What to see in Barcelona in 3 days? Barcelona is a busy and beautiful city known for being the capital of Catalonia and where Gaudi was born. His nature-inspired buildings can be found all over the city. This is the best way to see Barcelona over a long weekend. Here is your plan, schedule for three days in Barcelona, and some important things you should know before you go.
Where to stay in Barcelona first time
If you are a first-time traveller, we suggest you stay in the most central areas, which are easy to get to by public transport and close to sights and attractions. These places are:
- The Plaza de Catalunya
- The Gothic Quarter on Las Ramblas is like the old town
The metro and bus systems make it easy to get to other parts of the city and to Barcelona Airport, where the Aerobus or TMB bus runs from Plaça de Catalunya.
But if you’re on a tight budget and want cheaper lodging, you might want to stay outside the city centre but still close to everything, like in Poble Sec or Montjuïc/Plaza España. It only takes 8 minutes on the metro to get from Poble Sec to La Rambla, but hotels in this area are much cheaper than those in the city centre.
The city of Barcelona is not as big as you might think. From the farthest metro stop from the city’s heart, it shouldn’t take you more than 45 minutes to get to Plaça de Catalunya, the centre of Barcelona. Most of the time, your metro ride to the city heart will take much less—about 10 to 15 minutes.
You should make sure that your hotel is close to a train stop. Afterwards, you could stay in a hotel in almost any part of the city centre (Zone 1) and easily get to the sights by train.
Is it worth it to go to Barcelona?
If you had to choose one European city? it would be Barcelona. The city has delectable restaurants, and its architecture may be compared to Paris’s. And when the weather gets bad, visitors can always find something fascinating in one of the many museums or other indoor attractions.
The weather is nice, and the people are very friendly. This kind of European place deserves more than a glance.
Many people use Barcelona as a base to explore the rest of the area, but you should set aside at least a few days to enjoy this Catalonian gem.
Visitors to Barcelona who are travelling alone will quickly find a lot to enjoy. For ideas that are further away, read our guides to the best secret gems in Spain and the best quotes about Spain.
What to see in Barcelona in 3 days? Finding out that many of the main sites need to be reserved ahead of time is one of the most important things you should do before you go to Barcelona. To help you plan your trip, check out Low Cost Vibes’ list of things to book ahead of time in Barcelona.
Is three days enough to see Barcelona?
Without question, three days is enough time to get to know the capital of Catalonia and even take a short side trip to a nearby town. With 72 hours in Barcelona, you can try food there, see many of Gaudi’s buildings, and even find time to relax. Check out our top Barcelona travel tips for more insider information.
How to Get Around Barcelona?
You shouldn’t rent a car. Sometimes, it’s hard to find a parking spot, and renting a car is a waste of money in a place where public transportation is so cheap and reliable.
Getting around Barcelona on foot is easy, so wear comfortable shoes. Many travel guides say trainers are inappropriate, but that is no longer true. Feel free to wear trainers if that is what you feel fine with.
Remember that Barcelona is full of pickpockets, especially around Las Ramblas. The most important thing you can do to get ready for your trip is to wear a shoulder bag and keep your important things close to you at all times.
Day 01: Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas
The Gothic Quarter
Start your time in Barcelona by going straight to The Gothic Quarter, one of the city’s most famous neighbourhoods. Here, you’ll soon find gems like Barcelona Cathedral and many Roman ruins from when the city was inhabited by Romans and was called Barcino.
What to see in Barcelona in 3 days? One of the best things about the Gothic Quarter is that you can see Gaudi’s first project, which was to improve the street lamps in Plaça Reial. You’ll need a few hours to see everything the Gothic Quarter offers. Instead, if you want to learn more about the Gothic Quarter from someone who lives there, you should book a guided tour. There are a lot of Gothic buildings in this area, which makes Barcelona one of the best Gothic cities in Europe.
