I jump at any chance to visit Barcelona, whether it’s for a music festival like Primavera, catching up with friends, or enjoying a solo trip. I love relaxing on the sunny terrace of a tiny bar, people-watching over an ice-cold glass of vermouth and a plate of salty little snacks. That’s one of my favorite activities anywhere, but it holds a special charm in Barcelona, where life is lived on the plazas, side streets and terraces.
There are so many ways to enjoy this city, but in a place as shiny and as fun as Barcelona, it’s all too easy to get sucked into a tourist trap (especially along La Rambla), as is the case with many popular destinations. To ensure you have a great time on your trip, I’ve crafted a four-day itinerary based on my personal recommendations gathered over years of exploring the city and sharing favorite spots with friends. Let’s dig in.
- When to visit: Offseason. It’s sunny, the sea is still warm-ish, there are fewer crowds and it’s much easier to navigate.
- How to get from the airport: The airport metro takes you directly from El Prat to any of the main central metro stations for €5.50. You can also get the airport shuttle bus for €2.40 to the city’s center. It stops at Plaça de Catalunya, which has excellent city-wide connecting transport options.
- Getting around town: You can quickly get from one part of the city to the next on the metro. If you’re staying for a long weekend, the best value is the T-Casual card (10 metro rides in zone 1) for €12.15. Or, try the Hola Barcelona Card, which offers unlimited travel on the metro, bus, tram, funicular and airport transport for €25.50 for three days. Uber hasn’t really taken off here, so download the Cabify app instead. I find Barcelona is best explored on foot, though, and you get to admire all the gorgeous architecture you’d otherwise miss if you were traveling in a car or underground on the metro.
- Where to stay: My favorite neighborhood is Gràcia; I love the sunny squares that are filled with families at the weekend, the late-night salsa clubs and old independent boutiques. But if you’re staying for a short time and want to be in the center of the action, I’d go with El Born. It’s home to museums, tiny hotels, great restaurants and it’s close to the beach. It’s in the Old Town but removed from the raucousness of the Gothic Quarter. I also really like Eixample, it’s quite touristy but really elegant and where you’ll find Gaudí attractions like Casa Batlló and La Sagrada Família.
Plan a trip to Barcelona with our seasonal guide
Friday
Morning: Drop your bags off at your hotel in El Born and head straight to Mercat de Santa Caterina for a sticky tortilla at Bar Joan. While most visitors go to La Boqueria to jostle elbows with hordes of other tourists, Santa Caterina feels more like a local market where longtime residents shop for groceries. Afterward, chill by the lake in Parc de la Ciutadella or stroll towards Barceloneta Beach along Carrer de Circumval·lació, where food and crafts market stalls are set up along the street.
How to spend the day: Back in El Born, visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (Moco), featuring works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, David LaChapelle and Salvador Dalí. I love the Yayoi Kusama mirror room because it feels very trippy, like floating in space. Then, head to the Picasso Museum on the same street. The building is as much an attraction as the work exhibited; it’s spread across five medieval palaces and feels very airy and calm. After consuming so much art in one day, I tend to feel overwhelmed (in a good way) and usually need to walk it off or sit in a cafe somewhere to process it all, so if you’re like me, decompress at nearby Xiloteca with a coffee.
Dinner: If I lived in Barcelona, I’d eat at Bar del Pla every week. Their small, perfectly crafted tapas menu focuses on quality ingredients, and the wine list is superb. Try the oxtail brioche and picanya roast beef and definitely order the patatas bravas (potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) because they are, hands down, the best in the city. Don’t let the casual vibe fool you into thinking you don’t need to book ahead. It’s always busy.
After dark: Dr Stravinsky is a cocktail bar with low lighting and walls stacked with glowing liquids and where the award-winning cocktails are elevated to an art form. The bartenders are always flipping, shaking and making dramatic pours like Tom Cruise in Cocktail, and while that sounds cheesy, they make it look good. I love the theater of it all. Each drink is grouped into sections on the menu—smoky, milky, spicy, umami, sour, and more—to guide your selection.
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Saturday
Morning: Enjoy breakfast in Espai Mescladis, a cafe that that trains and employs refugees and helps them build ties within the neighborhood. It has a really lovely community vibe. The menu features Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Latin American influences, reflecting the diverse origins of the staff. Most of the produce is organic and fair trade and produced locally. I love the Moroccan lentil salad and hummus plate. It’s a great place to eat solo, with shared tables in the airy courtyard.
How to spend the day: Open-top bus tours are ideal for Barcelona, where the architecture is so unique that the entire city feels like an open-air museum. If you opt for the City Sightseeing bus (from €33.00), start with the blue line and you’ll see the top Modernista sights and Camp Nou. Then, switch to the red line at Diagonal (the Francesc Macià stop) to reach Montjuïc where you can visit the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in the 1920s Palau Nacional and the Fundació Joan Miró. Before rejoining the tour at the Telefèric de Montjuïc stop, take a short walk to Bar Marcelino, a cheap and cheerful outdoor bar surrounded by trees off the main route that’s popular with locals. Not many tourists seem to know it’s here, but it offers some of the best panoramic views of Barcelona. Grab a beer and soak it all in.
