Barcelona 3-Day Itinerary

This plan keeps the two big timed tickets on different days, starts late enough to match the city's rhythm, and assumes you're staying somewhere central. Book the Sagrada Família and Park Güell before you go.

Day 1: Gaudí and the Eixample

10am: Casa Batlló or La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia. Pick one. Casa Batlló for the interior, La Pedrera for the rooftop.

12.30pm: Walk the rest of the block. Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera stand next to Casa Batlló, the three buildings nicknamed the "block of discord" because they clash so openly.

2pm: A menú del dia lunch in the Eixample.

Late afternoon: The Sagrada Família, timed for the warm light through the west windows.

9pm: Dinner in the Eixample or Gràcia.

Day 2: The old town and the sea

9am: Our Gothic Quarter walk, before the lanes fill up.

11.30am: Cross Via Laietana into El Born. Santa Maria del Mar, then the Picasso Museum or the Santa Caterina market.

2pm: Lunch in Barceloneta. This is the moment for seafood paella or fideuà, the same idea made with short noodles.

4pm: The beach. Walk north along the promenade towards Bogatell for more space.

Evening: Tapas in El Born.

Day 3: Park Güell, Gràcia and Montjuïc

9.30am: Park Güell, early, while the terrace is calm. Walk to the top of the free part for the view.

12pm: Walk down into Gràcia. Coffee in Plaça de la Virreina or Plaça del Sol, and a wander along Carrer Verdi and Travessera de Gràcia.

2pm: Lunch in Gràcia.

5pm: Montjuïc. The MNAC's Romanesque frescoes, or just the gardens and the view from the terrace in front of the museum.

Sunset: Stay on Montjuïc, or head to the Bunkers del Carmel for the classic view over the whole city.

With a fourth day, take the train to Montserrat, the saw-toothed mountain and monastery about an hour inland, or to Girona, under 40 minutes by high-speed train, for its medieval walls and riverside houses.