Like a vibrant painting, Barcelona excites your senses and changes your perspective. A warm, inviting climate invites days on the beach and seaside sunsets. Local markets offer regional produce for a taste of something new. Renowned art museums showcase masters of years gone by, along with work by the next generation. Antoni Gaudí’s architecture uses bright colors and inspiring shapes that add pizzazz to the everyday.
When the wheels hit the tarmac, you’ll have abundant options to explore. To help you get the most out of your visit, we’ve compiled our favorite things to do in Barcelona so you’re out and about, not researching and deciding. Here’s where we’d go.
The 5 best things to do in Barcelona
When you visit an art museum, there’s something new around every corner. Whether artistic styles or inspiring ideas, each piece brings a unique character and appearance—Barcelona’s like that. From whimsical architecture to centuries-old markets, the capital of Catalonia is a cultural feast.
Park Güell
A dream-like expanse created by entrepreneur Eusebi Güell and Antoni Gaudí, the park features multi-colored tile mosaics, a lizard sculpture, and spiral towers. This UNESCO World Heritage Site lets your imagination wander with shapes and sights that seem like fantasy.
Due to its popularity, you must book ahead and be on time for your selected spot. While you’re there, a worthwhile add-on is visiting Casa Museu de Gaudí, where the architect lived for 19 years. While that costs an extra $5.50, its historical significance and pink spires make it worth the expense.
Palo Market Fest
As its name suggests, this event is a festival. What does it celebrate? Eclectic cuisines, sustainable creative works, and musical performances. Occurring on the first weekend of each month (not August), the Palo Market Fest takes place inside an abandoned factory, where food trucks and local artisans line the aisles. DJs and bands liven up the mood, the atmosphere a vibrant display of Barcelona’s culture.
Moco Museum Barcelona
Moco is a portmanteau of “modern” and “contemporary,” and this museum has plenty of both. Featuring works by icons like Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol, along with present-day creators like Banksy and KAWS, the museum is a kaleidoscope of creativity. Even if you’ve walked miles inside the walls, intriguing works keep popping up, taking you on a journey of the global artistic landscape.
Something to keep in mind — tickets are cheaper before 11:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. We’d grab a tapas dinner at nearby El Xampanyet, then spend the evening taking it all in.
La Boqueria
This historic market — in existence since 1217 — takes you on a trip through Spain’s culinary past. Whether meats, cheeses, fruit smoothies, or tapas, over 200 stands immerse you in aromas and flavors of centuries-old traditions. At El Quim de La Boqueria, try fried eggs with wild mushrooms or wagyu beef tartare. After filling up, go on a savory shopping spree and try local specialties like percebes (goose barnacles) or manchego (goat cheese). Cured meats are another well-known pick, including jamón ibérico (ham) and jamón serrano (ham).
The market covers 13,000 square meters, so bring your walking shoes and your appetite. You can visit the market from Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. A walk through Barcelona’s food culture seems like the perfect way to end the day.
Camp Nou
In Europe, the passion for soccer runs deep. That’s on display at Camp Nou, home to Barcelona FC, a top team in Spain’s La Liga soccer league. It’s the largest venue in Europe — with a 99,354-person capacity — creating an epicenter of action on the pitch. You can catch a game from mid-August through May, and though season-ticket holders own every seat, there’s usually plenty available against lower-level teams. Between 48 and 72 hours before a match is your best bet to score seats.
While you’re there, take a stadium tour ($30), where you can view Messi’s trophies, the first team’s bench, and the player’s tunnel. For the sports aficionado, it’s a must-visit.
Barcelona travel: Culture, cuisine, art
When you travel internationally, you don’t just want to see the world; you want to feel it. New experiences — food, people, or artwork — make memories, and Barcelona delivers each. Park Güell’s wild forms and colors take you to a whimsical world. Camp Nou immerses you in European soccer and what it’s like to root for the home team. Local markets provide tastes and aromas formed over hundreds of years. For a perspective-changing trip, Barcelona should be on your list.
