How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Barcelona, Spain
Heading to Barcelona soon? Here is all you will need to know so you can spend the perfect few days in this amazing city.
In this guide I will show you how to spend 2 days in Barcelona on a budget. It will include everything, from where to stay, the top things to do, how to get around, and where to eat while you are there.
Although 2 days is not enough to see the whole city, you can fit so much in to this short period of time. Barcelona is one city you could honestly never get bored of, it is filled with great food, incredible architecture, and has such a rich culture.
Arrival into Barcelona
As we were coming from Zaragoza, we didn’t fly into Barcelona Airport. However, I have been to this city several times, so if you are flying into Barcelona Airport, the cheapest way to get into the city centre is the airport shuttle.
AKA the Aerobus, which will take around 30 minutes to get into the city centre and it costs €5.90.
If you aren’t on a budget and just want to get into the city as quickly as possible, you can take a taxi, which will take around 15 minutes. However, this will cost a total of €40-€50.
If you are travelling from other parts of Spain, the train/bus is probably your best option to get to Barcelona. We came from Zaragoza, which is 1 hour and 30 minutes on a train, which cost €16 pp. We arrived into Sants Station, which is a little outside the city, but we were able to get a metro from Sants Station directly to the centre. The metro cost €2.50 pp.
What to do in Barcelona
Mercado de La Boqueria
This market is huge compared to other markets I have been to in Spain. This is the most famous indoor market in Barcelona, which sells everything from fruits, to meats, to cheese, to seafood and lots more.
Spanish markets are always a fun activity to do. They are also cheap and cheerful. The atmosphere of this market in particular is super lively, which I loved. This is a great place if you want to grab a casual lunch or dinner.
Ciutadella Park
This is a huge green area, located in the heart of the city. This is the perfect place to stroll around and take in nature. This would be an amazing place to have a picnic! In this park you will find the zoo, historic landmarks like the monumental waterfall, and sculptures. Directly outside this park, you will find Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf, which is a great place to take photos.
Casa Batllo
Barcelona is full of some of the most breathtaking architecture, including Casa Batllo, which is a beautiful building designed by Gaudí. If you are on a budget you can admire this building from the outside, it would make for some really beautiful pictures. However, if you want to find out more about the building’s history, you can pay an entry fee.
Barcelona is such a busy city so anything that may require tickets should be purchased online before your travels.
You can buy tickets for Casa Batllo at:
https://www.casabatllo.es/en/online-tickets/
La Sagrada Familia
The most popular attraction in Barcelona! This cathedral is beautiful and is a must see when you are in Barcelona. It has been under construction since the late 1800’s but the cranes and diggers don’t take away from its beauty.
You can pay into the cathedral which I would recommend at least doing once as it is so beautiful inside. Entry prices start from €30 pp, which is pretty pricey if you are travelling on a budget but it is so worth it.
You can buy your tickets at:
Park Guell
Definitely do not skip out on visiting Park Guell during your trip to Barcelona. This park is filled with beautiful sculptures and gardens that were also designed by Gaudí. As well as what the park has to offer itself, it also has the most amazing views of the city.
Due to this being a popular tourist attraction, I would recommend heading here as early as possible to avoid large crowds. They only allow a certain number of people into the park at one time, so it is better to buy your tickets ahead of time. Entry to the park starts at €10 pp, which is of course expensive for a park, but this is one thing you don’t want to miss out on in Barcelona.
I would spend at least 1-2 hours in this park as there is so much to see. Be aware if you are walking to the entrance of the park it is very much uphill, so if it is incredibly hot or you have any mobility issues then I would pre–plan transportation to the parks entrance.
You can buy your tickets for the Park at: https://www.parkguell-tickets.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAioifBhAXEiwApzCztvbZGujK6grzXcWMR5wx6JrJa0frA2VJ3vJ0_gWDfBTbjmq56-gLtBoCqrIQAvD_BwE
Barcelona Cathedral
Located in the Gothic Quarter of the city, this is a stunning building to witness in person. The area itself is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Barcelona. There are some stunning cafes, bars and shops located by the Cathedral, so there is loads to do in this general area.
