Looking for the top 10 things to do in Barcelona? Here are the easiest and most fun things you can try on your next trip to Spain!
This post will highlight lots of cool activities you can try on your next visit. From the best restaurants in Barcelona to try tapas to eat, to cooking classes, museums, and tours to take! This is a perfect travel/ food guide for you and I’m hopeful it will give you some ideas to make your Barcelona trip the best yet!
This post is about the top 10 things to do in Barcelona
Top 10 Things to Do in Barcelona
You’re booking a trip to Spain and you’re looking for some ideas on the top 10 things to do in Barcelona!
Barcelona has become a trendy city! It’s known for its tasty food, sports, and architecture.
The city itself is home to the Catalan, a nationality group within the country that has its own language and culture. You’ll see Spanish as well as Catalan as you walk the streets. Both cultures are infused in the look, feel and food of the city.
Barcelona doesn’t play about its food and quality, so don’t even worry about that, nothing will be bland. The city is also widely known for its different architectural influences so in that regard its very unique and appealing to the eye.
I recently went for 4 days and was able to experience it for the second time. My cousin who is a Spain native was able to show me Barcelona like a local! So this ain’t no local joker giving you some advice on what to do, it comes straight from the land! Here are the top 10 things you must do in Barcelona!
1. Eat This Lamb
DO this first. This is exactly what we did the day we arrived. After checking in at the hotel, we took a taxi (Cabify) to Restaurante Asador De Aranda. I’ll just say It was the best restaurant I went to throughout the whole trip!
We ordered the cuarti de asado de lechazo (roast baby lamb), chuletillas de lechazo (baby lamb chops) ensalada verde (spanish side salad) , patatas (potatoes) and arroz (rice).
The lamb is cooked slowly only in salt, pepper, and olive oil. Seems so simple but it is packed with flavor. The roasted lamb falls apart as you plate it. Take the juice from the lamb and place it on your rice or dip the bread in it. My gosh.
Everything was simple but served a punch! Even the rice, wasn’t “just” rice, it was #wellseasoned.
Also, try their sangria. We tried many during this trip and it was the best by far!
Location: Carrer de Pau Claris, 70, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
2. Visit Plaça de Catalunya
Everything you can think of is here in Plaça de Catalunya (Catalonia Square). It’s the heart of the city and it’s central to anything you would want to do in Barcelona. It’s where the old city and new city meet and a common meeting place for locals and tourists alike.
Any tour you’ll take will most likely be within walking distance of this location. If you need something to do or eat, it will be here. Visiting this square is an easy thing to do in Barcelona.
If clothes shopping in Barcelona is important for you, this area has the biggest department stores- from local to designer clothing. You can find the El Corte Ingles , the 3rd largest department store in the world here as well. Other stores close by are Zara, Desigual, urban outfitters, and much more!
Location: Plaça de Catalunya, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
3. Take a Bus Tour
I always recommend taking a bus tour when going to a new city. If going to popular sites is your thing or you want to cover a lot of ground, this is such a great way to do that.
I took the Barcelona Bus Turistic tour. It was about 2 hours long. This is not a guided tour where someone is explaining facts as you see monuments, it was an audio tour where you get headphones and listen as you pass by.
Another feature is you can hop on and off for 24 hours, and there is another option for 48 hours.
The tour starts in Plaça de Catalunya, and you pass by famous places like the La Sagrada Familia. Park Guell and where the Olympics took place.
We used this tour to see more of the city without having to walk. I was well aware that I would not get a more “personalized” tour experience, however, my family and I enjoyed the ability to cover lots of ground much more quickly. We also used one of the stops to go to a restaurant my cousin recommended.
You can purchase your ticket online here, or go to the tour booth in person to purchase.
4. See Cool Architecture
One of the fun things to do in Barcelona is to observe unique architecture. The city is known to have a mix of gothic and modern styles.
You can definitely feel the love for the artists in Barcelona, especially Gaudi. What amazed me about his work is that when you see it, especially the Casa Batlló, he was way ahead of his time. It started in 1906, however, its beauty surpasses its age!
Observe the Sagrada Familia, an immaculate (in every way) church that has been in construction since before Gaudi’s death in 1926. It is currently being built by people donating money to finish it!
You can use your hop-on hop-off tour bus to get you there and observe these places yourself. Or if this is something you’re really interested in observing with an expert, taking a tour with a guide would be an excellent option.
I’ll leave some tours below, that you can check out!
