What to see in Barcelona, plus a rooftop bar with a view of the Sagrada Família

When I visited Barcelona, I liked it so much that I wanted to come back the very next weekend. Shame the flights were so expensive. So instead, I’ve written you an honest guide to what to see in Barcelona, how to get there, what it all costs and what to watch out for. Think of it as advice from a friend who’s been there.

How many days do you need in Barcelona?

If it’s your first visit, allow at least three days. A weekend covers the essentials, but Barcelona has layers, and you could easily spend a week exploring it properly. I’d give one day to Gaudí and his buildings, one to the Gothic Quarter and the centre, and save one for the beach, Montjuïc and tapas. That’s the pace that suited me best.

When is the best time to visit Barcelona?

Barcelona may be by the sea, but I’d recommend visiting between March and October. It can get pretty cold in winter. Not the kind of winter I know from Slovakia, admittedly. But Barcelona isn’t at its best then, and you’ll enjoy it far more in spring or summer. Plenty of people like to come in autumn, when you can still swim here while it’s already freezing back home in Slovakia.

A word of warning about peak season (July and August): it’s hot, expensive and packed, and even the locals have had enough of their own city. If you have the choice, go in May, June or September. You’ll enjoy both the weather and the city, and you won’t be jostling in every queue.

You can find Sagrada Família tours and tickets here:

Ryanair flies between Barcelona and Mallorca, and one-way fares are often just a few euros. I can thoroughly recommend it as a mini-break. Here’s what to see in Palma de Mallorca.

How to get from the airport to Barcelona city centre

Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport is only about 15 km from the centre, and there are several ways into the city. For the record, the old T-10 ticket no longer exists. The T-casual has replaced it (more on tickets below), so bear that in mind if you were last here a few years ago.

By R2 Nord train (cheapest)

The cheapest option is the Renfe R2 Nord train from Terminal 2. A single costs about €4.90, and it takes about 20 minutes to Barcelona-Sants station and just under 30 to Passeig de Gràcia. Trains run roughly every half hour. The best part is that the T-casual is valid on this train too, so you can carry on by metro or tram on the same ticket. If you land at Terminal 1, the free shuttle bus will take you to Terminal 2 and the station.

By Aerobus (most convenient)

The Aerobus is an express bus linking both terminals directly with the centre (Plaça de Catalunya, via Plaça d’Espanya). It runs every 5 to 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the journey takes about 35 minutes. A single costs about €7.75 and a return about €13.30. That’s what I took on my trip, and it’s the easiest option with no changes, especially if you have suitcases.

By metro (L9 Sud)

Metro line L9 Sud also runs from both terminals. You need a special airport ticket (Bitllet Aeroport) for €5.90, because neither a standard city ticket nor the T-casual is valid at the airport stations. The metro is a little cheaper than the Aerobus, but with changes the trip into the centre can take more than 45 minutes. It makes more sense if you’re heading for a particular L9 station.

By taxi

A taxi is the most comfortable option, especially for two or three of you splitting the fare. Expect to pay about €35 to €40 to the centre, including the airport supplement. Just make sure you get into an official black-and-yellow taxi from the rank outside the terminal.

What about Ryanair flights to Girona or Reus?

Ryanair now flies straight into El Prat, but some of its flights still use the smaller airports of Girona and Reus. Both are a little over an hour from Barcelona and have a direct bus to the centre. You don’t need to buy the ticket online in advance; it’s easiest to get one from the machine right outside the airport when you land.

Getting around Barcelona: public transport tickets

Barcelona has a great metro, and you can get everywhere on foot or by public transport. The city’s system is now digital, and paper tickets are on their way out. You load your tickets onto an app or onto a contactless card from a ticket machine.

For visitors, these are the main options:

• T-casual (10 journeys, one person) for about €13 in zone 1. It’s valid on the metro, buses, trams and suburban trains, and includes transfers. For most people it’s the best value for money.
• Single ticket for about €2.90, if you really are making only one journey.
• Hola BCN, a tourist travel card with unlimited journeys, including the airport connection. It costs roughly €18.70 for two days, €27.30 for three, €35.60 for four and €43.60 for five. It pays off if you’ll be travelling a lot and also use it to get to and from the airport.
• Good to know: Public transport fares change slightly every year, so check the current prices on the TMB website before you travel. The order stays the same, though: the T-casual for a shorter stay, Hola BCN for a longer, busier one.

