Barcelona in 3 Days: tips, what to see, and much more

It may not be the capital of Spain, but Barcelona receives every year millions of visitors who want to see some of the most emblematic places in the whole country: La Sagrada Familia and all the legacy of Gaudi, the Gothic Quarter, La Rambla, Paseo de Gracia, the Mediterranean and much more. If you are thinking of coming to Barcelona for 3 days, I propose an itinerary for you to discover the essential places.

Three days may not seem long enough to get to know Barcelona, but if you know how to organize yourself, you will be able to move around all its points of interest and enjoy its monuments and attractions. On this first day, and to make the first contact, I suggest you take the bug to see the imposing Sagrada Familia. Before, I suggest you climb to the top of Tibidabo, visit the famous Park Guell and take a stroll through the Gracia district. In the evening, finish the day in the Gothic Quarter.

Marvel at the city from the heights

In order to have a definite first impression of Barcelona, I propose you to take a little distance and get a panoramic image of this beautiful city. To do this, take the metro on the green line, line 3, and get off at the Vallcarca stop.

You will have reached the upper part of the city and in less than 10 minutes walking through a beautiful residential and aristocratic neighborhood you will reach the Tibidabo funicular, one of the highest peaks of the city that has privileged views. For less than 5 € you can take this interesting carriage that will take you up in a matter of minutes. There, you have the famous Sagrado Corazón temple and also one of the oldest amusement parks in the city.

Discover the magic of Park Güell

After having known Barcelona from the heights, one of the best plans to complete the morning is to go down to reach the Park Güell. Just go to Travesera de Dalt and in less than 10 minutes you will arrive at the main gate of the park. Access is free. However, if you want to enter inside Gaudí's entire architectural complex you will have to pay an entrance fee of around 10 €. You also have the option of booking a tour of Park Güell to get to know it in depth.

Even so, I recommend you to be very attentive to the Park Güell schedules, as there are times of the year when tickets can be free. For example, in the summer season, every Sunday access is free from 5 pm, so I recommend you to check the official website.

Have lunch near Park Güell

After a morning of sightseeing, panoramic views and culture, you're sure to feel like stopping to recharge your batteries. Luckily, just outside Park Güell there are plenty of places to eat and, despite being such a famous park, the area is rather residential, so you will find good quality menus at an affordable price.

One of these restaurants could be La Salut Restaurant, which offers Mediterranean food, specializing in paellas, seasonal vegetables, calçots and meats. You also have the possibility to book a gastronomic tour of Barcelona to delve into the local cuisine.

Descend and get to know the Barrio de Gracia

With a full stomach you can see everything better and I can't think of a better way to get the food down than by taking a walk or booking a bike tour to the Barrio de Gracia area. The good thing from Park Güell is that it's all downhill, so you only have to go down the narrow streets that cross the Travesera de Dalt and you will have reached the considered Villa de Gracia, one of the most picturesque and artistic neighborhoods of Barcelona.

There, you can take the opportunity to have a coffee in the famous Plaza del Diamante, one of the focal points of the neighborhood and the title of the famous novel by Mercè Rodoreda.

Visit the great Barcelona landmark, the Sagrada Familia

If you have come to know Barcelona, surely you were eager to see the Sagrada Familia, one of the icons of the city and one of the most seen postcards of the whole country. It is one of the most experimental and interesting architectural proposals of the Modern Age. Just seeing it from the outside is impressive but you also have the option to admire the interior of the Sagrada Familia, which I recommend as you have not seen anything like it.

To see it you have several options: from buying the entrance ticket and ride it on your own, take a guided tour or buy a combined ticket and save on two of the plans of your trip. Here are the different options available:

• Tickets for the Sagrada Familia, from $36.
• Guided tour of the Sagrada Familia with optional access to the tower, from $79.
• Tickets for the Sagrada Familia with access to a tower, from $49.
• Guided tour without queues to the Sagrada Familia, from $58.
• Private guided tour of the Sagrada Familia, from $199.
• Tour of Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, from $93.
• Gaudí Tour of Barcelona with Casa Batlló, Park Güell and Sagrada Familia, from $164.
• Private express guided tour of the Sagrada Familia, from $199.
• Private tour of Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, from $236.

To get there from the Barrio de Gracia you have it very easy. You only have to walk about 15 minutes and you will have arrived. If you don't want to walk that far, you can always take the metro at Joanic and get off at Sagrada Familia station, combining on line 5.

Get to know the alleys of the Gothic Quarter at dusk

It has been an intense day, hasn't it? Don't worry, all that's left to do now is relax. When you leave the Sagrada Familia it will have already started to get dark, so I suggest you take the metro and get to the Liceu stop. From here you will have the gateway to the Gothic Quarter has numerous tours and is one of the most famous and visited neighborhoods of Barcelona.

