More about: Barcelona Museum Pass
When planning your trip to Barcelona, you will find several tourist cards and discount passes that can help you save money on your trip.
One of my favorites is the city's Museum Pass. Simple and practical, it is a resource that art lovers should take advantage of to see and do one of their favorite activities in Barcelona: visiting world-famous museums and galleries!
What is the Barcelona Museum Pass?
As its name suggests, the Barcelona Museum Pass is a tourist pass designed to take you on a tour of the city's most representative museums.
It includes a total of six museums and their temporary and permanent collections at no additional cost. The best part is that the Barcelona Museum Pass is valid for one year, so if you don't have time to visit all the museums on your first visit, you can always come back and get your money's worth.
According to experts in the field, Barcelona's museums and art galleries are among the best in Europe, at least in terms of early 20th-century avant-garde art, as the region of Catalonia was home to some of the most influential artists of the time, including Miró, Picasso, and Dalí.
From Impressionism to Modernism, through Postmodernism and Cubism, you will find all this and more in Barcelona's museums.
How much does the Barcelona Museum Pass cost and which museums are included?
The Barcelona Museum Pass costs approximately $35 per person, which means a saving of up to 45% on the price of tickets if you were to buy them individually.
Museums included in the Barcelona Museum Pass
Below is a list of the museums you can visit with the pass, as well as what you can see in each of these spaces.
- Picasso Museum, a must-see for all lovers of Picasso's art.
- Antoni Tàpies Foundation, dedicated to one of the most outstanding artists and writers of the early 20th century.
- Joan Miró Foundation, created to promote awareness of this highly talented artist.
- Barcelona Contemporary Culture Center, worth visiting not only for its large art collection but also for its beautiful space and fabulous views.
- National Art Museum of Catalonia, a landmark for Catalan modernism, with works by artists such as Gaudí.
- The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art exhibits the best of local and foreign contemporary art.
How it works and where to buy the Barcelona Museum Pass
The first and most important step is to purchase your Barcelona Museum Pass. First of all, I recommend buying it online weeks before your trip to avoid wasting valuable time that you could spend exploring and getting to know the city.
You can pick it up directly at any of the museums included in the pass. All you need to do is present your purchase voucher at the ticket office. As soon as you visit the first museum, your pass is activated and as you visit the other exhibition centers, you will receive stamps that validate your visit.
Validity and conditions of use
Perhaps the most important and appealing feature for tourists is that this museum pass is valid for a full year.
If your first visit is short, for example two days in Barcelona or three days visiting the city, but you plan to return within the next 12 months, you can reuse your pass at any of the museums you didn't get to visit on your first visit.
When is the best time to buy the Barcelona Museum Pass?
If you plan to spend around four days in Barcelona and have a special interest in the arts, this pass will allow you to save approximately 45% on the price of admission tickets.
Remember that the pass is valid for one year, so if you don't manage to see everything on your first visit, you can always come back.
In addition, you will have an express pass that allows you to skip the lines to enter any of the included museums; this is extremely valuable during busy tourist seasons, such as summer in Barcelona.
When is it not a good idea to buy the Barcelona Museum Pass?
There are some scenarios in which buying the Barcelona Museum Pass is not the smartest option, and these are:
- When traveling for just a few days: If you are visiting Barcelona for a day or two and it is your first trip, we recommend seeing the city (streets, architecture, parks, bars) and leaving the more artistic side for a second visit.
- Catalan or Spanish art is not your thing: If you have seen this type of art before and it does not particularly interest you, it is best to skip this type of experience.
- When you go to Barcelona with children: If you visit Barcelona with children, it is not necessary to buy a museum pass for them. As long as they are accompanied by an adult with a pass, children under 16 can visit all the museums on the list.
Other tourist passes in the city of Barcelona
In Barcelona, you will find other tourist passes that may be of interest. Like the Museum Pass, these passes are designed to help visitors discover and explore the city while saving a little money in the process.
Barcelona Card tourist card
This is a very comprehensive tourist pass that offers travelers numerous advantages. These include admission to around 25 popular tourist attractions in the city, use of public transportation, and discounts at selected museums, monuments, and restaurants in the city.
- Attractions included: Among the attractions included in this tourist pass are the Pedralbes Monastery, the Chocolate Museum, and the Joan Miró Foundation.
- Discounted attractions: Some attractions with discounted admission prices include Gaudí's La Pedrera, Spotify Camp Nou, and the Palau de la Música Catalana.
- Price: You can purchase a pass for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 5; the cost starts at €48 for adults and €26 for children aged 4 to 12.
Barcelona Pass
The Barcelona Pass is designed to offer tourists free access to many of the most popular attractions included in any visit to Barcelona. It offers the possibility of skipping the entrance line at selected attractions and the option of adding a transport pass to get around the city.
- Attractions included: With this card, you will have free access to attractions such as La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, other works by Gaudí, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, and the Hospital de Santa Cruz.
- Price: For the two-day option, the card is available from €99, and if you want to include transportation, it is around €125. If you want to add more days, the price of the pass increases.
Tips for getting the most out of your Barcelona Museum Pass
If you decide to purchase the museum pass for your next visit to Barcelona, here are a few additional tips that may be helpful when planning your trip to the Catalan capital.
Plan when to visit each museum
The Barcelona museum card is a worthwhile purchase for most travelers, mainly because of its low cost, but to get the most out of your investment, you need to plan your itinerary in advance.
This means visiting two or three museums a day and alternating these visits with strolls through Barcelona's beautiful streets or areas such as the Gothic Quarter.
Keep in mind opening hours and the duration of the tour
Of course, if you are a true fan of avant-garde and contemporary art, you may need a little more time, but on average this is how long you would spend in each museum:
- Picasso Museum: about 90 minutes.
- Antoni Tàpies Foundation Museum: around 60 minutes.
- Joan Miró Foundation: at least 2 hours.
- Barcelona Contemporary Culture Center: about 2 hours.
- National Art Museum of Catalonia: 2 to 3 hours.
- Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art: you can see the entire collection in 90 minutes.
If you are visiting Barcelona with children...
If you are visiting Barcelona with children under 16, select the free option for them when purchasing the Barcelona Museum Pass.
Children will be given a special free card called a Boarding Pass, which they can use to stamp the attractions they visit with adults.
Buy your museum pass online
This is one of the best ways to save time and have all the important details completely organized before you arrive in the country. Believe me, with all the hustle and bustle of traveling, the last thing you want is to have to run around trying to sort this out.