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Barcelona is frequently listed as a must-see city when visiting Spain, and it’s easy to understand why. Barcelona is a stunning city. Located in Northeastern Spain along the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona’s top sights can be found all over the city. Barcelona has unique architecture and a charming European feel throughout every neighborhood.
I spent 3 days walking all over Barcelona trying to take in everything the city had to offer. I was exhuasted but so happy from taking in as many Barcelona sights as I could manage in a short visit.
If you only have a short few days in Barcelona, you’ll want to take in the best sights. Purchasing a Go City Pass is one of the best budget saving ways to explore the city. WIth the pass, you can gain discounted admissions into may of these must visit sights!
Check out the list below of 6 of Barcelona’s top sights all visitors must visit at least once.
Barcelona’s Top 6 Must See Sights
1. Parc Guell
Parc Guell is one of the most unique and popular sights in Barcelona. It’s located on a hill in Northern Barcelona and provides stunning views looking over the city. On a clear day you can even see all the way out to the Mediterranean.
Parc Guell was designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi with construction beginning in 1900. The park opened to the public to enjoy in 1926 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
The most famous and photographed portion of Parc Guell is the Monumental Zone. In the Monumental Zone you will see Gaudi’s famous designs like colorful tile mosaics, a mosaic salamandar, and stone pillars of the viaduct. The terrace is located at the highest point in the Monumental Zone and offers stunning views of Barcelona. Under the terrace is the Hypopstale Room with mosaic ceiling displays and columns.
Tickets: Admission to the Monumental Zone requires a ticket, but the rest of the park is free to visit. Tickets to the Monumental Zone costs 10€ per person and can be purchased either online or in person. I have read that the ticket line can get pretty long so arrive early or purchase a ticket online in advance. When purchasing in advance, you’ll have to choose an entrance time if purchasing a ticket online so plan accordingly.
Recommended Time: Plan to spend 1 -2 hours in the Monumental Zone alone, plus additional time if you visit the rest of the park.
Getting Here: Parc Guell can be accessed by the Metro or bus. If taking the Metro, the stops at Lesseps or Vallcarca on the Green Line (L3) are the closest. From either stop you’ll need to walk a bit to the park. I exited the Metro at the Lesseps stop and walked to the entrance on Av. del Santuari de Sant Josep de la Muntanya. Taking this road leads to a row of escalators that made the uphill walk to the park much easier. The main entrance to the park is along Carrer d’Olot and is the iconic entrance by the staircase and mosaic salamander. This entrance can get very crowded with tour groups. If taking the bus, routes H6 or D40 stop the closest.
2. La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia just might be the most recognizable sight in Barcelona. This basilica towers over the city and is one of the best sights to visit in Barcelona. Another of Antoni Gaudi’s famous Barcelona landmarks, La Sagrada Familia is a gorgeous neo-Gothic basilica (cathedral) that is famously unfinshed because of Gaudi’s unfortunate death in 1926. The church has been under construction now for 135 years. The city of Barcelona is working to complete construction, with the completion expected to be in 2026.
Both the outside and inside of La Sagrada Familia need to be visited. The exterior construction has such intricate designs that even if you are not a religious person, it is impresive to see. The birh of Jesus, the apostles, the Virgin Mary, and even different fruits representing the different seasons can be seen on the church’s exterior. Inside the church is just as impressive. Gaudi was inspired by nature which can be seen in the interior columns depicting trees found in a forest. The walls are adorned with colorful stained glass making the inside surprisingly bright. The architecture, both inside an outside, makes La Sagrada Familia a unique and must-see sight in Barcelona.
Tickets: Admission to the inside of La Sagrada Familia costs 26€ per person. At my time of visit (Feb. 2022) tickets could only be purchased online.
Recommended Time: Plan to spend 2 – 3 hours exploring La Sagrada Familia. You can choose a self-guided or guided tour of the church. On our self-guided tour, we spent hours admiring the architecture and walking around the inside and outside taking in every design.
Getting Here: La Sagrada Familia stands on a hill in the center of Barcelona. Both the Purple (L2) and Blue (L5) Metro lines stop at the Sagrada Familia stop, making this an easily accessible sight. It can also be reached on foot from other nearby attractions and hotels.
3. Mercado de la Boqueria
Mercado de la Boqueria is one the largest open-air markets in Barcelona. The market is filled with vendors selling everything like freshly caught fishes, local meats and cheeses, spices, and even full service restaurants and bars. The market is covered making it an enjoyable in all seasons and weathers.
Walking through the market is an experience in itself. The stalls selling freshly caught seafood will be smelled before being seen, but don’t let that discourage you. It’s very intersting to see the catches laid out, fish and octapus and anything else, for sale. Other vendors sell local meats and cheeses like the famous Iberian Ham which is produced primarily in Spain and difficult to find outside of the country. You can buy sample cups of ham and cheese for around 5€ or whole legs of ham for much, much more.