This is the oldest part of Barcelona and you will notice it right away for its narrow streets and the remains of the wall. Seeing it at dusk is a marvel because it is usually illuminated and it seems that you are entering another era. You can book a tour of the old town and the Gothic quarter, have dinner in one of the restaurants located in the Plaça Nova and enjoy a romantic evening overlooking the Cathedral of Barcelona.

For this second day I have prepared a day full of art, culture and tradition in all its forms. To begin with, you will get to know in first person two of the most characteristic buildings in the center of Barcelona; La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. Then you will walk through the whole downtown area until you reach the Rambla, have lunch at the emblematic Boqueria Market, dedicate the afternoon to see the famous MacBa museum and, ending the day, a delicious dinner overlooking the sea in Barceloneta. Are you up for it?

Get to know the essence of Gaudí visiting La Pedrera

Gaudí is present throughout the city of Barcelona. So much so that when you walk through the center and Paseo de Gracia gives the feeling of being in a walking museum, as even the lampposts have his essence. In order to enter a little better in all its imaginary, I propose that you dedicate the morning to know one of the most famous works of Gaudí.

You must get to the Diagonal station, line 3 and 5 metro. From there you are just a few steps away from La Pedrera, the former home of the Mila Family, which today is visited as a sample of the architect's modernism. Its meandering forms, its stone facade, its famous chimneys in the shape of warriors or its courtyard of flowers are some of the samples that you can visit inside this building, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Book your ticket to La Pedrera in advance. I assure you that it is a worthwhile experience.

Continue delving into Gaudí by entering Casa Batlló

At the exit of La Pedrera, going down Paseo de Gracia, you will find in a few steps, on the opposite sidewalk, another great reference of Gaudí; Casa Batlló. An emblematic building that Gaudí completely renovated by order of Josep Batlló and that gave it its characteristic forms similar to nature and its stained glass windows. Entering inside is like entering a fantasy story, so do not wait any longer to book your ticket for the Batlló house.

Stroll along the Ramblas

After a morning of strolling and soaking up all of Gaudi's Barcelona culture, I suggest you slowly make your way to the center of Barcelona, following the famous Paseo de Gracia until you reach Plaça Catalunya, one of the most central points of the city. From here you will be at the gates of the famous Ramblas, an iconic avenue within the city that connects Plaça Catalunya with the statue of Columbus and the access to the port.

Here you will find the famous Canaletas fountain where Barça fans celebrate their victories and you will also find the famous flower kiosks and some of the most touristic stores. Strolling along the Ramblas is one of the must-do's of your trip.

Eat at the Boqueria

And from La Rambla you will comfortably reach the Boqueria Market. This is one of the most important gastronomic points of the city.

Here people buy the most exclusive raw material, but, in addition, there are different top quality food stalls for you to try from meat and seafood to more experimental cuisine. A very interesting option if you want to taste the best dishes is to book a gastronomic tour through the markets of Barcelona.

Spend a cultural afternoon at the MacBa and get to know the Raval

I propose you to continue visiting one of the most important museums in Barcelona at an international level. The MacBa is the contemporary art museum of Barcelona and a reference for all the artistic vanguards of the world. It is located in the Raval neighborhood, a few minutes walk from the Boqueria market and is usually open until 8 pm, so you have time during the afternoon to visit it.

If you book tickets for the Museum of Contemporary Art you can enjoy the main exhibitions and see works by Picasso, Miró, Dalí and many of the modern and contemporary references worldwide. On the way out, take some time to stroll through the streets of the Raval, one of the most multicultural neighborhoods.

End the day strolling through Barceloneta

The day is coming to an end and from where you are you are just a short walk from the beach. Barcelona is a city that has access to the sea and this makes it doubly interesting because, in summer, in addition to enjoying the museums and culture, you can end the day with a dip in the Mediterranean.

One of the most iconic and characterful neighborhoods of Barcelona is Barceloneta, a former fishing district that now has an incredible gastronomic offer. I can't think of a better way to end the day than sitting on one of the terraces of Barceloneta and eating a good fish the day with a view of the sea.

You have reached the last day of your 3-day trip to Barcelona but the fun is not over yet because for this last day I have reserved for you one of the most treasured areas by the locals: Montjuic.

You will get on a cable car that will take you to the top of the famous mountain and you will take the whole day to visit its castle, its gardens, its museums and its incredible views. After lunch I have reserved a space for you to do last minute shopping and as a farewell I have prepared a beautiful show of lights and water.