5. Eat Good Paella
This is a given… obliviously…. but if you’ve never had paella before, then this is the perfect time to try it.
Originally, it’s from Valencia Spain, but it has become a staple dish known worldwide. It’s a mix of meat, seafood, veggies, and rice seasoned with saffron.
It comes out sizzling on a pot bigger than a human. Your waiter brings it out, and serves it to you, with a side of aioli. You squeeze some lemon on top and bon appétit!
I ate so much paella… honestly, I was over it by the end of the trip, but I am glad to have finally tried it
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6. Go to a Museum
Some things to see in Barcelona are for sure the museums. The Picasso Museum is of course a must-see since he was a Spanish native.
We decided to go to the Moco Museum in Barcelona. It’s a 3 story display mixed with modern and contemporary art. You’ll see the like of Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Banksy, and more!
You can buy your ticket online and reserve the time that works best for you. You can take an “audio” tour, where you can use their sight to give an audio explanation of the paintings and artists!
It was a vibe. There were so many artists that I had never heard of, also there were some that I had seen before, but did not know the name. You’ll be in their googling trying to know more.
Some of the art was cool. some… eh not for me, but who am I? You go and let me know what you think!
Book this museum or look at other museum options!
7. Visit El Born (the Gothic District)
If you’re already going to the Moco Museum, stay a while and walk in the Born district.
View the cute narrow streets that give you this medieval/ old city charm. Art fills the walls of the alleys ways, which are perfect for great pictures.
If you’re looking to shop for unique items, you’ll find plenty of corner shops and mini-markets where you can grab interesting finds.
When you’re here you MUST and I mean MUST go to Brunells.
This is the most delicious bakery shop serving eccentric pastries and coffee. I had the best chai tea of my life. No joke! I also grabbed 2 other pastries, one was a pistachio flavor and the other one, tbh, I can’t remember.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of them. Before I could whip out my phone, I had downed the pastry.
This district is only a 15-minute walk from Plaça de Catalunya, so you can really enjoy the views as you walk these streets at those sweets!
Location: Carrer de la Princesa, 22, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
8. Eat Delicious Tapas
Tapas are small dishes (snacks, appetizers) that multiple of them put together can make a full meal. They are usually small portions and you can order lots for yourself, or more culturally, to share!
Fan favorites to try are:
- Pan con Tomate (Spanish tomatoes bread) where fresh tomatoes and garlic or spread on fresh bread
- Tortilla espanola- (Spanish tortilla) is different from a corn or flour tortilla. It’s made from potatoes and eggs
- Gambas al Ajllo- (Garlic Prawns) is so yummy. It’s shrimp cooked in a #wellseasoned garlic sauce
Now, if you want really good tapas, you again… MUST go to Vinitus.
I highly recommend the shrimp “al ajillo” style, here. I tried this dish at 3 different restaurants and Vinitus had the best by far.
Other recommendations are the chicken with cured ham croquettes, beef tenderloin, and the best to EVER do it, the homemade cannelloni! I had the cannelloni in 2019 and had to have it again. It is fantastic.
This whole list is a winner, I promise you.
Location: C. del Consell de Cent, 333, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
9. Take a Cooking Class
One of the top things you can do in Barcelona is, take a cooking class! I had the pleasure of taking a 4-course cooking experience, where we made paella, the Spanish tortilla, and other goodies.
The group was very small. There were only 5 of us in the class so we really engaged with each other and the instructor. I will share all the details on this in a separate post here.
Here are some cooking classes you could try that would be really fun! Also, this would be a great idea for things to do in Barcelona at night!
10. Take a Food and Wine Tour
This was something I hoped to do but didn’t get the chance. It’s always a treat to learn more about a city through its food. You are introduced to restaurants and spaces that you would only see through a local’s eyes and someone who can guide you to experience food in a new way.
For a serious food and wine experience, you can try the Barcelona Wine Walk. They have 4 signature tours, all taught by a sommelier.
Try the wine me more trip where you learn specifically about Catalan wine, tapas, and the people.
Or a wine day trip where you go to other vineyards and local farms for the day to eat fresh food and drink artisanal wines.
I’ll share this one below and others you can try to reserve for your trip!
Well, that’s all my friend. These are the top 10 things to do in Barcelona! I’m for sure going back but next time, I would love to see other parts of the city and more of the country. I hear Madrid is nice, so that is on the list for later!
This is a travel guide to the top 10 things to do in Barcelona.
Let’s eat around the world, together:)