BARCELONA ITINERARY DAY 1
GAUDÍ, LAS RAMBLAS, AND THE GOTHIC QUARTER
You will spend the morning visiting some of Gaudí’s best masterpieces, located on Passeig de Gracia. Take a stroll down Las Rambas and spend the rest of the day exploring the Gothic Quarter.
CASA BATLLÓ
Casa Batlló is one of Antoni Gaudí’s most famous designs. This colorful building sits on Passeig de Gracia, one of the major thoroughfares through the city.
If you traveling on a budget, you can simply view the building from the outside. However, if you have an interest in Gaudí and his architecture, it is worth paying to enter the house. Lines can be long. This is one of several spots in Barcelona where you should book your tickets in advance.
CASA AMATLLER
Located next to Casa Batlló is Casa Amatller, another unique building in Barcelona. This building was designed for the chocolatier Antoni Amatller. Inside Casa Amatller is a store selling Amatller chocolate. It is delicious! We recommend visiting the café and ordering the melted chocolate served with bread. And don’t forget to buy some chocolate to bring home.
CASA MILÀ
Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera, is located just a few blocks north of Casa Batlló on Passeig de Gracia. This was the last civil work designed by Antoni Gaudí and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Casa Milà is another icon of Barcelona but not quite as popular as Casa Batlló. We walked by La Pedrera several times and never saw the queues like we did at Casa Batlló.
Like Casa Batlló, you can simply enjoy the view from the outside (for free) or pay to tour the building. If you choose to tour Casa Milá, the average visit lasts 1 to 1.5 hours.
STROLL DOWN LAS RAMBLAS
Strolling down Las Ramblas is one of the best things to do in Barcelona.
Las Ramblas is the main pedestrian thoroughfare through Barcelona. It connects Plaça de Catalunya with the Christopher Columbus monument. It’s crowded and very touristy, but since it is one of those “must-do’s” while in Barcelona, it’s worth walking Las Ramblas at least for a few blocks. In my opinion, strolling through the Gothic Quarter and walking along Rambla de Catalunya is much more interesting.
MERCADO DE LA BOQUERIA
La Boqueria is a large market in central Barcelona, located right on La Rambla. This a great place to go shopping for fish, fruit, fresh juices, and an assortment of foods. There are also small tapas restaurants that are excellent. We recommend Pinotxo Bar and El Quim de la Boqueria.
THE GOTHIC QUARTER
Spend the rest of the day exploring the Gothic Quarter. For us, the Gothic Quarter was one of the highlights during our time in Barcelona.
The Gothic Quarter is the old city center of Barcelona. Wandering its labyrinth of narrow, cobblestoned streets will take you back in time. Go shopping at the small boutiques and pop into the small restaurants for tapas or cava.
BARCELONA ITINERARY DAY 2
LA SAGRADA FAMILIA AND PARK GÜELL,
LA SAGRADA FAMILIA
The Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudí. Even though it is still under construction, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Sagrada Familia, without a doubt, is a place you must visit while in Barcelona. The Sagrada Familia is the most unique church we have ever visited. I HIGHLY suggest that you book a tour, it’s definitely worth the price (we paid $55/person) but we learned SO MUCH from an in-depth tour.
PARK GÜELL
Park Güell is another one of Gaudí’s works of art. This is one of Barcelona’s most colorful spots, with buildings that resemble gingerbread houses and a long, tiled bench that is designed to look like a serpent. Like all of the other Gaudí sites in Barcelona, you absolutely need to book your tickets in advance in order to avoid waiting in ridiculously long lines.
BARCELONA ITINERARY DAY 3
#1 BOOK AN AIRBNB MIDDAY AND SUNSET SAIL EXPERINCE – HERE
#2 GO TO LA BARCELONETA
#3 SPEND MORE TIME IN THE GOTHIC QUARTER
BARCELONA TIPS
THE BARCELONA PASS
When you purchase this card, you get free access to over 20 attractions in Barcelona. A 3-day pass costs €109. What is included with this pass are attractions that may be of no interest to you. Things like the Aquarium, a hop-on hop-off bus tour, the zoo, the 4D Gaudí Experience, and several obscure museums.
BARCELONA CITY PASS
This pass includes your admission into Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. It also includes a hop-on hop-off bus, free transport from the airport by bus, and discounts on other attractions. Starting at €94, this is only worth it if you plan to do the hop-on hop-off bus tour of Barcelona.
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed as Casa Mathilda, very inexpensive, trendy, clean, and the service was amazing! This small hotel is very centralized and easy 2-5 minute walk to a few attractions, restaurants, and shopping. I will definitely stay here again. In the morning they provide their version of breakfast, and it was delicious!
