3 Days in Barcelona: The Ultimate Itinerary

You have not been to Barcelona if you haven’t walked down Las Ramblas. This is the perfect place to kick off your Barcelona trip and to give you a taste of what Barcelona's about. Las Ramblas is one of the most iconic streets in Barcelona, taking you from Plaça de Catalunya down to the Monument of Colom (Christopher Columbus monument). While walking the more than likely very crowded street, you’ll pass by just about everything you could imagine. From flower stands to souvenir shops and everything in between - it really is a must. Plus, the architecture and details of the buildings are a sight worth visiting in itself. However, be extremely cautious in this area – it’s a gold mine for pickpocketers.

Another must while strolling through Las Ramblas, is popping into the famous Mercado de la Boqueria. Voted best food market in the world by CNN, La Boqueria holds over 300 vendors inside where they sell all types of meat, fish, vegetables, sweets and so on. It’s said that it’s the oldest market in the city dating back to 1217, when a group of merchants continuously gathered to this spot to buy and sell items.

However, if you want more of an organized game-plan, the following are of note. Plaça de Sant Jaume is the political center of the city and has been for over 2000 years as the Roman’s chose this site as one their main settlements. Nearby, there are many points of interest including both Plaça del Pi and Plaça de la Vila de Madrid, where Roman traces can be found. The Catedral de Barcelona is also close by, which is must see! The gothic cathedral was built between the 13th-15th century and is dedicated to Santa Eulalia, the co-patron saint of Barcelona. The actual name of the cathedral is: Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia aka Catedral de Barcelona. In fact, her remains are buried under the main alter. Entry is around 9€. I have never personally been inside as I’ve been content looking at it from the outside, however, I’ve heard it’s beautiful. Also, if you’re looking for an amazing view of the cathedral and Barcelona and to grab a good drink, make sure to check out the terrace of Hotel Colón across the street! It will give you one of the best (and most instagrammable) views.

Barcelona beach is a quick stroll away from the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas making it incredibly easy to access. You can easily spend a couple hours to sunbathe, use its outdoor gym, or check out some of bars and restaurants in the area. It’s a nice beach with beautiful landmarks, but in my opinion it’s certainly not one of my favorite beaches that Spain has to offer. It’s great if you have some time to spare and want to take a stroll along the coast and grab a drink, but if you’re running short on time, then I’d probably skip it!

Day 2

Park Güell

Another essential that should be on your Barcelona bucket list is visiting Park Güell. This UNESCO world heritage site is composed of luscious gardens, beautiful mosaic work, unique architecture designed by Gaudí. The park is situated a bit from the city center, but absolutely worth the trek. There’s so much to see inside the park other than it’s iconic entrance. You’ll want to make sure to find Calvary Hill (the highest point of the park) where you’ll find three crosses “El Turó de les Tres Creus" along with one of the best panoramic views you’ll get of Barcelona.

Ironically, Park Güell wasn’t initially intended to be a park, but a modern housing estate. However, these plans were soon abandoned and only 2 of the 60 houses were built. One of the houses was meant to be a show house to attract buyers, but when no one purchased the house, Gaudí decided to buy it for himself and lived there until he died in 1926. It was only then decided in that same year of 1926 to change the purpose to become a public park and was donated to the city of Barcelona.

Getting to Park Güell: There are various ways to getting here, however, I recommend taking metro Line 3 (green) to Vallcara, and from there it’s about a 12-15 minute walk. You could also take bus Line 24 to Park Güell.

A tour of La Sagrada Familia is an absolute must for your first time in Barcelona! The basilica is an undeniable masterpiece and truly unlike anything you’ll ever see or experience. Some backstory: Antoni Gaudí began working on the basilica in 1883, but had an untimely death in 1926 where he got hit by a tram. His remains are kept in the underground level of the basilica. To this day, La Sagrada Familia is still under construction with a completion date of 2026 (honoring the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death). When completed, it will be the tallest religious building in all of Europe.

Inside you’ll see the most beautiful stained-glass windows that fills the basilica with majestic, illuminating colors. Gaudí was huge on symbolism and nature, so if you look closely within the details of the basilica, you’ll see a lot of nature influence in the designs and everything had a meaning to it. When the basilica is completed, it’ll have 18 towers: 12 representing the apostles, 4 representing the evangelists, 1 designated to the Virgin Mary, and the last and final will represent Jesus Christ, which will be topped by a star.

Tickets: There are a couple different ticket options, I’ve personally only done the basic ticket which allows entry and an app audio guide, which worked well for me as I like to go at my own pace. However, I’ve both heard and read that the guided tour is great, so if you have the extra time I’d recommend getting the guided tour since it’s always nice to getting someone to explain the full backstory and history of what you’re seeing. There was previously a ticket option that allowed you to go up in the towers, however they have recently stopped that option, but will be open again in the future. Whatever ticket you choose, make sure to buy them online and reserve your time at least a couple weeks in advance – they do tend to sell out. You can get them here: La Sagrada Familia Tickets.

Casa Batlló is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an icon in Barcelona, which was designed by none other than Antoni Gaudí. Originally, the building was built in 1877 when there was still no electric light in Barcelona. In 1903 it was purchased by Josep Batlló, a prominent business man who owned many factories in Barcelona. In 1904, Batlló hired and granted full creative freedom to Gaudí to completely transform it into a house. Gaudí took inspiration from nature, specifically marine life when designing the house and finished in 1906. You’ll see details and colors of marine life throughout the house. Like his work in La Sagrada Familia, everything has a reason and purpose behind it. Since then, the house has been fully restored and open to the public for viewing. A tour of Casa Batlló is a definite must.

Tickets: You can get tickets here: Casa Batlló tickets. It is a bit on the pricey side, but honestly so worth it.

Near to Casa Batlló is another UNESCO World Heritage site and great house designed by Gaudí- Casa Milà. To be blunt, it’s not as captivating from the outside as Casa Batlló, but still just as unique. Casa Milà was constructed from 1906-1912 and was named Casa Milà simply because it was the home of the Milà family. It is also known as La Pedrera (stone quarry) due to its resemblance of an open quarry in appearance. Casa Milà is considered Gaudî’s most iconic work of civic architecture due to both its constructional and functional innovations. This was Gaudí’s last work of civic architecture. I personally haven’t been inside, but I’ve heard good things!

Tickets: You can get tickets here: Casa Milá tickets.

While you're already checking out Casa Batlló and Casa Milá, I recommend continuing your stroll down Passeig de Gràcia. It's one of the major avenues in Barcelona and is one of the most prominent shopping and business areas and contains several of the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture.

If you have time, I’d definitely recommend taking a stroll through Parc de la Ciutadella. It’s really is a beautiful park perfect for an afternoon stroll. Make sure to stop by its monumental waterfall from the 19th century, which a young Antoni Gaudí assisted on creating. A little backstory of the park is that there was once a military fortress, the Citadel, on the grounds that was built during the reign of King Philip V (1715) and played a key role in the city’s defence system. However, it was ordered to be demolished in 1869 so the land could be returned to the city.

Another iconic landmark that you don’t want to miss is the Arc de Triomf (hard to miss as it's the gateway to the park). In 1888 Barcelona hosted the Universal Exhibition and the Arc de Triomf was built as the gateway to the fair.

Food Recommendations

Brunch

Tapas

Restaurants

If you have extra time or looking for alternative options, check these places out!