3 Days in Barcelona - Travel Itinerary

Barcelona, when said, tastes like amazement, and so it is. Barcelona, when seen, is not enough. This is one city in Spain you can keep visiting for all years of your life to keep finding something you had never experienced before. Because magical cities are not explored in a day, and sometimes, not even in a lifetime.

Most travel guides have listed itineraries such that all major tastes of the city of Barcelona are easy to explore in three days for any traveler paying respects to the wide landmark towards the end of their trip to Spain.

Following an itinerary is especially sound and useful if you have fewer days on hand but more hunger for all the spots the city throbs in.

We have created an exquisite 3 days in Barcelona itinerary for the seeker in you so that you don’t miss anything wonderful in all the time you have in hand.

We Have your Back!

We have made a list of important stuff you need to take care of before you land in Barcelona.
Our day-by-day itinerary is carefully curated so that you experience the best possible Barcelona for each of the three days with the most magical places to visit, things to experience, and most importantly, to eat the most delicious food ever.
We have pondered over your safety, caution, and behavior in the foreign land and figured out a series of tips to follow.
The city has more to show than the tourists generally know of, we have listed a series of day trips you’d like to explore if you end up with extra time. Lucky you!
We’ll offer you advice on the best management of your finances in the city. Which passes to buy, how much money to spend, and where, we are here to guide you. As we said, we have your back!

Plan your Trip with us in Advance

Keep these things in mind as you pack your luggage and select your most comfortable shoes for Barcelona’s world-famous sights.

Book Tickets for World Famous Sites in Advance

We’ll help you book your tickets in advance to architectural masterpieces like Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell so that you don’t have to spend your precious 3 days in Barcelona waiting for your turn to get every ticket.

This exquisite city is visited by thousands of tourists each day and all of them would definitely want to make the world-famous sites a part of their experience. To make the best of your 3 days, we’d suggest you save yourself the time of waiting in lines.

Book your timed entry slots to every site you want to visit and be relaxed while touring.

How you can Save Money in Barcelona?

Buying admission passes separately for each famous site could cost you a fortune. We suggest the Barcelona city sightseeing passes that’ll together serve validity for entry to all major heartthrobs of Barcelona and save you a ton of money from buying every individual pass.

Make sure you want to visit all the places mentioned in your pass because it wouldn’t be worth it if you end up wasting money on places you don’t really wanna go to.

The pass most dominantly preferred by tourists is the Go Barcelona Pass which allows admission into more than thirty of the city’s most wonderful attractions including the luminous Casa Battlò and Casa Milà. It even includes tickets for a one day ride on the city’s hop-on-hop-off buses.

Hop-on-hop-off buses are extremely popular for their ease in letting you visit every place that comes along the way and carry your bearings comfortably when you first arrive.

The Go City pass can be purchased for 2, 3, or 5 days depending on the length of your trip and can be easily accessed through the Go City mobile app.

Ensure that all your places of interest are listed in the pass. It is advisable to thoroughly scrutinize the pass to make sure all your desired places of the visit have a name in it. If the pass has listed a major portion or all the ecstatic sites your heart wants to visit, only then will it save you money and time.

The only drawback of this pass is that it doesn’t include the admission to Sagrada Familia and Park Guell which are essentially the most wonderful sites.

Book Your Airport Transfer Facility in Advance

Barcelona offers you numerous options like buses, metro, and taxi to get to the city from the airport. Remember to mention your time of arrival and your place of stay while booking a transport option in advance. We suggest Welcome Pickups as it will let you book a cab hassle-free so that the driver will be waiting for you on your arrival.

You always have the viable option of public transport. The city’s metro runs from the main airport. The only hassle is in shifting to different trains to get to the areas where most stay facilities for tourists are located.

Before you’re done booking and making all arrangements for your visit, it is important to plan your time in order of the beautiful places you want to experience so that you make the best use of your 3 days in Barcelona.

