The Perfect 1 Day Itinerary in Barcelona
The Perfect 1 Day Itinerary
The key to a successful one day stay, in my opinion, is to get an overview of the city, and to visit two or three of its most important monuments. Unfortunately you won’t have the luxury to get a deeper sense of the rhythms of the city, its local life and habits, but you should get an impression on a grander scale of its geography and architecture, and maybe just a tiny slice of its balmy Bohemian atmosphere. Hopefully the seed will be sown for a second, more comprehensive visit. Here we go…
Itinerary in Brief
08:45 – Plaça Catalunya
We start in Barcelona’s central square.
08:45-09:15 – Passeig de Gracia
Take a walk up Passeig de Gracia boulevard to see the Block of Discord, including Gaudi’s Casa Batllo.
09:30 – Casa Mila
Enjoy a look at Gaudi’s Casa Mila from the outside, before hopping on the tourist bus (Blue Line, one stop) to the nearby Sagrada Familia.
10:00 – La Sagrada Familia
Visit Gaudi’s mindblowing masterpiece.
11:30 – Tourist Bus
Hop back on the Blue Line of the tourist bus. It’s two stops to Park Guell.
12:00 – Park Guell
Enjoy views over the city from the Gaudi’s gorgeous gardens – Park Guell.
13:30 – Lunch in Gracia
Take a pitstop in the Gracia district.
15:00 – Ride the Blue Line
Enjoy a longer ride on the Blue Line of the tourist bus, possibly stopping off for a stadium tour of Camp Nou (you should reserve tickets here).
16:30 – Ride the Red Line
Switch onto the Red Line of the tourist bus, and enjoy a scenic ride over the attraction-laden Montjuic mountain.
18:00 – Las Ramblas
Get off the bus at the 60-metre-high Colombus Statue and walk up the legendary Las Ramblas.
19:45 – Flamenco Concert & Dinner
Enjoy the sultry Spanish dance with dinner. Research the best shows here.
00:00 – Bedtime
Or is it?
1 Day Itinerary in Detail
08:45 – Plaça Catalunya
No slouching, I expect you to be showered, dressed and breakfasted by now, and you should have made your way to Plaça Catalunya, the city’s bustling central square.
08:45 – 09:15 – Passeig de Gracia
From here make your way up the magnificent boulevard Passeig de Gracia by foot. This has to be one of the best looking streets in the world. Keep going up until you reach the so called ‘Block of Discord’ on your left, a single block that showcases three of Barcelona’s best architects in one: starting with the Casa Lleo i Morera by Luis Domenech i Montaner, then the Casa Amatller by Puig y Cadalfach, and finishing with the astonishing Casa Batllo, by none other than Antoni Gaudi.
09:30 – Casa Mila
The embarrassment of architectural riches continues on the other side of the street with Gaudi’s Casa Mila, a vast monolithic mansion with curves like Kim Kardashian. Take a good look!
10:00 – Sagrada Familia
You don’t have to be religious to sense the divine in this breathtaking homage to the big guy upstairs. Gaudi was an ardent Catholic and he dedicated the later years of his life to this impossibly grandiose edifice, every square foot of which is decorated in religious allegories, natural motifs and mathematical equations. This one you can’t miss, so buy yourself a skip-the-line ticket.
11:30 – Tourist Bus
However mesmerising La Sagrada proves, don’t tarry too long… you need to hustle and get back on the Blue Line of the tourist bus. Your love affair with Gaudi ain’t over yet. Get off two stops later…
12:00 – Park Guell
Excuse me for a minute whilst I get nostalgic for the times when Parc Guell was free and half empty, and I used to pop up there just to enjoy the serene beauty of the place. Sadly, in these days of readily accessible travel, we now have to wait our turn (and pay!) for such privileges – so please go online and book your tickets in advance (you’ve got a loooonng wait if you don’t!).
Once you’ve passed through the art nouveau gates of Gaudi’s garden, you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about. From the majestic white staircase, with techni-colour lizard on guard, to the wide open terrace with undulating trencadis-covered benches and views over almost the entire city, this is a truly special place.
