The year was 2016 when I abruptly decided to quit my job and move to Barcelona to pursue a graduate degree. I had been to Barcelona twice before– once in 2005 and again in 2009– so I had an overall idea of the city, but had no idea of what to expect from my move abroad. 

I have to admit, I cried on my flight to Barcelona. Don’t ask me why. I think it was a mixture of excitement for the future, but also fear of the unknown. You see, I’ve always been a planner, but past my year in school, I had no idea what would come next. 

It wasn’t instant, but I fell in love with Barcelona. 

Fast forward a year and I was not ready to return home. I cried when I got on the taxi to the airport, sitting on the plane, and also a couple of mornings when I arrived in the US. I mention all of this because I want you to understand my deep love and knowledge of this city. 

Every time friends or family visited, I would take them on my own little tour of the city. With time, I got this down to a science. It’s jammed-packed, and trust me, you’ll be tired of walking by the end of the weekend, but there’s just so much to explore in this beautiful city! 

Alas, my Barcelona in a weekend itinerary! 

This itinerary will take you from La Sagrada Familia, to the Arc de Triomf, Parç de la Ciutadella, La Boqueria, Las Ramblas, Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça España, and so much more. Basically everything you must not miss when visiting Barcelona in a weekend.

Personally, my favorite way of getting to know a city and its culture is through walking it, getting to know the layout and the locals. Spoiler: there’s a lot of walking involved here, but have no fear, taxis are everywhere in the city for when you get tired! 

Day 1

Start out at the Sagrada Familia with the earliest ticket time. Keep in mind, you need to book ahead of time as they sell out months in advance. I recommend you go for the first group in the morning so that you get to take in its beauty without the crowded tourists blocking your views! Heck – find a spot to sit down and look at the light shining through the stained glass, what a sight of beauty! 

From here, you can walk down Passeig de Sant Joan to Granja Petitbo (11 mins walking) or Giulietta Cafe (17 mins walking) for a delicious breakfast. 

You’ll walk off your breakfast on your way to the Arc de Triomf, just a 7-10min walk. Fun Fact: It was built in 1888 as the main access gate to the Barcelona World Fair, which is where Parc de Ciutadella is now located.

Here you can get some awesome shots of the Arc and city in the background! All the way at the end, you’ll cross the street into Parc de Ciutadella. Take your time here! This is an awesome spot to sit down and rest for a little bit. There’s a cascade, gardens, playgrounds, and more! Locals tend to bring a bottle of wine or cava, a blanket, and enjoy the nice weather. 

Once you’re ready to head out, you can head over to La Xampanyeria for some tapas and cava. This spot is standing room only, but worth it! You’ll mainly want to come here for the 2.50€ bottles of cava. If you walk all the way to the back, they have a little store where you can buy cava by the bottle. Keep in mind that if you buy bottles here you’ll have to continue carrying them throughout the day, you can either drop them off at your hotel quickly or come back later. They close their shop at 8:30 pm, so you’ll have time to come back just in case. 

This next stop in the Barcelona tour is probably one of my favorites, Park Guell. You can buy entrance tickets in advance or on arrival. I recommended buying ahead of time because they sell out, but note they’re sold by a specific time slot. Park Guell is filled with Gaudi’s sculptural buildings all throughout, as well as gardens, and viewpoints of Barcelona.

Pro Tip:

Make sure your tickets are well before 6pm as the sun starts to go down and can cast shadows on your pictures. This is definitely a touristy spot, but it’s one of those things that you have to see at least once in your lifetime. 

Let’s talk dinner:

If you like sushi, my favorite restaurant in the world is Robata, but a reservation is needed. Feeling tapas instead? Check out Cervecería Catalana, Ciutad Comtal, La Flauta, or Casa Lolea Barcelona. Most don’t take reservations, and you might have to wait in line for a bit, but trust me they’re all worth the wait!

