Barcelona is a mesmerizing seaside Spanish town, that I completely fell in love with!
It’s bursting with culture, UNESCO world heritage sites, Gaudí masterpieces, markets, delicious tapas and even fantastic beaches!
Plus it’s home to Barcelona’s number 1 attraction, the spectacular Sagrada Familia.
With so much to see and do, it’s tough to decide especially if you only have two days. Here’s a sample itinerary of my 2-days solo trip to Spain…
BARCELONA KLOOK
Website: www.klook.com
Day 1
7:00 am Breakfast at Hotel
9:00 am Barcelona Cathedral and explore the Gothic Quarter
12:00 nn Explore and Eat at La Boqueria
3:30 pm meet up with the guide for the Best of Gaudi Guided Tour (P2721)
Visit Sagrada Familia (Exterior only)
Visit Park Guell (w/ tickets)
Visit Passeig de Gràcia (Exterior only)
7:30 pm end of Tour at Casa Batlló (Exterior only)
8:00 pm Casa Batlló with Audio Guide Tour (Buy Entrance Tickets online P1417)
10: 00 pm Late Dinner (paella + tapas)
Day 2
7:00 am Breakfast at Hotel
8:30 am Barcelona Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Pass with Audio Guide (1-Day ₱ 1,849)
9:00 am Sagrada Familia Tour + Tower Access (Buy Entrance Tickets online ₱ 2,558)
12:00 nn lunch
1:30 pm Shopping Free Time at La Rambla & the Gothic Quarter
6:00 pm Join a Food Tour with Devour Barcelona/ Free Time
10: 00 pm Flamenco Show to End the Night (P2342)
Day 3
If you have time visit the location where Game of Thrones was shot. The city of Girona is just 30-minutes away by train. (Blog post soon!)
Note: Half of my trip to Barcelona was a bit gloomy, but never the less, the bad weather didn’t stop me from being charmed by this beautiful city.
La Boqueria
While walking in Las Ramblas, you won’t miss La Boqueria, the cities oldest and most famous market.
It’s a must-see destination popular with the locals and tourists alike. You can spend hours feasting on your senses, as the market holds the reputation for having one of the most extensive choices, everything from meat and fish through to fruit, sweets, and even tapas food stalls.
Read more: 10 Dishes To Try in Barcelona?! @DevourBarcelona
Best of Gaudi Guided Tour
What To Expect from the Tour:
-Explore Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. (Outside only, tickets sold separately)
-Take a stroll through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Park Güell. (w/ Ticket)
-Visit other Gaudí highlights such as the imaginative La Pedrera and the multi-colored Casa Batlló. (Outside only, tickets sold separately)
-Enjoy interesting and informative commentary from your expert English speaking guide
-Get comfy air-conditioned coach transport throughout the tour
For more about Klook and their The Best of Gaudi Tour, click here —> Guided-tour-of-gaudis-best-barcelona
Sagrada Familia is so unique in Europe that it’s the best place to be visited in Barcelona. Whether you catch the outside or the inside of the Basilica, this is one place you cannot miss!
The tour starts with a quick photo shoot. I found the best place to take the photo is behind the park near the basilica.
If you want to go inside, advance bookings are vital. I did not go inside this time, but the architecture outside is nothing like I’ve ever seen before.
Our tour includes a history of the building from its early beginnings to the present day. We also had a chance to get the know the genius behind this historical masterpiece, Antoni Gaudi.
Facts About Sagrada Familia:
– Construction on Sagrada Familia is still ongoing up till this day, since it was first built in the year 1882. It is expected to be done by this century (2026)!
– Gaudi’s architectural style for the Basilica combines Gothic and Art Nouveau forms.
– Sagrada was built purely on donations.
– More than two million visitors pass through its doors every year.
– Gaudí spent his last years working on the Sagrada Familia.
– Gaudí died in a bizarre tram accident and is buried below the Basilica’s Crypt.
When you Step into the whimsical and dream-like world of Park Güell, you’ll get lost in it’s beautiful and bizarre design!
The park oozes with charming buildings, stone structures, and beautiful colored tiles. You need at least half a day to explore the whole park.
Fun Facts About Park Guell:
– Did you know in 1984 Park Guell was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site?
– Parc Güell’s famed attraction is the terrace that overlooks the city of Barcelona.
– 95% of the park area is free of charge, except the area with the dragon, the curved bench, and the market hall.
The Laundry Room Portico was sculpted into arched columns that provide support to the roads above.
See the trencadís style dragon in the park. They say you haven’t been to Barcelona, if you didn’t take this iconic photo!
I was fond, to learn that Gaudi already thought of ergonomics at his time. The tile-covered benches were very comfortable against my back.
