If you're looking to spend 5 days in Barcelona, you're in for a real treat! In this enchanting city, 5 days is plenty to explore all the star attractions, accommodating for a day trip from Barcelona and a whole lot of walking. Let's get started, shall we?
5 Days in Barcelona - How To Spend Your Days
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Barcelona In 5 Days - Detailed Itinerary
A Blast of Culture
La Rambla & La Boquería Market
Gothic Quarter
Poble Espanyol
Stumble through the famous La Rambla - one of Barcelona's most tourist-drawing streets. Get a dose of the rich Catalan culture firsthand as you walk through the tree-lined, greenery-flanked street! Look out for street performers and human statues. If you're looking for something specific to shop for- you've come to the right place.
You don't want to miss the La Boqueria. Sure, your first day in Barcelona should not be about picking up groceries, but feast your eyes on the freshest local produce ever! Grab a drink of homemade wine, inhale the collection of aromas- from fruits, flowers, vegetables to meat and fish, there is much to explore!
- This place is not the safest to visit at night- hence, the placement early in the day.
- If you're shopping at La Rambla, make sure you buy at half the quoted price.
- The streets are known for alarming instances of pickpocketing, thefts and con artists, so be on the lookout!
- Tickets to the El Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum is available at a discount on the Barcelona Museum Pass
Known as the Barrio Gótico by locals, find yourself in yet another famous neighborhood of Barcelona, the famous Gothic Quarter. Painted with cobbled streets and colorful walls, this quaint little neighborhood has an unavoidable bohemian aura, apt for the first day of your Barcelona holiday! Stroll the streets of Barrio Gótico and be lulled by the beauty of your surroundings. We say turn off your GPS and get lost in this town. PS: Grab a meal while you’re here, and don't forget about dessert: gelato!
- Since day 1 includes a lot of walking, we recommend you don comfortable shoes.
- The Gothic quarter is famous for its "suis"- whichi s hot chocolate with cream. Definitely taste this while here.
- If you're in Barcelona during the La Mercé Festival in September, watch the human castle-building — Castellers at Barrio Gotico.
Visit Poble Espanyol, an attraction in Barcelona that combines architecture, contemporary art, traditional crafts, artisan shops, and authentic culinary delights in a beautiful blend. Literally translating to "Spanish Village", you'll be surrounded by 20 craft shops spanning from pottery, leather, jewellery, glass and display of over 300 contemporary pieces by Picasso, Dalí, and Miró! Drawing in 1,300,000 visitors a year, you won't be surprised by how quaint an experience the Poble Espanyol promises!
- Visiting during peak seasons is not recommended as it gets very crowded and the wait time is upto 1 hour.
- If you’re in Barcelona during summer, the Mecal Air film festival takes place at Poble Espanyol, where short films are screened outdoors.
- If you’re opting for the Barcelona Hop on Hop Off Tour, you can hop off right outside the Poble Espanyol and amble at your pace.
All Your Classic Attractions
Park Güell
Sagrada Familia
Barcelona Zoo
Camp Nou
Day 2 begins bright and early at the UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, the Park Güell. As you walk through the space where Gaudi first tried his hands at landscape gardening, feel yourself enveloped by the serenity of this enchanting space. This park draws in over 4 million visitors a year, but don't let that sway you: only 400 people are allowed into the park every 30 minutes. Visit the Casa-Museu Gaudí while here: a house-turned museum where Gaudi once lived for 20 years! Check out your Park Güell ticket options here.
- If you are booking your tickets online, please arrive at the location 15 minutes before the time slot selected by you.
- The entrances at Park Güell can be tricky- there are 3 of them. Find out which one is closest to your hotel before leaving. Find out more about Park Güell entrances here.
The enchanting Sagrada Familia is Barcelona's most iconic attraction, and the magnum opus of the world renowned architect Antoni Gaudí. A visit to Barcelona without checking out Sagrada Familia is almost pointless! This modernist masterpiece is Gaudi’s best work, and it has earned this status without being completed! Despite the end not remotely in sight, it amasses tourists like no other place in Barcelona. Explore your Sagrada ticket options here.
- Since waiting times at the Sagrada Familia can take upto 80-90 minutes, we recommend you grab skip-the-line tickets to the attraction.
- Reach 30 minutes before the slot.
- Sagrada Familia is wheelchair accessible, but the Towers are not.
- The mass at Sagrada Familia starts at 9 AM on Sunday morning.
