Barcelona travel guide
Tours, attractions, events and places to stay, picked by people who know the city.
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Main airport
- Barcelona El Prat (BCN), about 15 km away, linked by Aerobús, metro L9 Sud and Rodalies R2 Nord
- Time zone
- CET, CEST in summer
- Languages
- Catalan and Spanish
- Paying for transport
- T-casual: 10 journeys for €13; Airport metro ticket €5.90
- Tourist tax
- €6 to €12 per adult per night in 2026
Catalonia's capital, a city of two thousand years between the hills and the sea. The medieval Gothic Quarter and El Born sit at its heart, the grid of the Eixample holds Gaudí's Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, and Montjuïc and Tibidabo look down over it all. Add a city beach, some of Europe's best food markets and FC Barcelona, and it is easy to fill a long weekend. Most sights are linked by a fast, simple metro.
Most-booked tours
Ratings and prices from verified bookings.
ViatorBarcelona in 1 Day: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell,Old Town & Pickup
8 hoursFrom €99.47
ViatorBarcelona Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour
3 hoursFrom €69
ViatorFrom Barcelona: Half-Day Montserrat, Tapas & Wine Tour
6 hoursFrom €54
ViatorBarcelona Shared Sensational Sunset Tour with Open Bar & Tapas
2 hoursFrom €50
ViatorFlamenco Night at Tablao Cordobes in Barcelona
1 hourFrom €48
ViatorBarcelona City Tour Hop-On Hop-Off with Optional Catamaran trip
2 hoursFrom €33
ViatorTour Welcome to Barcelona in Eco Tuk Tuk Private with Local Guide
1 hourFrom €19.70
ViatorGirona & Costa Brava Small-Group Tour with Pickup from Barcelona
10 hoursFrom €99.47
Top Barcelona attractions
The sights most visitors build a trip around.
Sagrada Família
Online-only tickets from €26. Winter: Mon to Sat 9am to 6pm, Sun from 10.30am.
Tickets from €33.80Park Güell
Timed tickets €18; winter slots 9.30am to 5.30pm. Book on the official site.
Tickets from €18Casa Batlló
Open daily 8.30am to 10.30pm. Under 12s free. Book a timed ticket online.
Tickets from €29La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
Day tickets from €29; winter 9am to 6.30pm, last day entry 5.15pm.
Tickets from €29Gothic Quarter and Barcelona Cathedral
Cathedral visit €16 with rooftop; weekdays 9.30am to 6.30pm. Streets free.
Tickets from €19La Boqueria and La RamblaFree
Free. Market open Mon to Sat 8am to 8.30pm; closed Sundays and holidays.
More attraction tickets
- Sagrada Familia: Skip The Line Ticket + Guided Tour4.7 (14,689)From €51.20
- Barcelona Aquarium4.4 (7,571)From €30
- Moco Museum Barcelona: Skip The Line Ticket + Audio Guide4.6 (1,159)From €15.16
- Aerobús Barcelona: Transfer Between Airport & City Center4.7 (8,323)From €10.25
- Hola Barcelona Travel Card4.6 (16,034)From €23.73
- Sagrada Familia: Go With a Local Guided Tour4.8 (11,679)From €51.20
- Palau Güell (Güell Palace)4.4 (2,742)From €15
- Fundació Joan Miró: Skip The Line Ticket4.6 (2,701)From €17
Tickets via Tiqets. Prices checked at each build.
What's on
Tickets via Ticketmaster and Tiqets. Updated nightly.
Where to stay
Pick a neighbourhood first. Each one suits a different kind of trip.
Gothic Quarter and El Born
Medieval lanes, the Cathedral, the Picasso Museum and bars on your doorstep, in the heart of the old town13 places we rate
Eixample and Passeig de Gràcia
Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and grand modernista avenues, with the best choice of hotels and metro links12 places we rate
Gràcia
A village feel of small squares and local bars, close to Park Güell and good value11 places we rate
Barceloneta and the waterfront
Sea views, seafood and the beach, from Port Vell to the Olympic Port10 places we rate
Local guides
Plans and tips for getting the most out of Barcelona.