Want to head out for some drinks after dinner? Paradiso is a speakeasy well-known for their unique cocktails. Bar Mediterráneo is local spot for live music that opens late at night. Looking for more of a bar hopping experience? You’ll want to walk to be near Passeig del Born (2 mins walk from Paradiso) or Carrer d’ Enric Granados in Eixample.

Day 2

You’re only in Barcelona for a weekend, so be ready for a long day of seeing the most!

For breakfast, I always take family and friends to Brunch and Cake at least once, there’s a couple locations in the city! The menu often changes, but OMG I swear everything on that menu is delicious, you cannot go wrong! Their smoked salmon sandwich is my go-to breakfast order! 

Start your day by walking through El Born and the Gothic Quarter. You don’t need a specific place in mind to walk around here, the idea is to get lost through the neighborhood! Walk through the Gothic Quarter en route to the Cathedral of Barcelona.

Continue walking toward La Rambla. You’ll want to make a stop here at La Boquería, a vibrant food market with diverse food. You can find anything here from spices to meats, fruits, veggies, bocatas, tapas, etc. Just lookout for pickpocketing because they are everywhere!

Up Next

Next stop is Plaça Catalunya. This is pretty much the center of the old city and always busy. You can catch any form of public transportation here, even the EuroBus back to the airport. If you’d like to do some shopping this is the time! Remember that in Barelona everything closes on Sunday’s so you’ll want to get that out of the way early. There’s three main areas for shopping around Plaça Catalunya: Parquell Del Angel, Carrer de Pelai or Passeig de Gracia. 

For lunch, there’s two places I recommend around this area. El Nacional, it’s an innovative concept where you can choose from 4 gastronomic experiences and 4 bars: tapas & paella, meats, seafood, and a quick bites style. Feeling burgers instead? Check out Bacoa, there’s a couple locations around the city. ¡Salud! 

After Lunch

After lunch, hop on the metro from Plaça Catalunya and head to Montjuïc via the Parallel metro stop. To get to Montjuïc you’ll first take the metro to Parallel and follow directions for the Montjuïc funicular, included in your metro ticket. Once you’re at Teflefèric de Montjuïc base station you’ll follow directions for the cable car. Buy your tickets here, depending on time and how much walking you’re up to, you can buy return tickets or just one way tot the top of the mountain and then walk on your back. Here’s the route I would take if I had time:

To end the night, and since I’m sure that by now you might be tired from all the walking, head over to dinner right in Barceloneta. For really good authentic paella check out Restaurante Salamanca.

Day 3

On your last day in the lovely city of Barcelona you can enjoy a nice early breakfast and make your way to Montserrat. Montserrat is a multi-peak mountain range that offers beautiful views, trails, a monastery, and an unforgettable experience. While there are food options once there, you can definitely pack a sandwich and some drinks to have yourself a picnic.

HOW TO GET THERE

Do your research and get to know all the ways to arrive to Montserrat and what experience you’re looking to have. If you’re into hiking, you can hike from the base to the top. The difficulty? I’m not a hiker at all, and here’s a picture of me all the way at the top! Don’t let this fool you, I was sweating like crazy and had to make multiple stops along the way, but I made it!

Not into hiking? No problem because neither am I! Lol (This was a one time experience with some friends). I’ve visited Monserrat on 4-5 different occasions at this point and no – I don’t get tired from visiting. Every other time I’ve arrived to the Monistrol train station, and from there you decide if you hike, take the railway or the cable car to the top. If you’re not afraid of heights or tired of cable cards by now, that’s my favorite view!

Spend the rest of the day discovering Montserrat. Visit the local market, monastery, and La Monerata, Apostles viewpoint, and get lost walking around taking in the beauty of the mountain range. Then when you’re ready, make your way back to the Monistrol train station and back to Barcelona.

Leaving Barcelona?

Here’s how you can get to the airport

1. Taxi – fare is usually between €30-40.
2. Aereobus – fare is €5.90 one way and leaves from Plaza Catalunya every 5-10mins. It’s open 24hrs and takes about 35mins.
3. Train – fare is €4.60 one way and leave approximately every 30 mins.

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