This practical guide to Barcelona in 3 days will take you to the most essential places in one of the most visited cities in the world, either on foot through its most famous streets and neighbourhoods or by metro or city bus, which will take you to the most remote places of interest.
After visiting during the first two days the most interesting modernist buildings, the Gracia, Gothic and Born neighbourhoods, the Gothic churches, streets like Las Ramblas and Paseo de Gracia, on this third day you will visit places like the popular neighbourhoods of La Barceloneta and Poblenou, the viewpoints of Montjuic Castle and the Bunkers del Carmel, among many other things.
Based on the experience of our many visits to Barcelona, the last time we wrote this guide to Barcelona, we have put together this itinerary to get to know the best of Barcelona in three days. Let's get started!
Tips for travelling to Barcelona
This list of tips will help you prepare your trip to Barcelona:
All the Barcelona in 3 days itineraries are designed to start at your hotel. Begin your Barcelona journey by visiting the official website of Hotel Jazz Barcelona on jazz.barcelonahotelreview.com. Hotel Jazz Barcelona embraces a harmonious blend of contemporary design and warm hospitality. Our recommended hotel in Barcelona is the Caledonian, located in the heart of the city centre and offering great value for money. Two other good options are the H10 Art Gallery and the Hostal la Palmera. For more information you can check this post about where to stay in Barcelona.
To get to the centre or to your hotel in Barcelona from El Prat Airport, you have several transport options: train, bus, metro, taxi or book a direct transfer to the hotel. For more information you can consult this post on how to get from Barcelona Airport to the city centre. If you're arriving in Barcelona for a short layover and seeking convenience during your stay, choosing a hotel near the airport ensures easy access and a seamless travel experience. Here is a selection of Barcelona hotels near the airport that provide comfort, convenience, and a warm welcome to travelers.
If you're going to visit a lot of monuments, it's advisable to consider whether it's worth buying the Barcelona Pass, as it will save you money and, above all, time by allowing you to skip the queues. Another good option is the Hola BCN! Card for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days, which gives you unlimited access to the city's public transport.
One of the best tips for travelling in Barcelona is to buy the T-Casual card (formerly T10) with which you will have 10 metro, bus or tram tickets.
To save money in Barcelona you can visit the Picasso Museum for free on Thursday afternoons, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau on the first Sunday of every month, and the MNAC on Saturday afternoons.
To save time on travel you can book the Barcelona tourist bus, which stops at all of the city's tourist attractions.
If you want to learn more about the history of the city and its monuments, you can book a free tour of the old town with a guide in Spanish.
For more recommendations you can check out this post on essential Barcelona travel tips.
First day in Barcelona
The morning of the first day of Barcelona in 3 days starts by taking the metro, lines L2 and L5, to the Sagrada Familia, one of the must-see places in Barcelona. Although the church opens at 9am, long queues form and a fixed number of tickets are sold each day, so to make sure you get in and not have to waste time queuing you can book this guided tour in Spanish or this guided tour, which includes a climb up the tower.
The Sagrada Familia
Close to the Sagrada Familia is the next visit of the day, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, one of the jewels of Catalan modernism, not to be missed on your trip to Barcelona.
After touring the hospital's interesting buildings, you'll head to the city's most beautiful park, Park Güell, an incredible Gaudí jewel that is also an excellent viewpoint.
It's worth noting that it has gone from being free to being fee-paying, with a limited number of daily tickets. Two good options to make sure you don't miss it is to book this guided tour of the park or this tour which also includes a visit to the Sagrada Familia, both of which will save you time by skipping the queues. If you don't want to do any guided tour we recommend you to book this ticket in advance.
The Barcelona in three days route continues down to the Gracia district, one of the most charming neighbourhoods of the city, where it is a pleasure to stroll through its narrow streets full of local shops and original cafes until you find its most emblematic squares such as the Virreina, Sol, Revolución and Diamante. Although its greatest jewel is Casa Vicens, Gaudí's first masterpiece, where we recommend you book this guided tour to learn about its history.
