I have visited Barcelona three times now, each time for a few days. My first trip was as a couple with my husband and my second was a girls trip with friends. Recently I was able to re-visit with my husband. All were amazing experiences and there is so much to see and do in this incredible city. I highly recommend you spend more than one day in Barcelona.
But…
If you only have one day in Barcelona… here is what you should do
9:00 AM
Visit La Boqueria Market, get a juice from the vendors right in the front, they are 2 euro and amazing! I highly recommend any flavor with coconut or papaya. Check out the market a bit and then get moving, you only have one day after all. Don’t sleep on the jamon & cheese in a cone to take away either!
10:00 AM
Walk towards Barcelona Cathedral, this area is the Gothic Quarter so try to take some time to stroll around the streets a bit and enjoy the area. If you like churches, pop into the Cathedral for a quick visit (this is approx. 10 euro). Shop around the streets, check out all the little alleys, make a stop in the Placa Reial to check out the lively square.
12:00 PM
Stay in the same neighborhood and choose a place for lunch. Here are a few suggestions:
El Set: in the El Born neighborhood and if it is open it has amazing charcuterie. You must try jamon while you are here in Barcelona and this would be a great place to do it.
Ziryab Tapas Bar: We found this spot down a little alley and it was delightful. Small and hidden with great and creative tapas. Reasonably priced and had nice wine and NA drinks as well.
1:30-2:00 PM
Depending on the length of your lunch break, you might be ready for another stroll. Head out of the Gothic Quarter area and towards the Ciutadella Park. Take a stroll through the park, check out the Arc de Triomphe and explore a bit. Then comes the big choice of the day…
3:00 PM
Here is the choose your own adventure portion of the day. This is where you have to decide which is more your vibe. Are you interested in being outside, seeing wonderful views, and strolling a bit? Or are you more interested in churches, architecture, and interiors?
Option 1: Park Guell: You will purchase a ticket in advance for a time slot so that you know you will get in. Visit the Park and give yourself plenty of time to explore. The park is also quite a hike from the main area so expect to be walking for about an hour, or take a much quicker taxi ride up. The park is large and has many walking paths and things to see. You can look down over Barcelona & really have some incredible 360 views from up there. If the weather is nice, or even a bit warm, I think this may be your better option for the day.
Option 2: Sagrada Familia: You must purchase a ticket in advance for a time slot here as well. Make sure you are on time, they do check. Download the audio guide app and enjoy exploring the interior of the Sagrada Familia. It is truly like no place you’ve ever seen. You can also pay extra to go up inside the towers and have a view out over Barcelona. This is a neat experience, but I’m also going to send you to a rooftop bar a bit later in this perfect day, so you may skip the tower if you wish, or if heights aren’t really your thing.
If you feel that both of these are “can’t miss” things in Barcelona then you can easily skip the market morning and do one or the other instead.
4:30-5:00 PM
Make a reservation to visit the rooftop bar at the Sercotel Terrace. If you are googling it you would search Bar Terrassa Sercotel Rossello. The view from here is incredible and it’s a great way to see the Sagrada Familia from surprisingly close. An aperol spritz here was about 13 euro just to give you an idea, but it was BEYOND worth it for the view. They have a little truck up on the roof that you walk up to and order drinks and the space is clean, has the greatest views, and is a really nice chilled out vibe.
Tip: I couldn’t recommend making sure to book this experience more highly. You need to do this in advance and will likely need to set yourself a calendar alert to do so. The reservations open weeks in advance for the following month.
7:00
Here you can again decide a little bit of what your vibe is. But I recommend these activities to end your night in whatever order you so choose.
Grab a drink and sit in the square by the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. You can grab a glass at La Vinya Del Senyor which is a perfect little wine bar.
Another option is to head to the square at Placa Reial and head to Bar Tomate. They have a rooftop bar and you can head up there and enjoy a drink overlooking the lively scene of the square.
Have dinner at Milk Bar Bistro and enjoy the most delicious tapas! They have such a creative take on so many types of tapas and the best croquettes we had during our visit. We had fantastic wine, tried nearly everything on the menu, and loved it all. The staff was so kind and welcoming. I couldn’t suggest this spot more highly.
Finish off with gelato at Gelaaati Di Marco! The gelato here is excellent and they have this special topping that is similar to nutella that they will put on top of, or in the middle of your gelato. Get that add on and thank me later!
Where to stay
If you are visiting and doing this itinerary or sticking close to it, the best place to stay would be in or nearby to the Gothic Quarter. We stayed at “Hotel Guadi” on our first visit and really enjoyed it. It was close to everything, had an amazing rooftop terrace with some super cool views, and was comfortable and clean. The Gothic Quarter or the El Born neighborhood are definitely the places to be.
If you’re with a group, or just like the idea of having an apartment. We absolutely loved this apartment we stayed at on my most recent trip. It was comfortable and had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The living area and terrace were so large and were the absolute best part. They were so beautifully decorated and were such a great space for us all to hang out when we were all around the apartment together!
You can find the link here —-> apartment off Las Ramblas in Barcelona
On our most recent stay we also went a little fancier and stayed at Hotel Lamaro. This hotel has the BEST location in the same square as the Barcelona Cathedral. It is SO easy to walk to everything you’d want to do. The staff at this hotel were over the top kind & helpful. The room was beautiful and the bed was extremely comfortable. It also has a rooftop bar that overlooks Barcelona and is really lovely.
If you have more than one day in Barcelona (which hopefully you do!) Check out this post from Tasting Sunsets “Our Favorite Places to Eat in Barcelona”.
If you’re a wine/cava lover and you have more time check out my post on visiting the Penedes Valley for a Cava Tour!
If you love a food tour… check out my post on the best Wine & Tapas Tour with Devour Tours!
This post may contain affiliate links, if you book through my links I will earn a small commission at absolutely NO cost to you. It helps me to keep this blog ad free and easy to read.