One day in Barcelona!

Book the first available entry time for Sagrada Familia (Gaudi)
Metro to Diagonal for a walk down Barcelona’s majestic boulevard, Passeig de Gracia
Casa Mila (Gaudi) is on the left & Casa Batllo (Gaudi) is on the right as you head down
Thru Placa de Catalunya, Barcelona’s main square and you will be at the top of the Ramblas
Walking from top to bottom you will pass La Boqueria markets on the right
Left side thru the Gothic Quarter to the Cathedral. Further along to Placa Reial on the left side
Finally you will reach the port and the column with Christopher Columbus gesturing atop

Excellent counsel from our friend in OZ.

I agree with the post above. The only thing I'll add is to keep the Picasso Museum in your back pocket. It's open fairly late and is in the Gothic Quarter not too far the Cathedral. Depending on how your day goes, you may be able to slip in for a quick visit.

Have fun!

Robert,
I'll give a third compliment to the first reply. We were just there in March for four days. For a one day, they 'hit the nail on the head' on key sights to take in and the order in which to do them. (And, it is easy to take the Metro/subway).

If you will be spending the night (and don't have a super early flight to catch the next a.m.) I would recommend doing the 'Food Lovers Tapas Tour.' You can Google (and better yet, check it out on Trip Advisor). It is one of the most effective ways to sample the local cuisine, while having a fun small group and a guide to explain the foods/customs. You will NOT come away hungry.....all drinks are included in the tour price, too. They visit wonderful local pubs and then end with a fabulous full dinner/dessert at a local restaurant afterward (and after-dinner drinks). These are places filled with locals, not jammed with tourists.

Have fun....better to have one day in Barcelona than no days in Barcelona :)

Fantastic idea Rob. The Picasso Museum is open til 7pm (9.30pm on Thursday, closed on Monday).
If you head over this way (the el Born district) continue on to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, perhaps before a seafood dinner in Barceloneta.

Thanks everyone. The Picasso Museum looks great, but, alas, we're there on Monday, so it will be closed. I bought tix for the Sagrada Familia for the morning, and I plan on following your suggestions as much as our travel fatigue will allow! Thanks again.

It's about 3km walking from Diagonal to Columbus. You will have a great day. Wear a hat and pack sunscreen. Buen viaje.

Hi Margaret,

You mentioned you were in Barcelona for 4 days. Was that about right for a first time visitor? many posts suggest 3 days? what are your thoughts? thx

Compay, the average stay for many visitors in Barcelona is 4-5 days but just because they can't stay longer. The city has so much to see and do that 42% of the visitors repeat a second time, 20% a third time and 14% four or more times (http://professional.barcelonaturisme.com/imgfiles/estad/Infografia_2013.pdf). You could stay for a whole month, have days full of activities/visits and do not repeat a single time.

Robert,
A poster to your thread just asked if 4 days in Barcelona was about right.

For us it was, but we did not visit places we would had we been there for 5 days or 7 days. And, do consider that your first day is one that will likely equal 1/2 day, as you arrive, get checked in, and push yourself a bit to begin seeing things.

And, our four days wound up including 2 additional days for which we had not originally planned. An ice storm was a certain prediction for the day we were departing Nashville (and connecting thru NY), so Delta did a major favor for us and, by a rare airline miracle, we were given the option of arriving in Barcelona two days early (vs. camping out two days in Atlanta so we could potentially take a connection thru Amsterdam vs. NY). And, if you remember what happened in NY.....when the Delta jet went off the runway during the ice/snow? That was the day we would have originally been connecting thru NY. Weeks later, a few friends said they were looking for me on the newscast when passengers were shown (they didn't know we were already enjoying Barcelona, since it all happened so quickly....thanks to our stopping in the Delta Club at the airport before checking in to get a cup of coffee for my husband.)

Two days just would not have been enough time! So much to see in Barcelona. Our trip was focused primarily on Southern Spain, but we planned the original two days in Barcelona so my husband could see the Sagrada Familia, or the really long construction project, as he calls it. And, we were able to see things rather efficiently, as other than at the Sagrada Familia (that had long lines later in the morning as we were leaving), no other places had really long lines. We pretty much just walked right into Park Guell and the other Gaudi sites and the palace of music.....a benefit of traveling in early March. At other times, I would suggest buying advanced tickets and allow for time in lines.

4 days (5 nights) - About right to do the sights justice at a leisurely pace.
3 days - Still 'doable', albeit at a more rushed pace.
2 days - You will be making tough decisions and crossing things off your list.
1 day only - They will have to drag you kicking and screaming down the
aerobridge on to the plane - YOU WILL WANT TO STAY !!

Here's a suggestion from a "not-a-Gaudi" fan. I visited the Sagrada Familia and was glad I did, though I could have skipped the Tower (maybe because visibility was poor). I did not go into any of Gaudi's other buildings. I am however a fan of Art Deco (Art Nouveau in Catalonia). In the same block as Casa Battlo is Casa Lleo Morera by Montaner (on the corner) which you can tour. A few building down, right next door to Casa Battlo is Casa Amatller, designed by Catafalch (these are the 3 Catalonian architects). No tour, but worth popping in to see the lobby.

Just for info: art deco in Catalonia is called "Modernisme". Also, Casa Ametller is now visitable: http://infocatalonia.eu/w/nxJYA