Barcelona - Must Do's

Low budget but a high urge to consume? We know the feeling! It's a good thing that you can enjoy this city while you're running low in your wallet. You can find our top experiences right here.

Must Do's

1. Sagrada Familia

He who says Barcelona thinks of Gaudi, he who thinks of Gaudi thinks of the Sagrada Familia. The huge cathedral with unseen details has been under construction since 1882 and it still needs work done. The projected date of finishing is 2026, but I wouldn't bet on that.

The construction is currently being financed by YOU, the tourists. So it could have some fluctuations whenever it's done. The Sagrada Familia is easily accessible by foot, by bike or by public transport as it's centered in Barcelona.

If you want to go inside, it will cost you money. I advise everyone to book their ticket online so you don't have to wait outside. Because the waiting lines could get ugly and ruin your planning for the rest of the day.

We're budget travellers so we just had an ice cream and enjoyed the view from the outside. Make sure to place your eyes on the back of the Sagrada Familia as well. Gaudi is a true G.

2. Park Güell

Important note before you start your quest to Güell. The road to get there is a steep incline, so if you're by bike or hiking up there, be sure to have a bottle of water by your side. Another thing is to book your tickets online to visit the monument section of the park. (You know, where all the pics get taken ;-) ). You can do this HERE.

The park is designed by Gaudi and all of its stairs, buildings, secret passages are intertwined perfectly with nature. You can easily walk around the park for a full day if you're an experienced wanderer.

If you're interested you can book a guided tour too, but make sure to reserve that online as well. I'm not a big fan of guided tours because it limits your freedom but I think it's worth your time in Park Güell because there's too much to discover on your own, you really need the help of some experienced people.

3. Biking the Promenade

RENT A BIKE while you're in Barcelona! Seriously, the city is wonderful but doing this all on foot is going to get your planning all messed up. By bike you have so much freedom to go wherever you want and you get a true feeling how the city rises and shines.

Barcelona has a grid street network just like New York so it's really easy to find your way in the city. Whether you're going from the Olympic village to Montjuic, the distances are perfect to do it by bike. Of course the highlight is biking the beach promenade while touring through the city's Port and irritating tourists on the Ramblas ;-)

We rented a bike for €28 for three days and that was it for our transport costs. The dude we rented our bike from was super friendly and made the whole transaction feel like a breeze. You can find Ride or Die bikes here.

4. Montjuic: Olympic Parc, Magic Fountains, ...

To be honest, I never heard of Montjuic, so it came as a surprise to me how many things were located there. You can find all of the Olympic locations on the hillside of Montjuic. The Olympic Athletic Stadium, the Olympic swimmingpool and much more.

It doesn't stop there as there's the Museum of Catalonic Arts, the Magic Fountains that go down to the Place d'Espagnol, the gardens of Montjuic, the Montjuic Castle, ... I mean, you get my point you have to come and take a look over there.

We took our bikes to the Southern point of the Montjuic area, which lets your start at the Montjuic Gardens. We would advise you guys to go the Magic Fountains first and then try to plan your visit to Montjuic so you know where you gotta go. Don't underestimate the magnitude of this place!

5. Mercat De La Boqueria

Atmosphere! When entering, it's instant happiness. All that food in one place! Spaniards come here to do their grocery shopping since the 1800's because the prices here are low. You can find a lot of tourists here as well as La Boqueria is next to the Ramblas.

Just take a short quest between all of the food stands and try some stuff out. Warning: Don't take the €1 fruit juices, a lot of them are standing there for multiple hours and turnt sour.

6. The Beach

So you're citytripping, you're walking a lot, you're biking a lot, you're seeing a lot of things and you're going from one place to another. Time for a rest? Well, how many interesting cities do you know that have multiple beaches?

Barcelona is what's up! Everyday around 4PM we called it a day and pulled on our swimming trunks!

7. Morning Workout at the Beach

Barcelona makes you workout. Whether you're walking in the streets, you see people jogging, playing tabletennis, playing football. When you're on the beach? You see athletic dudes swinging on the bars and doing street workouts, you just HAVE to do some sports over there.

Make sure to bring your workout gear and head to the street workout bars at Barceloneta Beach. Come early as the real showboaters bring their skills around noon and things get really busy and touristy.

8. Park Ciutadella

Barcelona is Europe's New York City and as NYC has Central Park, Barcelona has Park Ciutadella. Walk around the park and see the locals having picknicks, lunch breaks, tanning sessions, tabletennis games, jeux de boules and teenagers date all over the place.

Don't miss out on the huge fountains and monuments that are located in the park. Wanna see some animals? Just like Central Park, Park Ciutadella has a zoo inside the park! When you're exiting the park on the Northern side, you can watch Barcelona's Arc de Triomphe with its beautiful boulevard. Definitely worth a picture!

If you have any questions regarding Barcelona, make sure to leave a comment down here! Hope you have a wonderful time in Barcelona!

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