More about: Barcelona Hop-On Hop-Off Buses
If you are looking for an easy way to explore Barcelona, look no further: the tourist bus is comfortable, fast and allows you to see the main points of interest of the city. It's a great option to visit Barcelona in a short time.
1. Tickets for the Barcelona tourist bus
In case you are into exploring every last corner of the places you visit, read on! The Barcelona sightseeing bus has many advantages and there are different options you can choose according to your budget or interests during the trip:
- Barcelona Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour - from $36
- Barcelona Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour and Camp Nou Experience - from $109
2. Barcelona sightseeing bus tour
For the Barcelona sightseeing bus tour, you can choose a 1 or 2 day pass and ride the bus as many times as you want. You have three different routes to choose from, with over 40 stops in total, allowing you to basically explore the entire city aboard the bus and move freely around Barcelona using the bus as transportation.
The three routes cover almost all the sights of the city. Here is the complete list of stops for each one:
Red route
- Plaça de Catalunya
- Batlló House
- Passeig de Gràcia
- Francesc Macià
- Estació de Sants Creu Coberta - Pl Espanya
- Plaça d'Espanya
- CaixaForum Barcelona
- Poble Espanyol
- National Art Museum of Catalonia
- Anella Olímpica
- Fundació Joan Miró - Pl Neptú
- Montjuïc Cable Car
- La Pedrera
- Batlló House
- Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens
- World Trade Center Barcelona
- Maritime Museum of Barcelona
- Museum of the History of Catalonia
- Olympic Port
- Zoo
- Pla de Palau
- Citadel Park
- Gothic Quarter
Blue route
- Plaça de Catalunya
- Basilica of the Sagrada Familia
- Camp Nou
- Plaça d'Espanya
- Poble Espanyol
- Montjuic Castle
- Parc Guell
- Basilica of the Sagrada Familia
- Tibidabo Amusement Park
- Barcelona Cathedral
- Barcelona Zoo
- Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona
- Batllo House
- Casa Mila - La Pedrera
- Antoni Tapies Foundation
- Basilica of the Sagrada Familia
- Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
- Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes
- FC Barcelona Official Store - Camp Nou
- Les Corts Market
- Egyptian Museum of Barcelona
- Eixample
- Turo Park
Green Route (only available from April 12 to November 3)
- Olympic Port
- Diagonal Mar Park
- Arc de Triomf
- Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site
- Parc del Fòrum
- Plaça d'Espanya
- Natural Science Museum of Barcelona
- Vicens House
- Bogatell Beach
- Poblenou
- Poblenou Cemetery
How it works
You can choose a 1 or 2 day pass for this tourist bus, and you will receive the confirmation in your email once you make the reservation. You can print the email or show it on your cell phone when you get on the bus, and at this moment the driver will validate your ticket.
The ticket includes a coupon with discounts in more than 200 restaurants and stores in Barcelona. You can take any of the routes as long as your ticket is valid. If you have chosen the one-day ticket, it will be valid from the moment you get on the bus until the end of the day. The two-day ticket will give you an extra 24 hours to enjoy the Hop On Hop Off bus.
The route is free and you can hop on and off the bus whenever you want. Please note that the green route is only available in summer.
Schedules
Both the red and blue routes operate every day of the year except January 1st and December 25th from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Each of the full routes lasts 2 hours, and both start at Plaça de Catalunya. The bus passes by each of the stops every 20 minutes, so in case you want to get off and resume the route later, you can do so at the stop of your choice.
As for the green route, it operates from April 12 to November 3, from 9:00 to 19:00. The full route lasts 40 minutes and the starting frequency is every 20 minutes, starting from the Olympic Port.
3. Barcelona Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour and Camp Nou Experience
The perfect combination if you are passionate about soccer, and a must experience if you are a Barça fan. With this tour of Barcelona by tourist bus and the Camp Nou Experience, you can visit Barcelona easily and comfortably from the bus, passing through the main areas of the city, and at the end you can access the Camp Nou and visit the areas that normally only the players have access to, such as the locker room and the field.
As in the other tours, this experience has two routes with different stops that show you two areas of Barcelona, and both leave you at the Camp Nou to enjoy the experience of touring the stadium and the FC Barcelona Museum. Here are the stops below:
East route (green)
- Plaça Catalunya
- Barcelona Cathedral
- Gothic Quarter
- Port Vell
- Museum of the History of Catalonia
- Barceloneta
- Olympic Port
- Bogatell Beach
- Nova Mar Bella Beach
- Forum
- Glòries-Torre Agbar
- Sagrada Familia
- Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site
- Park Güell
- Tibidabo
- La Pedrera
- Casa Batlló
- Camp Nou
West route (orange)
- Catalunya Square
- Arc de Triomf
- El Born-Ciutadella-Zoo
- Passeig de Colom
- World Trade Center Barcelona
- Miramar Gardens
- Joan Miró Foundation
- Olympic Ring
- National Museum of Catalonia
- Poble Espanyol
- Caixa Fòrum-Mies Van Der Rohe Pavilion
- Plaza de España
- Sants Station
- Pius XII Square
- Royal Palace
- Güell Pavilion
- Pedralbes Monastery
- L'illa Diagonal
- Diagonal Avenue
- La Pedrera
- Casa Batlló
- Camp Nou
How it works
Book your one or two day ticket for this bus tour and you will receive in your mail the purchase confirmation, which you will have to show to the driver either printed or on your cell phone. The ticket includes the bus itinerary and entrance to Camp Nou.
