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2 days in Barcelona before our cruise

We arrive in Barcelona on the morning of the 8th of Aug and will be embarking on a cruise ship on 8/10 at 7 pm (ship sails at 10 pm). How do spend our days in Barcelona? We’re a family of a mom and 3 teenage girls - 15,16,18. Thanks.

Posted by
389 posts

We really liked fat tire bike tours. It’s 1/2 day. Great active way to see Barcelona. Then you can go back to your fav place.

Posted by
26834 posts

There is all sorts of stuff to do in Barcelona. Each traveler will have his own top priorities--art, modernista architecture, medieval architecture, churches, history, beaches... so you need to do some reading and winnow down the list of options for yourself. I agree that going to Barcelona and not seeing La Sagrada Familia would be a bit odd. On the other hand, I went inside at least nine modernista buildings--all musts for me, but surely not for the vast majority of other tourists.

Posted by
102 posts

I would definitely consider doing walking tours of Barcelona. There are numerous ones to choose from. We were particularly happy with Runner Bean Tours: https://runnerbeantours.com/ . It's a 'free' tour but we always tip really well because the guides are fantastic.

And consider doing a walking tour at night. Barcelona is exceptional once the sun goes down.

Posted by
117 posts

I agree with a bike tour. That's a fun way to see the city. Also, there are many walking tours in the Gothic area. Maybe add Parc Guell or the cable car up to Montjuic to your itinerary. (get your tickets for Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell ahead of time, you can do this online)
Have a fun trip!

Posted by
2927 posts

Each person is a world in itself and we all have our preferences, expectations, tastes and oddities.

Thus, in order not to be uselessly shooting in the dark, it's best if you first have a look at the myriad of possibilities that Barcelona has to offer and prepare your own 'bucket list'. I know of people that visit frequently and they're always finding new stuff to do and places to visit within my little nation, Catalonia and its capital city Barcelona. ron

Here a few sites to get you started:

http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/
http://www.infocatalonia.eu/
http://www.timeout.com/barcelona
http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en
http://www.barcelonaesmoltmes.cat/en/inici
http://patrimoni.gencat.cat/en/discover/search

Once you have a rough itinerary, it's far easier to advise and provide tips.

And let's not forget heritage and tradition

http://lameva.barcelona.cat/culturapopular/en

and finally, in case you still think you might get bored, take the pulse to the city:

http://guia.barcelona.cat/en

Enjoy! :)))

Posted by
1286 posts

Depending what days you are there, I would pencil in the Magic Fountain show. I'd also take the cable car up to Montjuïc castle (the castle itself isn't great, more a fort really, but the trip and views are great). My interest in modernisme architecture is quite limited, but I think it's worth visiting at least one of the houses, especially one where you can clamber around the roof. Barcelona is chock full of sights so you will need to be discerning in what you do in 2 days. It's also very busy, so pre-booking to avoid queues is sensible.

Posted by
633 posts

If you are interested in the Modernista sights, the Palau Musica de Catalunya is fantastic, and it's a relatively short 50-minute tour. You do need to book ahead, but not as far ahead as for the Sagrada Familia. It pairs well with either the Rick Steves Bari Gotic walk or El Born walk (we really enjoyed El Born)

Posted by
24 posts

Thanks to all for your recommendations!
We plan on doing Park Guell at 8 am. is the guided tour worth it? How long should we expect to stay there?

Posted by
633 posts

We spent around two hours including a fairly thorough walk outside the monumental zone. It’s good you are going early.