30 Best Things to Do in Barcelona in 2024, By Local Critics (original) (raw)
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From modernista masterpieces to truly outstanding cuisine, these are the very best things to do in brilliant Barcelona
Everyone should visit Barcelona at least once. Everyone. No excuses. The Catalan capital is a bustling city that lives up to its reputation, a thriving cultural centre with brilliant museums, magnificent restaurants and a club scene to go all night.
Barcelona is brilliant, bombastic, and bloomin’ marvellous. And what are the best things to do while you’re here? We’re glad you asked, because we’ve done the hard yards and put together the ultimate Barna bucket list. You can’t go wrong with this place. Here are its best things to do right now.
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Maria Jose Gomez is the Time Out Barcelona editor. This piece was written by the editorial team. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
Time Out Market Barcelona sees 14 award-winning chefs bring local cuisine to the city all under one roof – find it at Port Vell, on the terrace-viewpoint of Maremagnum.
Best things to do in Barcelona
1. See Catalan modernista architecture at the Sagrada Família
What is it? Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, a stunning example of Catalonia's distinctive modernista style.
Why go? If you've never visited the Sagrada Familia, it simply has to be at the top of your Barcelona list. More seasoned visitors to the Catalan capital might look beyond the modernista big hitters (think La Pedrera, Casa Batlló and Park Güell, other popular examples of the architect's work) to find some lesser-known gems. According to the city's Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life, there are up to 2,200 buildings that are 100% modernista or decorated in the style, so there's lots out there for major fans of the style to discover. We recommend the Hotel Espanya, Casa Thomas and Casa Planells.
Don't miss For a chance to visit the Sagrada Familia for free, take advantage of the Sunday Mass to access the basilica. It takes place every Sunday at 9am, with the doors on Carrer de la Marina opening from 8.30am. Make sure to arrive early, as the queue is usually very long.
What is it? If you want to escape the chaos and noise of the city without leaving Barcelona, this is the place for you. This viewpoint at the back of Montjuïc Castle is one of the most wooded areas in the city. The area is full of zigzagging paths that go up and down the slope, offering fabulous views of the Port of Barcelona, the Mediterranean Sea, and El Prat de Llobregat. It’s an ideal space for walking and taking in the surroundings of the castle.
Why go? After strolling around the castle and exploring the forest, make a stop at La Caseta del Migdia, a small house that’s been converted into an outdoor bar, for a drink and a bite to eat under the shade of the pine trees.
Don’t miss: On Wednesday nights, La Caseta comes alive with rumba during the Sardinas & Rumba event, and it also has an extended programme throughout the week during the summer months.
3. Discover Barcelona’s Roman history
What is it? The remains of Roman Barcelona that can still be seen today.
Why go? Some of Barcelona’s best-known streets, such as Carrer Hospital or even the Passeig de Gràcia, lie on Roman streets. The best way to get a sense of Barcino – the old Roman city that evolved into modern-day Barcelona – is to follow the path of its city walls and admire the remains you see along the way. You can start the route in Carrer Paradís, between the Cathedral and Plaça Sant Jaume, where the Roman temple of Augustus is located. Don't miss the Plaça Vila de Madrid, where the Roman necropolis is located, and the Pati Llimona. In the MUHBA in Plaça del Rei there are some 4,000m2 of underground Roman excavations: streets, villas and oil and wine warehouses, giving you an idea of how life in Barcino might have been.
Don't miss: In front of number 10 Carrer Paradís, a stone marks the highest point of the Roman city, Mount Taber. Don’t expect a big climb, however: at just 16 metres high, it might be more appropriate to call it a mound than a hill.
4. Visit Barcelona’s museums, from world renowned to weird
What is it? Uncover the best of the city’s weird and wonderful museums.
Why go? Barcelona is home to major museums, including the Picasso Museum, the Fundació Miró, the MACBA, CaixaForum and the Tàpies, but the Catalan capital has plenty to offer those who want something a little more under the radar. Some of them are not technically museums, but they do bring together collections of great interest across a range of different specialities: from perfumes to sewing machines, from prehistoric fossils to objects from African and Amazonian tribes, from the history of hairdressing to the Mossos d’Esquadra, the autonomous police force in Catalonia.
