Category
Things to do in Barcelona
31 articles
This is where I gather all my things to do in Barcelona: what to do today, this weekend or when you have a free afternoon. They are walkable routes, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, with long-standing places and the odd new opening that is worth it.
If you're visiting, start with Barcelona in 3 days; if it rains, see what to do in Barcelona when it rains. For something right now, check what to do today in Barcelona, and for a perfect evening, my cinema, dinner and drinks plans by neighbourhood.
Solteros Feeling speed dating in Barcelona, 14 November
Solteros Feeling brings its speed dating with a tasting menu to Barcelona: Saturday 14 November at 8.30 pm, near La Rambla, for singles aged 25 and over.
PlansWhat to do in Barcelona this weekend, 16 to 18 October
Barcelona Dibuixa fills 46 venues with free drawing workshops, Poble Espanyol opens its family Halloween, the Biennal de Pensament closes with free talks, the second-hand book fair returns to Passeig de Gràcia and Ciutat Flamenco begins. It is also the last weekend of Cirque du Soleil, Sitges and Oktoberfest by Moritz.
PlansA Gothic Quarter and Port Vell plan: street art at the BAS Museum, tacos at La Pachuca and a walk by the sea
A one-day plan on foot: Barcelona's first major street art museum, Mexican tacos right across the street and a stroll along the Moll de la Fusta to Plaça de l'Ictíneo.
PlansA Raval plan: lunch at La Monroe, a film at the Filmoteca and absinthe at Bar Marsella
An afternoon in El Raval without taking the metro: a good-value set lunch at La Monroe, a classic film at the Filmoteca de Catalunya for 4 euros and an absinthe at Bar Marsella, Barcelona's oldest bar.
PlansBarcelona on 12 October 2026, what's open and where to eat
Monday 12 October is a public holiday in Barcelona. Which shops and malls open, which museums you can visit, how the metro runs and restaurants that open on the holiday Monday.
PlansTiramisu and Italian wine tasting in Barcelona, 15 October
On Thursday 15 October at 7.30 pm, Valentina e Pasqualina hosts an Italian gourmet experience at its Eixample shop, with appetisers, a guided tasting of 3 tiramisus and 4 paired Italian wines. 48 euros per person and 12 places at most.
PlansWhat to do in Barcelona this weekend, 9 to 12 October
A long weekend with the Festa del Roser filling La Rambla with flowers and free walking tours, the NATIVA design fair, the Sitges Film Festival in full swing, the last weekend of Oktoberfest, puppets at La Puntual and free theatre in neighbourhood venues. Everything on from Friday 9 to Monday 12.
Plans5 evening plans in Barcelona: cinema, dinner and drinks, neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Five walkable routes through Sant Antoni, Gràcia, El Raval, Poble-sec and El Born to combine film, culture, dinner and drinks in Barcelona without taking the metro.
PlansWhat to do in Barcelona this weekend, 2 to 4 October
Viu Montjuïc fills the hill with free activities, Barceloneta closes its festa major with fire runs and paella, Tibidabo turns 125 and Sunday is the first of the month, with free museums. Everything on from Friday 2 to Sunday 4.
PlansMontserrat from Barcelona, how to go up and when to arrive
The boys' choir sings at one in the afternoon and you have to book beforehand, which almost nobody knows. And you choose between rack railway and cable car without realising you are choosing.
PlansBarcelona with kids, and what each plan actually costs
Under-16s get in free across half the city and Tibidabo charges by height, not age. The same family pays 16 euros one day and 140 the next.
PlansWhat to see in Barcelona in 3 days, in the order that works
Three days are built around two timed tickets, not around a map. And since June the Sagrada Família has been the tallest church in the world.
PlansWhere to stay in Barcelona, neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Sleeping here carries a surcharge of up to 12 euros per person per night that never shows in the search results, and there is a number to check before booking a flat.
