Barcelona in July

I really enjoyed Girona, but if you're already giving a day to Montserrat, you may want to preserve the rest of your time for Barcelona proper.

In terms of walking around on Sunday, this might be a tough call given that you'll all still be recovering from the flight, but I found early Sunday morning (not crazy early, like 8-ish) a perfect time to wander around the Gothic Quarter. Nothing is open yet and most people are still sleeping or breakfasting. You can actually walk around and see/absorb/take photos with some breathing space!

I went to the Chocolate Museum and it's lighthearted and fun, but there's not a lot to it and it doesn't take long. That's not a criticism. just an FYI. Here is the link to the blog post I wrote about the Chocolate Museum last year https://www.historycoloredglasses.com/2017/07/museu-de-xocolata/.

I'm also a big fan of food tours as they're usually a great way of combining excellent food, restaurant tips for the rest of your trip, and a low-impact but interesting local history. Check out Devour Barcelona's website. They have a bunch of tours, both day and evening, and patronize locally-owned places. I know that I'm not the only fan of them on this forum (and no, I don't work for them or get a discount--I wish!).

Hope this is helpful,
Caroline

Girl, you need to book Sagrada Familia like, NOW, or you will not get a ticket. Seriously, do it now!!

You do not have time for two day trips, drop Monserrat.
Yes, beach is Barceloneta.

Thanks for the tips! I bought my tickets today for an evening tour!

Rick's walks are good, especially enjoyed the Bari Gottic walk a couple of months ago.

Some nice areas/places to walk around and explore:

Vila de Gracia (or simply Gracia) - was its own town before being incorporated into Barcelona, small town vibes, family friendly/ hipster feel.

El Born - "bohemian chic" area with tapas bars and art studios, close to the zoo.

Parque del Laberinto de Horta - 18th-century neoclassical garden on a former palatial estate with a cool English hedge maze.

Tibidabo - the oldest amusement park in Spain built on a hill overlooking the city, stunning views from the top.

Platja del Garraf - my favorite beach near Barcelona, a short 30 min train ride south of Barcelona, you will find only locals at this beach.

Port Olímpic - nice marina and seafront promenade built for the Olympics, popular yet not as crazy as the Barceloneta beach.

I went to the chocolate museum - meh, and the chocolate wasn't very good either. If you've been to any chocolate museum you won't learn anything new. I remember lots of reading about the history and production of chocolate and some sculptures. On the other hand, the Marijuana Museum was very interesting in a pretty modernisme building - no free samples however.