Best Things to Do, See + Eat in Barcelona!

We visited Barcelona over the summer and absolutely fell in love with the city. There are so many cute neighborhoods, great restaurants, fun bars, and everything is affordable. We loved the vibe of the city too, it’s a little grungy and artsy but still has that classic European feel. We spent about 5 days in Barcelona and feel like we did a ton, so we’re gonna share with y’all our favorite things to do in Barcelona.

Where to Stay in Barcelona

We stayed at two different hotels in Barcelona. First was Hotel Colon right across from the Cathedral of Barcelona, and the next was Seventy Barcelona in the Eixample neighborhood. We liked staying in both hotels for different reasons so it really just depends on your vibe.

Hotel Colon is more central to the touristy things, and has an amazing rooftop where you can go for drinks that overlook the Cathedral. Hotel guests also get priority for rooftop reservations! Seventy Barcelona is in a more local neighborhood, has a more modern feel, but still walkable to almost anything you wanna do.

You can check out other hotels in Barcelona here on Hotels.com!

How to Get Around Barcelona

The best way to get around Barcelona is by walking. Most of the city is walkable to anything you want to do, not matter what neighborhood you are in. You can take public transportation (the metro) if you would like too, or you can Uber. We used Uber a few times when we wanted to visit something outside the main area of the city. But you can definitely get nearly anywhere by walking and we also felt very safe walking at night or early in the morning.

Just beware of pick-pockets in Barcelona. We didn’t experience anything, but a lot of locals told us the pick-pockets in Barcelona are very sly and smart. They told us to be aware of our surroundings (especially in touristy areas) and to never put your phone or wallet in your back pockets.

Best Things to Do in Barcelona

Visit The Cathedral of Barcelona - A beautiful gothic church in the city center. You can do a tour inside if you want, but the architecture on the outside is stunning. If you want a picture here we recommend walking up early and getting there around 8AM.
Check out La Sagrada Familia - one of the most famous attractions in Barcelona. Another gothic-style church designed by the famous Spanish architect Anthoni Gaudi. The Sagrada Familia is still unfinished, but it’s still extremely beautiful. The Sagrada is the most touristy thing in Barcelona, so expect a lot of crowds and people when you visit. You can also do a tour on the inside if you want, but we just admired from the outside. You can book a fast track guided tour of La Sagrada Familia here on Expedia!
Explore Park Güell - A park in Barcelona that has tons of Gaudi designs. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and here you will see a lot of Gaudi’s work. It’s a must see while in Barcelona but you need to reserve tickets in advance! We did it a few weeks before our trip to guarantee we could enter. You will need at least an hour in the Park (probably longer) so make sure you have enough time. You can book a skip-the-line guided tour of Park Güell here on Expedia!
Visit Arco de Triunfo - A beautiful archway in the city center. The Arco is a great place to snap a photo or to just hangout.
Walk around the Gothic Quarter - this was our favorite neighborhood in Barcelona! It has tons of shops, restaurants, and bars, and is just a great area to explore. You can get lost in the alleyways and find some hidden gems as well.
Other things worth seeing in Barcelona: Casa Balto, La Rambla, Ciutadella Park, Plaça Reial

You can book tours & activities to do in Barcelona here on Expedia!

Where to Eat & Drink in Barcelona

Barcelona had some of the best vegan food we’ve ever had while traveling! They had so many vegan restaurants, and so many vegan options of local food as well. If you are vegan and heading to Barcelona, you will not be disappointed!

Bubita Sangria Bar (the best vegan paella!)
Velada
Gallo Santo
La Papa
Gocce di Latte (all vegan gelato!)
Wild Food BCN
Cafe Eqvilibrivm
Sabio Infante
Vegan Corner
Monk Barcelona
Especiarium Bar
Mariposa Negra Cocktail Bar

The LGBTQ+ Scene in Barcelona

two girls walking in la rambla barcelona — *Credit:* *Flytographer* *(use code* ***27TRAVELS50*** *for $50 off!)*

Barcelona felt like such an accepting city to travel to as a lesbian couple. We felt like we could truly be ourselves and we also saw a lot of other queer people & couples while visiting, locals & tourists alike. Barcelona is also one of the only European cities we’ve been to that has multiple lesbian bars! We will list some of our favorite Barcelona queer bars below:

Carita Bonita (lesbian bar)
El Cangrejo (lesbian bar)
La Monroe
Punto BCN
Le Marlene
Candy Darling
Pink Corner BCN
La Federica
LaCarra BCN

If you want to see everything we did while in Barcelona, make sure you check out our Barcelona YouTube vlog below!

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