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3 Days in Barcelona – The Best Barcelona Itinerary

3 Days in Barcelona – The Best Barcelona Itinerary

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Need help planning a few days away in Barcelona? You’re in the right place!

We fell head over heels for the Catalan capital the first time we visited, and it remains one of our favorite cities to explore. So, after multiple visits, we’ve crafted the ultimate 3-day itinerary to help you make the most of your trip.

This itinerary showcases Barcelona’s stunning architecture, great food, and Mediterranean charm. We’ve covered everything from the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell to top tapas restaurants and beautiful beaches. Three days may not sound like a lot, but if you follow this guide, we promise you’ll get the full Barcelona experience. Let’s go!

Day 1

Morning – Go on Barcelona’s best walking tour

Tour guide on a walking tour of Barcelona Spain
Our guide was great!
The front of Holy Cross cathedral in Barcelona Spain
The Holy Cross Cathedral

We love taking a walking tour on our first day in a new city, as it helps us get our bearings and find the best spots to return to! We booked this walking tour for 9 am and dove into Barcelona’s top sights.

Over 2 hours, our guide took us to the city’s best-known areas, including the Gothic Quarter and La Rambla, Barcelona’s iconic and buzzing central street. After this tour, we felt much better equipped to explore the city by ourselves, so it was definitely worth it! 

Our guide, Yannis, regaled us with colorful stories about Barcelona’s history as he took us walking past iconic sights like Gaudi’s fairytale-esque Casa Batllo, the gorgeous Gothic cathedral, and Passeig de Gracia – aka Barcelona’s trendiest street! He helped us get to know the different areas and gave us an interesting insight into what life is like in the city. 

What really stood out to me the most about this tour, though, was that we were in a small group! Free walking tours are great but the group sizes can be huge, which makes it difficult to hear and sometimes hard to keep up, too. So for €40, I think that this tour is well worth it, and over 200 5-star reviews seem to agree with me!

Since it’s a small group tour, spots can be booked up pretty fast though, especially during the summer months.

Lunch – Vinitus 

Vinitus Tapas restaurant, Barcelona, Spain
Octopus at Vinitus in Barcelona, Spain
So good!

This sleek, modern tapas restaurant is the perfect spot for lunch on day one of our Barcelona itinerary! We had heard that this place was super popular with locals, and after checking it out for ourselves, we can see why. They don’t take reservations here, but we only had to wait a few minutes before being seated. 

The food here is traditional tapas with a gourmet twist, and we loved the lobster rice, the octopus, and especially the Iberian ham! And if you have room for a sweet treat afterward, we highly recommend the churros. 

Vinitus is located just a 5-minute from our next stop, Casa Batllo, so it’s the perfect lunch stop!

Afternoon – Tour Casa Batllo

The outside of Casa Batllo in Barcelona, Spain
Outside of Casa Batllo

Now, the morning walking tour will take you past Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, but you won’t get to go inside, so doing this self-guided tour is a must. It was easily one of our favorite things that we did in Barcelona because the house truly is a masterpiece.

We booked the platinum tickets for €55 each, which allowed us to skip the lines and included an audio headset, as well as an augmented reality tablet. The AR added a whole new layer to the experience and took us deep into Gaudi’s imagination. We loved the entire experience! 

There are multiple time slots available throughout the day, but we suggest booking your visit for around 2 pm. That way, you’ll have plenty of time for lunch after the walking tour. We spent about 1.5-2 hours here, so this afternoon won’t be super rushed and you can simply enjoy this exquisite sight!

Dinner –  Paella Cooking Class

Bailey, Daniel and friend smile during a Paella making class in Barcelona Spain
So much fun!
A pan with shrimp paella during a Paella making class in Barcelona Spain
Paella is so dang tasty!

This paella cooking class was the best thing that we did in Barcelona and made for one heck of a dinner date!

We had fun, we learned a lot, we got to eat amazing food, and it included unlimited sparkling wine. Seriously, what’s not to love?

The class starts at 8 pm because remember, they eat late here in Spain! We were greeted with a glass of cava and met chef Kevin, then got to work preparing starters, desserts, and multiple different types of paella. 

