Barcelona

Notes

• Public transport is excellent – familiarize yourself with the Metro. Stay close to a metro station
• Taxi availability can be hit-and-miss depending on where you are in the city. Your best bet is to flag down a old school yellow cab on the street. On demand rideshares (FreeNow, Bolt and Uber) are available, but there just arent enough drivers – expect to routinely wait 20-30 mins for your ride to show up.
• Everyone accepts contactless payment. Set up Apple Pay and you wont need a credit card or cash at all.
• Everything is time-shifted by a couple of hours. Lunch restaurants don’t open until noon, dinner restaurants don’t open until 8. Get adjusted to an on-time breakfast, but late lunch and dinner
• Too many people smoke – opt for indoor seating at restaurants if you don’t want the aroma of tobacco with your meals
• Paella is lunch food, don’t order it for dinner – thats a faux pas.
• Nobody orders sangria in restaurants, but don’t let that stop you. yolo!

What to visit, what to skip

• Sagrada Familia (10/10, THE Barcelona landmark, you have to visit)
• Park Guell (9/10, another Barcelona landmark, you have to visit)
• Boqueria market (9/10, smallish but good)
• Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau (8/10, UNESCO World Heritage site)
• Arc de Triomf (7/10, underwhelming, but easy to visit)
• Palau de la Música Catalana (8/10, UNESCO World Heritage site)
• Montjuic (10/10, getting there is half the fun, good views, nice walks)
• Pont del Bisbe (8/10, easy to visit, get that dp for the socials)
• Barcelona Cathedral (8/10, smallish)
• Picasso museum (6/10, skippable)
• Banksy museum (6/10, skippable)
• Maritime museum (6/10, skippable)
• Day trip to Girona (10/10)
• Day trip to Montserrat (10/10)
• Day trip to Tarragona (5/10, skip)

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart home city

Day 2: Arrive Barcelona

• Casa Mila (Only Night tours in English at 7pm and 7:20pm)
• Dinner at Vinitus

Day 3: Pont del Bisbe, Cathedral, Picasso Museum

• El Pont del Bisbe
• Explore the Gothic Quarter
• Cathedral of Barcelona
• Visit Barcelona City History Museum
• Tapas Lunch at Bar del Pla (opens noon)
• Picasso Museum
  • 15 minute timed Tickets. Ok to buy on the day of the visit.
• Dinner at Granja Petitbo

Day 4: Sagrada Familia, Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau

• Sagrada Familia (Make Reservation at least 1 month in advance)
• Lunch at El Tastet de l’Artur
• Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
• Casa Mila
• Dinner at Castell de Xàtiva or Cerveceria Catalana

Day 5: Day Trip to Girona

• High Speed Renfe train from Barcelona-Sants to Girona (39 mins)
• Plaza de la Independència
• Eiffel Bridge (Pont de les Peixateries Velles) (good photo opportunity with Girona Cathedral in the background)
• Museum of Jewish History (Museu d’Història dels Jueus)
• Lunch at Restaurant Normal (make reservation at least 1 month in advance)
• Girona Cathedral (Game of Thrones shooting location)
• Walk on the Girona Wall (Muralles de Girona) behind the cathedral to Torre Gironella and back (15-20 mins)
• Arab Baths
• (Optional) walk to Sant Pere de Galligants

Day 6: Palau Musica, FC Barcelona, Montjuic

• Palau de la Música Catalana (Timed tickets required)
• Banksy Museum
• Lunch at Ciutat Comtal
• Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys for FC Barcelona Football game
• Montjuic Castle
• Palau Guell
• Indian food at Mayura for dinner (Meh, skip)

Day 7: Day trip to Tarragona

• Take regional (Roadalies) train from Barcelona-Sants to Tarragona (high speed trains go to a different station called Camp Tarragona which is around 15-20 minutes by taxi from Tarragona) (1h45m) – buy ticket at station from the orange machines.
• Mediterranean Balcony
• Amphitheater (UNESCO World Heritage)
• Circ Romà
• Lunch at El Llagut
• Plaza del Fòrum
• Archaeological walk from (Muralla Romana, 43003 Tarragona, Spain) to (Muralla Romana de Tarragona, Rambla Vella, 1, 43003 Tarragona, Spain) (11 mins)
• Tarragona Cathedral
• Central Market – Christmas market in front of Central Market.

Day 8: Arc De Triomf, Maritime Museum, Mercat de la Boqueria

• Arc De Triomf
• Snack at Hoffman Pattiserie (Meh, skip)
• Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar
• Maritime Museum
• Walk on La Rambla
• Visit Mercat de la Boqueria

Day 8: (Alt) Day trip for Cava tasting

• Take L5 Blue line from Verdaguer to Barcelona-Sants (Cornella Centre direction, 4th stop). Transfer to Rodalies de Catalunya R4 line from Barcelona-Sants to Sant Sadurni d’Anoia (53 mins)
• Walk to Freixenet (2 mins) for Cava tour (90 mins, 1130-1). Reservation required
• Take taxi to Codorniu for Cava tour (105 mins, 330-5). Reservation required

Day 9: Day Trip to Montserrat

• Take the FGC R5 train from Espanya. Buy the Buy the Trans Montserrat tickets package online, or at the station. If you buy online, you have to show the receipt to get the paper ticket that you then use to swipe into the train station.
  • 1 hour to Montserrat, sit on the left side.
• Monistrol de Montserrat (DO NOT get off at Aeri de Montserrat – that station is for the cable car). Connect here to the Cog railway Cremallera. This cog railway is also operated by FGC, so schedules are well aligned. Just walk out of the long distance train and get on the cog railway.
• Visit the Basilica. Visit the small chapel above the altar.
• Take the Sant Joan Funicular to go to the top of the mountain. Sit on the lower side for good view of the monastery.
  • Once you reach the top, walk to the viewpoint (Mirador de Sant Joan) for great views.
  • Do short hike at the top for good views.
• Take the Santa Cova Funicular to go down a bit. Walk to the cave. Go back up to the monastery level.
• Walk to the viewpoints.

Day 10: Barcelona: Park Guell, Barceloneta Beach, Teleferico del Puerto

• Park Guell (Make Reservation at least a few days in advance)
• Teleferico del Puerto roundtrip from San Sebastián Tower
  • Cable car runs 10:30 to 7 (Round trip is 20 mins, €20)
• Paella lunch at Can Ramonet
• Barceloneta beach

Day 11: Depart Barcelona

• depart

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