Barcelona seems to be synonymous with European vacations and tours. It’s one of the major cities to see. So while I’d visited Spain a while ago, without having seen Barcelona, I didn’t quite feel like I’d gotten to know Spain or, for that matter, Catalonia at all. There were so many places to see, there was so much food to eat. So when the opportunity came up to visit Barcelona, I was so excited. I spent just a few days in the city and could not have been happier. The city is undoubtedly touristy, but it is still welcoming, well humored and endlessly beautiful. You can always spend more time in a place, but a few days in Barcelona should give you the perfect snapshot. Here’s how to spend three days in Barcelona, Spain.

Where to eat 

We spent at least 60% of our time in Barcelona talking about food, eating or reminiscing about what we had eaten. The Barcelona food scene is good. We went to several more places than this, but these are the spots I genuinely recommend.

• Bar Ramon – As authentic as it gets, Bar Ramon is so popular with locals that you have to make a reservation to eat here. And if you don’t have a handle on any Spanish (or Catalan,) download Google translate to your phone or have a dictionary with you, as there’s no English-speaking staff or English menu. That work (and confusion) will be worth it, though. Every plate ordered was amazing, and the staff was so patient as I stumbled around ordering in Spanish.

• Bodega Carol – What a plaaaace! This is old school, old school, old school. Its something between your grandma’s kitchen and a hole in the wall, serving up delicious cured meat, cheese and wine.
• Taverna Oniric – A surprisingly good restaurant for how close it is to the Sagrada Familia. (In my experience, if a restaurant is close to a major tourist site, that restaurant is far from great.) However, Taverna Oniric defies the odds. If you’re visiting the Sagrada Familia and need a bite to eat, walk the quick 10 minutes to Taverna Oniric.
• Kserol – Not terribly far from Sagrada Familia either, this place is just slightly further and a bit cheaper than Taverna Oniric. It’s a very mellow spot to recharge after a long day. Tasty tapas (especially the croquettes,) cheap drinks and a fun owner. She had just the one English menu available to us:

• Sucursal Aceitera – We found this spot when we couldn’t get into Bar Ramon (again – make a reservation.) I couldn’t have been happier. A little pricier than more traditional tapas spots, Sucursal Aceiteria serves tapas with a modern approach. The result is delicious, from the smallest starter plates to the desserts. The staff is also so kind and the entire menu is friendly to anyone with dietary restrictions. If a dish has an allergen like dairy, nuts, etc., it’s noted in the menu with a little symbol.
  

• Rekons – Empanadas! In case you need a break from tapas, Reckons has super affordable little snacks and is pretty friendly for travelers.
• Chok – An ode to chocolate, this is what my dreams are made of. There are a couple locations in Barcelona, and we went to the one in the Garcia neighborhood. The most heavenly smell of chocolate and croissants greets you at the door. I strongly considered asking for a job just to continue the experience.

What to see

This city is heavily visited by tourists, so much so that many sites require you purchase entry tickets in advance, or you’ll wait ages in line (or simply miss out.) Plan ahead and you will have an amazing time.

• Sagrada Família – You obviously have to go here. It’s synonymous with Barcelona, and it’s the thing to do. Keep in mind that you: A) need to buy tickets in advance, b) must go inside and C) definitely should get the audio guide. There’s so much to this beautiful space that you’d never know by looking at it from the outside or just by wandering around.

• Parc Güell – Designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudi, this park is another of the must visit places in Barcelona. Part of the park is free to visit, and another part requires paid entry. It’s worth the ten euro entry fee to see what Gaudi was working on before he shifted focus to the Sagrada Familia. While the outer park is beautiful, it’s the mosaics and unusually shaped buildings of the inner park that make this site a famous destination.

• Garcia – This neighborhood is a short walk from Park Guell and you’ll find all sorts of unique boutiques and restaurants to explore. You can also drop by Chok for a delicious way to refuel after a long day.
• Parc Ciutat – A beautiful city park, centrally located and perfect for a picnic. It’s also a nice break for some peace after a busy day of sightseeing.
• Clot – This is a very untouristed neighborhood, because there’s nothing really to see. So why is it here? Because it’s authentic. You won’t find major sights, so you won’t find impossibly crowded streets or painful prices. Take some time to explore these streets to get a full picture of Barcelona.
• Boardwalk – Have Google maps take you to the Port Authority – Admiral Historic Authority or to La Parella, for a beautiful and fun walk along a boardwalk. There are some pretty quirky statues you’ll find along the way, but I can assure you it is beautiful.

• Food tours – Have I mentioned the food in Barcelona is amazing? A great way to see places you might not have found on your own is by taking a tour. We went on one through AirBnb and can’t recommend going that route enough. It gave us the most local feel and I couldn’t have loved it more.

Tips

• T-10 pass: I really recommend the metro system in Barcelona. And I especially recommend a T-10 pass. For ten euro, buy a T-10 metro pass, which gives you ten rides, including any transfers you might need to make. Individual rides are 2 euro or so, so this is a stellar deal.
• Make reservations! Not just for Bar Ramon, but for just about anywhere. Locals and tourists alike love to eat, and meals take hours here, so waitlists aren’t often used. No reservation can mean you are just out of luck. (If you’re shy to call and make a reservation yourself, you can use a feature in Trip Advisor to help make that reservation online. Just be aware that more local/traditional places don’t seem to use that feature.)
• If the lighting is bad, it’s likely a good restaurant: An AirBnB guide was very serious about this.The less finished looking restaurants/bars/bodegas seem underwhelming, but were told that this means the place is likely a mom and pop shop serving traditional tapas for decades. Bar Carol is a perfect example.

A Few Logistics:

• Three days in Barcelona is a perfect amount of time to cover a lot of ground in the city. For some advice on how to find time to travel, check out my post on how I’ve found time to Travel Abroad Even With a Nine to Five.
• Go in the off season: Barcelona is overwhelmed by tourists, and peak season is, logically, the worst of it. We went in November and it was undoubtedly a calmer experience than we’d have gotten in, say, July.
• Day trips!: There are SO many opportunities to take day trips. If you have an extra day in Barcelona, I actually suggest seeing another city in Spain. We went to Girona, about an hour and a half away, and it was a beautiful, peaceful break from the city. There are many other places you can easily get to by train. Just keep in mind that the train station can be confusing, so I suggest getting their early to figure out tickets.

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