Barcelona for football fans: Barça, Camp Nou and match days
A football fan’s guide to Barcelona: visiting Spotify Camp Nou and the Barça Immersive Tour during the rebuild, getting match tickets, RCD Espanyol and the city’s football history.
Read the guide · 3 minChristmas in Barcelona 2026: markets, lights and the Three Kings
Christmas in Barcelona 2026: dates for the Fira de Santa Llúcia and Sagrada Família markets, the lights, the Three Kings parade, Catalan traditions and Christmas opening hours.
Read the guide · 4 minFree things to do in Barcelona
The best free things to do in Barcelona: free museum days, Gaudí façades, Gothic Quarter squares, Montjuïc views, the Magic Fountain, beaches and churches you can enter for nothing.
Read the guide · 3 minThree days in Barcelona: a first-timer’s itinerary
A three-day Barcelona itinerary for a first visit: Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter and El Born, Montjuïc and the beach, with booking tips.
Read the guide · 4 minDay trips from Barcelona
Easy days out by train or coach.
- MontserratAbout 1 hour by FGC train from Plaça d'Espanya, then rack railway or cable car
- GironaAbout 40 minutes by high-speed train from Sants
- Figueres and the Dalí Theatre-MuseumAbout 1 hour by high-speed train, or a guided tour with Girona
- SitgesAbout 40 minutes by Rodalies train along the coast
- TarragonaAbout 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes by train, for Roman remains
- Costa BravaGuided tours to coastal towns such as Tossa de Mar and Cadaqués
Getting around
Metro and buses
Barcelona's metro, run by TMB, covers almost every sight, and buses fill the gaps. A single ticket costs €2.90 and allows no changes. The T-casual card is better value: 10 journeys in zone 1, which covers the city, for €13, with changes between metro, bus, tram and local trains allowed within 75 minutes. It is for one person at a time; the T-familiar (8 journeys for €11.50) can be shared. The T-dia gives unlimited travel for 24 hours for €12. The metro runs from 5am to midnight Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, until 2am on Fridays and the eves of public holidays, and all night on Saturdays.
Hola Barcelona travel card
The Hola Barcelona card gives unlimited travel on the metro, TMB buses, the tram, local FGC and Rodalies trains in zone 1 and the Montjuïc funicular for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days, from €12.50 (10% less online). Unlike the T-casual, it also covers the metro to and from the airport. It does not include the Montjuïc or Port cable cars, or the Aerobús.
Walking
The old town, El Born and the Eixample are easy to walk, and Passeig de Gràcia links Plaça de Catalunya to Gràcia in about 25 minutes. Park Güell, Montjuïc and Tibidabo are on hills, so use public transport for the climb.
Tourist tax
Hotels and holiday flats charge a tourist tax per person aged 17 and over, per night, for up to seven nights. From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 it is €7 at hotels of three stars and below, hostals and guesthouses, €8.40 at four-star hotels, €9.50 in licensed tourist flats, €12 at five-star hotels and €6 in youth hostels. This includes a €5 Barcelona surcharge, which is due to rise by €1 a year from April 2027.
Airport transfers
Barcelona El Prat airport (BCN) is about 15 km south-west of the centre. The Aerobús express bus runs from both terminals to Plaça de Catalunya, costing €7.75 single or €13.30 return. Metro line L9 Sud links both terminals to the city in about 30 minutes, with trains about every 7 minutes; you need the €5.90 Airport ticket or a travel card that covers the airport, such as Hola Barcelona, as the single ticket and T-casual are not valid there. L9 Sud does not reach the centre directly, so change at Torrassa, Collblanc or Zona Universitària. Rodalies train line R2 Nord runs from Terminal 2 to Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gràcia. Taxis and pre-booked private transfers run from both terminals.