Things to do in Barcelona
Museums and galleries, attractions, special things to do
From Port Vell to the spires of Barcelona Cathedral in Barrí Gòtic, exploring Barcelona is easy. See Picasso's delicate, early sketches in the Old Town and Joan Miró's colourful masterpieces on Montjuïc. Architecturally, Gaudí reigns supreme; follow the trail from La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Eixample to fantastical Park Güell in Gràcia. Further out, Tibidabo mountain beckons with its charming funfair. Labyrinth Park in Montbau has playful topiary to get lost in.
Museums and Galleries
Expand all1. Museum of Contemporary Art - Art and architecture
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Richard Meier's cool white design, set incongruously in the Raval district, draws art lovers (and skateboarders) to this contemporary art showcase. If you find the Museum of Contemporary Art's exhibitions inaccessible, soak up the ambience of its vast light halls.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€2-€7.50
Opening Hours
Sep-Jun Mon & Wed-Fri 11am-7.30pm; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-3pm, Jun-Sep Mon & Wed 11am-8pm; Thu & Fri 11am-12am; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-3pm
Address
1, Plaça dels Àngels, Barcelona 08001
Telephone
+34 93 412 0810
2. CaixaForum - Important exhibition space
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CaixaForum by Plaça Espanya square, is one of Barcelona's most exciting contemporary art spaces. Housed in an old modernista textile factory with a stylish modern walkway, courtyard and entrance, the gallery's three exhibition spaces display an eclectic programme of shows.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-8pm (until 10pm Sat)
Address
6-8, Avenida Marqués de Comillas, Barcelona 08038
Telephone
+34 93 476 8600
3. Joan Miró Foundation - Art on the mountain
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The Joan Miró Foundation possesses an incomparable collection of work by the 20th-century master, and is an essential part of any visit to Montjuïc. Miró's iconic Spanish paintings are displayed on gleaming white walls, lit by natural light from above.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Permanent collection €8; concessions €6Temporary exhibitions €4; concessions €3
Opening Hours
Oct-Jun Tue-Sat 10am-7pm, Jul-Sep Tue-Sat 10am-8pm, all year Thu 10am-10.30pm; Sun 10am-2.30pm
Address
Centre d'Estudis, Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona 08038
Telephone
+34 934 439 470
4. Chocolate Museum - Sweet exhibits
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It's an inescapable fact that the people of Barcelona love chocolate. Chocolaterias lurk temptingly all over the city but the Chocolate Museum in the Born district is the highlight. Exhibits include Snowy, Barcelona's famous albino gorilla, carved from white chocolate.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€3.90; concessions available
Opening Hours
Mon & Wed-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am-3pm
Address
36, Carrer del Comerç, Barcelona 08003
Telephone
+34 93 268 78 78
5. Picasso Museum - Spanish master
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Barcelona's unmissable Picasso Museum houses an exhaustive collection of the Spanish master's early work, sprawling across adjoining gothic palaces in the Old Town. Find youthful sketches from his formative years, sculpture, ceramics and exquisite paintings from his Blue Period.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Permanent collection €9; temporary exhibitions €5.80 (free first Sun of the month)
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-8pm
Address
15-23, Montcada, Ciutat Vella, Barcelona 08003
Telephone
+34 932 563 000
Attractions
Expand all6. Barcelona Cathedral - Soaring spires
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Soaring above Plaça de la Seu square in Barrí Gòtic, attention-grabbing Barcelona Cathedral features smooth arches, skeletal spires and lofty towers. Inside the vaulted cloister awaits an oasis of palms and fountains. Take the lift for spectacular city views.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 8am-12.45pm & 5.15pm-7.30pm
Address
Plaça de la Seu, Barrí Gòtic, Barcelona 08002
Telephone
+34 93 315 15 54
7. Camp Nou - Catalan football
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Camp Nou in Les Corts is a large-scale temple to football and an impressive piece of architecture. Now architect Norman Foster plans to transform the building into a pulsating, light-refracting superstructure. See a match or take a guided tour.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Various
Opening Hours
Various; no tours on match days
Address
Avenida Aristides Maillol, Barcelona 08028
Telephone
