The Perfect Week in Barcelona

You’ve made it to Barcelona 😊! Time to check in before we start the day. The Icon Barcelona hotel is a great option if you want to be well situated in the city. It’s a new beautiful, trendy hotel located right around the corner of Passeig de Gracia where you can find tons of shopping, restaurants, cafes, and much more.

Once you’ve settled in take a walk to La Rambla, one of Barcelona’s most famous streets. You will find this area very touristy, but it’s just one of those places you have to see. Please, please, please keep your belongings close to you and beware of your surroundings. This area is notorious for theft and pickpockets. Slide your bags to your front side and don’t put anything in your back pockets. Also, the restaurants on La Rambla are usually tourist traps, I would avoid them altogether.

Right on La Rambla you’ll find Barcelona’s most famous market, La Boqueria. Peruse through the stalls and have a snack if you’re hungry. Here you’ll find everything from fresh produce, to tapas, to restaurants with open kitchens cooking seafood right in front of you.

A short walk from La Boqueria is Plaça Reial, a large square built back in the 1900s. Now it’s home to many restaurants, cafes, and bars. There’s also a beautiful fountain in the middle. Definitely stop at one of the terraces and have a glass of wine (or any beverage) and people watch. If you’re lucky, you might see some live performances.

Now that you’ve had a quick rest, let’s get back to exploring. After Plaça Reial, make your way through the quaint narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter. It’s one of the coolest neighborhoods in Barcelona. You’ll find lots of small shops, tapas bars, cafes, and restaurants.

While you’re walking around in the Gothic Quarter, make your way to the Cathedral of Barcelona. It was built between the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries and still maintains its original charm. It is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve seen in Spain and definitely worth check out.

Just a few minutes walk from the cathedral is The Kiss of Freedom mural. It was created by Barcelona photographer, Joan Fontcuberta. The stunning mural is made up of 4,000 ceramic tiles that represent freedom.

It’s time for another quick break from all that walking. Stop at a rooftop like the one at the Ohla Hotel in the Gothic Quarter and have a drink while enjoying the breathtaking views of Barcelona. This rooftop is on the pricier side (€€€) so just keep that in mind.

For dinner, I recommend heading to Bodega La Palma, a historic restaurant serving authentic tapas. The patatas bravas are a must have and the muscles were great too.

Head to Les Filles Cafè for a delicious brunch on their terrace. Everything we had was great but I’d say the melted goat and Brie cheese with mushrooms, butter chicken, and cheesecake were the stars of the show.

Once you’re fueled up, head to Park Güell, a beautiful park comprised of gardens and architectural masterpieces designed by the famous architect, Antoni Gaudí. You can easily spend hours here so take your time and enjoy this magical place.

Once you’ve finished up at Park Güell, explore the hilly, tree lined streets of Gracia. This neighborhood is a blend of bohemian and Catalan charm. Here, you’ll find all kinds of shops, restaurants, and cafes.

As you’re walking through Gracia, make your way to arguably the most famous site in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia. This is Antoni Gaudí’s most recognized work around the world. It’s been under construction on and off since 1950, but that doesn’t take away from the astounding structure. If you plan to visit the inside of the basilica make sure to reserve your tickets ahead of time.

Just across the street from La Sagrada Familia is Plaça de Gaudí, a beautiful park where you have breathtaking views of the basilica. It’s a great place to just sit and enjoy.

If you’re feeling like a beverage, head to the rooftop at the Ayre Hotel Rosellón for incredible views of Sagrada Familia. I highly recommend booking a week in advance. As you can imagine, they book out super fast.

From there take a stroll down Passeig de Gracia where you can find more of Antoni Gaudi’s work like Casa Mila and Casa Batlló and lots of high end shopping.

For dinner, I recommend La Pepita, a restaurant serving delicious elevated tapas. Seriously, everything was so good!

If your budget allows it, treat yourself and book a few nights at the W Barcelona hotel. You might recognize it’s ship-like structure from millions of pictures of Barcelona. The amenities are amazing, the service it top notch, and the views of Barceloneta are unmatched. There’s an amazing pool lounge and private infinity pool overlooking the beach for guests. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary, let staff know and they’ll likely surprise you with a bottle of sparkling wine ☺️

After you’ve enjoyed some of the many amenities of the W Hotel, take a walk down Barceloneta Beach. For delicious black rice paella at Cala Nuri, a beachside restaurant serving fresh seafood and a lovely selection of Spanish wines. Make sure to book a table in advance as they’re usually full for lunch.