PlansBarcelona in October, which weekend to pick and why
The 12th is a Monday and makes a long weekend, and on the weekend of the 24th you gain an hour while more than 200 buildings open free. Add jazz at the Palau, Sitges, Halloween and the Castanyada, and it is the fullest month and the wettest of the year.
PlansWhat to do in Barcelona when it rains
Rain here lasts two hours, not a day. Where I go while it passes, including a Gothic hall you can see for free and original-language cinema for 4 euros.
PlansThe best time to visit Barcelona, month by month
It rains 53 days a year in Barcelona and six of them fall in October, the month everyone recommends. The official AEMET figures month by month, and the one I would book.
PlansBarcelona in September, which week to pick and why
The 11th is a Friday and the 24th a Thursday, so September gives you two long weekends. And La Mercè's Piromusical moves to Bogatell beach for the first time.
PlansBarcelona in August, which week to pick and why
The 15th is a Saturday, Gràcia opens that day and Sants on the 22nd. Which August week I would fly into, and what really stays open while the city is away.
PlansSurviving the summer heat in Barcelona, a local's guide
How I get through summer in Barcelona without melting, hour by hour. Where to cool off for free, the pool with 1992 Olympic views, the neighbourhoods where the air moves, and the mistake that ruins your day.
PlansCatalonia autumn forests, when to visit each one
Six Catalan beech woods with the exact week each turns colour, how far you walk in every one and what the car park costs. From a forest growing on volcanic lava to 41-metre beeches planted in the 1750s.
PlansFree art galleries in Barcelona and how to walk them
Over a hundred galleries with free entry, grouped by district so you can see four or five on foot. What each area shows, the opening hours nobody checks, and the September weekend when everything opens at once.
PlansSecret gardens of Catalonia for escaping the noise
The hidden gardens where I go to switch off, sorted by how far they are and what they cost. From the Laberint d'Horta at 2.23 € to clifftop gardens on the Costa Brava, with the maze closed until 2027.
PlansThe best markets in Barcelona, the ones I actually use
The markets I go to for shopping and breakfast, sorted by what you want. From local Sant Antoni to the counters where the city has breakfast, which market is for what, and the one I never do my shopping in.
PlansRooftop terraces in Barcelona, which ones are free
The rooftops I go up to for a drink with a view, sorted by how you get in. Which are free, which ask for one drink and which are guests-only, with real prices and a warning about the ones that close in winter.
PlansThe best sunset viewpoints in Barcelona
The viewpoints I go up to for sunset, sorted by what you want. From the free Búnker at 262 metres to the Montjuïc terraces, with the closing-time warning and which viewpoint works in each season.
PlansFree museums in Barcelona, the calendar I actually use
Every museum you can visit free in Barcelona, sorted by the day you have off. The weekly calendar of which museum each day, the Picasso booking trick, and which one to skip when it is mobbed.
PlansVillages near Barcelona for a day trip
The villages I escape to, with the table of how long each takes and how to get there. From Sitges in 35 minutes by train to medieval Besalú, with a real budget and the tip that saves your day.
PlansThe most beautiful villages in Catalonia, inland and mountain
My favourite inland and mountain villages in Catalonia, sorted by what you need that day. From medieval Rupit to the absolute silence of Beget, by way of Siurana hanging over a cliff.
PlansThe most beautiful villages in Girona, by area
My favourite villages in Girona, grouped by area so you do not spend the day driving. From Peratallada, my secret, to Cadaqués, with the Jewish quarter of Besalú and its medieval miqvé.
PlansHiking trails near Barcelona to switch off
The trails I do to switch off, with the difficulty table, distances and how to get there without a car. From the Carretera de les Aigües to the Turó de l'Home, with the Collserola closure notice and the footwear mistake.
PlansEnjoying Barcelona solo, the plans I love most
How I enjoy Barcelona on my own, by neighbourhood and by time of day. Where I sit down to dinner alone without feeling alone, the pleasure of going at my own pace, and the corners I found with no one else's agenda.