+34 902 189 900 / +34 902 33 22 11 (tickets)
8. La Sagrada Família - Gaudí masterpiece
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La Sagrada Família in the Eixample district is a crazed, towering cathedral and lifetime obsession of Gaudí, a unique symbol of the Catalan capital and a work in progress. Climb up inside its fantastical, undulating spires to see Gaudí's Workshop.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€8; concessions €5; lift €2
Opening Hours
Oct-Mar daily 9am-6pm; Apr-Sep daily 9am-8pm
Address
Plaça Sagrada Família, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 93 207 30 31
9. Park Güell - Unique Gaudí park
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Park Güell in the Gràcia district is Catalan architect Gaudí's modernist utopia. Lush, shady parkland overlooks the city and fantastical mosaic-covered, sculptural buildings are curiously inviting. In the scorching summer months this is one of the coolest places to be.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
May-Aug daily 10am-9pm; Nov-Feb daily 10am-6pm; Mar & Oct 10am-7pm; Apr & Sep 10am-9pm
Address
Carrer d'Olot, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 93 424 38 09
Transport
Lesseps metro; buses 24, 25 to Lesseps
10. Barcelona Aquarium - Watery world
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Barcelona Aquarium in Port Vell holds an impressive collection of marine life from giant conger eels to seahorses and even a penguin colony, but the highlight is the shark tunnel. Get up close to the craggy-toothed monsters if you dare.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€16; concessions €12.50; children €11
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30am-9pm (until 9.30pm Sat & Sun & public hols, Jun & Sep; until 11pm Jul & Aug)
Address
Moll d'Espanya del Port Vell, Barcelona 08039
Telephone
+34 93 221 74 74
Special things to do
Expand all11. La Pedrera (Casa Milà) - Roof-top architecture
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La Pedrera is a gem in the heart of the Eixample district. Across the street from the popular Gaudí House, this large corner building by the Catalan master boasts the sculpture-filled Espai Gaudí terrace providing roof-top views of the city.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€8; concessions €4.50
Opening Hours
Nov-Feb daily 9am-6.30pm, Mar-Oct daily 9am-8pm
Address
92, Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 934 84 5900
12. Montjuïc - Culture, views and nature
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Cable cars trundle from Barcelona's harbour to leafy Montjuïc, home to the Miró Foundation and the Spanish Village. Travel on a second cable car to the 17th-century castle for impressive views, or swim in the open-air Olympic pool in summer.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Transbordador Aeri cable car daily 10.30am-7pm; Teleférico winter 11am-6pm; summer daily 11am-7pm/8pm
Address
Barcelona 08038
Transport
Paral.lel or Espanya metro
13. Tibidabo Amusement Park - Mountain funfair
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Always visible from the streets below, Tibidabo Amusement Park is certainly worth the climb. A creaking funicular delivers visitors to the top where a gloriously antiquated amusement park entices with rickety rides and an unbeatable view along the coast.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€24; concessions €5-€9; children €7-€11
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-5pm
Address
3-4, Plaça del Tibidabo, Barcelona 08035
Telephone
+34 93 211 79 42
Transport
Avinguda Tibidabo metro, then Tramvía Blau (Blue Tram) to the funicular
Website
14. Labyrinth Park - Beautiful garden
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Labyrinth Park, a playfully romantic park in Montbau, offers welcome respite from the urban bustle of Barcelona. Built in 1791, the grounds are situated on different levels with ornamented stairways and expansive gardens dotted with statues of Eros and Narcissus.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€2.05; discounts for groups
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-dusk
Address
La Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona 08035
Telephone
+34 9 3428 3934
Transport
Metro Mundet
15. CatHelicopter BCN Sky Tours - Thrilling helicopter ride
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For James-Bond views of Barcelona, take to the skies on a helicopter ride. From a giddy height, CatHelicopter BCN Sky Tours take in soaring Gaudí spires, the ordered grid of the Eixample district, the glistening sea and distant green mountains.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
5-min flight €45; 10 mins €80; 35 mins €240
Address
Heliport, Passeig d'Escullera, Moll Adossat s/n, Barcelona 08039
Telephone
+34 93 224 07 10
