The best things to do in Barcelona

1.Sagrada Família

Gaudí's basilica, under construction since 1882, with tree-like columns and stained glass that fills the nave with colour.

Tip: Book a timed ticket online; the towers need a separate ticket. The late-afternoon sun through the west windows turns the nave orange and red.

2.Casa Batlló

Gaudí's 'house of bones' on Passeig de Gràcia, with a dragon-scale roof and not a single straight line inside.

Tip: Book the first slot of the day; by midday the rooms are crowded.

3.La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

Gaudí's last house, a few blocks up the same avenue, best known for the rooftop of warrior-like chimneys.

Tip: The evening visits end on the roof as the city lights come on.

4.Hospital de Sant Pau

A modernista hospital complex by Domènech i Montaner, with tiled pavilions and gardens; a World Heritage site that far fewer people visit than Gaudí's houses.

Tip: Walk here from the Sagrada Família along Avinguda de Gaudí, about 10 minutes.

5.Park Güell

Gaudí's hillside park, with the mosaic dragon, the serpentine bench and a view over the city to the sea.

Tip: The Monumental Zone needs a timed ticket; the wooded upper part of the park is free and has the better view.

6.Gràcia's squaresFree

A former village with its own squares and terraces, such as Plaça del Sol and Plaça de la Virreina, where locals eat and drink outside.

Tip: In mid-August the Festa Major de Gràcia fills the streets with home-made decorations.

7.Bunkers del CarmelFree

Spanish Civil War anti-aircraft gun emplacements on a hilltop with a 360-degree view of the city, the sea and the Sagrada Família.

Tip: Go before sunset and expect company on summer evenings.

8.The Gothic Quarter's lanesFree

Roman walls, the bridge over Carrer del Bisbe, the shrapnel-marked Plaça de Sant Felip Neri and the palm trees of Plaça Reial.

Tip: Walk it early in the morning, before the tour groups.

9.Barcelona Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral with a cloister where 13 white geese live, and a roof terrace among the spires.

Tip: Cover shoulders and knees; the lift to the roof is worth it.

10.La Boqueria

The city's most famous food market, just off La Rambla, with fruit, ham, seafood and counter bars cooking to order.

Tip: Go in the morning, skip the juice stalls at the entrance and eat at a counter deeper inside. It's closed on Sundays.

11.Picasso Museum

Five medieval palaces on Carrer de Montcada, with the best collection anywhere of Picasso's early years, including his Las Meninas series.

Tip: There are free-entry slots at set times each week, but you still need to book them online.

12.Santa Maria del Mar

A soaring 14th-century church built by the port's workers, often called the finest example of Catalan Gothic.

Tip: The rooftop tour gives a view over El Born's rooftops.

13.Palau de la Música Catalana

A modernista concert hall with a stained-glass skylight shaped like an inverted dome.

Tip: A concert ticket can cost little more than the guided tour, and you see the hall as it was meant to be used.

14.Parc de la CiutadellaFree

The old town's green space, with a monumental fountain, a boating lake and the Catalan Parliament.

15.Vermouth and tapas in El Born

'Fer el vermut', a vermouth before lunch on Sunday, is a Barcelona habit, and El Born's bars are the place to try it.

Tip: Order a few small plates at the bar rather than a full meal, and move on.

16.Barceloneta beachFree

The city beach, ten minutes' walk from the Gothic Quarter, with chiringuito bars along the promenade.

Tip: Keep valuables at the hotel: bag theft on the sand is common.

17.Paella by the sea

Barceloneta's seafood restaurants serve paella and the darker arròs negre made with squid ink.

Tip: Eat it at lunch, as locals do, and avoid places with photos of paella outside.

18.Montjuïc

The hill above the port, with a castle, the Joan Miró Foundation, the Catalan art museum (MNAC) and the 1992 Olympic stadium.

Tip: Take the cable car up from the port side and walk down through the gardens.

19.Camp Nou

FC Barcelona's stadium, the largest in Europe, which reopened in stages from late 2025 while the rebuild continues.

Tip: Check which parts of the stadium tour and museum are open before you book; it changes as the works go on.

20.A day trip to Montserrat

A monastery on a saw-toothed mountain about an hour away by train from Plaça d'Espanya, with the Black Madonna and hiking trails.

Tip: Combine the train with the rack railway or cable car in one ticket, and go on a weekday.