Oh what the hell, take a selfie… everyone else is!
13:30 – Lunch in Gracia
Lunch time! Leave yourself about 15 or 20 minutes and descend from Park Guell down into the chic Bohemian district of Gracia. This used to be a separate village to Barcelona, and indeed the (fiercely Catalan) locals still consider themselves distinct from downtowners. The barri is chock-full of affordable tapas bars and restaurants, so take your pick. Or if you want to take my advice, drop in on Intrepid de Gracia for modern tapas including mini-burgers and bagels.
15:00 – Ride the Blue Line
By now your legs are a little weary and your stomach a little bloated. But don’t worry, I’ve scheduled you a nice easy afternoon…
It’s time to get back to the tourist bus stop, and ride the Blue Line all the way, through the pleasant Zona Alta neighbourhoods, to the other side of the city where the legendary Camp Nou football stadium awaits. Depending on whether you’re a sports fan or not, you might want to get off here and take the excellent stadium tour with museum visit. You can buy advance tickets via the city’s official tourism site.
Note: The 16:00 or 16:30 time slot for the Camp Nou Experience should fit this itinerary (it might take a bit over an hour to get there via tourist bus after lunch, 30-40 mins on the bus, plus the time you need to get from the restaurant to the bus stop and wait for the next bus to arrive).
Not a big Barça fan? Then just enjoy the bus tour of the city and alight at the Francesc Macia roundabout, where you’re going to change onto the Red Line of the tourist bus route.
16:30 – Ride the Red Line
From Francesc Macia, the Red Line of the tourist bus will take you to Plaça Espanya, where you will spy the eye-catching Las Arenas shopping centre (it was once a bullfighting arena, and it shows!), before taking a very enjoyable ride through the leafy hills of Montjuic mountain.
This green space is full of parkland and cultural treasures, and you might want to alight at any of the Joan Miro Foundation, Olympic Stadium, or Miramar viewing point, if you have time.
With a bit of luck you should reach the Columbus Statue around 18:00. (If you stopped for Camp Nou you’re probably behind schedule, so plan accordingly!).
18:00 – Las Ramblas
The 60-metre-high column with the New World explorer on top is your sign to get off the bus. You’re at the bottom of Las Ramblas, the city’s (in)famous thoroughfare. You wouldn’t want to have to cross this street every day, as its positively jam-packed with tourists, but on the other hand, you wouldn’t want to miss it either. It’s a wide, lively street, flanked by theatres, restaurants and palaces. You can read more here.
As you head up Las Ramblas, navigate a little bit to the right in order to discover the lively Plaça Reial, possibly my favourite square in the city. You might want to come back here at night for a beer!
Whilst on the left of Las Ramblas, as you head up, you’ll pass not only La Boqueria food market (pop in and get yourself some freshly squeezed juice) but also the historic Liceu Theatre.
You’ll also pass all manner of artists, street performers, vendors, hawkers, florists, kiosks and souvenir sellers.
If it’s cold outside you could nip down to Petrixol street (on the right) and grab a hot chocolate from one of the traditional cafes there.
After that it’s time to get back to your hotel and get changed for the evening.
19:45 – Flamenco & Dinner
If you really want to do it all in one day, then round off your Barcelona itinerary with a flamenco show and dinner. There are several great tablaos (concert venues) to choose from, and I’d suggest either this affordable tapas and flamenco experience (meeting time 19:45), or a show at Palacio del Flamenco complete with a classic Spanish paella.
The latter offers three shows a night (start times are 18:00, 19:55 or 21:50 with dinner), so check the times for which might work for you. They tend to sell out so best to buy tickets via Get Your Guide (select the date first, and then you will see several different meal options and times).
If flamenco isn’t your bag baby, then you can’t go wrong with dinner at El Nacional, where four different restaurants and four more bars offer tastes from all corners of Spain.
00:00 – Bed Time?
Bed time! Unless of course you truly want to make this a 24 hours in Barcelona experience and party until dawn with the city’s cool cats and night owls.