Rent some bikes and spend a few hours exploring the beachside of Barcelona. I recommend starting back from the pier behind the W Hotel and making your way up to Mar Bella and back.

Make lots of stops around Barceloneta and if you can, stay for sunset. I’ve seen some of the prettiest sunsets at Barceloneta Beach.

After you’ve returned the bikes, take a walk to Port Vell Marina where you can enjoy the view of all the boats and yachts parked there. You’ll also find Maremagnum mall where we can some shopping.

If the name alone didn’t spark some curiosity, I’m here to tell you that the food is actually very good. The menu is a play on tapas with a twist of quirky. I’ve been here several times and have enjoyed everything I’ve ordered.

Finish off the night with cocktails around the corner from the restaurant. This is Somnia Cocktail bar, a circus-themed bar that makes amazing drinks and present them in whimsical ways.

Head to one of Barceloneta’s longest standing restaurants, La Cova Fumada. The seafood is fresh and delicious, but the star is most definitely their award winning Barcelona Bomba. So good! Get there early, this place gets packed as soon as doors open.

Walk off all that food strolling through Passeig del Born located right in the heart of Barcelona’s old town.

If you’re feeling like something sweet visit the Museu de la Xocolata. It houses impressive sculptures all made from chocolate. The tickets to enter are even made from chocolate.

From the museum continue to explore the Born area and make a pit stop at Mescladís del Pou, an rustic outdoor restaurant serving sustainable cuisine cooked by interns of a culinary program.

Next, check out another one of Barcelona’s staple landmarks, Arc de Triomf. It is beautiful and great for walking just hanging out and people watching.

Just a short walk from Arc de Triomf is Park de Ciutadella, my favorite park in Barcelona. There’s also a lake where you can take a boat ride for 30 minutes for €6. Have your Notebook moment ❤️.

For dinner, I recommend trying Debutis, a Catalan restaurants serving authentic butifarra, burgers, and more. After you’re here you’ll likely be ready for bed 😌.

Start this busy day with brunch at Café Cometa, a lovely cafe with a wall covered in different art.

Take a half day trip to the Monastery of Montserrat, a stunning mountain range about an hour by train from Barcelona. This is where you can find the famous Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, and the Black Madonna. This place is truly remarkable. I recommend taking the cable car up for breathtaking views and then hiking down for a taste of nature.

After all that exploring you’ll definitely want to wind down with some comfort food. Try out Bella Italia, for authentic, well-portioned feel good Italian cooking.

For the last two days, rent a car and go on a day trip to Castelldefels, a cute beach town about 25 minutes driving from Barcelona. Before heading to the beach, stop at Cafe de Finca for a nice coffee and a light breakfast.

Then head to Platja de Castelldefels. There’s plenty of parking spots available in front of the beach. If the weather permits it, lay out and enjoy the beach, if not, there’s a nice boardwalk that is great for a relaxed walk.

If you need a little pick-me-up, grab a beachfront table on the sand at a chiringuito like Carita Morena and have a tropical cocktail. We loved the piña coladas.

Now that you’ve worked up and appetite, head to Restaurante Cel Blau for delicious, fresh seafood. The ceviche and black rice paella are winners. Book in advance because they too tend to book out for lunch.

After you’re done exploring Casteldefels, head to the best sunset spot in town, Carmel Bunkers. The views from up there are amazing. It gets busy there so try to come early to secure a good spot.

For dinner, treat yourself again and go for Mediterranean cuisine at Sumac & Mambo. They’re the new kids on the block and have a mouth watering menu worth checking out. Make sure to give the kebab a try.

Finish off the night with cocktails at Dux, an intimate bar that specializes in gin, but they pretty much execute all their cocktails perfectly. They even have a drink names after Chip from Beauty and the Beast.

Let’s get the most out of this last day. Start off with brunch at Ugot Bruncherie, a lovely restaurant serving tasty, wholesome dishes. The French toast are so good!

Next, hop in the car and head to Tibidabo. This is where you can find Spain’s longest running amusement park, Tibidabo Amusement Park and the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The views of Barcelona from the amusement park are magnificent and worth the drive.

A lovely place to head to after Tibidabo is Esplugues de LLobregat, a municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area where you can find lots of nature walks and more views. Make a pit stop at Espai Mireia first and enjoy a very inexpensive glass of wine. I mean you can’t go wrong with 2EUR glass of Spanish wine and killer view.

Lastly, walk your way to one of the several entrances of Passeig de les Aigües for an easy nature walk. If you follow the path you’ll be led to different view points of unobstructed views of the city. It´s a beautiful way to end an epic trip to Barcelona.