Mercado de la Boqueria
After walking around the Gothic Quarter for a while, you’ll probably be hungry. This is a great time to visit Mercado de la Boqueria, the city’s most famous covered market. There are stands selling speciality coffees and even falafel vegano, which is not Catalan food but is still tasty.
There has been some market on the site since at least the 1300s when the food court was described as having stands selling meat near the city gate.
The market became legal in the 1800s, making the Mercat de la Boqueria successful today. Please remember that the market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
Palau Guell
When you visit Barcelona, Palau Guell, which is close to the Gothic Quarter, is one of the first Gaudi buildings you’ll see.
Antoni Gaudí built the now-museum mansion at the request of Eusebi Güell, a rich businessman who wanted to live in Barcelona’s El Raval neighbourhood.
This house was built in the late 1800s and has all the architectural features that make Gaudi’s work unique. For example, the carved brick and beautiful porches are based on natural shapes. These days, it costs a little to go to the Palace.
Las Ramblas
For many people, Las Ramblas is the most famous street in Barcelona. It’s like Paris’s Champs-Élysées, but in Barcelona. Because of its huge success, Las Ramblas is now home to many tourist traps and expensive restaurants that aren’t always the best.
You will, however, see this street at least once as you walk around the city because it cuts through the busiest parts of it. When you walk along Las Ramblas, be extra careful with your bag because this is where most people get their pockets picked.
Parc de la Ciutadella
After visiting the busy city centre, you can go to the Parc de la Ciutadella, one of Barcelona’s calmer parts. Some people might be shocked to learn that the capital of Catalonia has its own Arc de Triomf. It was built in the 1800s and is in the green space.
Montjuïc magic fountain show
Want to do something fun and different this evening without drinking or going to a pub? The Montjuïc magic fountain light shows, which cast sound, music, and lights onto a fountain in the Montjuïc neighbourhood, are one of the coolest ways to spend an evening in Barcelona in the summer.
Get tapas for dinner
One thing you should know about Spain before you go is that people there eat late, so getting a dinner ticket before 8 or 9 PM will be hard. Enjoy a Spanish favourite at the end of your first day in Barcelona: tapas.
When you go out to eat tapas, you order a lot of small plates to share with your friends and family. Often, people order a bunch of small meals to snack on while they drink their drinks (sangria is the drink of choice in Spain). You could also check out this 2-hour Cocktail Master Class with Tapas.
Day 2: Gaudi Sites
Casa Battlo
If you’re only in Barcelona for 72 hours, you won’t be able to see all of Gaudi’s buildings, but you can see the most important ones. Many people think Gaudi’s Casa Battlo is one of his best works.
The house was built at Lluís Sala Sánchez’s request. Because of its strange shape, the people in the area call it the House of Bones (Casa dels ossos). It’s now a museum that costs money to get into.
Because this former home is considered one of Gaudi’s best works, as you might expect, many people want to see it for themselves, and the lines are long.
A Mila home
It’s only a short walk from Casa Battlo to Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera, which means “The stone quarry.” This building from the Art Nouveau era usually takes about an hour to see, and you must buy tickets beforehand.
Enjoy lunch
You should get lunch after taking two of Gaudi’s most famous works. Yes, you can eat tapas again. It is one of the best ways to try many of Catalonia’s most famous meals. LOKAL BAR and Vinitus are two of the best tapas bars close to Casa Mila.
La Sagrada Familia
Famously, Gaudi’s beautiful religious work is still unfinished. The best place to see it is not directly under the church but from Plaça de la Sagrada Familia, a small green park a short walk away.
Antoni Gaudi designed the church in the 1800s, and it may be so well-known because it’s still being built. It has been this way for more than one hundred years.
The church wasn’t even built until 2010; now, you can pay to see it. You should know ahead of time, though, that this is one of the most famous buildings in Barcelona, so make sure you get your tickets early.
Parc Guell
Parc Guell is a lovely park that Gaudí built. It has a view of the city and is fun for people of all ages. Check out some one-of-a-kind installations set in some pretty beautiful gardens.
