the experience there is electric and special for everyone. In the stadium there are almost one hundred thousand sits.

And to see a game in a full or almost full stadium it’s something that’s hard to express in words. We booked our tickets from the official site of Barcelona. In the morning before the game we went there to take our tickets. The metro station is nearby so it’s very convenient.
address
Carrer d’Aristides Maillol, 12, 08028 Barcelona