Don’t miss: If you’re planning a trip to the Picasso Museum, visit at lunch or shortly before the last entry, as queues can be punishingly long. Buying tickets online can also help.
5. Lose yourself in the maze in Parc del Laberint d’Horta
What is it? A cypress tree maze in the city’s oldest garden
Why go? Swap the figurative maze of the Gothic Quarter’s winding streets for a literal labyrinth. This park can be found in Horta, near the Collserola mountain range and in addition to the maze, it has a Neoclassical garden from the eighteenth century and a Romantic garden from the nineteenth century, as well as the mansion of the Desvalls family, the land’s former owners.
Don't miss: Start your tour at the Chinese gate, a relic from a former oriental garden.
6. Cool off with a unique ice cream
What is it? Barcelona isn't Florence, that's for sure, and we can't lie to you: we don’t eat ice cream all year round. But we do have all kinds of fantastic ice cream shops, some of which are among the best in Europe.
Why go? To put it simply: when it’s hot, a good ice cream is the answer. Plus, some of our ice cream shops have their own unique spin: you can enjoy ice cream inside a spaceship at Lucciano's, or create an ice cream based on memories at Mamá Heladera, for example.
Don’t miss: Fancy literally taking a bite out of Barcelona? The clever people at Badiani’s have invented an ice cream flavour named after the city. It’s made with white chocolate, a hint of turmeric, and is rippled through with raspberries, so as well as tasting great, it looks like the Catalan flag, too.
7. Buy a book at a beautiful bookshop
What is it? A tour of the most beautiful bookstores in Barcelona.
Why go? In recent years, new bookstores have joined some of the long-standing ones we already had in the city. And – even better – most of them were also beautiful (just look at Ona Llibres, Librería Byron and Finestres).
Don’t miss: The García Márquez Library in Poblenou was chosen as the best public library in the world in 2023. And it's no wonder: it’s spectacular.
8. Enjoy the silence at the church of Santa Anna
What is it? A Romanesque church associated with the Order of the Holy Sepulchre which was declared a Cultural Asset of Local Interest.
Why go? If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Plaça de Catalunya and the traffic of Carrer d'Aragó, you'll find tranquility in the cloister of Santa Anna, as well as in the cloister of La Concepción, recovered from the former temple of Santa Maria de les Jonqueres. Time stands still, and the silence invites you to disconnect.
Don't miss: Also visit the Chapel of the Pardons, which housed a sculptural ensemble of the Holy Burial, and visitors were granted the same pardons as those who went to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
9. Have a cocktail at storied bar Mariposa Negra
What is it? A cocktail bar with quite a backstory.
Why go? Mariposa Negra is located in El Born, founded by Luca Corradini, who in 2015 was one of the head bartenders at the American Bar at the Savoy in London, England’s oldest cocktail bar. The bar takes inspiration from the novel ‘Marina’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, which is set in Barcelona during the 1970s.
Don’t miss: Corradini not only prepares spectacular cocktails but also distills his own liqueurs and designs – and manufactures! – the glasses you drink them from.
10. Sample the best of traditional Catalan cuisine
What is it? A selection of restaurants that specialise in typical Catalan dishes.
Why go? To try some delicious cod fritters, head to 7 Portes, and be sure to sample one of their rice dishes too. If you want to taste a true capipota with chickpeas, Can Vilaró is the place to go; the dish is a marvellous, flavourful gelatinous stew, and their meatballs also score highly. And when the temperature drops, head to Ca l'Estevet, where making a killer escudella i carn d'olla (a meat and vegetable dish that’s somewhere between a soup and a stew) is second nature. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg, who ate here on a trip to the city.
Don’t miss it: The latest generation of chefs is also embracing tradition. To see twenty-first century adaptations of classic dishes, visit Fonda Pepa (in Gràcia) and Maleducat (Sant Antoni).
More great things to do in Barcelona
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