View over Barcelona from above, with the city stretching down to the sea
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Barcelona in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 6.9 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days is the most balanced pace for getting to know Barcelona without rushing. The first belongs to Gaudí and the old town's hidden side; the second to Roman Barcino, the Born and the sea. There's time to go inside a few places, sit down to a proper lunch and let the city surprise you between one route and the next.

Day 1Gaudí, parks and legends

In the morning, the route «The best of Barcelona» takes you from La Rambla to the Sagrada Família, with La Boqueria, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera on the way. Have pa amb tomàquet for lunch, then spend the afternoon on two modernista extras: the Hospital de Sant Pau, right by the Sagrada Família, and then Park Güell. Head back to the Gothic Quarter for sunset, when «Hidden Barcelona» crosses the Pont del Bisbe and Sant Felip Neri almost empty. Have a bomba for dinner.

  1. Morning

    The best of Barcelona: from La Rambla to the Sagrada Família

    Mixed · 4.2 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. La Rambla and the Miró mosaicAn old stream bed turned into Barcelona's most famous promenade, with a Miró under your feet.
    2. La Boqueria MarketEight centuries of buying and selling beside La Rambla, under an iron roof from 1914.
    3. Plaça de CatalunyaThe hinge between the old city and the Eixample, born on wasteland outside the walls.
    4. Casa BatllóAn ordinary house that Gaudí turned into scales, bones and masks, on the Block of Discord.
    5. La Pedrera (Casa Milà)A house without a single straight line, mockingly nicknamed «the quarry» by the people of Barcelona.
    6. Sagrada FamíliaA church begun in 1882 that Gaudí knew he would never see finished, and today the tallest church in the world.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Pa amb tomàquet and cured meats at Mercat de la Boqueria. La Rambla, 91

  3. Afternoon

    Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site

    A former hospital designed by Domènech i Montaner and a World Heritage Site alongside the Palau de la Música. Brick and tile pavilions among gardens, about fifteen minutes' walk from the Sagrada Família. Take your time.

    Directions

    Park Güell

    Gaudí's hilltop park above the city, with its mosaic bench and views all the way to the sea. The monumental zone needs a timed ticket, so book ahead; the rest of the park is free to wander.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Hidden Barcelona: skulls, martyrs and stone faces

    Mysteries & legends · 1.3 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. The Carrer del Bisbe BridgeIt looks medieval, it's less than a hundred years old and, so the story goes, it hides a skull pierced by a dagger.
    2. Plaça de Sant Felip NeriThe quietest square in the quarter still bears the scars of a bomb that killed dozens of children.
    3. Baixada de Santa EulàliaA short slope and a small niche that recall Barcelona's most famous martyrdom.
    4. El Call, Barcelona's Jewish QuarterA stone with Hebrew letters on a corner is almost all that remains in sight of a community wiped out in 1391.
    5. Plaça del ReiOn these steps a peasant tried to kill King Ferdinand, and tradition places Columbus's triumphant return here.
    6. La Carassa of Carrer dels MirallersA stone face with wide-open eyes that, so they say, pointed the way to a brothel.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Barceloneta bomba at La Cova Fumada. Carrer del Baluard, 56

Day 2Barcino, the Born and the sea

Spend the morning on «From Barcino to the Crown of Aragon»: Plaça Nova and its Roman towers, the cathedral, Plaça Sant Jaume, the Temple of Augustus, Plaça del Rei and, to finish, Santa Maria del Mar. Have a rice dish on Passeig d'Isabel II, a few steps from the Born. In the afternoon, step into the Picasso Museum on Carrer de Montcada, then walk down to Barceloneta to end the day with your feet in the sand.

  1. Morning

    From Barcino to the Crown of Aragon

    History · 1.4 km · 1 h 35 min

    1. Plaça Nova and the towers of BarcinoTwo towers that guarded the gate of the Roman town and a frieze drawn by Picasso, face to face.
    2. Barcelona CathedralA Gothic cathedral begun in 1298 that had to wait almost six centuries for its front.
    3. Plaça de Sant JaumeFor centuries, the government of Catalonia and the city council have faced each other across this square.
    4. Temple of AugustusFour nine-metre Roman columns hidden in the courtyard of a medieval building.
    5. Plaça del ReiThe courtyard of the palace from which the counts of Barcelona and kings of Aragon ruled a Mediterranean empire.
    6. Santa Maria del MarThe church built stone by stone by sailors and dock porters, in just 54 years.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Arròs parellada and black rice at 7 Portes. Passeig d'Isabel II, 14

  3. Afternoon

    Picasso Museum

    It covers the artist's formative years, his time in Barcelona, in five Gothic palaces on Carrer de Montcada. It's five minutes from Santa Maria del Mar. Book a time slot and check the weekly closing day.

    Directions

    Barceloneta Beach

    The city's urban beach, beside the old fishermen's quarter with its narrow streets and taverns. A fifteen-minute walk from the Born; a perfect way to end the day by the sea and a seafront stroll.

    Directions

The map

Barcelona in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Barcelona in 2 days

  • Pace the two days: the first has more long transfers, the second is almost all on foot in the centre. Alternate each route with a break.
  • A multi-trip transport card makes it easy to get between the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and the centre without thinking about single tickets.
  • Many museums close one day a week, usually Monday. Check the Picasso Museum's hours before fixing your second day.

Questions

Barcelona in 2 days: your questions

Is two days enough for Barcelona?

For the essentials, yes: Gaudí, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, the Born and the beach. Montjuïc and deeper visits will have to wait for a third day. Two days is the comfortable minimum if you don't want to rush.

How do I get between Gaudí's sites and the Gothic Quarter?

By metro: the Sagrada Família is about twenty minutes from the centre. Park Güell is uphill and far from stations, so many visitors combine the metro with a short bus or taxi ride.

Is the Park Güell ticket worth it?

If you like Gaudí, yes: the monumental zone, with its mosaics and views, is what makes the park famous. If not, the rest of the park is free to enter and still has good viewpoints.

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