Barcelona is a popular destination and we can see why. It has a lot to see, not only in the same city but you can find other destinations to visit in its surroundings.
Our recommendation is to stay for at least a week to be able to explore it well and also give you time to make a few getaways along the Costa Brava or other nearby cities/beaches, such as San Sebastián.
But we also know that it is common to want to take advantage of the trip and visit other nearby countries, so sometimes that shortens the time in each place.
If this is your case and you decided to go to Barcelona for a few days, we help you to explore it thoroughly in 3 days!
In general, as it always happens in Europe, the most crowded season is in summer, from June to August. But there are other specific moments/days that bring together a lot of people, such as: Easter Week (parades are held in the center of the city) and in June (for the Festival of Sant Joan). It is important to check this out before you go because if you have one of these holidays, many places may be closed.
To escape the crowd and the heavy heat, perhaps it is best to go in the spring (April/May) or as soon at autumn starts when people leave but the weather is still ideal for walking and going to the beach if you want (September/October ).
Now, let's go with an express guide to enjoy this city in 3 days:
DAY 1
Start at Plaza Cataluña. A huge square surrounded by impressive gothic buildings where you will find the big top clothing brands. Very elegant.
Architecture in Barcelona does not go unnoticed. Even the smallest detail is impressive.
Many little streets lead to dream places, so we always recommend getting lost there, but if you don't have time, it's best to go down one of the main streets: La Rambla, straight to the port side.
While there, a must stop: the Mercat de la Boquería. A huge food market and full (but full) of food options to taste.
If you like home decor, you will love MUY MUCHO and CASA VIVA! They are in the L'Eixample neighborhood. Another renowned interior design house in this neighborhood that is a few blocks away towards Avinguda Diagonal is MAISONS DU MONDE.
Once you have traveled La Rambla from end to end, we do recommend that you choose one of the little streets that intersect this main one and get lost in the GOTHIC QUARTER. It is difficult to indicate a specific address in this neighborhood since its formed by several little streets and there is no other option than to enter and get lost, just explore.
Anyway, wherever you go you will love it. Each little street suddenly ends in a large square or internal courtyard with historic cathedrals. Everything, is preserved as when it was made more than 100 years ago. Wherever you go you will fall into something impressive, for example: the Gothic Cathedral, or the Plaza Sant Jaume (one of the most beautiful squares; it has a large internal patio where you can find the Palau de la Generalitat and the Plaza of the Constitution).
If you are hungry, we recommend eating "tapas" in Bubó, in front of the Santa María del Mar church, another of the large churches in the neighborhood. The beauty of this city is that it is full of life, perhaps you are eating at the tables outside and suddenly musicians appear and start playing or dancing in the middle of the street.
If you are in a mood for ice cream you have to stop by Topping Circus, a very original ice cream store, and delicious!
For clothes you will find shops everywhere, but the best areas are in Portal Del Angel and on La Rambla.
We recommend visiting the Palau Güell, which is on La Rambla. It is the palace of the Güell family. They asked Gaudí to build it, and he dazzled with his art, thinking down to the smallest detail.
We also recommend returning to the Gothic at night because it has a lot of restaurants and bars.
Once you have toured this Gothic Quarter well, you can return to La Rambla and lose yourself in the neighborhood that is on the other side: the RAVAL. It's not as pretty as the Gothic, but over the years they're putting it together better and better.
-If you are in the Raval at night, we recommend having a few drinks at the London Bar, where Miró, Picasso and Hemingway used to go. It is a good small tavern-type bar. So you can close a nice night in Barcelona-.
Returning to this day's route, from Raval go to the port towards LA BARCELONETA.
Simply walk it, if you have time, lie down for a while on the beach. It's public and it's right under the center of the city, so there are usually a lot of people, but resting a bit and recovering energy it's always necessary.
Here you can find the BEST paella place: La Barca del Salamanca. There have two: One right there in Barceloneta and a larger one down the port in Villa Olímpica. The Barça team goes to eat there a lot.
Another must to eat something faster and more relaxed in this area is Surf House. The name says it, surfer style in front of the sea where you will find salads, wraps, hamburgers, nachos, sandwiches, tapas, etc... In addition to drinks and activities such as: surfing, yoga, and more.
If you are a poke bowl lover (sushi salad), we recommend eating next door, in Kaymana. They are delicious.
The Olympic Village is another place to take a look at, it is where you will find the Casino and trendy nightclubs like Pacha, right in front of the sea. And if you continue walking a little further from here you have other beaches that are less crowded, are wider and are better for lounging around or having a drink in their beach bars, such as: Bogatell. The further you go, the fewer people you'll encounter.
