Is Barcelona guide in one day It will help you prepare a route through the most interesting places in Barcelona if you have little time or it is your first day in Barcelona. Take a route through the incredible modernist buildings, tour the streets and neighborhoods with more charm, stroll through the parks, see the city from its viewpoints, visit the museums or taste its rich tapas cuisine, alongside traditional Catalan cuisine, we are sure That will make you fall in love with this amazing city.
And considering that Barcelona is one of the cities that we have visited more times and we know better, we have done this Barcelona guide in one day, based on our experience in Barcelona. We start!
How to go from the airport to the center of Barcelona
The best ways to go from Barcelona airport (El Prat), located 15 kilometers, to the center of Barcelona or your hotel are:
- Airbus: From T1 buses leave with a frequency of 5 to 10 minutes, which leave you in Plaza Cataluña in just over half an hour and from T2 the frequency is 10 to 20 minutes. The price from the two terminals is less than 6 euros.
If you arrive between 1 and 6 in the morning, the only option is line N17.
Keep in mind that if you stay near Plaça Espanya, you can also take bus 46 which takes less than an hour and costs 2 euros. - Meter: From the T1 and T2 pass the L9 Sud line, which leaves you in the University Zone in half an hour. From this station you can connect with other metro lines to reach the center or the hotel for a price of 4.5 euros.
- Train: From T2, the Rodalies train will take you to the Passeig de Gràcia stop, near Plaça Catalunya, in 25 minutes and for a price of 4 euros.
- Cab: Taxi prices depend on the situation of your hotel, which if it is close to the center, will be around 30 euros. Journey time is half an hour depending on traffic.
- Private transport: With a price similar to the taxi, it is the most comfortable option since a driver at the airport will wait for you with a sign with your name that will take you directly to the hotel. You can book it here.
For more information you can consult this post on how to go from Barcelona Airport to the center.
Accommodation in Barcelona
Our recommended hotel for Barcelona in one day It is the Caledonian, a 3-star hotel, located very close to Plaza Cataluña and Las Ramblas. It has spacious rooms, friendly staff, 24-hour reception, a good quality breakfast and parking in the same hotel, which are other reasons to choose this accommodation.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods you can consult this post of where to stay in Barcelona.
Tips to save money in Barcelona
This list of tips will help you organize your trip around Barcelona:
- Book a free tour with a local guide that will take you for about 2 hours through the most interesting sites in the city center.
- Buy the multi-personal T10 card with which you will have 10 metro or bus tickets that you can use throughout all the tourist areas of the city. This is undoubtedly one of the best tips for traveling to Barcelona.
- Save time by booking the Barcelona tourist bus, which stops at the main attractions of the city.
- Visit the Hospital de la Santa Creu and Sant Pau for free the first Sunday of each month, on Thursday afternoons the Picasso Museum and on Saturday afternoons the MNAC, three of the best free things in Barcelona.
- Buy the Hola BCN Card! for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days, which allows you unlimited access to public transport in Barcelona. Another good card to save time and money is the Barcelona Pass.
Barcelona guide in one day
Is Barcelona route in one day Start by entering the Sagrada Familia first, one of the most essential places to visit in Barcelona. This masterpiece of the brilliant modernist architect Antoni Gaudí is the most visited monument in the city. And although Gaudí did not have time to finish the temple, the works are expected to end in 2026, which with his naturist style and the techniques used, make him a unique place in the world.
The Holy Family
To visit the church we recommend you to go first thing, they open at 9 in the morning, as long lines are formed and the daily entrance fee is limited. A good option is to book this guided tour in Spanish with which you will ensure the entrance, one of the best tours in Barcelona, and you will avoid waiting in line. You also have the option to climb one of the towers and enjoy the views. If you opt for this option, we recommend you book this guided tour, which includes the ascent to the tower.
If you stay away from the church you can easily reach the metro line L2 and L5 and get off at the Sagrada Família stop, or use the city bus.
In addition, very close to the Sagrada Familia is another modernist wonder of the city, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, a hospital building complex designed by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner and his son, which is another place Barcelona declared a World Heritage Site and for which we recommend taking a walk through its large central square and entering one of its most interesting modernist buildings. If you want to know better the history of the hospital you can book this guided tour.
Hospital of Santa Creu and Sant Pau
The route of Barcelona in one day Continue climbing up to the upper part of the city to stroll through one of the most beautiful parks in the world, the Park Güell in which Antoni Gaudí was inspired by the undulating forms of nature to create this park full of sculptures, buildings and fountains.
Among its most prominent places are the Dragon Staircase, the Hypostyle Hall, the House of the Guardian, the Lavandera Portico or the Gardens of Austria, although our favorite corner of the park is the Nature Square, with its incredible views that make it one of the best viewpoints in Barcelona.
Visit Park Guell in Barcelona in one day
Keep in mind that the park only allows entry to a quota of 400 people every half hour, so long lines can be formed. One way to avoid them is by booking a guided tour of the park or this tour that also includes a visit to the Sagrada Familia without queues. If you don't want to do any guided tour, we recommend you book this ticket in advance.
