The blog post: 5 Must See Places in Barcelona contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All opinions and photos are my own. 

Barcelona is the capital city of Spain’s Catalonia region. It is a nearly impossible task to narrow down the top things to do in Barcelona. There are so many amazing Barcelona attractions!

If you are planning a trip, I hope my list of must see places in Barcelona can help you decide what to do and see while you are there. 

Plan to spend several days of your Barcelona vacation enjoying the activities and places on this list. My family’s travels have taught me that we are happiest when we can take our time and truly enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of an area.

Let’s start at the top Barcelona attraction: Sagrada Familia. If I could only visit one place in Barcelona, Spain, Sagrada Familia would be it. This Roman Catholic church is the #1 thing on pretty much everyone’s Barcelona bucket list.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

PRO TIP: Sagrada Familia is an extremely popular tourist destination, so I recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. You can do this online.

If you don’t get tickets ahead of time, you will most likely end up waiting in a long line. We booked our tickets at the official Sagrada Familia website several months in advance. There was virtually no wait time for us to tour the Sagrada Familia at our assigned date and time stamped on the tickets.

WHY YOU WANT TO VISIT: This large, unfinished Roman Catholic church has been under construction since 1882! Notice the cranes in our photo – workers are actively building outside! This church is an outstanding work of art both inside and out. The amazing stained glass with sunlight streaming through is a sight in itself. Sagrada Familia is one of the most uniquely beautiful churches in the world.

Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

WHY YOU WANT TO VISIT: Park Guell was designed by the same architect as Sagrada Familia. Spend at least a couple hours wandering the winding paths through the park. Marvel at the mosaics, sculptures, and modern architecture design.

Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona, Spain

WHY YOU WANT TO VISIT: This green space at the heart of Barcelona is a nice place to relax, take a stroll, and have a picnic. The park features a beautiful fountains, historic buildings – including Castle of the Three Dragons, and a lake.

Arc de Triomf

WHY YOU WANT TO VISIT: The Arc de Triomf is one of Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks. It is located near Parc de la Ciutadella. In fact, the Arc de Triomf was the entrance to the 1888 Universal Exhibition (World Fair) held in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The red brick monument features symbolic friezes you must see up close to appreciate. 

Montjuic Castle

WHY YOU WANT TO VISIT: Unparalleled 360 degree views of Barcelona and surrounding countryside. There are a couple ways to get to Montjuic Castle. 1) Take a moderately strenuous walk OR 2) opt for a cable car ride to the top on the Teleferic de Montjuic. Once you’re there, spend time exploring the area’s trails, enjoying breathtaking vistas, visiting the museums and gardens, the castle and much more in this sprawling area. 

Have you ever been to Barcelona? Do you want to go? Leave a comment below and tell me your favorite things to do in Barcelona.

Traveling to Barcelona with Kids? You need this!

I bought this super informative, super fun travel guide book for kids called Mission Barcelona: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure. These books are fun and educational for the kids. It keeps my younger and older kids entertained while we are on the go.

The book has the perfect amount of info about a place plus filled with assignments to look for when you visit places. My kids love to find the things and unlock different achievements. We took Mission Rome guide book with us to Italy, and the kids had a blast finding all sorts of places and things the book told us to look for as we roamed the streets. This kids travel guide book series is awesome! 

There is so much to do and see in Barcelona, but we also took a day trip from Barcelona to Tarragona and Sitges, and spent a few days at the Costa Brava beaches. I highly recommend doing at least one day trip from Barcelona if you have the time. The small cities surrounding Barcelona are so fun to explore! I’ll drop the link to my write-up of that trip here once it’s done. 

Have you been to Barcelona or are you planning a trip to Barcelona? Let me know your favorite things to do in Barcelona.