Montjuic Cable Car
Take a cable car to the top of Montjuic. I have done this several times, and between the views overlooking the harbour and the beautiful garden that you will find at the top, this is such a beautiful and wholesome activity to do.
The cable cars run between 11am-7pm daily, with a cost of €13.50 for a roundtrip. However, if you are planning to walk down from the top, you can buy a one-way trip for €8.90.
Camp Nou Stadium
I have been to Camp Nou Stadium both for the stadium tour and also for a football match. Even though I am not into soccer at all, I absolutely loved going to Camp Nou. If you are lucky enough to be there during one of the Barcelona games, I would definitely recommend going to one. The atmosphere was amazing and it was just such an exciting experience.
I went to a Barcelona V Villarreal game and being there with the Barcelona home fans and experiencing the excitement of the crowd, is an experience I am so grateful for. So, if you are in Barcelona during one of their home games I would definitely recommend heading to Camp Nou.
We brought our tickets for the game very last minute, so we purchased resale tickets from Viagogo. They cost €60 each, which of course was expensive due to us travelling on a budget but it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.
I have also done the stadium tour on a separate occasion and it is really cool, even if you aren’t really into sport. The tour starts from €20 and you can buy your tickets here:
Where to Stay
We stayed in the Sun and Moon Hostel which was in a really great location, right beside the mercado. The rooms were perfect, with bunk beds that had a frame around them so you didn’t feel exposed to anyone else that was staying in the room. This hostel cost €53.40 pp for 2 nights, which is a little more expensive than some but we did book this quite last minute.
Other hostels I would recommend are:
- The Black Swan Hostel (€39)
- St Christopher’s Barcelona (€28)
- Unite Hostel Barcelona (€32)
If you are heading to Barcelona to party, then these social hostels could be a great option for you:
- Sant Jordi Hostel Rock Palace (€48)
- Kabul Party Hostel Barcelona (€32
Where to Eat in Barcelona
Barcelona has some beautiful places to go for brunch, lunch, dinner and coffee. I loved the food when I was here. The first time I visited Barcelona I hated the food but I just wasn’t eating in the right places. So, here is some absolute gems that I would definitely be going back to on my next trip to Barcelona.
- Eat My Trip – Super cute and intimate breakfast/brunch spot. I got the pancakes here and they were insane!
- Brunch and Cake – This place has such a vibe about it! It’s another breakfast/brunch spot that is just super cute. I got the Acai Bowl here, which I liked but I wasn’t blown away but my boyfriend got the breakfast burrito and he loved it.
- London Bar – Amazing cocktails!
- Harry’s – Such a beautiful Italian restaurant. Be sure to book about a week in advance.
- Honest Greens – As well as Madrid, they also have an Honest Greens in Barcelona. The breakfast, lunch and dinner here is just out of this world. So fresh and so delicious!
- Sabio Infante – Super cool design and amazing coffee!
- Petitbo – Coffee and Treats.
How to get around Barcelona
Wherever we go we tend to walk a lot! I always feel like this is the best option for city breaks because you get to take in so much more of what the city has to offer when you are walking from place to place. If you are planning to do this, I definitely recommend packing comfy shoes.
Another easy way to explore the city is by using the metro. A standard metro ticket will cost €2.50 and will take you almost anywhere you will need to go in the city. You can also purchase a T-10 card which allows you to take 10 metro rides and costs €10.50.
The bus is similar to the metro but maybe not as quick. We got the bus to the Camp Nou Stadium and it cost €2.50 each. You can tap your card to pay on the buses in Barcelona which is super handy. They don’t take cash/coins so be mindful of this before boarding.
So, that is all my top recommendations if you are visiting Barcelona. However, as well as what I have listed above, Barcelona is full of things to do. I believe I will be making a return trip to this beautiful city in the near future.
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