Day 1 in Barcelona

Sounds exciting, right? Our good taste recommends you to kick start your exuberant visit to Barcelona by experiencing these most wonderful delights on day 1.

Casa Batllò

Casa Batllò is undoubtedly Gaudi’s treasure worthy construction. It is built upon the ‘Block of Discord’ which includes three other buildings exquisitely and tastefully designed by Spain’s acclaimed modern style architects.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Casa Batllò shows off a restored facade glimmering with colorful glass, mosaic pieces, and exceptional ironwork to literally applaud Gaudi’s creativity. The designs on this building are inspired by natural elements of nature and are a mesmerizing sight.

The Barcelona City Pass will get you 10 percent of your visit to Casa Batllò. You can even get individual admission tickets to this site beforehand so you don’t have to wait in a line. This marvel can be explored in one hour.

Casa Milà

Casa Milà is famously known as La Pedrera because of its stone exterior. This acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site has beautifully employed wrought iron and stone on the outer walls with a splendid rooftop that harbor’s world-famous chimneys and covered stairwells.

It is also possible to access deeply the attic of this marvel of Spain while gaping at the Gaudi exhibition, a tenant’s apartment, Mila family’s apartment, and the courtyards of flowers and butterflies.

Casa Batllò and Casa Milà lie along the Carrer de Provenca and can be reached through the Blue L5 metro line from the Sagrada Familia in just two minutes.

Sagrada Familia

Not only is this the most spectacular sight Spain has to offer you in Barcelona, but Sagrada Familia was also Gaudi’s last masterpiece amongst his many architectural marvels. This world-famous site is the heart of Barcelona and deservedly attracts millions of people from around the world to stare and be overpowered with awe.

One interesting fact about this wonder is that it is still under construction and is meant to be completed in 2026 to mark Gaudi’s 100th death anniversary.

When you walk around all the places to visit in Barcelona and arrive at this cathedral, you notice how this was really a conclusion to his exceptional artwork.

This breathtaking monument was meant to be his final work of art and traces of its architectural design can be seen in all the other castles of wonder which led Gaudi up to this star-studded dream.

The design of this cathedral utilizes natural and gothic themes, and contrary to usual cathedrals, the religious theme is on the exterior. You cannot experience enough of this beauty even if you look at it for hours in amazement.

Our favorite sight in this wonder is of the stained glass windows of different colors that enlighten the rooms with particular colors at particular times of the day.

This spectacular wonder is not one to be missed. You must book your tickets for Sagrada Familia and experience this boundless beauty of art.

Las Ramblas

Walking down Las Ramblas is almost a tradition on everyone’s first Barcelona visit. This tree of streets is at the city center and is the main pedestrian thoroughfare of the city lined by flower stands and artists selling souvenirs. Although it is crowded when the tourism season is at the peak, this walk has its own beauty.

This gracious walk lets you take in the artistic aromas of this exceptional city of Spain and ends at the Christopher Columbus monument right in front of the harbor. The way to Las Ramblas is through Passeig de Gracia which leads on to the Placa Catalunya at the head of the path.

Mercado De La Boqueria

It is advisable to reach one of the best food markets in the world around lunch or dinner time. Walk to the rhythm of the fragrances of vibrant flavors that’ll be in as much abundance in fresh foods as in cooked meals. You would love to make the best use of this opportunity and grab on some of the most incredible delights of Spain to carry home.

Whether it is Spanish tortillas and lasagna or fresh slices of cheese, the La Boqueria experience is going to be a joy ride for your taste receptors. The entrance to La Boqueria is through a Las Ramblas street to the right.

Gothic Quarter

The Gothic quarter is home to some of the earliest streets of Spain dating as far back as the Roman Empire. The narrow streets and alleyways serve as mesmerizing time machines where shops, hotels, and eateries remind you that you have just been taken aback. Popular squares in this area include the Placa Reial and the Placa del Rei.

