1 Day in Barcelona

So you’re coming to the most beautiful city in the world… and you’ve only given yourself 24 hours to see it!?

Are you crazy!?!?

Change your flights amigos, tell your boss your favourite uncle died, or that you’ve contracted dysentery… do whatever it takes to spend longer! There are so many amazing things to do in Barcelona, that one day is never enough…. just check our 2, 3, 4 and 5 day itineraries, to see what I mean.

I’m going to attempt the impossible, and create an itinerary that captures the brilliance of Barcelona in less than 24 hours

Didn’t manage to persuade you to stay longer? Well it’s true that the real world can be brutal sometimes, with its responsibilities, and deadlines… so I’m going to attempt the impossible, and create an itinerary that captures the brilliance of Barcelona in less than 24 hours…

The Perfect 1 Day Itinerary

The key to a successful one day stay, in my opinion, is to get an overview of the city, and to visit two or three of its most important monuments. Unfortunately you won’t have the luxury to get a deeper sense of the rhythms of the city, its local life and habits, but you should get an impression on a grander scale of its geography and architecture, and maybe just a tiny slice of its balmy Bohemian atmosphere. Hopefully the seed will be sown for a second, more comprehensive visit. Here we go…

1 Day Itinerary in Detail

08:45 – Plaça Catalunya

No slouching, I expect you to be showered, dressed and breakfasted by now, and you should have made your way to Plaça Catalunya, the city’s bustling central square.

The day starts here, at Placa Catalunya….

08:45 – 09:15 – Passeig de Gracia

From here make your way up the magnificent boulevard Passeig de Gracia by foot. This has to be one of the best looking streets in the world. Keep going up until you reach the so called ‘Block of Discord’ on your left, a single block that showcases three of Barcelona’s best architects in one: starting with the Casa Lleo i Morera by Luis Domenech i Montaner, then the Casa Amatller by Puig y Cadalfach, and finishing with the astonishing Casa Batllo, by none other than Antoni Gaudi.

The Casa Amatller (left), and the Casa Batllo, on the Block of Discord.

09:30 – Casa Mila

The embarrassment of architectural riches continues on the other side of the street with Gaudi’s Casa Mila, a vast monolithic mansion with curves like Kim Kardashian. Take a good look!

You don’t have time to enter any of these astonishing buildings however, because you’ve got a date with God. Get on board the Blue Line of the Hop On, Hop Off Tourist Bus and alight at the next stop.

10:00 – Sagrada Familia

You don’t have to be religious to sense the divine in this breathtaking homage to the big guy upstairs. Gaudi was an ardent Catholic and he dedicated the later years of his life to this impossibly grandiose edifice, every square foot of which is decorated in religious allegories, natural motifs and mathematical equations. This one you can’t miss, so buy yourself a skip-the-line ticket. Personally I would advise buying a ticket that includes audioguide, which you can do via Get Your Guide.

Note: if you’re following this itinerary exactly, you might be better off buying the Barcelona Pass as it includes Tourist Bus, Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, leaving you done and dusted with one handy purchase!

The unmissable Sagrada Familia

11:30 – Tourist Bus

However mesmerising La Sagrada proves, don’t tarry too long… you need to hustle and get back on the Blue Line of the tourist bus. Your love affair with Gaudi ain’t over yet. Get off two stops later…

12:00 – Park Guell

Excuse me for a minute whilst I get nostalgic for the times when Parc Guell was free and half empty, and I used to pop up there just to enjoy the serene beauty of the place. Sadly, in these days of readily accessible travel, we now have to wait our turn (and pay!) for such privileges – so please go online and book your tickets in advance (you’ve got a loooonng wait if you don’t!).

The viewing terraces of the wonderful Park Guell

Once you’ve passed through the art nouveau gates of Gaudi’s garden, you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about. From the majestic white staircase, with techni-colour lizard on guard, to the wide open terrace with undulating trencadis-covered benches and views over almost the entire city, this is a truly special place.

Oh what the hell, take a selfie… everyone else is!

13:30 – Lunch in Gracia

Lunch time! Leave yourself about 15 or 20 minutes and descend from Park Guell down into the chic Bohemian district of Gracia. This used to be a separate village to Barcelona, and indeed the (fiercely Catalan) locals still consider themselves distinct from downtowners. The barri is chock-full of affordable tapas bars and restaurants, so take your pick. You’ll find a few suggestions in our Restaurants section, where you can filter the location for ‘Gracia’.

