Things to do in Barcelona – 15 attractions and experiences

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated July 2026 | Are you looking for tips on things to do in Barcelona on holiday? Then you've come to the right place! Here we've collected our 15 best tips – from iconic sights and cozy neighborhoods to market halls, beach life and Catalan food experiences. Perfect whether you're planning a weekend in Barcelona or a longer trip in Catalonia.

Barcelona

Barcelona is a wonderful holiday city that offers everything from sun and water to nightlife, good food, architecture, art and history. The capital of Catalonia is simply a city that is easy to fall in love with.

15 things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that offers lots of things to see and experience. Here you can mix culture and history with sun, swimming and food.

1. Stroll on La Rambla

La Rambla is touristy – you can’t get away from it. At the same time, it’s one of Barcelona’s classics, and we still thought it was lovely to stroll between flower stalls, street musicians and small outdoor cafes. Don’t miss a visit to the market hall La Boqueria, where you can browse among cheeses, fruit and pastries.

2. Discover the Gothic Quarter

The Barri Gòtic is the historic heart of Barcelona, where narrow alleys lead between squares, churches and beautiful buildings. This is an area that is perfect for exploring on foot, without any particular plan. We really liked this part of town, where you can just stroll around or sit down at a cozy café. among the small alleys and sit down at one of the cozy cafés.

3. Join a guided city walk

We went on a guided walking tour and found it to be a great way to get to know Barcelona. Our guide spoke enthusiastically about the city's history and pointed out details that we would have likely missed on our own.

4. Visit La Sagrada Familia

Construction of La Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and in 1883 Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi took over. He devoted the rest of his life to this enormous project, which is still unfinished. Among other things, the construction of the central, and tallest, church tower remains to be completed.

That Gaudi designed this creation more than 100 years ago is hard to believe. The interior is designed to mimic a Catalan Mediterranean forest, with pillars reminiscent of trees branching up to the ceiling. The light fixtures embedded in the roof structure are meant to mimic daylight, which penetrates the overgrowth of a forest. 

We highly recommend a visit here! You can, of course, visit the church on your own, but the queues are long, so there are advantages to buying 'skip the line' tickets.

5. Experience Gaudi's masterpiece Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló, or ”House of Bones” as it is popularly known, is another of Gaudi’s masterpieces. Located on Passeig de Gracia, the house was designed in the early 20th century by Antoni Gaudi for the Batlló family. Today it is open to the public – and it is definitely worth checking out.

Casa Batllo is a truly imaginative house, with almost no straight lines and inspired by the soft shapes of nature and the boundless imagination of fairy tales. Gaudi also thought a lot about light, and every room has sophisticated ways of letting in light.

6. Enjoy the surroundings of Parc Guell

A third attraction designed by Antoni Gaudi is Parc Guell, which was built in the early 20th century. The park is completely free to visit, but if you also want to access the buildings, you have to pay an entrance fee. The park also offers a nice view of the entire city.

7. See art at the Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum must be Barcelona's most famous museum. Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga in 1881 and as a young man he studied at various art schools in Barcelona. Although he subsequently spent the rest of his life in France, he chose to locate the museum of his art in the city where he lived as a young man.

8. Experience the view from Montjuïc

Montjuïc rises above Barcelona's harbor and offers some of the city's most beautiful panoramic views. Take the cable car up the mountain or stroll through the parks and discover attractions such as Castell de Montjuïc, the Olympic Stadium, the Joan Miró Museum and Poble Espanyol.

If you want to see Barcelona from another perspective, you can also go up to the roof terrace at Arenas de Barcelona, the old bullring that has been converted into a modern shopping mall. From here you get a fantastic view over the city's rooftops, with the Sagrada Família and the surrounding mountains in the background.

9. Taste Catalan food

Catalan food is not the same as Spanish food, which means that tapas, which we ordered one evening, is not really a local dish in Barcelona. Despite this, you can of course find many tapas restaurants, and tapas is never wrong.

Catalan food is often eaten more traditionally with a starter, main course and dessert, preferably late in the evening and preferably accompanied by a glass of wine. Examples of typical dishes are:

• Bread with tomato (toasted bread with fresh garlic, tomato, olive oil and salt)
• Botifarra (a traditional pork sausage)
• Catalan cream (a traditional Catalan dessert reminiscent of crème brûlée, but flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest.