Placa Reial is decorated by a fountain in the very center and the peripheries are marked with numerous jovial bustling cafeterias. Get a Cava and put your canon into action to click some splendid photos for Facebook.

The Gothic cathedral of Barcelona was built in the 14th century and is admirable for its lofty vaults and imposing arches which is all enhanced by the numerous swans that swim between a courtyard lined by palm trees.

The Placa del Rei of the Gothic Quarter is accessed through the Barcelona history museum and is a treat for archaeological nerds with its remains of the former medieval city that has become Barcelona now. This place offers an insight into how this great city was built in steps.

The best way to get to the Gothic Quarters is through Las Ramblas onto the opposite side towards Carrer de la Portaferrissa.

Your first day of travel in Barcelona would offer you enough evidence of the magic that is Spain. But hold on, there’s so much more!

Day 2 in Barcelona

There’s never enough beauty, that’s why there is a second day and obviously the third day in Barcelona. Spain has abundant delights for seekers of culture and beauty. Our Barcelona itinerary promises to make your travel the best one possible.

Park Güell

It is day 2 of your most memorable trip of 3 days. You would definitely love to see the Sun of Spain shine on Barcelona’s exceptional example of Gaudi’s genius, Park Güell. Though a bit farther from the city center, but unmissable, you must grab the tickets to this park early in the morning to visualize one of the best examples of exceptional mosaics and sculptures in the world designed by this God of a man called Gaudi.

Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is the first house Gaudi ever designed and you undoubtedly visit Barcelona to stare wide-eyed at the dreams come true.

This excellent architecture, that serves as work of art, serves to inspire artists and creators all around the world of how this artist was inspired by components of nature and bright colors from the start and how he incorporated them in such a way that legendary is less of a word to describe them.

A UNESCO world heritage site, Casa Vicens is a hidden gem and enlightens you like stained glass just like Gaudi embedded in the cathedral. This site is at a 15 minutes walk from Park Güell and is located in the Gracia neighborhood.

Montjuic Area

A hill overlooks Barcelona and its port and is known as Montjuic. It is a good thing to plan your visit to this place because it would be nearly impossible to explore the whole place in half a day. Selecting a few of your more desired sites and visiting just them is the way to go.

The 17th century Montjuic Castle situated on this hill is another perspective of Barcelona to visit. There is no other way to get a more stunning view of the magnificent Barcelona while being on the ground. The well-tended gardens and the museum in this place are a delight.

Catalonia National Art Museum

History and art lovers will relish delving into this museum’s splendid pieces of art that date as far back as the 19th century Medieval era. Genius works of Catalan artists are on display as are also Roman and Gothic tapestries and frescos. Trust us, you wouldn’t find a terrace as irresistible as this one.

Mount Tibidabo and the Sagrat Cor

There’s a small amusement park called Tibidabo located on a hillside that overlooks the magnificent Barcelona. The park is accessible through an all-day ticket and the option to pay individually for each ride.

Sagrat Cor is also known as the temple of the sacred heart of Jesus. This is the roman catholic church on the top of Mt. Tibidabo that is visible from the city of Barcelona. The view of Barcelona from the top of Sagrat Cor’s towers is outstanding.

As you retire into the night with your head and canon full of memories, be prepared for the exuberant adventure waiting for you on day 3.

Day 3 in Barcelona

On your final day of a thrilling time in Spain’s beloved Barcelona, we’d suggest you inhale as many aesthetic experiences as possible.

Barceloneta

Lined by a spectacular beach, Barcelona’s thumping heart is on its sleeve dipping into the sea. Here, you’ll find exquisite seafood cuisines and everything from the beach towels to beach sheets and even mojitos available at an arm’s length. We urge you to not miss this scene even if you only watch it from the road nearby.

It would be excellent to visit the Barcelona aquarium on Passeig de Colom and then turn to the right towards the Barceloneta neighborhood which then leads to the beachfront and the harbor.

