Barcelona, Spain, is one of my new favourite cities. I’ve visited twice in the last three months, but my second visit was oh-so-brief.
If you can also only spare a little time for this amazing destination, I’ve got you! Here is how I spent 24 hours in Barcelona, and how you can too.
On my 24hr visit to Barcelona I landed at 2:20pm on a Saturday after flying for about 24 hours after leaving Australia.
I had a train to San Sebastián booked for 2:30 pm the next afternoon so I had almost exactly one day in Barcelona to fill and I planned to hit the ground running.
I was travelling with my (adult) daughter, and this was her first time in Barcelona, so the idea was to give her a brief taste of Barcelona while focusing on her love for art and architecture.
I started my visit in the afternoon, but you can easily start anywhere in the itinerary.
Contents
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2:30 pm
Get the train, bus or taxi to your accommodation and get checked in.
Try to be strategic with the location you stay to help with your itinerary, after all, you don’t want to spend any more time than necessary commuting.
Have a quick shower or refresh if you’ve had a long flight like I had, because you are heading out for the evening.
4:30 pm
Make your way into the Gothic Quarter and spend some time exploring.
You can wander the maze of streets yourself, or you can book a walking tour to help you make the most of your time.
Either before or after your walking tour, take some time to stroll the famous La Rambla and explore the popular La Boqueria (Mercat de la Boqueria).
We picked up some food here to eat on the go. There are so many good options, I tried one of their cones of ham and cheese (for want of a better name) and some empanadas.
9:00 – 10:00 pm
If, like me, you have travelled a long way you will be well and truly ready for bed by now, so you can make your way back to your accommodation.
If you are up for it, instead hit some of the tapas bars and restaurants to enjoy the delicious food Barcelona is well known for. The locals will only just be coming out to eat now.
We ate at El Pintxo de Petritxol on our first trip to Barcelona – our first-ever tapas (or pintxos as the case is) experience. Some of the other popular options are La Plata and L’ Antic Bocoi del Gotic (for traditional Catalan food).
8:00 am
Get up nice and early because you only have a few more hours to squeeze in some more of the incredible Barcelona attractions.
If you don’t have breakfast provided at your accommodation I recommend doing as the locals do and enjoying a coffee and croissant and one of the many bakeries scattered around.
Now go to Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona’s main shopping street where you can find all the big international brands. You can walk here, or there is a subway stop of the same name.
You’re not here to shop though – in fact, the shops won’t be open – but you are here to visit one of Gaudi’s famous buildings, Casa Batlló.
You could instead choose to visit Casa Milà, but I chose this one because it had the option of early entry and I could include it as an extra activity.
Casa Batlló early entry begins at 8:30 am, and you will need about an hour here to take a good look without rushing.
10:00 am
After Casa Batlló we went back to our accommodation and checked out because it was on our way and we have time.
Your main goal now though is a visit to the Sagrada Familia. It opens at different times depending on the day, but for us it was a Sunday, so it didn’t open until 10:00 am.
We left buying our tickets a little late though, and couldn’t get in until 11:15 am, hence having time to check out.
So if your time is short, I recommend buying your tickets at least two weeks in advance to ensure you can get an early time slot.
Depending on how much time you have, there are other options for tours at the Sagrada Familia, or including a visit to the towers. You can see more details in the Sagrada Familia post.
12 pm
Depending on the time slot you book and how much time you spend at the Sagrada Familia, you probably just have time for lunch before you leave.
You can eat at any one of the restaurants, but I do recommend leaving the Sagrada Familia area and heading back towards the Gothic Quarter.
If you’re just looking for a meal, there are many places around that have a set lunch menu for €12-17 that usually includes two courses and a drink.
If you are looking for somewhere local, the place our walking tour guide recommended the most was Bar Joan at the Mercat de Santa Caterina, back in the Gothic Quarter.
We did go there to have a look during my first visit, but it was very busy with locals and tourists alike. We decided not to wait for a table, but in hindsight, we should have.
2 pm
Sadly it’s time to say goodbye to Barcelona, but I’m sure you are already planning your next visit.
We really loved our time here are will be back to explore more in the future.
Barcelona Essentials
Here are a few quick tips to help you with your quick visit to Barcelona
Planning
Think carefully about the location of your accommodation in relation to what you are planning to do. If you can save time on transport around the city, you will be able to squeeze more in.
For our stay, the must-do activity was the Sagrada Familia, so I was looking for accommodation between that and the Gothic Quarter.
Transport
We used public transport to get around Barcelona, or simply walked and enjoyed seeing more of the city.
The Barcelona Metro was easy to use, and one of the easiest ticket machines I’ve come across. Select English and you’re good to go.
Use Google Maps to find bus routes, and paying is as simple as tapping your card on and off.
Accommodation
For our one day stay in Barcelona, I chose the Yeah Barcelona Hostel. It was a ten-minute walk from the Sagrada Familia, right near a Metro station and still within walking distance of the Gothic Quarter.
The hostel was clean and funky, offering evening meals and breakfast, with a small pool and bar on the rooftop.
Because I was with my daughter, and we were only going to be there for one night, we chose to stay in a four-bed female dorm.
It was my second time in a dorm (usually I would choose a private room) and I would do it again if the right situation arose.
There were several other accommodation options around the same area if a hostel isn’t for you (but I do challenge you to at least have a look at the private rooms here, it is like a hotel).
Souvenirs
There are some really fun local souvenirs you can pick up in Barcelona. You could, of course, get a football shirt if you’re a fan, but my recommendation is one of these unique little pooping guys.
They started as a good luck charm for the Catalan farmers, as poop is great fertiliser. Now you can find everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Donald Trump to Darth Vader pooping.
There are a few different stores that sell them in and around the Gothic Quarter, just search for Caganer shop.
Safety
The one thing I kept hearing before my visit was to watch out for pickpockets. Even our walking tour guide on our first visit promised that one thing they do better than anywhere else is to steal your wallet or phone.
Having said that, at no time did I feel unsafe or at risk, even walking around at night.
I recommend being vigilant at all times, taking the usual precautions like not putting your wallet in your pocket or leaving your phone out on a table, but don’t let the warnings put you off having a great time.
Looking for more info on Barcelona? Try these posts next
Looking for more info on Barcelona? Try these posts next
Sagrada Familia: Guided Tour or General Admission?
Is the Park Güell Tour Worth It? Here’s My Take
Finding Gaudi in Barcelona
TRAVEL PLANNING ESSENTIALS
Find flights – I always use Skyscanner as my starting point when searching for flights. One search will give many options including airlines I may not have thought of. This means I can find the best possible flights to suit my needs
Book accommodation – my go to is always Booking.com for the best places to stay. It’s not just hotels anymore, but hostels, apartments, B&Bs and more. I love that the bookings are usually cancellable, and that I can book now and pay later.
Hire a rental car – RentalCars.com is my go to here. It allows me to do just one search and it finds cars from many of the different supplies, so no checking multiple websites to compare.
Get travel insurance – you would have heard by now that saying “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel”. If we’ve learnt anything from the last couple of years it should be how essential travel insurance is. I use CoverMore for my insurance.
Pick up an eSIM – I tried an eSIM on my last trip and it was fantastic. I set it up before I went so it was ready as soon as I landed, and I still had access to my home number for emergencies. Get your own eSIM at Airalo.
Book activities, tours & attractions – I use a few different websites for this. Viator and Get Your Guide tend to be the first places I look. In Asia, Klook often has more options, and in Australia it’s Experience Oz.
Manage your money – the best way to manage your different currencies is with an account from Wise. You can hold money in many different currencies, and use them with the ATM card or from your phone.