Camp Nou opening days and hours
Visiting the Camp Nou is something for which you must be well informed in advance, as there are a good number of days a year that remains closed for the celebration of matches. The official schedule is as follows:
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From April 2 to October 7: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm.
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From October 8 to April 1: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm.
Camp Nou on match days
No tours are available on League or Spanish Cup match days. The FC Barcelona Museum opens up to 3 hours before kick-off and reopens 90 minutes before kick-off, until the start of the match.
On Champions League match days there are no tours and only the second floor of the FC Barcelona Museum can be visited until 15:00. The day before the matches, the tour route is modified and all areas of the Camp Nou and the Museum can be accessed except the second floor of the latter.
Also, from July 1 to August 31, at Easter or Christmas there are special schedules that you should check on the official website of the Camp Nou as they vary each year. If you want to know more about this part of the tour, read more about the Camp Nou Experience in my article about it: Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium Visits.
4. Tour of Barcelona by Hop On Hop Off bus for cruisers
If your cruise is going to stop in Barcelona and you are looking for a quick way to see the city in one day, the best option is, without a doubt, to take a Hop On Hop Off bus tour from the cruise ship. You will be able to board the bus at the Olympic Port of Barcelona, 15 minutes from the cruise station, and enjoy two areas of the city on two routes with different itineraries, whose stops are as follows:
East route (green)
- Plaça de Catalunya
- Barcelona Cathedral
- Port Vell
- Museum of the History of Catalonia
- La Barceloneta
- Olympic Port
- Bogatell Beach
- Nova Mar Bella Beach
- Agbar Tower
- Sagrada Familia Basilica
- Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site
- Park Güell
- Tibidabo Amusement Park
- Passeig de Gràcia
West Route (orange)
- Plaça de Catalunya
- Arc de Triomf
- Parc de la Ciutadella
- Passeig de Colom
- World Trade Center Barcelona
- Botanical Garden of Barcelona
- Joan Miró Foundation
- Olympic Ring
- National Art Museum of Catalonia
- Barcelona Pavilion
- Sant Station
- Camp Nou
- Royal Palace
- Royal Monastery of Santa María de Pedralbes
- L'illa Diagonal
- Diagonal Avenue
- Passeig de Gràcia
How it works
As with the previous tour, you can choose a one or two-day ticket that gives you access to both routes. Once you have booked your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email and you just need to follow the instructions and show it to the bus driver when you get on the bus.
The ticket includes headphones to enjoy an audio guide while you take either route, a map of Barcelona, and a coupon for discounts in stores and restaurants in the city.
Schedules
Both the east (orange) and west (green) routes last about two hours each, and buses pass the stops every 7-15 minutes depending on the time of year.
Alex's Traveller Tip
Use the tourist bus to get around Barcelona and combine the bus tour with a walking tour on your own, that way you will get the most out of your ticket.
5. Barcelona Hop On Hop Off bus tour with tickets to the Barcelona Aquarium
This tour is very similar to the previous one, with the difference that instead of including tickets to Camp Nou to visit the stadium and the FC Barcelona Museum, it includes the bus tour and the entrance to the Barcelona Aquarium.
You can enjoy two unique tours aboard the bus and then visit the aquarium, dedicated to the marine life of the Mediterranean with 14 different habitats. In addition, you will also see species from tropical waters and some animals from points around the world.
As in the previous tour, you can choose between two routes to see Barcelona or combine them for the full experience:
East route (green)
- Plaça Catalunya
- Barcelona Cathedral
- Gothic Quarter
- Port Vell
- Museum of the History of Catalonia
- Barceloneta
- Olympic Port
- Bogatell Beach
- Nova Mar Bella Beach
- Forum
- Glòries-Torre Agbar
- Sagrada Familia
- Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site
- Park Güell
- Tibidabo
- La Pedrera
- Casa Batlló
- Camp Nou
West route (orange)
- Catalunya Square
- Arc de Triomf
- El Born-Ciutadella-Zoo
- Passeig de Colom
- World Trade Center Barcelona
- Miramar Gardens
- Joan Miró Foundation
- Olympic Ring
- National Museum of Catalonia
- Poble Espanyol
- Caixa Fòrum-Mies Van Der Rohe Pavilion
- Plaza de España
- Sants Station
- Pius XII Square
- Royal Palace
- Güell Pavilion
- Pedralbes Monastery
- L'illa Diagonal
- Diagonal Avenue
- La Pedrera
- Casa Batlló
- Camp Nou
How it works
Very similar to the rest of the bus tours: once you have made your reservation, you will receive the confirmation and all the necessary instructions in the mail, and you just have to show it to the bus driver and at the entrance of the aquarium to enjoy the experience.
Barcelona Aquarium opening hours
The Barcelona Aquarium opens every day of the week at 10:00. From Monday to Friday it closes at 19:30 and at 20:00 on weekends, with extended hours during some holidays such as Easter.
6. Other Barcelona tours that may interest you
Being one of the must-see sights of Barcelona, many travelers usually take a guided tour of the Sagrada Familia. In case you are thinking about doing it, I tell you everything you need to know in my guide to the Sagrada Familia. Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tickets and Visits.
Park Güell is another of those visits that you will always remember, and that's why it's a good idea to take a tour of this emblematic park. I recommend you to read my guide about Park Güell in Barcelona Tickets and Tours where you will find all the tips and tricks to make the most of your visit.
Finally, there are a number of museums in Barcelona that may interest you, especially if you want to see the youthful work of Picasso or immerse yourself in the artistic world of Catalan painters such as Tàpies or Miró. You can consult my guide of Barcelona Museums Tickets and Visits to get your tickets and guided tours at the best price.