10. Experience Barcelona's nightlife

People go out late, so don't start too early if you want to experience the city's nightlife. We started at a Mexican bar/restaurant called Rosa Negra. You go here for the atmosphere and the crazy decor, with dolls and colourful flip-flops on the walls. The atmosphere was great and Mojitos were being made on a conveyor belt. 

At half past twelve we took a taxi to the big club Opium, located at the beach in Barcelona. The club is really fresh, with large rooms and a nice outdoor bar, where you can sit back in white sofas and look out over the beach.

11. Sunbathe and swim in Barceloneta

La Barceloneta is a port-side district in Barcelona, known for its narrow streets, fishing roots and perhaps most of all, its long, sandy beach. So if you're visiting Barcelona at the right time of year, just bring your swimsuit and towel to the beach.

12. Visit Camp Nou

A different type of attraction in Barcelona perhaps? If you like football, you might want to visit the huge Camp Nou football stadium. If you're lucky, you can get tickets to a match, or you can take a guided tour of the stadium.

13. Shop at La Boqueria Market

La Boqueria is Barcelona's most famous market hall, located just off La Rambla. Here, colorful fruit stands mingle with fish, shellfish, cheeses, charcuterie and local delicacies. Although popular with tourists, the market is still a vibrant food market where locals buy their produce.

This is a perfect place to take a break from your day of sightseeing. Sit down at one of the market hall's tapas bars and enjoy pinchos, seafood or a freshly squeezed juice while taking in the lively atmosphere.

14. Discover El Born

El Born is one of Barcelona's most charming neighborhoods, with narrow alleys, small squares and a lovely mix of restaurants, wine bars and designer shops. The area is adjacent to the Barri Gòtic but often feels a little quieter and more local.

Here you can stroll around without any particular plan, sit down at a café or visit attractions such as the Picasso Museum and the beautiful church of Santa Maria del Mar. In the evening, the neighborhood fills with people gathering for dinner or a glass of wine.

15. Get to know Catalonia

Did you know that Catalonia is an autonomous region, that Barcelona is the capital of the region and that the language spoken here is Catalan? This Romance language is also spoken in Andorra, some parts of France and the town of Alghero in Sardinia.

During Franco's rule, the inhabitants of Spain were forbidden to speak Catalan, and in other words, he was not liked by the Catalans. According to our guide on the half-day tour, the Catalans still celebrate Franco's death anniversary with great joy. Today, you can expect to find signs in both Catalan and Spanish.

Where to stay in Barcelona?

So, where to stay in Barcelona? Here are three areas that will suit most visitors.

Barri Gòtic – historic and central

Perfect for those who want to stay in the heart of Barcelona's historic city centre, within walking distance of many of the city's main attractions. Charming alleys, cozy squares, tapas restaurants and a lovely atmosphere await you here. An excellent choice for first-time visitors.

During our visit we stayed at Petit Palace Barcelona, which was in a very good location within walking distance of several of the city's main attractions. We enjoyed the modern room and especially appreciated the easy walk to Passeig de Gràcia, Plaça de Catalunya and the Gothic Quarter.

What we appreciated most was the hotel's quiet courtyard – a green oasis in the middle of the city's pulse – and the perfect location that allowed us to walk almost everywhere.

Eixample – elegant and close to Gaudí's masterpieces

Eixample is one of Barcelona's most popular areas, with wide boulevards, beautiful Art Nouveau architecture and several of Antoni Gaudí's most famous buildings, including Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. There are plenty of restaurants, shopping and hotels in various price ranges.

Barceloneta – beach life and Mediterranean feel

If you want to combine a city break with sun and swimming, Barceloneta is an excellent choice. Here you'll be close to the beach, the promenade and many seafood restaurants, while also having easy access to the city centre.

Are you travelling by motorhome?

There are campsites both north and south of Barcelona, but most are located a bit outside the city center. A common arrangement is to park your campervan at a campsite and then take the train or public transport into the city center, which is often both more convenient and cheaper than trying to drive and park inside Barcelona.

More city guides nearby

There are, of course, many more exciting cities to experience along the Spanish Mediterranean coast:

• Things to do in Peniscola
• Things to do in Benidorm
• Things to do in Tarragona
• Things to do in Valencia

READ MORE: Football trip to Barcelona - and a city weekend in one