How to See Barcelona in A Day Guide

In my opinion, there's no touristy places, just bad travelers. Barcelona gets millions of visitors each year, with almost 1,000 cruise ships stopping right here. It's also the pickpocket capital of Europe, with more pickpockets here than anywhere else. But by the time I'm finished today, you're gonna see that Barcelona is a city that can make your travel dreams come true. Barcelona is in the region of Catalunya on the southeast coast of Spain. Getting to Barcelona is straightforward since it's a major metropolitan city in Europe. Most international and domestic flights arrive into Barcelona's El Prat airport, located only eight miles southwest of the city. That means getting into the city center is easy. The best value for money is to take an inner-city aerobus, which typically runs every 10 to 15 minutes from each terminal. The cost is 6.75 and stops at major landmarks like Plaza Catalunya and Plaza España. The other best option is to take a taxi or use a ride-sharing app. Since the airport is so close, it should only take about 30 minutes to get to your accommodation, with typical fares being around 40 euros. If you're already in Europe or Spain, you may be taking a train into Barcelona. Most trains will be arriving into the main train station named Barcelona Sants, and from there, you're easily connected to the rest of the city by metro or taxi. Barcelona is a massive metropolitan city, but there are plenty of ways of getting around. You can, of course, use ride-sharing services like Freenow and Uber. There's plenty of taxis and buses that you can use, but in my opinion, the most efficient way is to use the metro. The city is well connected through this efficient metro system. Each line is color-coordinated and there are plenty of ticket options. You can, of course, use a single ticket, but there's so much more value in getting a multi-ticket pass, which is a pass for 10 tickets. If you're here for several days, you can even get a multi-day pass as well. Barcelona is a major metropolitan city with almost 6 million inhabitants, so it's best to approach your sightseeing by neighborhood. From Plaza Catalunya, running down the length of the old city, is the famous bustling pedestrian tree-lined street known as Las Ramblas, which runs all the way down to the Columbus Monument. On the other side, you have Barri Gòtic, which is the oldest neighborhood in Barcelona. Adjacent to Barri Gòtic is El Born neighborhood, which is home to the Picasso Museum and many of the top cocktail bars in town. On the other side of Las Ramblas, you have the edgy and hip El Raval neighborhood that has a great food and cocktail scene, but please be careful there at night. At the bottom of the city, you have Barceloneta Beach that stretches to the Olympic Village. At the top, you have the beautifully symmetric Eixample neighborhood, which is where you'll see the mega-monument, the Basilica of la Sagrada Familia and the architectural masterpieces of Antonio Gaudí. We created the perfect route and plan to get you from A to Z. Check out the blog for great information on maximizing your time and increasing your fun. Before we start our day, hook me up with a like and subscribe so we can keep bringing you great content. I'm in the epicenter of Barcelona, here in Plaza Catalunya, and right away I'm reminded of how independent and proud the Catalunyan people are. This monument is dedicated to an independence movement from 1931 and it's designed by a local artist. This plaza is the beginning of Las Ramblas walk, so grand thoroughfares come out of this plaza and the main one being Las Ramblas, which is one of the greatest pedestrian zones in all of Europe. I'm going to have a quick breakfast across the street and then take my time strolling, rambling through Las Ramblas. I'm in Cafe Zurich, which is here in Plaza Catalunya, and for being in the epicenter of the city, I have to say this place really retains its authentic vibe. It's over 100 years old and it's right here in the plaza at the very top of Las Ramblas. You can sit here for a coffee, watch the people go by, get your energy up before making your way down one of the greatest pedestrian zones in all of Europe. Well, looky, looky what we have here. We have my tortilla de patatas, which is essentially an egg and potato omelet served with some pan con tomate. A little bit of onion action. I mean, this ain't your mama's Denver omelet, I'll tell you that much. This is the king of all omelets, in my opinion. So nice. So the grand pedestrian boulevard that we know today as Las Ramblas used to actually be an ancient stream and the Arabic word for stream is rambla and the wavy tiles that you see on the street pay homage to that. But the street also divides the city into a couple of different neighborhoods. On one side of me, you have Barri Gòtic, which we will definitely be spending time in. And on the other side, you have El Raval. Once you get to the bottom of Las Ramblas, you'll come to the Christopher Columbus Monument, which is Barcelona's answer to the Lord Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square. Now, Columbus came