For skate lovers, there is a skate park nearby.
Being in the Olympic Village you can go up and get in to the Poblenou. A very quiet neighborhood that is constantly growing. You can walk the Rambla del Poblenou and enter through its intersections to better know the place. If you go up you will find Av. Diagonal and there a shopping mall that has an open-air part above, but you can also go down and see more stores, it's called: Westfield Glòries. A few blocks away you can walk and rest in the Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes that has little paths, a dog kennel, a basketball court, a rest area and more.
A good coffee in that neighborhood: Little Fern.
It seems like a lot, it is... but if you start early you can do it in one day. Everything is super close to each other.
Another nice neighborhood to visit specially at night because it has a lot of life, many restaurants, bars and nightclubs is: EL BORN. It is located above La Barceloneta.
DAY 2
You can start the day at Parc Güell, another great work by Gaudí. It is in height and you see the city from above. Then, head towards Passeig de Gràcia. The most top and famous street in Barcelona. Where the best stores were built inside great giant gothic buildings. It is a very nice area. Other works by Gaudí are located right there: La Pedrera and Casa Batlló.
There are many restaurants right there on Passeig de Gràcia and surroundings (such as the classics for tapas: El Nacional, Ciudad Condal, La Catalana).
Another little street with a lot of gastronomic variety is Carrer d' Enric Granados.
We recommend returning to this area at night!
Then, to close the afternoon: La Sagrada Familia. You must book online in advance and pay for the visit. The afternoon schedule (when the sun goes down) is the best due to the light that enters through the windows.
It is shocking and cannot be described in words, but let's try it:
You can like Gaudí's style or not, like everything else... but there is no doubt about his talent. Since his childhood he was very influenced by nature, he spent long periods of time with his mother in the field where they lived, since due to his rheumatism attacks, he could not play freely with the rest of the boys. Years later, Gaudí manages to use that inspiration creating impressive works like this one. He mixed geometry with the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdom. For example, on the walls he carved amphibians and reptiles typical of the Mediterranean. He studied the nature that surrounded the basilica and captured it in the railings and pinnacles. For the peepholes he was inspired by the cells of the beehives. The columns imitate trees. If you look at the ceiling, you realize that the same columns end in branches and some pointed shapes that are the trees with their leaves. And other thousands of details more.
The Sagrada Familia took 43 years to build, Gaudí never saw it finished.
While there, before or after entering La Sagrada Familia, take a walk down Av. Gaudí; a diagonal street with narrow long trees that form a kind of tunnel with different places to eat, and on the other side you will find: the Hospital de la Santa Creu and San Pau. Until 2009 it was a hospital, now it is a museum. Impressive too and very big. One of the first works listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A good place to eat some tapas and still appreciate it from the outside is in Babilonia, which is opposite the Sagrada Familia, on Av. Gaudí.
If you go up a small street bordering the hospital you will find a kind of square on a hill from where you can see all of Barcelona from above. Stop there and connect with what is being lived...
If you have something pending from the day before, if you continue down Passeig de Gràcia you will arrive at Plaza Catalunya and return to La Rambla.
You can end the night in Boca Chica and then cross over to have a drink at Boca Grande, which is next door. #GuestTravelTips: In the bathroom of Boca Chica there is a DJ booth and sometimes they have parties, you can check the itinerary on their website.
DAY 3
If you have one more day left, we recommend taking a walk through the Barcelona Football Club stadium, called CAMP NOU, which has a museum and you can enter the field through the changing rooms and the path that the players take until they enter the game. It's an awesome feeling!
Very close to the stadium you have the Jardines del Palacio de Pedralbes. Very nice gardens to walk around, especially in spring. You can have a picnic and eat something among its vegetation, and if you feel like shopping, go to Diagonal and L'Illa.
In addition, we recommend going through MONTJUIC. A mountain in the middle of this imposing city where the National Palace of Montjüic is located.
The best thing is to simply get lost in the mountains and its gardens... To eat you can take something with you and eat it in the parks, or stop by La Font Del Gat, a restaurant that is located in height with a cute balcony and you eat great.
Other options to see Barcelona from above: Tibidabo or the Carmel Bunkers.
Also, stopping to eat at Marea Alta, a restaurant with 360º views located in the Raval. Another option is to have a drink at the Hotel Colón, it closes early.
But to see the post dedicated especially to where to eat and drink in Barcelona, click HERE. Because there is A LOT to recommend.
If you want to get away to other towns, be sure to visit our guides to the best ones near Barcelona, HERE.