Kevin was such a charismatic and energetic teacher, and his passion for Catalan food was obvious. We learned so much about paella – as it turns out, there’s way more to this dish than just rice and seafood! The staff also kept topping up our wine glasses the entire time, which made it even more fun. 

After we had finished cooking, our group sat down together to enjoy the meal (and more wine) together, family-style. Everything we made was absolutely delicious, and honestly, this was the best meal we had in the city, which is definitely saying something. 

All in all, we cannot recommend this tour enough, and since it has over 900 5-star reviews, we’re definitely not alone in this! The class costs €155 each, which is a steal given the quality of the food and the quantity of wine you get. It was such a fun way to dive into Barcelona’s culture and a must-do with your limited three days in the city!

Day 2 

Morning – Wander Park Güell

Park Guell in Barcelona Spain
The weird and wonderful Güell Park
Views of Barcelona from Park Güell, Barcelona, spain
If you love art… visit!

Park Güell is another of Gaudi’s masterpieces, so this morning it’s only right to go and check it out. Not only is it filled with beautiful mosaics and unique architecture, it also offers epic views of Barcelona and the ocean beyond. We could have stayed here all day! 

We took the L3 (aka Green Line) train to Lesseps, and from there, it was a 20-minute walk to the park. The park is open from 9:30 am until 7:30 pm daily, and entry costs €18 per person. Tickets usually sell out in advance, so it’s advisable to book them online, otherwise,e you probably won’t get one! 

However, what we recommend doing is booking this guided tour of Park Guell. We learned so much about the history of this beautiful park and its legendary creator from our guide, Elsa. She ensured that we got to explore every inch of the park and didn’t miss anything.

It costs €27 per person, which we thought was totally worth it, and there are a variety of time slots available. We like to start early so we booked our tour for 9:30 am and beat the crowds, but of course, you could always book yours for a bit later on. 

Lunch – Explore Mercat de la Boqueria and eat! 

Daniel and Bailey and friend take a selfie out front of La Boqueria market in Barcelona Spain
At La Boqueria Market
Chocolate stand in Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, Spain
Yum!

After Park Guell, we hopped back on the Green L3 metro line and headed to Liceu. From there, it was less than 5 minutes’ walk to Mercat de la Boqueria – aka Barcelona’s most famous food market. In fact, it’s one of the most renowned food markets in the entire world, so you just have to go and check it out while you’re here! 

Honestly, we were almost overwhelmed by all of the choices here, as this market is home to over 200 vendors. We walked around for a while and tasted some olives and other local goodies, before grabbing some fresh croquettes and tacos to go. However, there are also some awesome tapas restaurants here, such as El Quim and Bar Central. These spots tend to be pricey due to their prime location, but we’ve found that you pay for what you get here! 

Afternoon – Tour the Sagrada Familia

Bailey and Daniel in front of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain
The iconic shot outside of Sagrada Familia
Inside of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain
The inside is equally as stunning

Did you even go to Barcelona if you didn’t tour the Sagrada Familia?

Gaudi’s still-unfinished cathedral is the city’s most iconic landmark, and thus a total must-visit while you’re here!  We visited a lot of churches and cathedrals on our travels throughout Europe, but the Sagrada Familia is truly unlike any other! You absolutely cannot miss it. 

However, since it’s so famous the queues do get pretty long, so we highly recommend booking this skip-the-line tour. Barcelona is such an amazing city that it’s a shame to waste time queuing when you could be exploring! And as well as fast-track entry, taking this tour also meant that we learned a lot about the Sagrada Familia. 

Gloria was an excellent guide and she taught us so much about the significance of the church’s unique architectural features, and how Gaudi blended art and spirituality in his work. I’m so glad that we went with a guide because it made our visit so much richer. We got headsets, too, so we never had any trouble hearing! 

This tour was well worth €55 for an English tour, and after our 1.5 hours were up, we were able to stay inside the church and continue exploring by ourselves. I recommend booking the 1 pm tour to best fit into this itinerary!

I should warn you that this tour is super popular and almost always sells out, so make sure to book it in advance! 

Why We Book Tours with Viator

Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:

  • Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
  • Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
  • Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
  • Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
  • Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.

Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.

Dinner – Enjoy the best tapas at El Xampanyet

Tapas on a tour in Barcelona Spain
This isn’t an experience you want to miss
El Xampanyet Tapas in Barcelona Spain

Did you know that “Xampanyet” is Catalan for “champagne”? Well, that should give you some clue as to what the star attraction at this bar is! We immediately fell in love with this old-school spot, and in terms of patrons, locals definitely outnumbered tourists. 

This authentic tapas bar is cozy and welcoming. Grabbing tapas and bubbles here is exactly the type of experience that you come to Barcelona for. El Xampanyet is located about a 30-minute walk from the Sagrada Familia, which took us around 30 minutes, but you could also take the metro to Jaume I instead, which is on Line 1 (the Red Line). 

El Xampanyet opens at 7 pm, but we advise getting there 20-30 minutes beforehand to queue up if possible. There should be plenty of time for this after the 1 pm Sagrada Familia tour and we promise that the wait is worth it. We ordered so much food, including a chorizo tortilla, mussels, octopus, and sardines, and we drank more glasses of sparkling wine than we care to admit!

Day 3

Morning – Breakfast at Brunch & Cake

Bailey enoys brunch at Brunch & Cake in Barcelona, Spain
You won’t regret it!
Breakfast at Brunch & Cake in Barcelona, SPain
I never said it was healthy!

Brunch & Cake is a gorgeous cafe that’s almost too pretty to be real! It looks like it belongs in a romcom, with Insta-worthy decor and beautifully plated food. For breakfast, we shared the New York cheesecake pancakes and the classic shakshuka, both of which tasted every bit as good as they looked. And if you’re a coffee lover, we highly recommend trying the Spanish Iced Latte.

They don’t take reservations here and as I’m sure you can imagine, this place is very popular. For that reason, we recommend getting here at 9 am when it opens. It’s just what you need after an evening at El Xampanyet! 

There are a few locations around town, so you can visit the one closest to your hotel or this one in the Gothic Quarter (your next stop!).

Late morning – Wander the Gothic Quarter 

Gothic Quarter in Barcelona Spain
Hidden alleys behind the cathedral!
Bailey poses for a photo at the Cathedral of Barcelona in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona Spain
Barcelona Cathedral!

Now, you’ll already have seen Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter during the walking tour on day one of this itinerary, but it’s such a cool area that it definitely warrants returning for a deeper exploration.

You will have seen the beautiful Barcelona Cathedral on your walking tour, but today we suggest going inside. It’s €9 for entry and an audio guide, or €15 to add rooftop access. We thought that the views were definitely worth the extra few euros! 

In terms of refreshments, we loved grabbing coffee at Torradors Bon Mercat Llibreteria. In fact, I think it was the best coffee we’ve had in Barcelona! Or if you fancy trying some local craft beer, stopping by the Kælderkold microbrewery is a must. We loved this spot, which is open from 11 am onwards.

Lunch – La Alcoba Azul 

La Alcoba Azul tapas
La Alcoba Azul tapas
La Alcoba Azul Barcelona Spain
La Alcoba Azul Barcelona Spain

La Alcoba Azul is an amazing tapas restaurant, located right in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, and stopping here for lunch is a must! It’s a beautiful spot with ancient stone walls and giant candles that have clearly built up over many years. 

La Alcoba Azul opens at 12 pm and is right near the Barcelona Cathedral. We ordered so much food here, including stuffed peppers and goat’s cheese, hummus with roasted lamb, aubergine and honey tostadas, and a sheep’s milk cheese board. It was honestly incredible! 

Afternoon – Visit the beach in Barcelona 

Bailey walking in Barcelona Spain
So beautiful!

One of the best things about Barcelona is that there are lovely beaches right here in the city! From La Alcoba Azul, it’s a 25-minute walk to Barceloneta Beach, so why not walk off your lunch and then relax on the sand?

Barceloneta is Barcelona’s most famous beach, and the water here is cool and generally calm. It’s a good place for beginners to learn to surf, but we just enjoyed relaxing here after a busy few days of sightseeing. There are also plenty of cocktail bars along the shore if you feel like enjoying a drink as you enjoy the atmosphere of this golden sandy beach. 