To say goodbye to this neighbourhood, nothing better than going out for tapas in one of its many restaurants, such as Intrèpid de Gràcia.
After lunch, you'll walk to Passeig de Gràcia avenue, where you'll find two of Gaudí's best works in Barcelona, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. In addition to these two wonders, which you will visit tomorrow, Passeig de Gràcia is also home to great international brand shops and incredible buildings such as Palau Malagrida and Palau Robert, Casa Amatller, Casa Mulleras, Casa Lleó i Morer, Casa Enric Batlló and Casa Bonaventura Ferrer, which we recommend you take the time to visit and contemplate them while you enjoy the great atmosphere of the area.
La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia
The tour of the Paseo de Gracia ends in Plaza Cataluña, the most famous square in the city and from which you will have access to the Gothic Quarter via Portal de l'Àngel street. In this neighbourhood, full of Gothic-style buildings and palaces, you'll enjoy its narrow streets that will take you to places like the fantastic Mural del Beso (Isidre Nonell square), the Cathedral of Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia, the Temple of Augustus, Carrer del Bisbe, Sant Felip Neri square, Plaça del Rei, Els Cuatre Gats, Plaça Sant Jaume and Plaça Reial.
The Barcelona in 3 days itinerary continues with a long walk along Las Ramblas to the Columbus Monument, one of the best things to do in Barcelona. Along the way, don't forget to pop into the fabulous La Boqueria market and see the Joan Miró mural on the floor, as well as nibbling on some of the delicacies on offer at many of the stalls.
For dinner, we recommend a trip to the Gothic Quarter to try the tapas at Viana or Sensi Bistro, two of our favourites in the city.
(More information about the route of the first day in Barcelona here)
Map of the route of the first day in Barcelona
Map of the route of the first day in Barcelona in 3 days
Second day in Barcelona
The second day of the Barcelona in three days starts by arriving early in the morning at La Pedrera, where the nearest metro station is Diagonal station on lines L3 and L5. Although the doors open at 9 a.m., it is advisable to go early to avoid wasting a lot of time in the queue. Another good option is to book this ticket in advance to avoid waiting in line.
Next stop is Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló, where you passed yesterday, also located on Paseo de Gracia and one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. To save time, you can book this skip-the-line ticket in advance.
If you like modernism and Gaudí's architecture, it might also be interesting to book this tour of his most symbolic buildings with a guide in Spanish.
Batlló House
The route through Barcelona in 3 days continues with a visit to the Palau de la Música Catalana, a spectacular concert hall declared a World Heritage Site. The only option to visit it is to buy a ticket to see one of its music shows or book a guided tour.
When you leave the Palau de la Música you can take the opportunity to eat at one of the recommended restaurants in the area, such as Tosca Palau or Casa Lolea.
After lunch you can walk through the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter to the Basilica Santa Maria del Pi, an ancient church with one of the best viewpoints of Barcelona from the top of its tower.
Barcelona in three days continues with a route through El Born, one of our favourite neighbourhoods in Barcelona, a neighbourhood of medieval origin that has several highlights such as the impressive Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, the old Born Market, the Santa Catarina Market, Montcada Street, the Picasso Museum and the new Moco Museum, the Church of Sant Pere de les Puelles, the Marcus Chapel, the Ciutadella Park or the beautiful Estació de França.
The Station de France
After a relaxing stroll through the Parc de la Ciutadella, you can walk to the Arc de Triomf along Passeig de Lluís Companys and from there you can take the L1 metro line to Plaça Espanya, your next stop in Barcelona in 3 days.
Plaça Espanya is the gateway to Montjuïc mountain, where you can take an escalator to the top, although before reaching the top, we recommend a visit to the National Art Museum of Catalonia, MNAC, for a magnificent sunset with beautiful views of the city.
At nightfall at the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, located at the bottom of the mountain, there is a great show of water, music and light, which you can't miss in this part of the city.
After the show, you can finish the second day of the Barcelona in three days with dinner on the terrace of the Las Arenas Shopping Centre with great views of Plaza España. Although we recommend going a little further afield to eat at one of Barcelona's best restaurants, such as Kurai or MinE.