here in 1493 after his first voyage to the Americas. He was greeted by Ferdinand and Isabella and granted the title Admiral of the Oceans. I'm exploring Barcelona today by e-bike. It's a great way to get some exercise, get a different perspective on the city. I'm pretty stoked to do this this morning. Barcelona is definitely a cycling town. It has over 300 kilometers of dedicated bike lanes, making it super safe for everyone. Made it to La Cala de Barcelona, which is this beautiful piece of art here by Roy Lichtenstein. And it's just publicly on display here, just like many pieces of art here in Barcelona. Of course, Barcelona is full of amazing history, culture and food, but there's also many beaches since the city is right on the water. And this is the most well-known beach, Barceloneta, which is one kilometer of beach. You come here, hang out, go to a restaurant or just have a lovely beach day. So Barceloneta has a couple of these little beachside shacks and they're called chiringuitos. You can come here in the morning, have a cup of coffee or a juice or come here in the afternoon for a cocktail, a little bit of a lunch situation. So, nice way to break up your sightseeing day. It's hard to believe that before 1992, this was an industrial wasteland. To prepare for the Olympic Games and to kick off tourism here in the city, a massive redevelopment project changed the face of the city. Today, this is an iconic area with incredible beaches. And during the day, you're going to find a lot of people walking or cycling or working out. And at nighttime, this is the epicenter of nightlife. And the Olympic Village for the 1992 Olympic Games still remains today. If you're hiring a bike here in Barcelona, you want to make sure that you follow a couple of different tips. Number one, you have to stay on the bike lane. Number two, you can't take your phone out. So make sure your phone is in your pocket or in your backpack. Keep two hands on the handlebars and no earbuds allowed. Fine's really heavy and I don't want you to get in trouble. Since we're at the beach right now, I decided to sit down for a little seaside seafood lunch. So I'm at a recommended spot here, facing the water, put the bike down and now we're going to have a very nice seafood lunch. A lot of olive oil, paprika, a little spicy, a little salty. The octopus is super tender, which is the most important thing. So, buen apetito. Yeah, baby. Yeah, got to get that lemon action on the seafood. So my parrilla is here now. We got all kinds of different seafood. We got mussels, we got clams, we got fish, we got some prawns. We have langoustines. It's going to be amazing. We even have some cuttlefish. This is going to be good. If you're starting your morning in the Eixample neighborhood, a good option for lunch is Cerveceria Catalana. They serve modern and traditional tapas in a sleek contemporary setting. So we have our full assortment of tapas here. We have pan con tomate, classic staple. We have gambas al ajillo, which you can typically find all over Spain, but these are unique because they're spicy. There's a little bit of paprika and chili pepper in here. We have our peppers and we have our classic patatas bravas. Check out these beautiful gambas al ajillo, which are essentially shrimp with garlic. And in this place, they make them with some chilies as well. So it's about to get super spicy up in here. This is so good. No visit to Barcelona is complete without exploring the works of Catalonia's favorite son, Antony Gaudi, who was part of the Catalan modernist movement. This architectural style is characterized by organic forms, intricate details, and a fusion of Gothic and Art Nouveau elements, resulting in fantastical structures that are now admired worldwide. The Xample neighborhood is home to the modernist architecture in Barcelona. We'll start by checking out nearby Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, then meet up with our guide at the mega monument of La Sagrada Familia, followed by a visit to Parc Güell. The facade of Casa Batlló showcases Gaudi's imaginative and unconventional approach to design. Its undulating lines and vibrant colors resembles an underwater world, with balconies resembling masks or skulls. You may even see a dragon's tail making out the roof. The facade is adorned with what would later become Gaudi's trademark style, the intricate mosaic of colorful ceramic tiles. Details like broken glass and wrought iron create a mesmerizing interplay of light and texture that fuses art and architecture. Right on the same boulevard is the most iconic and extravagant of all modernist mansions, Casa Milà, known locally as La Pedrera. Gaudi went all out here since the owners gave him free reign on this project. It's now an iconic poster child to the Catalan modernist movement. La Pedrera's facade is a masterpiece of organic forms and innovative designs. Its undulating curves, irregular windows, and sculptural elements evoke a sense of natural harmony. The rooftop is adorned with whimsical chimneys resembling medieval knights, giving it a surreal and enchanting charm. Don't forget to cross the street for views