There are also bars and restaurants inside the market which make this a great stop for a meal. We ate in the market twice, both times at Bar Boqueria. This bar had fantastic sangria and tapas and made for a perfect lunchtime stop and break from exploring.
Tickets: Free! Entrance into the Market is free but purchasing anything from the vendors and restaurants will cost.
Recommended Time: Depending on if you are visiting shopping, or eating in the Mercat, plan to spend 30 minutes – 2 hours here. We browsed the stalls before sitting down at Bar Boqueria for lunch, so we spent close to 2 hours here.
Getting Here: Mercat de la Boqueria is located on La Rambla, a very busy street that runs through Barcelona. The market is easily reached by foot from the Gothic Quarter or by the Metro. Metro stop Liceu on the Green Line (L3) is a few blocks away from the main entrance to the market.
4. The Gothic Quarter
Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is a neighborhod that encompases some other top sights like the Barcelona Cathedral. The Gothic Quarter is a fantastic place to just wander. The narrow cobblestone streets are filled with gorgeous buildings, balconies, churches, restaurants and shops. Wandering through the streets and alleys without a map or plan was one of my favorite activities. Walking through old neighborhoods like this are one of the best ways to get a feel for the culture and history of the city.
One of the top sights in the Gothic Quarter worth visiting is the Barcelona Cathedral. You can walk around the cathedral and admire the gargoyles hanging from the sides or take a tour of the inside. This gothic church is beautiful and very popular, so arrive earl if you want photos without a crowd of people in it.
Tickets: Free! Walking around the Gothic Quarter is free but certain spots within the Gothic Quarter will cost, like admission into the Barcelona Cathedral.
Recommended Time: Plan to spend anywhere from 1 – 3 hours exploring the Gothic Quarter, depending on what you want to see, eat and do.
Getting Here: The Gothic Quarter can be reached by foot or Metro. Metro stops Liceau on the Green Line (L3) and Jaume I on the Yellow Line (L4) are the closest. The Gothic Quarter starts to the east of the popular walking road La Rambla and is easy to reach by foot.
5. Casa Mila
Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera, is another of Antoni Gaudi’s famous buildings in Barcelona and a must-see sight. Although Gaudi has numerouse famous buildings throughout the city, Casa Mila is so unique and interesting that it is one of Gaudi’s top sights to visit in Barcelona.
Casa Mila is an apartment building that stands out due to it’s unique exterior and interior designs. The design of Casa Mila was heavily influenced by nature. The exterior features wrought iron balcony railings designed to look like waves. The interior courtyard features an open ceiling and floral and leaf designs. Touring the building provides up-close and in-depth views of Gaudi’s intricate designs and is such an interesting experience.
Touring the rooftop of Casa Mila was the highlight of the building, for me. The building’s chimneys are the highlight and a unique, must see sight. Unlike standard chimneys, those on the roof of Casa Mila resemble stone warriors. Aptly called the Guardians of the Rooftop, these chimneys stand in rows covering the roof and are so intriguing to look at!
Tickets: Admission to tour Casa Mila costs 28€ per person and includes an audio guide. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.
Recommended Time: Plan to spend 1 – 2 hours visiting Casa Mila. This will give you enough time to listen to the audio guide and tour the entire interior of the building.
Getting Here: Casa Mila is easily accessed by the Metro. Both the Green (L3) and the Blue (L5) Lines stop at the Diagonal Station a block away from Casa Mila. If you’re walking around viewing other Gaudi architecture, Casa Mila is a short walk from Casa Batllo and Casa Amatller.
6. Barceloneta Beach
No visit to Barcelona is complete without spending sometime with your toes in the sand admiring the glistening Mediterranean Sea. Barceloneta Beach is conveniently located on the eastern edge of the city. Walking along the beach, you’ll find plenty of bars and restaurants to pop into, or you can relax in the sand. I visited in winter and the beach was covered in people soaking in the February sunshine.
Tickets: Free! A visit to the beach is free but visiting any nearby bars or restaurants will cost.
Recommended Time: Plan to spend anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours at Barceloneta Beach. In winter (Feb) it was too cold to swim, so we only spent about 30 minutes sitting in the sand admiring the water. In summer, I would have easily spent a few hours swimming and soaking up the sun.
Getting Here: Barceloneta is easily accessed by the Metro or by walking. Barceloneta Station is the closest Metro stop and can be reached on the Yellow Line (L4).
Looking for somwhere to stay in Barcelona?
Barcelona is filled with accommodation options ranging from affordable hostels to mid range hotels all the way up to expensive splurge-worthy hotels.
Find Barcelona’s best hotels here.
Find Barcelona’s best hostels here.
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