Camp Nou

Whether you are a football fan or not, the people of Spain’s love for the FC Barcelona team is worth an experience. This will be the largest stadium you would have ever seen. It is indeed the largest stadium in Europe and the third-largest football stadium in the world.

Chocolate Museum

Museu de la Xocolata takes you through a delicious experience from the origins of chocolate as a spicy drink to its evolution into a French sweet. You’ll see chocolate as a medicine, an aphrodisiac, a highly nutritious food, and as an element separating legend from reality. The tickets for this mouth-watering museum can be booked in advance.

Magic Fountain

Barcelona’s magic fountain shows are immensely popular. The magic fountain’s water and light shows are choreographed to rhyme with different music styles and are conducted every twenty minutes with ten-minute breaks between subsequent shows. The fountain is open for several nights of the week for almost all of the year.

El Born

Save your whole day’s appetite for the best food experience of your 3 days in Barcelona. One of Barcelona’s most popular restaurants in El born is Cal pep. We promise you will have the most heart-filled meal ever at this place.

The service at Cal pep enquires about your likes and dislikes and food allergies and choices and then gets you almost always the best food Spain has to offer.

Save this place for dinner. Thank us later!

What if You Have Extra Time in Barcelona?

In case you are already done with our 3 days in Barcelona itinerary or you are visiting again looking for some other places to visit, we deem you as lucky because Barcelona wouldn’t ever be enough.

Walking and Bike Tour

You would have noticed that your Go Barcelona Pass comes with a free walking tour and a free bike tour for 3 days in Barcelona. A three-hour tour along with the prominent Gothic Quarter attractions and the La Rambla would overwhelm your heart with gratitude. If you had missed a visit to Park Güell earlier, now is the time to make it and never regret it.

Parc De La Ciutadella

Known as the earliest green area, as old as the 19th century, the 70-acre park is one of Barcelona’s most beloved esthetic spaces to relax and breathe in the calm. Situated close to the Chocolate Museum, a picnic in this lush, Gaudi hand laden park will be sweetly memorable.

Torre Bellesguard

This private property is one of Gaudi’s master creations and some parts are allowed to be visited by tourists. There is a magnificent attic and spell-bounding roof area that is made to look like a dragon and offers wonderful views of Bar.

Colonia Güell

This industrial village was purpose-built in the19th century and can be reached by public transport even though 23 km away from Barcelona’s center point.

You’ll not regret the travel to this birthplace of Gaudi’s excellent innovations. The prominent attraction of this area is the church famously known as Gaudi’s crypt.

This architectural masterpiece is often referred to as the blueprint of Sagrada Familia and is much less crowded than other bustling parts of Barcelona so you can relish Gaudi’s taste in bringing art to life.

Conclusion

The magical Barcelona is all about experiencing, seeing, eating, getting lost, and getting found. With the much magnificent art this place holds, it is unavoidable to carry some of its fragrance and touch while receding. You’ll miss this place as soon as you begin to leave it and always thereafter. Experience the magic and let great art enhance your senses. Remember, no time spent in Barcelona is ever enough.

FAQs

Can Barcelona be Explored in 3 Days?

Well, Barcelona is one magical place that cannot be completely explored even in one lifetime. But 3 days in Barcelona can definitely let you taste an unforgettable whim of this place with never-ending beautiful sights and innumerable varieties of foods worth delving into.

How Many Days do you Need to Travel and Experience Barcelona?

If your travel routes throughout Spain, you should consider visiting Barcelona at the start or the end of your trip since it is very well connected to all other places in Spain. You can visit almost all the major tourist attractions in 3 days. If you want to delve deeper, a week in Barcelona will suffice your soul for some time.

Can Barcelona be Explored in 2 Days?

This really depends on how much you want to experience Barcelona. 2 days in Barcelona will be enough to visit all major world-famous tourist attractions while being relatively picky as compared to 3 days.