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Is Barcelona expensive, and where should you stay?

Accommodation in Barcelona isn’t hard to find, but it is expensive. I’d always heard that Barcelona was overpriced, and I’d largely agree. A lot of things here struck me as twice the price of, say, Madrid. Then again, Barcelona is Spain’s most visited city, so it’s fair enough that it charges a premium.

For 2026, though, there are two things you should know before you go, because they really will affect your budget and your choice of accommodation.

1. The tourist tax doubled in April 2026

From 1 April 2026, Catalonia raised its tourist tax sharply, and Barcelona leads the way. It’s charged per person per night, only for the first seven nights, and children under 17 are exempt. Including the €5 city surcharge, you’ll pay €9.50 in a tourist apartment, for example, and €12 per person per night in a five-star hotel. You pay the tax at reception when you check in. It usually isn’t included in the price on Booking.com or the hotel’s website, so budget for it on top.

2. Barcelona is banning tourist apartments (Airbnb) by 2028

This is probably the biggest change. Barcelona has decided to get rid of all tourist apartments. More than 10,000 short-term rental licences are gradually expiring, and by November 2028 the city will no longer renew any of them. After that, renting out a whole flat to tourists in Barcelona will be illegal. Hotels, hostels and guesthouses carry on as normal. The reason is the housing crisis. Rents have shot up by double-digit percentages in the past decade, and locals are running out of places to live.

What does that mean for you in 2026? Fewer and fewer apartments are left, so the safest bet today is hotels and hostels. When I went, I paid about €100 a night for an apartment in the centre, and it was only a small room in a flat. So don’t expect Barcelona to be cheap.

Things to do in Barcelona: the sights worth your time

1. Sagrada Família, with its main tower complete since 2026
2. Park Güell
3. Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
4. The Gothic Quarter and the La Rambla promenade
5. The Mercat de la Boqueria food market
6. The Mercat dels Encants flea market
7. The sombre Plaça de Sant Felip Neri
8. The Magic Fountain on Montjuïc
9. The hedge maze in Parc del Laberint d’Horta
10. Parc de la Ciutadella, a gem of a park
11. A drink in Poble Sec or bohemian El Raval
12. And, of course, the beach right in the city

Gaudí’s architecture and the biggest news of 2026

Antoni Gaudí gave Barcelona a look all its own. Gaudí’s style means mosaics, curves, ceramics and a riot of colour. He designed several buildings in the city, and every one is worth at least a look from outside. The best known are the colossal Sagrada Família, Park Güell (where you’ll also find his museum) and two houses, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. Gaudí, incidentally, was hit by a tram here in Barcelona in 1926, so it’s now exactly a hundred years since his death.

Now for the big news. On 10 June 2026, after 144 years of construction, the Sagrada Família gained its main tower, the Tower of Jesus Christ. Pope Leo XIV blessed it at a solemn ceremony. At 172.5 metres, the tower makes the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world and the tallest building in Barcelona. Gaudí deliberately designed it to be slightly lower than nearby Montjuïc hill, because he believed the work of man should not surpass the work of nature. The church isn’t quite finished yet, and the final work will take years, but the main silhouette, ringed by cranes for half a century, is finally complete.

Tickets for the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Gaudí’s houses

You pay to get into all of these sights, and none of them is cheap. Approximate prices for 2026:

• Sagrada Família: basic online ticket €26 (2026); the towers cost extra and sell out fast.
• Park Güell: €18 (2026); tickets are sold in time slots, so buy them online in advance.
• Casa Batlló: from about €29.
• Casa Milà (La Pedrera): from €29 for a daytime visit.