- The crypt is open only from 9-10 in the morning and from 6-9 PM in the evening.
The Barcelona Zoo is one of the biggest and best equipped zoos in Europe. This zoo was opened in 1892 in the green lung of old Barcelona and over the years it has faithfully reproduced the natural habitat of the animals it houses. The Barcelona Zoo was also the house to the only ever albino gorilla in the world, Snowflake who lived here since 1966 for 37 years until his death in 2003.
In the Barcelona Zoo you can see a host of animals - leopards, tropical birds, reptiles, sea lions,flamingos, giraffes, elephants, kangaroos, Komodo dragons, Muntjac deers, Brazza monkey hippos and a whole lot of animals you may never have seen or heard of! With restaurants, bars, miniature railways, electric cars, souvenir shops and a picnic spot, the zoo is perfect for a day out, regardless of your age. Check out your Barcelona Zoo ticket options here.
- The Dolphin Show happens thrice a day - 11.30, 13.00 and 16.30
- You can feed and pet ponies, rabbits and donkeys in the Children’s Zoo
- The ticket window closes 30 minutes before the zoo closing time everday
- The queues during peak season can get pretty long and if you're traveling with kids,hence,Fast track tickets are recommended.
- The zoo is wheelchair accessible
Visit one of the most historic and renowned football stadiums in the world, Camp Nou Barcelona. If you’re a football fanatic or a mere football viewer, a visit to this decorated stadium which also happens to be the largest football stadium in Europe and the second largest in the world, is an absolute must! If you can catch a football match during your visit here, nothing like it. If not, a tour of the stadium which takes you through the trophies, players, museum, the locker room where legends from Maradona and Messi have stepped foot in and the impressive football pitch is an inspiring walk through. Grab Camp Nou tickets before you head over to this must-visit attraction.
- If you're watching a match at Camp Nou, make sure you reach well in advance to collect your tickets to avoid the long redemption lines.
- For experience the victory celebrations after the match, head to Canaletas fountain at Las Ramblas to celebrate with the fans
- Smoking and consumption of alcohol inside Camp Nou is strictly prohibited.
A Day Trip To Cities Nearby
Girona
Figueres
Dali
A day trip from Barcelona to Girona is one for the boks: sandwiched between Barcelona and Costa Brava, Girona is a repository of museums, galleries, and churches laced around medieval walls and cobbled walkways. Situated about 100 km from Barcelona, a day is all you need to explore this quaint city. If you're a Game of Thrones fan, you'll be all the more glad to land in Girona as there are many scenes shot in this city! There is even a dedicated Game of Thrones tour that takes you through all those spots!
40 km north of Girona lies Figueres, a historic Catalan city popular for the extraordinary Teatre-Museu Dali – the second most visited museum in Spain.
- This day tour has an early start, around 8:00 AM and you are required to assemble at the said location 15 minutes prior to departure.
- This is a guided tour with bilingual (Spanish and English) commentary
Where Art Meets Excitement
Palau de la Música Catalana
Las Golondrinas De Barcelona Cruise
Tibidabo Amusement Park
Located in a cul-de-sac at Casc Antic, Palau De La Musica is one of Barcelona's ornate concert hall, designed in a delicious ‘Catalan Modernista’ architectural style. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, this attraction should be on your Barcelona tourist radar. This colourful explosion of rightly places mosaics is the only auditorium in Europe to be completely illuminated by natural light. The most coveted space in Palau De La Musica is the 2146 glass roofed Art Nouveau Hall. The Petit Palau is a smaller hall with 538 seats and a more modern touch. This hall has been specially designed for chamber music concerts, with a keen attention to the acoustics and reverberation.
- Enjoy a 20% discount on the Palau De La Musica ticket with the Barcelona Express Card.
- We advise you buy your tickets online in advance- this lets you skip 3-hour-long ticket queues.
- There are only limited spots per day, hence you may have to wait for long or postpone your visit if there is a large influx of people during your visit.
Palau De La Musica Catalana
Headout Price: €10
Sail out of the Port Vell harbour on the famous Las Golondrinas along the Barcelona coast and devour the Mediterranean flavour with the salty breeze kissing your face and flitting through your hair. Soak in the balmy weather under the comfort of your boat and experience Barcelona from the sea on this cruise. You will glide past Barcelona’s beach and indulge in captivating views of the World Trade Center, Porta d'Europa Bridge,Fisherman’s Quarter, International Cruise Terminal, Nova Bocana, Torre del Rellotge,Olympic Port, among others.
