Barcelona is a HUGE city with SO much to see, and while we were there for five full days and saw all the places on our list, we didn’t have time to hit all the spots.
To help you make the most of your time, I included a list of things to do in Barcelona, along with some recommendations on what to wear at each location. Barcelona is a beautiful city with a lot of vibrancy thanks to the bold colors incorporated in most of Gaudi’s creations – which are very picturesque.
To help you look and feel your best, I’m sharing some color recommendations that I thought worked best with each site (note, I went during the summertime).
What are you looking forward to seeing the most in Barcelona? Share your favorite sight-seeing spots below!
Xo,
Jo
Park Guell:
This was one of my favorite site-seeing spots in Barcelona because of all the beautiful colors, detailed structure, and sights from atop. One thing to note is that you do need tickets to get into this section of the park (pictured above) and since it is a hot tourist spot, I recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time (link to purchase here). We thought we could buy them on-site and by the time we walked the park the tickets were sold out, so we had to come back the following day. Also, as I mentioned in my previous “where to eat” post, the area around Park Guell doesn’t have many food options, so we recommend getting a bite to eat when you’re about 20-30 minutes out!
What to wear: This portion of the park has so many beautiful, bold colors so anything that you wear will look gorgeous against the mosaic backdrop. If you want to wear something that will complement well and give you that bold pop, I recommend a shade of yellow.
La Sagrada Familia:
Such a gorgeous church and interesting history – it’s been under construction for a century! Definitely worth seeing and touring on the inside. We purchased tickets online here and also did the combo deal to tour Gaudi’s house, which is located in Park Guell (note the cost is not inclusive of the bridge site above). If you’re limited on time, I think you can skip Gaudi’s house (it’s small and a super short tour) and go to the center square of the Park above.
Where to get this shot: As soon as you start approaching the church, you’ll be inclined to ask your travel partner (or a stranger) to start snapping those pictures, but wait! The best location to take a picture and get the full church in the background is in this little park located across the street from the front entrance of the church. There is a bit of a crowd, so just be patient, wait your turn and snap away! There also are these little steps directly across the street from the church that you can stand on and have the photographer take the shot from below so all you can see is the church (that’s what we did with the second shot with Ryan above). Finally, we didn’t get to do this because the rooftop closed for the day, but head to Hotel Colon Barcelona for a drink and another amazing shot of La Sagrada Familia – just make sure to check the rooftop hours!
What to wear: Depending on when you go, the church is surrounded by beautiful greenery so I would recommend wearing something white so that you stand out from the stone color of the church and greenery. I wore an off-the-shoulder, light blue striped dress (pictured above).
Casa Batlló:
In my opinion, this was the coolest house that Gaudi designed because of the wavy structure and beautiful mosaic exterior. We didn’t have a chance to go inside, but we walked by this house several times and it was always swarmed by tourists. That said, if you want a picture with just the house, I think you have to go super early in the morning.
What to wear: The windows of the building are different shades of blue so I would recommend white, navy, or even emerald hues.
FC Barcelona Game:
One of my favorite sports game experiences ever. If you have a chance to see FC Barcelona in action – DO IT. It’s a decision you will not regret. We went our last night in Barcelona even though we had a super early train to Portugal, and it was completely worth it. The energy, the large stadium, the people – I’d go to a game (or watch it) every week if I could. One tip: they don’t have great food inside the stadium, so I recommend grabbing a bite beforehand either at one of the restaurants around the perimeter of the arena or before you get to the stadium. Also, the beer advertised at the stadium and on the menu is non-alcoholic as the stadium doesn’t allow drinking inside, only outside.
What to wear: An FC Barcelona jersey of course! We got ours at a souvenir shop near our hotel – make sure to bargain down the price the store owners offer you! We were able to negotiate down from $48 to $32 for two jerseys.
La Rambla (Street):
Definitely worth a stroll down, but warning, this is where the pick-pockets act most, so we recommend going during the morning and just watching your back. If you’re wearing a backpack, I recommend flipping it to the front, so you have a line of sight to it when walking down the street (a lot of girls were doing this). There are a bunch of little bazaars and souvenir shops in the middle of the street that are cute, but we found that the shops down the little corridor streets (off this main street) were a lot less pricey.
This is great! My hubs and I are planning a vacation there now and I found your blog! Great ideas…thanks!
I noticed you had Keds on and I’ve been looking for a pair of white sneakers. We’re they good for walking around? Do you wear them with no show socks? I find they slip down so prefer you now.
Thanks again!!
Jenny G