Spend some time relaxing at the beach, then head back to your hotel to get ready for our final activity in Barcelona!

Dinner – See a flamenco show

Flamenco Casa Sors a woman dancing flamenco in Barcelona Spain
Everyone was so talented! Photo credit: Flamenco Casa Sors
Flamenco Casa Sors a man playing guitar Barcelona Spain
And the music is absolutely fantastic. Photo credit: Flamenco Casa Sors

Watching Flamenco is hands down one of the best ways to spend an evening in Barcelona, and the perfect final activity in the city!

Casa Sors is THE place to catch a show, so we just had to book these tickets while we were in town! It’s a small and intimate venue that has hosted some of the biggest names in Flamenco over the years. The performance we saw here truly was first-class! 

The musicians and dancers were so talented, and we really found ourselves engrossed in the story that the performers were telling. Even though this is a small venue, it’s no amateur production, I promise you that much!

Then, after the performance, we got the chance to meet the performers and snap photos with them, and we got a guided tour of the backstage guitar museum. We were shown around by a local musician who explained the history of Flamenco music and shared some cool anecdotes about the particular guitars that we saw. It was such a great way to learn more about the rich tradition of this iconic Spanish dance. 

There were different ticket packages available, but prices start at €37 for the show and museum. We opted for the dinner package, though, which cost €85 and included a huge spread of tapas and a cocktail each from the bar. It was so worth it! 

So if you’re looking for a classy evening of culture in Barcelona, do not hesitate to grab tickets for this excellent Flamenco show. It’s an unmissable opportunity to immerse yourself in Spanish culture, and the performance is truly mesmerizing! 

Where to Stay in Barcelona

Grand Hyatt Barcelona
Photo credit: Grand Hyatt Barcelona

Now that you have the perfect 3-day itinerary, it’s time to find a place to stay! There are tons of hotels to choose from, so we’ve narrowed it down to our top pick in each budget range. We’ll even let you in on where we stayed last time we were here!

Grand Hyatt Barcelona – $$$

For a real 5-star experience, Grand Hyatt Barcelona is where luxury travelers stay. It’s right in the heart of Alta Barcelona – an area known for the most exclusive shopping and restaurants.

The rooms are large and very extravagant – it feels like a true vacation staying here! The amenities impress too with a fantastic restaurant on the top floor, a stunning pool, a spa with saunas and steam baths, and a 24-hour gym.

Room here can be as low as €200/night, but go up if you splurge on a suite. Book your VIP stay here!

Barcelona Princess – $$

For a mid-range option that still has touches of luxury, Barcelona Princess is our pick. The rooftop pool alone is worth it!

The location is great too as it’s next door to a fantastic mall, only 3 minutes from a metro station and a 10-minute walk to the beach! Of course, the heated outdoor pools – including one on the rooftop – are also worth the price of staying here.

Rooms have an elegant feel and great views if you ask for an upper floor. Prices typically start around €98, but you’ll find the best deals when you book in advance online.

Kabul Party Hostel – $ (Where we stayed!)

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly and fun place to stay, Kabul Party Hostel is THE place. It’s known as one of the best party hostels in Europe and has a fantastic location to see the best sights in Barcelona.

We loved the rooftop patio that looks out over Plaza Real and there were activities up here most nights for us to check out. The dorms are quite spacious and really bright and offer free WiFi, air-conditioning, and personal lockers. Plus, the free breakfast buffet every morning was great after a late night out!

Dorm beds start around €30 and can be booked on Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!

If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.

SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.

SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.

Book your travel insurance with SafetyWing here!

Thanks for reading!

Daniel and Bailey take a selfie in Barcelona Spain
Thanks for reading!

Three days in Barcelona is the perfect amount of time in the city! It gives you enough time to see the historic sights, eat amazing food, and enjoy the vibrant culture. We loved our time in the city, and if you stick to our itinerary, I know you will too!

If you need help planning your next adventure, check out our other travel blogs. We have been all over the world and have lots of resources to help you plan an incredible vacation, no matter where you’re going! Here are a few related blogs to inspire your travels – cheers!

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