Boat tour/ sunset sailing cruise
A beautiful way to end the day is to go on a boat tour and see the city and its surroundings from the water. Many people have said great things about this boat tour, which leaves Port Vell and takes you to beautiful Mediterranean views and Barcelona.
Day 3: In Barcelona and the area around it
Tour of Mount Tibidabo or Barcelona Stadium
What should you do on your third day in Barcelona? You could stay in the city all day, but we suggest you leave for at least a short time. A church on top of a 512-meter-high hill with a view of Barcelona is one of the most popular things to do close to Barcelona.
On the other hand, football fans should go on the Barça Stadium Tour. Camp Nou is the biggest stadium in Europe; you can walk to see it. There is also a museum about football there.
On a food trip, a walking tour, or to the beach in Barcelona
You can do a few different things when you get back to Barcelona. Again, this depends on what you want to do and how tired you are from the last two days in Barcelona!
People who love food and still haven’t had enough of Catalonia’s food scene can book a food tour like this one. You could also walk along the beach in Barcelona and watch the small boats bob in the Mediterranean Sea.
El Born
On the last night of your three-day trip to Barcelona, hang out in the El Born neighbourhood. This cool and hip part of the city is known for its high-end stores and medieval-style streets. The Santa Maria del Mar Basilica and the Picasso Museum are the best places to visit.
If you have more time in Barcelona…
One of the best parts of going to Barcelona is exploring the surrounding area. Check out our picks for the best day trips from Barcelona to get more ideas for where to go with our Low Cost Vibes travel consultants.
Girona
The beautiful city of Girona is an old settlement whose old town has been the setting for many films and TV shows, including Game of Thrones.
Figueres
It is a strange town in northern Catalonia, not far from the border with France. It is home to the famous Dali Museum. The cute town of Figueres is only half an hour from the French border and about two hours north of Barcelona. A famous day trip from Barcelona, it’s best known as the place where Dalí was born. The Dali museum and historic fortress are two of the best things to see there.
Montserrat
The lovely monastery in Montserrat is built into the side of a rock and looks like it came from a fairy tale. Many people from Barcelona take day trips to the mountain range with many peaks. The Abbey of Montserrat is the jewel in the crown of this range.
What to bring to Barcelona
Generally, if you’re coming from outside mainland Europe, you’ll need to bring a universal travel adapter to keep your tools charged while on the go. Buy an adapter to make sure you don’t get caught!
Low Cost Vibes knows everything. What to see in Barcelona in 3 days? There is to know about your Barcelona Holiday and cheap Barcelona holiday packages. We offer the best shared and private transfers to get you to your hotel in Barcelona quickly and easily. Our website also contains useful information. Talk to our experts right away to find out more.
FAQs for your Barcelona Holiday
How Much Does a Taxi Cost from Las Ramblas To Park Güell?
It will cost between €16.00 and €19.00 to take a taxi from La Rambla (the city centre) to Park Güell. The trip should take about 15 minutes, based on traffic. A taxi can hold up to four people, and you see the price for the whole car.
What museums in Barcelona are free on the first Sunday of every month?
This information is at the Instituto de Cultura de Barcelona (ICUB), “Culture Institute of Barcelona.” They can tell you which places are free on the first Sunday of every month if you call them during business hours or give us a call for more information.
Is the Barcelona Flamenco Show a Good Place for Kids?
Yes, kids are welcome to the flamenco show. You will need to buy a ticket for each person coming, including your kids. The kids must be at least four years old, though.
When should you go to Barcelona?
You can enjoy Barcelona all year long. Avoid coming here in November, March, and April when it rains a lot. Even though the sea breezes make the weather bearable sometimes, summer is too hot. Early fall is the best time to go if you want to avoid crowds.
How to get around in Barcelona?
Barcelona has good systems for getting around the city. You can use buses, trains, the underground, and even the new tourist cableways to get to any part of the city. It’s easy to find comfortable, reasonably priced black and white cabs. People love riding bikes and using the bike share system to get around town. They like to ride on the flat streets of the city centre.