What not to miss in Barcelona: the centre, markets and the Gothic Quarter

The Gothic Quarter and La Rambla

If you’re not in the mood for museums, be sure to take a walk through the old Gothic Quarter in the centre. Barcelona’s main promenade, La Rambla, runs right through it. You’ll find just about everything here: street performers, stalls and crowds, but watch out for pickpockets too. I mean that seriously. La Rambla, the metro and the Boqueria are among the worst places in Europe for pickpocketing. Keep your phone and wallet in front of you and leave your back pocket empty.

The one place on La Rambla you have to see is the Mercat de la Boqueria food market. If you weren’t hungry before, all those olives, cured jamón and street food will take care of that. And if you’re after some really cool finds, don’t miss the city’s biggest flea market, Mercat dels Encants.

In the Gothic Quarter you can explore the lanes and churches, and it’s worth stopping at Plaça de Sant Felip Neri too. The square has a dark past: it was bombed during the Spanish Civil War, and the blast marks are still visible on the walls. Before you settle down with a glass of wine and tapas in the evening, go and see the Magic Fountain at the foot of Montjuïc hill.

More places worth visiting in Barcelona

Like many great world cities, Barcelona has plenty of places worth your time. Away from the big-name sights, you can discover the hedge maze in Parc del Laberint d’Horta. The Carmel bunkers (Bunkers del Carmel) have one of the best views over the city. Be aware that because of the crowds, access to the bunkers is sometimes restricted, especially in the evening, so check the opening times before you go. There’s plenty of life in the Poblenou district too, which has its own rambla, and the beautiful Parc de la Ciutadella is well worth a visit.

Nightlife and the best tapas bars in Barcelona

And the rest of the evening? I’d go for a glass of good wine, sangria, Spanish tortilla or seafood, ideally with a group of friends in a tapas bar. You’ll find the best tapas bars and restaurants in Poble Sec, El Born, the more bohemian El Raval or around Plaça de Sants. Locals recommend the excellent tortilla at Kop de Mà, for example.

Barcelona is also known for its lively nightlife. The clubs on the beach and at Port Olímpic keep going until morning, and after midnight you can find a party just about anywhere. If you’re after a casino, the best known is Casino Barcelona by the port. But honestly, nobody comes here for that: the heart of a Barcelona night beats in the bars and on the streets.

A rooftop bar with a view of the Sagrada Família

What I love about blogging is that it isn’t a one-way street: you send me tips too. Thanks to you I’ve been to countless beautiful places, including this rooftop bar with a view of the Sagrada Família. It’s at the Ayre Hotel Rosellón, which is now called the Sercotel Rosellón. You need to book the terrace in advance on the hotel’s website. If you’re not staying at the hotel, you also pay an entry fee that doesn’t count towards your bill. And now that the Sagrada Família’s main tower is complete, the view is even better than before. Simply beautiful.

The best beaches in Barcelona and a nudist beach tip

I once wondered why Barcelona is so popular. Then it hit me. Like New York, London or Paris, it has plenty of sights worth seeing. But it also has something none of those cities has: a beach right in the centre.

Barcelona has its own golden-sand city beaches, just a few minutes from the centre. The best known is Barceloneta, but it’s absolutely packed, and personally it wasn’t really for me. The neighbouring beaches of Nova Icària and Bogatell are quieter and more pleasant, with more space and everything still close at hand. The great thing about Barcelona is that you can still swim here in October, and water sports are popular too, from windsurfing to kayaking.

The city’s main nudist beach is Mar Bella, which has a gay section as well as an ordinary one where people keep their swimwear on. It’s about 20 minutes from Poblenou metro station. If you want more peace and quiet, head to Sitges, about 30 minutes outside the city, where the beaches are less crowded.

Is Barcelona worth visiting? My verdict

I’m not exaggerating when I say Barcelona blew me away. Somehow I’d never felt drawn here, because it’s so close to home, and I’d always rather pop over to Madrid or Gran Canaria.

From now on, it’s Barcelona for me. Great sights, brilliant nightlife and, best of all, the beach. And in 2026 there’s a bonus: the Sagrada Família with its main tower complete and a whole city celebrating the Gaudí centenary. You hardly need a better reason to come. Gracias!