Take the cable car up to Montjuic and visit the castle

To get to the top of Montjuic, I recommend that you go to the Paral-lel metro station and from there take a funicular inside the metro itself that will take you up in a few minutes to the Parc de Montjuic station. From here, a huge range of panoramas opens up to you since on this mountain there are two of the most important museums, the Olympic City and the Castle of Montjuic.

I propose several possibilities. On the one hand, you can book the tour of Montjuic or if you prefer to go on your own, you can also go to the cable car station. It costs around 10€ and will take you in less than 5 minutes to the Castle, besides showing you the whole hill with panoramic view. Once at the castle, depending on the time you have, you can choose to walk around and see the moat and its exterior facade, or pay an entrance fee of about 5 € and see it also inside.

Remember the 92 Olympics

After leaving the Castle, you can walk through the beautiful gardens of Montjuic until you reach one of the most interesting areas for all sports enthusiasts; the Olympic City. In 1992 Barcelona was the city that hosted the Olympics and built a whole sports city on top of Montjuic that today is still in use and is an imposing memory.

You can go to see the Olympic Stadium and walk around the huge infrastructure. It has free access and you can get an idea of what the event was like and the enormous dimensions that were handled.

Delve into the art of the Miró Foundation or the National Museum

Just before lunch, I have two plans to choose from. At the top of Montjuic there are two museums quite important in the culture of Barcelona but, as it does not give time to see both, you should choose the one that best suits your tastes.

• Joan Miró Foundation: this is a museum dedicated to all the work of Joan Miró, the famous painter. From the structure of the building to all his paintings and sculptures will transport you to a child's world of fantasy and innocence. Undoubtedly an experience for your senses if you like avant-garde art. The entrance fee is approximately 15 € and is located halfway between the gardens and the Olympic City.
• Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya: This is a huge neoclassical building that brings together the largest representation of national and Catalan art. Inside there is a huge mural by Miró, the "Woman with a Hat" by Picasso and an endless number of works and exhibitions both classic and contemporary. General admission is around 10 €.

Lunch with the best views of Barcelona

Whichever museum you have chosen to finish the morning tour, you will surely be hungry by now. If you have chosen the National Museum, the place I'm going to propose for lunch will be next door, and if you have chosen the Miró Foundation you will only have to walk a few minutes.

This is Óleum, the museum restaurant that offers an excellent gastronomic offer and also boasts one of the best views of the whole area, as it is located in the old Throne Room of the Museum. You can try some of the best local food while enjoying a privileged view of Plaza España. And if you prefer to go for tapas and wine, you also have the possibility to book a private gastronomic tour of Barcelona. Bon profit!

Do the last shopping in the old Plaza de Toros

Nothing better to settle your meal than walking down the stairs from the museum to Plaza España. Once back in the lower part of the city, you can dedicate a good part of this last afternoon to buy the last gifts and souvenirs of Barcelona in one of its most emblematic shopping centers; the Arenas. You can also get there comfortably if you book the Barcelona bus.

The particularity of this site is not only that it has gathered all the major brands, but it used to be an old bullring and, when bullfighting was banned throughout the Community, the place was reformed and is now one of the busiest shopping spots. In addition, if you go up to its top floor, you can access a viewpoint that is especially beautiful at sunset, when the lights are turned on.

Say goodbye to Barcelona with two options: Magic Fountain or Caixaforum

To say goodbye to this last day and leave with a good taste in your mouth of this beautiful city, I have prepared one last plan. Precisely in the area where you are, in Plaza España, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday there is a show of lights and water from 9 pm in the so-called Magic Fountain.

For an hour, the fountain creates figures with water and light effects accompanied by music and all kinds of visual effects. An ideal plan whether you come as a couple or with children and, moreover, is completely free.

If you can not attend, another option to finish the evening would be to stop by the CaixaForum, a cultural center built in an old factory that usually has very interesting exhibitions throughout the year and is open every day until 8 pm with an entrance fee of around 5 €.

As you can imagine, Barcelona is a city that, due to its great tourist attraction, receives visitors in all seasons of the year. You should be aware that you will always have to deal with tourists and therefore it is advisable to book in advance to avoid queues.

Even so, I recommend, although it sounds strange, that you avoid the high summer season in Barcelona because it is the time when all the cruise ships dock at the port and the city is really crowded, in addition to having very high temperatures.

It is best to go in the spring months to Barcelona as you can enjoy the good weather and all the plans, but without so many people. Another option, if you like the cold, is to come to enjoy Barcelona at Christmas, where you can live its most authentic traditions and taste the authentic nougat.