Have a little bit of time to spend in Barcelona but still want to take it easy? Here are a bunch of recommendations for your long weekend or 3-day trip that will give you a ton of ideas.

I've been to Barcelona so many times and still haven't explored everything it has to offer!

In this guide, I provide the following:

🏛️ 40+ things to see and do around the city, divided by district.
🥘 5+ restaurants to stop in and sit down at to enjoy a bite to eat. Most are locally run and operated that you won't find anywhere outside of Barcelona and feature a very local dining experience to better immerse yourself in Catalan and Barcelona culture.


 

Barcelona, Espanya

72 Hours in Barcelona

Since you have more than one day, you have more time to explore parts of this massive complex on the southern end of the city. You can explore around here for a good chunk of the day, if not all day. It Here are some of the most popular (and some of my favorite) activities!

Since you have a little bit of time, you'll definitely be able to visit perhaps the most iconic building in the entire city and see it from the inside! I generally don't recommend travelers with shorter stays to go inside since it's pricey, but it's worth the entry.

An absolutely adorable beach bar located on the Bogatell Beach strip. It's a bit pricey, but the ambiance is 100% worth it if you're looking for a Polynesian-themed beach bar (I'm obsessed with all things Polynesia-adjacent, won't lie). It's not a typical Spanish "chiringuito", but there are plenty of these dotted around the beach strips so feel free to check out any of those as well! This one is pure luxe and ~beach vibes~. 

The Ciutat Vella, or Old City, *was* the city of Barcelona for centuries. It houses three main districts:, the Raval, the Barri Gòtic, and the Ribera.

This was the old red light district and now predominantly houses university students and immigrants, thus making it the definition of "eclectic". It's divided from the Barri Gòtic by the Rambles.

On the other side of the Via Laietana, you'll find this neighborhood that used to mark the edge of the city. Barcelona has no natural harbor and no original beach (all the sand you see on the beaches now is imported) and this is where the city ended, hence the name ("Water's Edge").

The famous Gothi Quarter is where the seat of the Barcelona government is, as well as the Cathedral and many other iconic landmarks. It's on the other side of the Rambles from the Raval.

This is the "green" section of Barcelona, built for the 1888 World's Fair, perfect for relaxing strolls.

The Expansion, designed by Ildefons Cerdà in the mid-19th century as the city was growing in both importance and size and needed more space to expand. It's split into two sections, separated by the Passeig de Gràcia

This quirky neighborhood used to be a town in its own right until Barcelona expanded and incorporated it in the mid-19th century. Since it was separate for so long, it has the same small-town Catalonia vibe as other towns outside the city.

Did you love this guide and thought it helped you better enjoy your visit to Barcelona? Share your thoughts with me on Instagram!

Share your thoughts here!

Everything to Know Before Your Trip to Barcelona

Before you start planning your itinerary, check out this link where I go into detail about all the things you need to know ahead of time!

The "Poble Espanyol", or "Spanish Village" in Catalan, is an open-air museum dedicated to the different regions of Spain. Built in 1929 for the 1929 World's Fair held in the city, the blueprint was designed by renowned architect (and politician) Josep Puig i Cadafalch with the idea of allowing guests to visit Spain without leaving Barcelona! 

Inside the big palace at Montjuïc is a museum dedicated to Catalan art. While this is a region that is little-known outside of Spain for its history and culture (most people know Barcelona, but how many can talk about Catalonia as a whole?) and Catalan art as a whole has been reduced to Gaudí, the truth is that for millennia Catalonia has been a hotbed of the arts due to its incredibly rich history. Here you'll find massive collections of art from all over the Catalan-speaking regions of Europe from the early Middle Ages and beyond. My personal favorite room has the fresco from a tiny Romanesque church in the Catalan Pyrenees constructed around 1100 CE, with an image of Christ flanked by the apostles. It's considered one of the finest works of Catalan art in history and is preserved here.

Considering a trip to Barcelona and don't know where to start? Here's my list of the best places to visit in the City of Counts, whether you have 5 hours or 5 days! 

(Cover photos are all taken by me)

Barcelona Essentials

Palau de la Música Catalana

Catedral de Barcelona

Arc de Triomf

Buy tickets here!

La Sagrada Família

Port Olímpic de Barcelona

Compra de entradas oficial para Poble Espanyol. Compra ahora entradas al mejor precio para Poble Espanyol sin colas ni esperas y disfruta la visita.

Buy your tickets here!

Poble Espanyol de Montjuic

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Anella Olímpica

Jardins de Laribal

Fundació Joan Miró

Castell de Montjuïc

Pavelló Mies van der Rohe

Font Màgica de Montjuïc

Plaça de Gaudí

Plaça de la Sagrada Família

Avinguda de Gaudí

Get tickets here!

Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau

Purchase of tickets in the regulated area of Park Güell

Park Güell 

La Barceloneta

Palau Güell

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona

El Gat de Botero

Antic monestir de Sant Pau del Camp

Plaça Reial

Ajuntament de Barcelona

Casa de l'Ardiaca

Get tickets to any of the museums in the MUHBA system here!

Museu d'Història de Barcelona MUHBA

MUHBA Temple d'August

Plaça de Sant Felip Neri

Mercat de Santa Caterina

La Rambla

Get ticket info here!

Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar

Passeig de Sant Joan

Parc de la Ciutadella

Casa Batlló

Casa Amatller

Casa Lleó Morera

Do you want to visit Casa Milà? Buy Tickets Online and save yourself cues and management expenses (3€). Discover the building of Gaudí.

72 Hours in Barcelona

Buy to unlock full guide