Dinner: Bar Cañete is a real treat, blending Catalan, Andalusian, and French dishes with white-tablecloth service. The staff treat everyone like they’ve been coming here for years. If possible, get a front-row seat at the bar to watch the synchronized movements of the waitsers and chefs as they prepare and serve each dish. It’s expensive, but you can keep the costs down by ordering a mix of appetizers. Don’t miss the lobster croquetas or fried artichokes. For a similar experience at a lower price point, consider Gresca. I love it and so does Dua Lipa.
After dark: If you want to go dancing but haven’t purchased a ticket in advance to the big clubs, try you luck at Monk, a “secret” bar and club in El Born. The hidden entrance to its cocktail bar can be found at the back of a grocery store (behind the Haribo stand), along with another secret entrance to access the club itself. For a unique Barcelona experience, visit Poble Espanyol, an open-air architectural museum that hosts DJs and live music. If you want a more low-key evening, check out the musical programming for Palau de la Música Catalana, where the shimmering stained-glass skylight alone is worth the visit.
Don’t miss Barcelona’s best experiences
Sunday
Morning: Many Barcelona restaurants are usually closed on Sunday or Sunday/Monday limiting your options. But there are still treats to be had if you know where to look. I love Soma in Eixample for a late breakfast or early lunch. Book ahead and request a seat on the terrace. Watch people stroll by while enjoying a plate of pà amb tomàquet (tomato bread) with anchovies. Many of the streets around Eixample are pedestrianized on Sundays so you can enjoy a lovely little morning walk afterwards.
How to spend the day: Many shops also close on Sundays, making it a great day to explore more of the city’s museums. To avoid the Sunday crowds at popular attractions like La Sagrada Família, consider visiting Casa Vicens instead, a less-visited Gaudí museum. Once you’ve soaked in some architectural marvels, I recommend shifting gears to the Gràcia neighborhood where my go-to spot for coffee and lunch is Bar La Camila, a gorgeous mid-century styled café that also serves Catalan dishes like calçots (chargrilled green onions with romesco sauce) and esqueixada (salt cod salad). Treat yourself to vegan ice cream at Amma Gelato and enjoy it at Plaça de la Virreina, a square surrounded by bars and restaurants where residents gather to savor their Sundays.
Dinner: Bar Salvatge in Gràcia is rightly famous for its geeky natural wine menu and fun and delicious small plates. It’s the type of place where you let the staff choose your wine as their rotation is constantly changing. You can get Gildas (a briny and tangy appetizer featuring a fat olive, salty anchovy and pickled Guindilla pepper) in many Barcelona wine bars, but the ones served here are my favorite. It’s also a great place to spend the night because the music is loud, and it stays open until 12:30am.
After dark: La Pedrera is the name given to Casa Milà, Gaudí’s apartment block. You can visit at any time but I highly recommend booking a nighttime tour. In winter they run from 7pm and in summer from 9pm. Tickets (from €39 for adults) include a glass of Cava and a music show on the rooftop (any genre from jazz to rumba) and a guided tour. There’s something really special about standing on that rooftop at night among the illuminated chimney stacks (which look like stormtroopers from Star Wars). The architecture seems even more surreal.
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Monday
Morning: Wake up early and join the queue for Milk Bar & Bistro, the first restaurant in Barcelona to serve brunch (and reputed to serve the best). While the food is excellent, I find the constant queues daunting. If you’re patient try the chorizo hash or the matcha pancakes — both are delicious. For shorter waits in the Old Town, consider Cafe del Born or, for a lighter option, Flax and Kale.
How to spend the day: Shop for unique pieces in places special to Barcelona. Start with Cereria Subirà, the oldest candle shop in the city, crafting traditional wax candles since 1761. Other gems include La Manual Alpargatera, known for its handmade espadrilles and La Clinique, specializing in vintage designer sunglasses and exclusive perfumes. I always like to pick up a book in the local language when I’m visiting a city, even if I can’t speak it. In Barcelona, I head to Lliberia Calders in Sant Antoni for a great selection of Catalan books, and then to Café Cometa for an iced-coffee.
Dinner: At local staple Bar Bodega Gol in Sant Antoni, you probably won’t see another tourist. It’s an unpretentious spot where the walls are lined with wine barrels, and the simple menu showcases the quality of ingredients from across Spain, particularly Galicia. Try the escalivada (roasted vegetables), botifarra (Catalan sausage) or Galician beef. It closes early on a Monday (4.30pm) so if that’s too tight for you, try nearby Bandini’s a restaurant offering Mediterranean dishes with a Scandinavian twist.