This guide of Barcelona in 4 days It will help you organize the best routes through one of the most incredible and visited cities in the world.
During the first three days in Barcelona you will have known the most important tourist attractions of the city such as the magical buildings of Gaudí and other great masters of modernism, Gothic churches such as the Cathedral of the Sea, the mythical Rambla, the commercial Paseo de Gracia and the most famous neighborhoods such as La Barceloneta, El Born or the essential Gothic.
On this last day we advise you to make an excursion in the morning to one of the wonders that is closest to the city such as Montserrat and in the afternoon take a tour of the Camp Nou, one of the mythical fields of world football.
Another good option is to make the visits of the first three days more calmly using this extra day.
Based on the numerous times we have visited this city, in the last we wrote this list of tips for traveling to Barcelona, we have made an itinerary to know the best of Barcelona in 4 days. We start!
Useful tips for Barcelona
This list of practical tips for traveling to Barcelona will help you to have a good first contact with this city:
- To get to your hotel or the city center from Prat Airport, you have several transport options: train, bus, subway, taxi or book this convenient direct transfer. For more information you can consult this post on how to go from Barcelona Airport to the center.
- If you arrive by high-speed train (AVE) to Sants station you have line 3 of the subway to get close to the center (Catalunya stop) or line 5 to visit the Sagrada Familia.
- If you are going to use the subway to reach the points furthest from the center, we recommend buying a transport card such as the new T-Casual (old T10) or this Hello BCN Card that has unlimited use of public transport.
- Another more comfortable and interesting option to reach the tourist points is to book the tourist bus or rent a bike.
- To do all the routes to do in Barcelona in 4 days We recommend you look for a hotel like the Caledonian, located right in the center of the city and with a great quality / price ratio. For more information you can consult this post of where to stay in Barcelona.
- In the subway and the most tourist points we advise you to be aware of your belongings.
- Booking this free tour through the center or this one through the modernist Barcelona of Gaudí, is the best way to get to know the history and the most interesting anecdotes of this famous city.
First day in Barcelona
The first day of what to do in Barcelona in 4 days Start by visiting the Sagrada Familia (subway lines 2 and 5), one of the wonders of the world and World Heritage.
To visit this unfinished masterpiece of the great Antoni Gaudí we recommend you book this guided tour in Spanish or this one that includes the ascent to the tower, in both options you will save the long lines that are formed to see the most visited monument in Spain.
After an hour touring its amazing interior, you can approach the Hospital de la Santa Creu and Sant Pau de Lluís Domènech i Montaner, another of the great architects of Catalan modernism.
After knowing all the rooms of this old hospital, you can continue with the modernist route up to the magical Park Güell, another of Gaudí's great jewels and a great viewpoint to the city. At present, the entrance to this park is paid and it is almost essential to book the entrance in advance or a guided tour, having a limited number of daily tickets.
Park Güell
Finished these three visits the morning of Barcelona in 4 days, nothing better than walking down to the popular neighborhood of Gracia to take a short walk through its most famous squares such as the Virreina, the Sun, the Revolution and the Diamond. To recover energy you can try good tapas at the restaurant recommended on Intrèpid de Gràcia.
The afternoon begins by walking or by subway to Paseo de Gracia, the most important and commercial avenue in the city where in addition to luxury stores and all international brands in this important street, you will find the buildings of La Pedrera and the house Batlló, two other wonders of Gaudí that you will visit the next day.
Walking along this wide avenue you will also see interesting facades such as the Casa Amatller, Casa Mulleras, Palau Malagrida, Casa Lleó and Morer el Palau Robert, Casa Enric Batlló and Casa Bonaventura Ferrer, among others.
The Paseo de Gracia ends in Plaza Cataluña, the nerve center of the city and meeting point for tourists from where you can make a route through the magnificent Gothic Quarter across the street of the Portal de l'Àngel and starting with the impressive Cathedral of the Holy Creu i Santa Eulàlia in gothic style. Other places that you cannot miss in this neighborhood are Carrer del Bisbe, Plaza del Rey, Sant Felip Neri Square, Sant Jaume Square and Plaza Real.
Carrer del Bisbe
The first day of Barcelona in 4 days It ends with a route through Las Ramblas to the Columbus Monument entering the mythical market of La Boqueria.
For dinner in this area you have the delicious tapas of Viana or Sensi Bistro and the homemade food of the emblematic Els Cuatre Gats, meeting point of the great artists of the time such as Picasso or Gaudí.
(Extended information of the route of the first day in Barcelona here)
First day route map
Second day in Barcelona
The second day of what to see in Barcelona in 4 days Start early visiting La Pedrera, which opens at 9 in the morning. To get to this Gaudí building you can take lines 3 and 5 and get off at the Diagonal stop.
To enter La Pedrera, located among the most essential places to visit in Barcelona, it is advisable to book this ticket in advance and thus save you the long lines that form in the access.
After the visit for its amazing interior and terrace, you will head to Casa Batlló, the other masterpiece of Gaudí located on the Paseo de Gracia itself.
This building is our favorite in Barcelona and its facade is among the most beautiful in the world. As it happens in all the monuments of Gaudí it is very advisable to reserve the entrance in advance to save the queues.
If you like Gaudí's modernism and architecture, it may also be interesting to book this guided tour in Spanish for its most emblematic buildings.
Visit Casa Batlló in Barcelona in four days
The next stop of Barcelona in four days It is the Palau de la Música Catalana, another spectacular building declared a World Heritage Site. To see the beautiful modernist interior of this performance hall you have to book a guided tour or buy a ticket to see one of their concerts.