The colorful tiling, playful mosaics, and surface treatments create this fairytale-like world!
Enter Casa Batllo’s fantasy of ornate wonders! The house was renovated in the 19th century in the well-known modernist style by Gaudi.
The eye-catching colorful house’s exterior is exceptional, I love how the light, color, and shapes interact with the glass, wood, ceramics and quarried stone in this underwater-like fantasy construction.
I bought my tickets separately for the house tour. You will be given an AR installed phone and a headset. The user can choose which language to listen to and apart from listening, one can also read the text of the narration on the phone.
The AR experience was so fun! You wouldn’t even mind that the house had too little furniture.
It’s famous for its dragon-style roof, with its unusual flowing sculptured stonework.
It is amazing how a human mind has been able to shape a house in something that appears to be a living element of the city.
For more about Klook and their Casa Batllo Skip the Line Ticket + Audio Guide Barcelona (P1417), click here —> casa-batllo
The tour ends at 7:30pm at Casa Milá also known as La Pedrera, a modernist building by Gaudí built in 1906 to 1910. This building earned its nickname because of its resemblance to an open quarry.
For more about Klook and their The Best of Gaudi Tour (P2721), click here —> Guided-tour-of-gaudis-best-barcelona
It’s my first time to watch a Flamenco show, and I was very captivated by the electrifying performance! You’ll be impressed by the intense passion of the singers, dancers, and guitarists on stage. And before I knew it, I was already stamping my feet and clapping along to the music in no time!
Flamenco is a dance characterized by passion, drama, and intensity! It’s one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish culture that one should experience when visiting the country.
Named by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the traditional folk dance originated as an artistic expression, with each number narrating a story of the oppression and struggles of the poor during the 16th century.
Although Flamenco may not be native to Barcelona, there are a number of great performers across the city for travelers to check out!
Located on the famous La Rambla boulevard, the popular Tablao Flamenco Cordobes venue has been the pioneer of the Flamenco art in Barcelona since the 1970’s. I love its cave-like halls where artists perform without microphones.
For more about Klook and their Flamenco Show at Tablao (P2342), click here —> flamenco-show-at-tablao-cordobes-barcelona
Travel Tips:
-Barcelona is a walking city; most of the landmarks, shopping area, restaurants is just walking distance from each other.
-Best to stay in El Borne and Gothic Area.
-Beware of your personal belongings, especially in the Rambla area, where I witnessed someone trying to pickpocket my friend while we were outside sitting in Starbucks. (Don’t worry it’s mostly just petty theft.)
-Pre-book your tickets online via Klook, to avoid the long queues. Especially at Sagrada Familia where the line is extremely long.
-If you want to save on transpo, directly outside El Corte Inglés department store are the Airport Buses. (Single ticket: €5.90)
-Malls and shops are closed on Sundays. Even their biggest mall El Corte Inglés.
-If you want to explore more of the city, you can buy the Hop on and off Bus tickets, that can take you from Barcelona’s medieval streets to its sandy beaches.
– Eat! Tapas, sangria, cava, and Seafood! Since Barcelona is a coastal city, you’ll find a good supply of freshly caught seafood!
-Bring a camera, and extra battery! The place is so beautiful, you wouldn’t want to miss a snap!
“Make you Eurotrip dreams come true because you only need ONE pass to have ENDLESS experiences. Book your Europe Rail Pass, travel essentials, and tours with Klook and enjoy discounts off your bookings with their current Europe sale! Check out the complete details here: https://www.klook.com/promo/ph-experienceu”
BARCELONA KLOOK
Website: www.klook.com
Live an Awesome Life,
ABI of Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our Gaudi experience is courtesy of Klook. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
Very nice photos. Saw Jonie Aquino , my colleague, in one of your photos. ‘Kala ko kung sino yung ala-kpop artista na napakamulsa, yun pala muntik nang madukutan 😉 !…
Hahaha! Yes, I was with Sir Jonie during the cruise part! 🙂
Sagrada Familia is a continuous work of art. Thanks to Antoni Gaudi! Dining at La Boqueria was truly a yummy experience and please don’t miss the intensity of the dancers at the Flamenco Show. La Rambla is truly amazing but always beware of your belongings because of pickpockets. I know it because I experience it myself. I fully agree with Ms. Abi on Barcelona.
Thanks!!! Glad to know you also had a good time there!
Those are awesome photos. Barcelona is truly beautiful.
Thanks for sharing this amazing experience of this tour. The Barcelona Maritime Museum is located in the historic Barcelona Royal Shipyard, a former military building dating to the 13th century, with a Roman graveyard found underneath that structure.
I absolutely loved getting to explore all the Gaudi goodness in Barcelona. My favourite was the long bench at Park Guell. Can’t wait to go back for another look.