A spot of lunch in Gracia…

15:00 – Ride the Blue Line

By now your legs are a little weary and your stomach a little bloated. But don’t worry, I’ve scheduled you a nice easy afternoon…

It’s time to get back to the tourist bus stop, and ride the Blue Line all the way, through the pleasant Zona Alta neighbourhoods, to the other side of the city where the legendary Camp Nou football stadium awaits. Depending on whether you’re a sports fan or not, you might want to get off here and enjoy The Barça Immersive experience. You can buy advance tickets via Get Your Guide (note: the stadium itself is closed for refurbishment until Nov 2024, but you can still tour the museum and check out those gleaming trophies).

Note: The 16:00 or 16:30 time slot for the Camp Nou Experience should fit this itinerary (it might take a bit over an hour to get there via tourist bus after lunch, 30-40 mins on the bus, plus the time you need to get from the restaurant to the bus stop and wait for the next bus to arrive).

Sports fans can squeeze in a stadium tour of Camp Nou

Not a big Barça fan? Then just enjoy the bus tour of the city and alight at the Francesc Macia roundabout, where you’re going to change onto the Red Line of the tourist bus route.

16:30 – Ride the Red Line

From Francesc Macia, the Red Line of the tourist bus will take you to Plaça Espanya, where you will spy the eye-catching Las Arenas shopping centre (it was once a bullfighting arena, and it shows!), before taking a very enjoyable ride through the leafy hills of Montjuic mountain.

Enjoy the bus ride over Montjuic hill, with its parks and museums

This green space is full of parkland and cultural treasures, and you might want to alight at any of the Joan Miro Foundation, Olympic Stadium, or Miramar viewing point, if you have time.

With a bit of luck you should reach the Columbus Statue around 18:00. (If you stopped for Camp Nou you’re probably behind schedule, so plan accordingly!).

18:00 – Las Ramblas

The 60-metre-high column with the New World explorer on top is your sign to get off the bus. You’re at the bottom of Las Ramblas, the city’s (in)famous thoroughfare. You wouldn’t want to have to cross this street every day, as its positively jam-packed with tourists, but on the other hand, you wouldn’t want to miss it either. It’s a wide, lively street, flanked by theatres, restaurants and palaces. You can read more here.

Walk up La Rambla, from Colombus back up to Pl. Catalunya

As you head up Las Ramblas, navigate a little bit to the right in order to discover the lively Plaça Reial, possibly my favourite square in the city. You might want to come back here at night for a beer!

Be sure to pop by the Placa Reial

Whilst on the left of Las Ramblas, as you head up, you’ll pass not only La Boqueria food market (pop in and get yourself some freshly squeezed juice) but also the historic Liceu Theatre.

You’ll also pass all manner of artists, street performers, vendors, hawkers, florists, kiosks and souvenir sellers.

If it’s cold outside you could nip down to Petrixol street (on the right) and grab a hot chocolate from one of the traditional cafes there.

After that it’s time to get back to your hotel and get changed for the evening.

19:45 – Flamenco & Dinner

If you really want to do it all in one day, then round off your Barcelona itinerary with a flamenco show and dinner. There are several great tablaos (concert venues) to choose from, and I’d suggest either this affordable flamenco & tapas evening, or else a show at Tablao Cordobes on Las Ramblas.

Tablao Cordobes offers three or four shows a night, and you can buy a ticket with a drink, with Spanish tapas or will full Spanish dinner, so check what times and options work for you. Shows tend to sell out so best to buy tickets via Get Your Guide (select the date first, and then you will see the different meal options and times).

Round off your Barcelona experience with a flamenco show…

If flamenco isn’t your bag baby, then you can’t go wrong with dinner at El Nacional, a refined food court where four different restaurants and four more bars offer tastes from all corners of Spain.

More things to do at night here.

22:00 – Nightcap

You’ve really packed it in today, so reward yourself with a nice refreshing libation. For cocktails try Slow cocktail bar or La Whiskeria.

If you find yourself in the Gothic Quarter, then head over to Milk, or one of the bars on Plaça Reial (I like Ocaña the best).

Chilling out in style at Slow

00:00 – Bed Time?

Bed time! Unless of course you truly want to make this a 24 hours in Barcelona experience and party until dawn with the city’s cool cats and night owls. In that case let me present to you our guide to the local nightlife.