- There is no commentary onboard.
- Refreshments are available onboard, however it is not included in the ticket price.
- Washrooms are available onboard as well.
Las Golondrinas Boat Trip
With a history of over 100 years, Tibidabo Amusement Park is one of the oldest theme parks in Spain and is a merry blend of tradition and modernity. This compact amusement park built in 1899 with a selection of 30 adrenaline pumping rides has been designed for kids, teenagers and adults alike. Perched on top of the Tibidabo Mountain, this mountain is 512 meters (1680 ft) above sea level and boasts of splendid views of the city from each and every ride. Tibidabo Amusement Park has an array of shows, street theatre, picnic spots, restaurants and cafes, indoor dining making it the ideal spot for a day out with the family, especially those with kids and teenagers.
- The ticket prices for children vary upon their height (for children under 1.2 m in height {10.30 €} and for children under 0.90 m height the tickets are free). Measure your child's height in advance to avoid confusion.
Tibidabo Amusement Park Tickets
Museums, Aquariums & Beaches
Articket Barcelona
Barcelona Aquarium
La Barceloneta Beach
The Articket Museum Pass lets you into 6 of Barcelona's must-visit museums all at a go, and what's best- you enjoy skip-the-line access to them all. Spend your last morning in Barcelona discovering the cultural and artistic heritage of Barcelona. Spend the day going through paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, posters, coins, silver and goldsmithing, coins and exhibitions with the Articket Museum Pass that offers great savings (45% savings) and consume generous amounts of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies and many other pieces of traditional and contemporary art.
- The lines to Picasso, Miro, and Catalunya can get quite long (1- 2 hours during peak season).
- Your Articket is valid for 1 year after the first use.
Barcelona Articket Passport: Admission to 6 museums
Headout Price: €35
Visit the Barcelona Aquarium next, Europe’s only Oceanarium with over 11,000 water dwelling animals from over 450 different species along with an ocean tank for sharks, rays and other large fishes. If you’re travelling with kids or are a fan of aquariums yourself, make sure you bake this into your itinerary. Where else can you scuba dive (only certified scuba divers, though) in the 4-million-litre oceanarium surrounded by sharks and fishes? Walk beneath the Oceanarium through a transparent moving tunnel for a unique perspective on the marine life, and watch out for gilt heads, moray eels, ocean sunfishes, Nautilus,sand tiger sharks and sandbar sharks during your walk.
- Scuba diving with the sharks takes place only thrice a week - Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Though the queues outside the Barcelona Aquarium aren't exceptionally long, buying tickets online help save a few euros and earn cashback offers.
- The Barcelona Express 2 day card gives a 20% discount on L’Aquàrium de Barcelona tickets
Before calling it a day, make one last stop: Barceloneta. A classy neighbourhood by the Mediterranean sea stretch with clean boardwalks and course golden sand speckled with pebbles, this beach calls out to you. Watch the shacks turn into night clubs after sunset. If you wish, stick around, dine under the starlit sky, and take a dip in the cold waters of the Mediterranean. It's the perfect way to end your day trip in Barcelona.
- Nights in the beach are free from pestering vendors, hence this is the best time to enjoy solace under the stars.
- If you want to enjoy the balmy sun, you can visit the beach in the morning. Afternoons can get very hot, hence not recommended.
- Strolling by the beach promenade on a bicycle is a recommended experience too.
Spend 5 Days In Barcelona Under 280 Euros
Barring your accomodation and food expenses, here's an approximate of how much you'll spend in Barcelona in 5 days. Book your tickets with Headout, ensuring you won't have to wait around in ticketing queues, and enjoy a 5% cashback on every purchase you make!
Day 1 : La Rambla & La Boquería, Gothic Quarter & Poble Espanyol
Free
Day 2 : Park Güell, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Zoo & Camp Nou
€93
Day 3 : Day trip to Girona, Figueres & Dali
€80
Day 4 : Palau De La Musica Catalana, Las Golondrinas De Barcelona Cruise & Tibidabo Amusement Park
€42
Day 5 : Articket Museum Pass, Barcelona Aquarium & La Barceloneta Beach
€56
Total
€271
Book your Barcelona Attractions tickets on Headout, and spend just €271 on your 5-day vacation in Barcelona! Hit up all the prime attractions in the city and save more while you explore more.
