View over Barcelona from above, with the city stretching down to the sea
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Spain
  4. Barcelona
  5. 3 day itinerary

Barcelona in 3 days

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

With three days, Barcelona is something to enjoy rather than tick off: time to go inside Gaudí's buildings, get lost in the Born and climb Montjuïc without watching the clock. Each day has its morning route, its local dish and an afternoon extra. It's the plan for anyone who wants both faces of the city, the famous one and the one tucked into the alleys.

Day 1Classic Gaudí

Open with the route «The best of Barcelona», from La Rambla and La Boqueria to the Sagrada Família, via Plaça de Catalunya, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. Have pa amb tomàquet and cured meats for lunch to recharge. In the afternoon, the Hospital de Sant Pau, a short walk from the Sagrada Família, then Park Güell, to see the city from above in the late light. It's the day with the most Gaudí and the most hills.

  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 Domènech i Montaner modernista hospital and World Heritage Site alongside the Palau de la Música. Brick and tile pavilions among gardens, fifteen minutes' walk from the Sagrada Família, and far quieter.

    Directions

    Park Güell

    Gaudí's park with views over the whole city and the sea, famous for its mosaic bench. The monumental zone needs a timed ticket, so book ahead. The rest of the park is free to wander.

    Directions

Day 2Barcino, bomba and the Born

Today is for history with «From Barcino to the Crown of Aragon»: Plaça Nova, the cathedral, the Temple of Augustus, Plaça del Rei and Santa Maria del Mar. For lunch, head down to Barceloneta to try the bomba, the croquette invented in the neighbourhood. Wander back slowly through the Born: the Picasso Museum and, a few minutes away, Parc de la Ciutadella, a good mid-afternoon pause before returning to the centre.

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

  3. Afternoon

    Picasso Museum

    A collection from Picasso's formative years in Barcelona, in Gothic palaces on Carrer de Montcada. It's right next to Santa Maria del Mar. Book a time slot and check the weekly closing day before going.

    Directions

    Parc de la Ciutadella

    The city's big park, with its Cascada fountain, a rowing lake and the Parliament of Catalonia. Enter by the Arc de Triomf or from the Born; ideal for catching your breath between routes.

    Directions

Day 3Montjuïc, sea and mystery

Spend the morning on Montjuïc hill and in Barceloneta, with no fixed route: climb to the castle for views of the port, then come down to the sea. Have a rice dish on Passeig d'Isabel II. Towards dusk, go back to the Gothic Quarter for «Hidden Barcelona», with the Pont del Bisbe, the Call and the Carassa in half-light. Finish with an escudella at Can Culleretes, a restaurant with centuries of history.

  1. Morning

    Montjuïc Castle

    A 17th-century fortress on Montjuïc hill, with views over the port, the sea and the city. Reach it by cable car, funicular or an uphill walk. Bring water and comfortable shoes.

    Directions

    Barceloneta Beach

    The city's urban beach, beside the old fishermen's quarter with its narrow streets and taverns. Come down from Montjuïc and stroll the seafront before a seafood rice for lunch.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

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

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Escudella i carn d'olla and crema catalana at Can Culleretes. Carrer d'en Quintana, 5

The map

Barcelona in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Barcelona in 3 days

  • Over three days a multi-trip transport card pays off: the metro connects the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Montjuïc and the centre with no fuss.
  • Montjuïc and Park Güell involve long climbs. Save them for when you have energy, not after a long route in the heat.
  • On Mondays many museums close, and on Sundays many small shops. Check opening hours before planning day two.

Questions

Barcelona in 3 days: your questions

How do you split three days in Barcelona?

The first for Gaudí and Sant Pau, the second for the Gothic Quarter, the Born and the Picasso Museum, and the third for Montjuïc, the beach and the legends. Each day has a theme and you don't criss-cross the city.

How far do you walk over these three days?

The routes add up to about 6.9 km, spread over three days. With transfers and the extras (parks, museums, the climb to Montjuïc), you'll walk a bit more each day, always at your own pace. Wear comfortable shoes.

Should I book tickets in advance?

Yes, especially for the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Gaudí's houses. Book several days ahead in high season. Other visits and all Free Tours Free routes need no booking.

Other itineraries for 3 days

Barcelona

More or less time?

1 day itinerary 2 day itinerary All about Barcelona