of the entire building. La Pedrera was Gaudi's last commission before undertaking the work of La Sagrada Familia. So one mega monument that you cannot miss when you're here in Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia. It's an absolute must when you're in the city. The first stone was laid in 1882 and it's still an unfinished work of art, still being completed according to Gaudi's plan. I cannot wait to check this out. So I'm with my guide Montse here who's a licensed guide. She's going to take me in and tell me all the interesting factoids and everything I need to know about this incredible place. I definitely recommend that you book your ticket well in advance. I'm on a tour so I get to go right on in. I get a little bit of a fast track to make the whole thing easy. You can jump on one of our tours. Sagrada Familia means holy family in Spanish. Montse pointed out that we were entering through the nativity facade featuring various scenes of the holy family. This was the only part of the church finished in Gaudi's lifetime. Upon entering, visitors are swallowed into Gaudi's vision. While sticking to a traditional Greek cross plan, Gaudi elevates the neo-gothic by replicating nature and designing a forest made of stone. 56 columns are like massive trees shooting into the sky, creating space. The windows create a canopy of color, breathing life into the space. The colors and effect even change throughout the time of day. Montse explained Gaudi's innovative architectural techniques. Imagine I have a scarf and I hold it from both sides. I don't have to do any strength at all. Just hold it like this. You see what's happening? Yes. This is gravity. That's nature. In mathematics, we call this parabola. Right. If I have a parabola and I turn it, I have a parabolic arch. This arch is strong. You reverse the effect. It can support a lot of weight and it's independent. It doesn't need any reinforcement from the outside. A gothic arch is like this, right? Yeah, like this. Like this. Exactly. Yeah. So, but a parabolic arch is... Like this. I see. Remember, this is a working construction zone as well as a church. The roof wasn't even finished until 2010. Standard church dress code applies and you may also hear the workers right around you. So, that concludes my visit to the Sagrada Familia. I spent about 90 minutes in there with Montse, learned all the stories, learned so much about the architecture. I mean, this is one of the most incredible monuments that you can see. It's certainly a mega monument. You have to see this when you're in Barcelona because it's one of the most unique temples or churches or synagogues that you will possibly see in your life, all from the genius of one man. Another part of our Barcelona in a day tour is visiting Park Güell. And Montse wanted to bring me here because this is yet another unfinished work by Gaudi. So, not only was he a master architect, he also turned into an urban planner. And he designed this park and this sort of community. And he also lived here. So, we're going to get a glimpse of Gaudi's house. So, Park Güell is another incredible site here in Barcelona that you should book well in advance. It's covered in our Barcelona in a day tour. Montse has the tickets. You can see that it's sold out today. So, I'm really happy I'm part of this tour. The idea for Park Güell is that it was a planned community. And Gaudi was not only the architect, but also the urban planner. And the house that you see behind me is actually the model house that they used to try to sell the lots in Park Güell. As a vote of confidence, because nobody was purchasing the houses, Gaudi bought this house. And this is where he lived for about 20 years until he moved down to his workshop in La Sagrada Familia. This is the iconic viewpoint with Gaudi's bench in the central square here. And from this point, you can really take a look and see Barcelona the way Gaudi saw it. So, he actually overlooked the works of the Sagrada Familia from his house because none of these modern buildings were here. And from this viewpoint, you can see parts of the Olympic Village. You can see Barri Gòtic, which is over just to the right of that. And then over on the other side of me is the W Hotel, which is locally called La Vella. Remember, when you exit Park Güell, go to the right and go down La Rath Street, about two blocks, and that's where you can catch a taxi. And the taxi rank is going to be on Calle de Mercedes, right here to the left. Next, we took a 25-minute taxi ride to Barri Gòtic for a walking tour and to end our time together at the famous Mercado La Boqueria. Barri Gòtic, or the Gothic Quarter, is the birthplace of Barcelona and home to a bevy of historic highlights that includes the Royal Palace, the Gothic Cathedral, and Roman ruins, all within the labyrinth of narrow lanes with connecting plazas. Give me all the secrets, man. Give me all the secrets. That's exactly why we have you here. If we could travel back in time to the first century before Christ, we wouldn't be in Barcelona. We would be in Barcino. That's the Roman name for Barcelona. Just off one of the main roads from Las