After these first 3 visits of the day, you can walk down to the center of Barcelona, passing through the popular neighborhood of Gracia, a corner of Barcelona that looks like a town within the big city that stands out for its low-rise houses and its Narrow streets full of shops and bars, where the squares of the Virreina, the Sun, the Revolution or the Diamond, next to Verdi Street, are meeting points for locals and tourists.
Being in this area and being the time it is, you can take advantage of the fact that you are in Gracia to eat some good tapas in the restaurant Intrèpid de Gràcia, one of the best restaurants to eat in Barcelona.
Gracia neighborhood
The Barcelona route in one day continue in the afternoon touring the Paseo de Gracia, which connects the Barrio de Gracia with the Plaza de Catalunya. This great avenue is flanked by large modernist buildings, stores of national and international brands, and restaurants, where you can eat if you have not done so before.
The first jewel that you will find going down the promenade is the modernist building of La Pedrera or Casa Milá, the work of Antoni Gaudí that stands out for its spectacular terrace and chimneys. Once you reach this point, you will see a long line in the street, waiting to enter. To avoid wasting time you can book this ticket without queues, which will save you valuable time in Barcelona.
La Pedrera on the Paseo de Gracia
Other buildings that you cannot miss on Paseo de Gracia are the Enric Batlló House, the Bonaventura Ferrer House, the Palau Malagrida and the Palau Robert, the Amatller House, the Mulleras House and the Lleó i Morera House, these last 3 works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
Very close to these modernist buildings is our favorite place on the avenue, the facade of Casa Batlló, where every time we go to the city, at some point during the day we stop for a few minutes, to admire what is for We, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece, Casa Batlló was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, and is another of the most visited places in Barcelona. It is worth visiting its interior, a prodigy of the best architecture and crafts and go up to its terrace to enjoy the incredible views.
If you have more days we recommend postponing the entrance to Casa Batlló and La Pedrera for your second day and thus being able to enjoy these two wonders of Gaudí more peacefully.
Casa Batlló
If you like Gaudí, a great option to get to know the history and its most famous buildings is to book this tour that includes skip-the-line admission to Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. Although if you just want to visit Casa Batlló you can reserve the ticket without queues here.
The Paseo de Gracia ends at Plaza Cataluña, the nerve center and which will be the next stop of the Barcelona in one day. This square is surrounded by large buildings where shops, hotels, banks, restaurants and shopping centers such as El Triángulo and El Corte Inglés are concentrated, the latter with good views of the square from its last floor and we advise you to enjoy if you have a few minutes.
Plaza Catalunya from El Corte Inglés
From this great square, one of the most commercial streets of Barcelona, the Portal de l'Angel, will take you to the oldest neighborhood of the city, the Gothic Quarter, a neighborhood that has its origins in Roman times and wonders for its narrow streets, buildings and gothic-style palaces, local shops and tapas bars.
The route through the neighborhood can start by visiting the Cathedral of Santa Creu and Santa Eulàlia, which impresses with its magnificent Gothic interior and its cloister. After the visit you can continue the tour of the neighborhood through places like Carrer del Bisbe, with its photogenic bridge, the hidden Temple of Augustus, the King's Square with the Museum of the History of the City, the beautiful square of Sant Felip Neri, the emblematic Els Cuatre Gats restaurant, Plaza Sant Jaume, until you reach the magnificent Plaza Real.
Gothic Quarter
A good way to learn more about the history of this neighborhood is to book this tour of the Gothic and Palau Güell with a guide in Spanish or this one that also includes other areas of Barcelona.
From the Plaza Real you can access Las Ramblas or La Rambla, the most famous street in Barcelona, where we advise you to take a walk at sunset, traveling its kilometer and a half from Plaza Cataluña to the Columbus Monument, which is without a doubt, One of the best things to do in Barcelona, where you can enjoy a place full of life, where flower stands, bar and restaurant terraces, painters and street performers stand out.
In this last walk through La Ramblas Barcelona in one day, and how could it be otherwise, you can not miss the La Boqueria market, see the facade of the great theater of El Liceo, look at the floor to see the mosaic of Miró and drink at the Canaletas fountain, from which They say that he who drinks his water returns to Barcelona.
You'll want to check it, right?
La Boqueria
For dinner near Las Ramblas, we recommend one of our favorite restaurants in Barcelona such as Viana or the Sensi Bistro.
If you have more days you can use this Barcelona guide in two days.
Map of the route through Barcelona in one day
Do you want to organize a trip to Barcelona?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Barcelona here
The best hotels at the best prices in Barcelona here
Book the best tours and excursions in Barcelona in Spanish here
Book your Barcelona⇆ Airport transfer here
Guide of Barcelona in 2 days
Book your Barcelona Card with all the advantages here
Rent your car in Barcelona at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Barcelona here
The best hotels at the best prices in Barcelona here
Book the best tours and excursions in Barcelona in Spanish here
Book your Barcelona⇆ Airport transfer here
Guide of Barcelona in 2 days
Book your Barcelona Card with all the advantages here
Rent your car in Barcelona at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
