What to do for a weekend in Barcelona?

Visiting the Catalan capital in a weekend is a bit of a challenge, it's almost impossible to reduce its innumerable amazing sights to a list of 10 must-see places. There are so many options for things to do with kids in Barcelona, or as a couple, there are so many places to go in the evening, displays of the culture and places for those who love tourism and travelling... There's no doubt about it, you need a practical guide so you won't miss out on anything. Luckily, I have the answer if you aren't sure what to do for a weekend in Barcelona. You just have to decide between these three routes and I promise you that you'll get to see all of Barcelona in 3 days.

That Barcelona is one of the most lively, tourist-filled and multicultural cities in Spain is hardly a surprise. Wherever you come from, whatever accent you have, the Catalan capital will welcome you with open arms. You could spend a whole year living here and you wouldn't be able to explore all of its nooks and crannies. But what should you do if you only have a weekend and you want to see as much as possible? I have three jam-packed options for your trip to Barcelona. Let's go!

The Sagrada Familia Route

The Sagrada Familia, the endless cathedral, is the starting point for this route through Barcelona. In winter or summer, come rain or shine, it's always surrounded by a crowd of tourists. Although taking a selfie in front of its facade won't cost you a thing, if you want to see its interior, you'll have to fork out a bit. You can buy a ticket there in person, as well as online, and the price starts at €15 (basic entry), up to €29 (which includes an audio guide, visiting the Sagrada Familia and its towers).

Just in front of the church is the Plaça de Gaudí. Something that not a lot of people know is that there is a man-made lake hidden in the garden just in front of the facade of the Sagrada Familia. It's one of the best place to go at night in Barcelona, because you get to appreciate one of the most special views of the basilica from its reflection in the water.

Once you've filled up your phone with hundreds of photos of that, we'll move on with our practical guide of what to see in Barcelona. Let's leave the Sagrada Familia behind and move on to the Avinguda Diagonal and the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes. They are two main streets in the city. They're full of shops and restaurants, and are the perfect places to relax a little bit and to regain your strength to be able to continue on with our route.

Now we're off to the Arc de Triumph. Don't worry, I haven't gone crazy, I know we're not in Paris. In Catalan, it's called the Arc de Triomf and I promise that it stands up pretty well to the Parisian monument. It's an expression of the importance of culture in Barcelona. There you'll find musicians, painters and all different kinds of artists, which will add a touch of romance to your stroll through the city. What's more, you could say that it's a gateway to the Ciutadella Park, which is our next stop.

The Ciutadella Park hides all different kinds of architecture and sculptures. The park is home to quite a range of buildings, such as a zoo, a school, a band pavilion and the Catalonian Parliament palace. As for its sculptures, there is such a huge variety of them: there are figures of Greco-Roman mythology, Catalan political figures, an abandoned dog and even a mammoth.

I hope you're still feeling fresh, because we've hardly even got started yet. Only 10 minutes walk away from Ciutadella Park, you'll find the Gothic Quarter. It's one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Barcelona. We could dedicate an entire day to visiting this area, but, since we're a bit tight on time, I'll give you the two must-see sights: the Picasso Museum and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, commonly known as the Catedral del Mar.

This is where our first route comes to an end. Feeling tired after a day touring Barcelona? The best thing about finishing in the Gothic Quarter area is that it's full of small taverns and traditional restaurants, which are ideal places to finish the day as it deserves to be finished: with a good dinner.

Las Ramblas Route

Let's get going on the second route. This time, we're starting at the Plaça de Catalunya. It's one of the most central places in Barcelona, it's the meeting point of two of the major streets of the city: Gracia and La Rambla. Enjoy the beauty of the square and don't forget to take the obligatory photo in front of the fountain. And we'll be going in the direction of La Rambla. There are two stops on this street. The first is the Font de Canaletes, which is where all of the successes of the Barça football players are celebrated. Just for a moment, you can feel like Messi, Piqué or Suárez.

But don't get too distracted, because time flies and there's still so much to see ahead of us. Without leaving that street, go forward a few metres and you'll find the second unmissable stop: the Boqueria market. If you like to eat, this market will be your heaven on earth. It has a huge variety of local and exotic products. Take advantage of the stop to grab a snack there and then we'll keep going.

If you're not really into tourism and you're looking for a different kind of activity to do in Barcelona with the little ones, this is the place for you. Only 5 minutes walk away from la Rambla is a very special museum, which is really worth stopping at. The Museum of Illusions is a super fun thing to do Barcelona with children. Its walls are covered in drawings that were specially designed to be optical illusions and to give you some laughs. If you still aren't really sure about what the museum is about, have a look at some photos. I'm sure that they'll convince you.

When you come out of the museum, go back to La Rambla and keep going further and further down the street until you find Christopher Columbus. Finding him means that there isn't much left on this tour route. Columbus Square is both the end point of La Rambla and the start of our next destination: the port. It's the perfect place to end an intense day of tourism. Enjoy a stroll with a backdrop of the sea and daydream about the luxury yachts that are moored there. Who knows, maybe one day you'll have your own...

The Gaudí Route

One thing's for sure, we can't talk about Barcelona without mentioning Gaudí. Although the Sagrada Familia is his magnum opus, his spectacular houses are also obligatory stops on your tour through the city.

To start with, we'll go along the Passeig de Gràcia and we'll make a stop at the Casa Batlló and at the Casa MIlà (which is also known as La Pedrera). Again, as with almost everything in the Catalan capital, you can appreciate their facades and take a few selfies for free, but actually visiting the houses are another story altogether. It costs around €20 to get inside, but do look both houses up online, because they have a few different kinds of discounts on offer.

We'll continue with our route by heading towards Park Güell, it's the best place to visit in Barcelona. If you're into sport, you can walk there or go by bicycle. But if you don't want to be sore the next morning, it's better to go by metro or bus. Going for a stroll in the park doesn't cost a thing, but to get to the area with all of the monuments and to go on the famous visit to the the Gaudí salamander, you'll have to buy a ticket. A piece of advice: buy your tickets online, it's cheaper.

If you're wondering what to do as a couple in Barcelona, I have the perfect thing for you. Wait until night time, get a blanket and a lovely picnic, and then you'll be ready to visit the Carmel Bunkers. It's a lookout point from which you can see the whole city, and it's something you can do in Barcelona for free. The panorama from up there, with everything lit up by the stars, is truly wonderful. If you want to hear some more opinions about what to do in Barcelona without spending a euro, check out this post.

Have you already put the dates in your diary for your weekend visit to Barcelona? Hurry up: you have 3 days of living as if you were in a movie ahead of you.

Don't forget!

If you're looking for accommodation, we can help you out. Erasmusu has hundreds of options to choose from, rooms, studios, student residences y apartments in Barcelona, so you can find your perfect home, even before you get to the city.

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