(More information about the route of the second day in Barcelona here)
Map of the route of the second day in Barcelona
Map of the route of the second day in Barcelona
What to see in Barcelona in 3 days
The third day of the Barcelona in 3 days starts by taking the metro line L1 or L3 to get to the Espanya stop first thing in the morning. This stop is close to the Poble Espanyol, an area located on Montjuic Mountain, where you will find exact copies of some of the most beautiful places and buildings in Spain and where you will also find several craft shops where you can buy an original souvenir of the city.
You can book your ticket in advance here.
Once you've finished visiting Poble Espanyol, you can take bus 150 up to the Olympic Ring, located at the top of Montjuic mountain. This complex of sports facilities, which includes the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi, the Bernat Picornell swimming pools and the Calatrava Tower, hosted most of the events of the 1992 Olympic Games.
Montjuic Olympic Ring
After a short walk around this area you can take the 150 bus again to Montjuic Castle, the next stop on the Barcelona in three days. This defensive fortress has several anti-aircraft batteries and cannons, having lived through different episodes of war during its more than 3 centuries of history. Its location at the highest point of the Montjuic mountain will allow you to have excellent views of the city and the Barcelona coastline.
Montjuic Castle in Barcelona in three days
On leaving the castle you can walk down to the Jardines del Mirador del Alcalde, with even better views of the city. Near the viewpoint and the castle you have the Montjuic cable car, one of the transport options in Barcelona, which will take you down to the lower part of the city, stopping at Avinguda Miramar, while you enjoy the views.
Views from the Mirador del Alcalde Gardens
From Avinguda Miramar you can walk to Avinguda del Paral-lel, which connects Plaça d'Espanya with the sea and is home to some of the city's best-known theatres, such as the Molino.
The next stop on the Barcelona in 3 days tour is the Barceloneta neighbourhood, which you'll reach by bus from the Paral-lel - Cabanes stop.
La Barceloneta is one of the city's most emblematic neighbourhoods, located by the sea, which still conserves its seafaring charm in its streets and restaurants serving fresh fish, seafood and paella.
And as it could not be otherwise and being already lunchtime we recommend going directly to one of the most recommended restaurants such as La Peninsular or La Cova Fumada, and after eating take a stroll through its narrow streets until you reach the beach full of atmosphere.
La Barceloneta
The itinerary continues along the Paseo Marítimo until you reach another of the city's most fashionable neighbourhoods, Poblenou. In this old industrial neighbourhood, which together with La Barceloneta opened up to the Mediterranean Sea with the celebration of the Olympic Games, you can enjoy good beaches such as Bogatell, Nova Icària and Mar Bella, as well as strolling along its commercial artery, the Rambla del Poblenou, which also has a good range of restaurants and a few art galleries or charming shops. To finish off the route through the neighbourhood, we suggest you climb the new Torre de Glòries viewpoint, which offers the highest view of Barcelona from its 120-metre height.
If you're short on time in this Barcelona in 3 days, you can take the metro from the Llacuna stop to the Mundet stop, changing at Passeig de Gràcia. Near the Mundet stop is the beautiful Laberinto de Horta park, which closes at 8pm and is an excellent option for relaxing in the city. Located in the upper part of the city, it is notable for its 18th-century neoclassical garden, which features a labyrinth made of cypress trees.
Horta Labyrinth
To finish Barcelona in three days in the best possible way, you can go up to the Bunkers of Carmel, one of the best free things to do in Barcelona.
To get to the bunkers you can take the metro from Mundet to the Vallcarca stop and then get on the V17 bus which will take you to the Gran Vista stop, located near the viewpoint. This viewpoint is located at the top of the hill of Turó de la Rovira with incredible panoramic views, and is the best place in the city to watch the sunset and sunset.
Bunkers of Carmel
A good option for any of the 3 days you will spend in Barcelona is to book this complete tour with a guide in Spanish, considered one of the best excursions from Barcelona, which takes in the most important places and in which you will learn more about the history of the city.
If you have more time, we recommend you follow this guide to Barcelona in 4 days.
