72 hours in Barcelona | The Perfect Barcelona itinerary | Summer 2022 Guide

Here you’ll find a three day itinerary on what to do, where to eat, where to stay in Barcelona. Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments below. Cheers and safe travels!

Things you should know before visiting Barcelona: 

Is there a visa requirement for U.S. Citizens when visiting Barcelona?:

– No Visa is needed for US citizens when entering Spain

What style of travel group is recommended for Barcelona?:

– Barcelona is a great place for all types of travel groups from families to couples, and the best for a group of friends

What is the recommended length of stay when visiting Barcelona?

– We found that 3 days and 2 nights was the perfect amount to explore the city of Barcelona

What is the main language spoken in Barcelona?

– Most people speak Catalan or Spanish in Barcelona, English speakers are few but not uncommon.

Are there any vaccinations needed for U.S. Citizens when visiting Barcelona?:

– No vaccinations are required for US Citizens

Is Uber available in Barcelona?:

– Uber is not available in Barcelona. Taxis and public transportation are the way to go

What is the value of the dollar in Barcelona?:

– Euros are used in BCN. Always carry the local currency on you when traveling in another country.

• Barcelona is relatively affordable compared to the rest of Europe.
• Rates fluctuate but $1USD ~ 0.84 Euros (Rate as of October 2017)
• Download XECurrency app to see conversion rates. Great travel app and works offline
• Most places in Barcelona will take credit card

Can you drink the water in Barcelona?

– Yes, you can drink the tap water in Barcelona

What is transportation like between cities in Europe/Spain?:

– Getting around in Europe and Spain is affordable. Make sure to compare flight prices and times to train. I found the train to be more relaxing, scenic, and affordable in many circumstances

Here is the itinerary for 3 days, 2 nights in Barcelona, Spain

Day One: Barcelona

7:15am: Arrive in BCN

8:30am: Drop off luggage at Airbnb in the Gothic Quarter

• We stayed in the Gothic Quarter which is conveniently located to a lot of sights and tours. If not you can get a taxi for a decent price as it’s a central location
• There are no ubers in Barcelona as of right now (2018)
• Travel time by car: ~21 mins
• Travel time by metro: ~49 mins

9:30am – 10:30am: Breakfast, coffee and head to tour

• The tour will begin in La Rambla which is a convenient walk from the Airbnb in the Gothic Quarter
• La Rambla is a very popular touristic area with shops, food, and entertainment lined up

11am – 1:30pm: Gaudi Free walking tour (Sagrada)

• Awesome way to see some of the city for free. These guides are passionate about what they do and you can really tell as they make a living off your trips
• Make sure to make a reservation beforehand – online

• Meeting point: Plaça Reial (by the water fountain)

• Because some of the attractions are quite far apart, two short metro trips are involved (fare not included). Bring a metro pass. A T-10 pass (€9.95) gives you 10 trips and can be shared while a single ticket costs €2.15. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one at the stations

• Tour ends at: Sagrada Familia. If you want to visit the church after the morning tour, the tour recommends buying the tickets for 2pm (or 3pm if you prefer to have lunch in between)
• The walking tour is 2.5 hours long
• Places visited on the walking tour:
  • Plaça Reial
  • Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
  • Casa Batlló
  • Sagrada Familia
  • Palau Güell

1:30pm – 4:00pm: Lunch & Sagrada Familia 

• Tickets start at 15E

4:30pm – 7pm:  Walking Tour of Old City (Gothic Quarter) 

• This walking tour is 2.5 Hours
• The meeting point is again, Plaça Reial (next to the water fountain)
• Great tour but I will say that at this point you may be exhausted from having already done a walking tour in the morning – would suggest then to leave this for another day if time allows
• Places visited:
  • Plaça Reial
  • Plaça del Pi
  • The old Jewish Quarter (El Call)
  • Plaça Sant Jaume
  • The Cathedral cloister
  • Plaça Sant Felip Neri
  • The Roman City
  • The Medieval City and Plaça del Rei
  • Santa María del Mar

7pm: Get dinner recommendation from tour group
We ended up eating on the streets of La Rambla on this day.

• The tour guides didn’t recommend eating on La Rambla because it’s “so touristy,” we caved anyways…I see nothing wrong with embracing your inner tourist from time to time 😉

Day 2: Barcelona

1:30pm – 3:00pm: Lunch at Cerveseria Catalana

• Famous tapas restaurant, received several recommendations to eat here

Pro Tip: The best way to eat tapas on the low and get a variety is to sit at the bar, order 1-2 of each tapa you see at the bar. We ordered so much food and our total between two people was ~$16. It’s better to do it this way than order from the menu because menu items are priced at a certain quantity you’ll be receiving versus ordering 1-2 of each tapa. Also – you avoid the wait time by sitting at the bar

6:30pm: Head to Camp Nou Stadium for a game

• If you have a chance to go watch a Barcelona Game at Camp Nou, take advantage of it. If it’s not futbol season, no worries, you can still head to Camp Nou and do a tour of the stadium.
• I will say that I think Barcelona fans are so used to winning, the fandom to me was lacking.
• Located at: C. Maria Labernia s/n, 08032 Barcelona, Spain
• Directions: 24 mins from Gothic quarters to stadium by car

7:30pm – 10:30pm: FC Barcelona Game!!!

10:30pm – 11:30pm: Take metro back to Airbnb and get ready for a night out

• Note, if you did make it to Camp Nou for a Barca game, the metro will be STUPID packed. Get ready to get comfortable with some fellow fans

11:30pm – 12:00pm: Get ready for a night out

12:30am: Eclipse Rooftop Bar @ W Hotel Barcelona

• Great thing about going out in Barcelona is that even on a Wednesday night, you’ll find a decent crowd out.
• The W is a nice place to start the night out. The location is right by the beach and even at night, you’re able to see a bit of the tides hitting the shore

1:30am – 4am: Head to Club Opium

• Great location – several clubs right around the outside
• Look into getting “on the list” ahead of time – talk to locals
• This place was fun with several bars and dance floors. You will find the people in Barcelona to be friendly. Plenty of tourists make it out to this area as well

Day 3: Barcelona

Lazy start to the day as a Wednesday night out in Barcelona is capable of taking the best of you 😉

2:00pm -3:30pm: Lunch in the La Boqueria Market 

• Enjoy a selection of fresh fruit, meats, and seafood to choose from for an affordable lunch

4:00pm – 6:30pm: Take metro/bus to Park Güell

• One of the main points of interest and works of Gaudi
• We ended up just walking through at our own leisure. If you have the flexibility to do a tour, I would highly recommend it. Makes more sense to know what you’re looking at, but you can still appreciate its uniqueness by just walking through

6:00pm – 8:00pm: Downtime – head back to lodge/get ready for Michelin Star Dinner

8:30pm: Dinner Reservation at Tickets Bar

• This is a Michelin star restaurant serving tapas style food
• Reservations must be made WAY early in advance. The minute you book your ticket to BCN, make sure this is the second reservation you make. It is common for people to make a reservation with Tickets Bar and THEN book their airfare for Barcelona.
• Between two people, you can easily spend $200.
• You must try the olives
• The ambiance is unique, creative, and fun! No need to OVERdress.
• Make sure to do dessert as they take you to a separate room for it which is all part of the Tickets experience

Day 4: Transit – Barcelona –> Lisbon

Other recommendations that we weren’t able to do:

• Bunker del Carmel – One of the best views of barca, take a picnic and watch the sun set
• Trip to Montserrat (mountainous region) – takes 2 hour and 15 mins by train.

Please leave your experiences, highlights, and suggestions below! Share the wealth with the world!