Ramblas is this main square of Barri Gòtic, Plaça Sant Jaume, which is named after the 13th century king who freed Barcelona from the French. Now, this is a very proud and distinctive place for the Barcelona people because on one side you have a Catalonian government building and on the other side you have Barcelona City Hall. During Franco times, the Catalonian language was actually outlawed and once Franco passed away, the Catalonian people came here to celebrate the return of their culture. This used to be the Roman Forum? Yes. Oh, see, I did not know that. This used to be the Roman Forum and it's still the political life of Barcelona. Isn't that cool? I love that. This is the central cathedral of the city, right? Yeah, the only cathedral we have. It's not La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is the most famous one, but this is the cathedral. How old is this facade then? This is from the late 1800s. Oh, okay, so it's neo-Gothic then. Yeah, that's neo-Gothic, but the real cathedral was Gothic style. When Christopher Columbus arrived from America, he was received by the Catholic kings in these steps, the very steps we're taking now. So one of the great things about having a guide is not only do you really get lots of great stories and history and facts, but you also get inside information on where to get coffee and we're going to a very special coffee place right now, so I'm pretty excited about this. All right, so we're here at Mesón del Café, a little secret coffee shop that is very, very small, has an old-timey feel, very friendly service, a little pit stop on the tour of Bari Gothic. Oh, yeah. Where are we? Tell me. La Boquería Market. I'm pretty excited because I am starving and I know this is going to be such a great part of our tour. A little tip in here from Mozart is that if you're shopping here for some goods, especially souvenirs, you want to go to the middle of the market because the locals know that the front stalls are a little bit more pricier. This is Pinochos, a typical place here right at the front of the market and unfortunately, El Juanito passed away this year. He was a renowned waiter and a personality here. He's no longer with us, so we're going to have a little bit of food here in his honor. Okay, so we're having croquetas de carne, which are meat croquettes, fried balls of goodness, and they're piping hot. I'm going to go for it. Barcelona's nightlife is legendary. Not only are there fantastic rooftop bars and lounges with epic views, but Barcelona is home to the top cocktail bars in the world, boasting three bars in the top ten. Barcelona has an amazing selection of rooftop bars and each neighborhood has lots of different options. Be sure to book well in advance because hotels like this one give priority to their guests first, so you want to get your reservations in so you can have views just like this. The terrace of Cerco Hotel Rossellón in Eixample has one of the best unobstructed views of La Sagrada Familia and 360-degree views of the whole city. Another incredible rooftop is on top of the Michelin-rated Ola Hotel. The grand view of the Barri Gòtic and the long narrow pool make it an irresistible destination for an afternoon cocktail or a day of lounging. So we are at the number one ranked cocktail bar in the whole world, Paradiso, right here in Barcelona. And I'm pretty stoked to be here because I've heard nothing but high praises. And if it's like any other cocktail bar here in Barcelona, it's going to be amazing. Yeah, let's do it. Perfect timing. Look at this. We're going in. From the creative genius of Giacomo Genotti, once you enter the refrigerator door, you are truly transported to a paradise of style and pleasure. The wooden curved bar and colorful personalities give this high-level cocktail bar a joyous atmosphere. Their innovative drink menu is carefully tailored to inspire, and every creation is a showstopper. This year, Sips is ranked number three in the world. But once you're inside, it could easily be the top cocktail bar in the world. In the late afternoon, the vibe is mellow, allowing guests to experience the sleek decor. At night, the lights dim and a sultry romantic ambiance takes over. Every cocktail I've ever tasted here is worthy of the highest praise. More importantly, the hospitable guys treat every guest with the highest level of service and craftsmanship. This Elbourn favorite often makes the top-ranked cocktail bar list year after year and with good reason. The expert mixologists craft their exquisite artisanal cocktails with laboratory-like precision in a colorful atmosphere that resembles a 19th century pharmacy. Well, our time in Barcelona has come to an end, and it's amazing to think how much we saw in one day. We saw jaw-dropping architecture, a mega monument like the Sagrada Familia, even explored all the vibrant neighborhoods, and had time for the beach. But more importantly, we got to know the heart and soul of the Catalonian people. I'm Angel Castellanos for the Tour Guide. Don't forget to comment, like, and subscribe, and ring that bell so you can find our next video. Merci, bon provis, and vamos Barça!