Before continuing with the itinerary you can stop along the way to try the original tapas of Lolea House or Tosca Palau, two highly recommended restaurants where to eat in Barcelona.
After lunch we advise you to take a long walk through the Gothic Quarter to the Basilica Santa Maria del Pi, where you can climb to its high tower and enjoy privileged views of the old town.
When you leave the church you will start a walking route through the narrow streets of Born that is, without any doubt, one of the best things to do in Barcelona.
In this neighborhood, located next to the Gothic Quarter, you will find the Basilica of Santa María del Mar, an old Gothic church famous for the book "The cathedral of the sea" from Ildefonso Falcones. Other highlights of the Born are Montcada Street, the Picasso Museum, the Old Born Market, the Santa Catarina Market, the Church of Sant Pere de les Puelles, the Marcus Chapel, the Ciutadella Park, Montcada Street and the France station.
Views from Santa Maria del Pi
To get to the next point of what to do in Barcelona in 4 days you will have to walk to the Arc del Triumfo to take line 1 of the metro that will take you to Plaza España.
Once in Plaza España and before sunset, we advise you to climb the escalators to the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, MNAC, which has one of the best viewpoints in Barcelona on its terraces. After watching the sunset you can go down to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic to see a fantastic spectacle of water, music and light.
To finish the visits of this area you can go up to the terrace of Las Arenas Shopping Center, an old bullring, which has good views of the whole environment.
If you do not feel like having dinner at one of the premises on the terrace, you can go to the Kurai or the MinE, two restaurants with a better gastronomic offer.
(Extended information on the route of the second day in Barcelona here)
Map of the route of the second day in Barcelona in 4 days
Third day in Barcelona
The itinerary of the third day of Barcelona in 4 days It begins with a visit to the Poble Español (Plaza España metro stop). After seeing the replicas of some of the most beautiful villages in the country, you will take line 150 of the municipal bus to climb to the top of the Montjuic Mountain where the buildings built for the 1992 Olympic Games such as the Calatrava Tower, the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, Palau Sant Jordi and Bernat Picornell Pools.
If you do not want to walk for a long time, you can take bus 150 again to reach Montjuic Castle, a fortress with great views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea.
At the end of the visit you can go down to the Mirador del Alcalde and walk a few meters to the Montjuic cable car, which will leave you on Miramar Avenue.
Montjuic cable car
The route to see in Barcelona in 4 days Continue along the Paseo Marítimo until you reach La Barceloneta, another of the city's best known neighborhoods.
After relaxing for a while on the Barceloneta beach overlooking the spectacular Hotel W Barcelona, you can go to the old fishing district to try paella and fish in one of its most recommended restaurants such as The Peninsular or The Smoked Cova.
The afternoon begins with a route through the Poblenou neighborhood, an old industrial neighborhood that has become fashionable with its design premises and the best beaches in the city such as Bogatell, Nova Icària and Mar Bella.
After a walk along the Rambla del Poblenou you will take the subway to reach the Labyrinth of Horta, a green space in which its cypress labyrinth stands out.
Labyrinth of Horta
To finish the third day Barcelona in 4 days, you can buy take-away food and get close to the Carmel Bunkers for a picnic with the best views of the city. To get to this viewpoint, located among the best free things in Barcelona, you can take the metro in Mundet to Vallcarta and from there with the bus v12 approach you to the Gran Vista stop.
(Extended information of the route of the first day in Barcelona here)
Map of the third day in Barcelona
What to see in Barcelona in 4 days
The last day of Barcelona in 4 days, we propose you to do one of the best excursions in Barcelona as is the visit to Montserrat.
This massif, located 30 kilometers from the city, is known for its curious rock formations product of erosion and for the monastery of Santa María de Montserrat, located in the upper part of the mountain and surrounded by a unique natural environment, where Find La Moreneta, one of the icons of Catalonia.
After the visit to the monastery you can make a small half-hour hiking route to Santa Cova, a small chapel where La Moreneta was found.
Another more demanding hiking route where you will also enjoy incredible views of the surroundings, is the climb to the top of Sant Jeroni of more than 1200 meters.
To get to the monastery of Montserrat, if you do not have a car, you have to take the subway line 1 or 3 to the Spain stop and then get on the R5 train line (leaving from 8:30 a.m.) in the direction of Manresa . When you arrive at the Aeri de Montserrat stop you must get off and get on the cable car that will leave you at the monastery. Another option is to get off at the next stop (Monistrol de Montserrat) to catch the rack railway.
A more convenient way to get to the monastery is to book this bus tour with a guide in Spanish that includes the rack railway and tickets.
For more information you can consult this post on how to go from Barcelona to Montserrat.
Montserrat in Barcelona in 4 days
The total time of the excursion to Montserrat is usually around 5 hours, so you can take advantage of the afternoon of Barcelona in 4 days to do another activity like the visit to Camp Nou, especially if you are a football lover.
To get to Camp Nou you must take metro line 3 at Plaza España and get off at the Les Corts stop.
In the Camp Nou, the stadium with more capacity in Europe, plays the Football Club Barcelona, one of the most historic clubs worldwide.
During the visit of about two hours with audioguide inside you will know the changing room area, the playground, the stands and to finish the Museum, where all the trophies of the club are located.
You can book this tour known as Camp Nou Experience here.
Visiting hours are every day from April 14 to October 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. On the other days it opens from 10am to 6:30 pm and on Sundays it closes at 2pm.
Keep in mind that these schedules may change if there is a match and in this case we recommend you buy a ticket to enjoy one of the best shows that the city offers.
For dinner we advise you to book in the Ten's Tapas of chef Jordi Cruz, one of our last gastronomic discoveries in Barcelona, which we assure you, will not leave you indifferent.
