If a trip to Spain is in your future, Barcelona is a wonderful city to visit. If you are looking for a destination that has beaches, beautiful architecture, delicious and traditional food, vibrant nightlife, and interesting historical sights, then Barcelona is the spot for you. I visited Barcelona for four days in March of 2023. I have outlined my top ten activities from the trip to give you inspiration and ideas while you dream about or plan your upcoming trip.

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride in Barcelona

My favorite memory from this trip was a hot air balloon tour. A hot air balloon ride was an unchecked item on my bucket list for a long time. I booked my tour through Barcelona Balloon Flights. This tour provides incredible views of Montserrat and the surroundings of Barcelona. If you have never heard of Montserrat, it is a multi-peaked mountain range that is near Barcelona. The flight itself was just over an hour. The tour was the perfect amount of time to enjoy the views and take countless incredible photos.

The tour company offers a shuttle pick-up and drop-off service for 30 euros. I stayed right in the center of Barcelona, so the drive was about an hour to the mountainous take-off location. The entire excursion takes about 3 hours. The hot air balloon ride costs 170 euros for one person, or if you are flying with someone, you can get two tickets for 330 euros.

My experience was 10/10. The beautiful scenery is a great switch-up from the busy city of Barcelona, and a hot air balloon ride is such an incredible activity! I clearly recommend this tour, and I also recommend bringing some warm clothes. It can be very cold in the mountains, but the fire in the hot air balloon ride does help.

2. First Hostel Experience

Staying in a hostel was another item on my bucket list. I wanted to experience a social hostel in my 20s and meet some amazing new friends from all around the world. My first ever hostel was the Pars Tailor’s Hostel in Barcelona. I will have a blog post coming about all of the specifics regarding my first ever hostel experience, but I will say now, that I recommend staying here. The staff are so friendly and the hostel is conveniently located so that everything is within walking distance. If you have never stayed in a hostel before, it is a fun experience that you should look into.

3. Barcelona Clubs

If you know anything about Barcelona, you know this city has some spectacular nightlife. The two clubs that I visited in Barcelona were Otto Zutz and Opium. The Otto Zutz club is a smaller club that specializes in R&B, hip hop & reggaeton music, whereas Opium is a modern and classy club that has a capacity of 2,000 people. Opium, in my opinion, had a better DJ and was a nicer venue.

I went to both of these clubs with a group from my hostel, so I was able to get in for free and skip the lines. There are some great advantages to staying with hostels. If you are not staying at a hostel and plan on going to some clubs, you should expect to pay between 10 and 20 euros, but the cost varies depending on the night of the week and what style of party they are throwing.

4. Saw the Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. The construction began in 1882. Antoni Gaudí’s piece of architecture is not finished, but its size and detail is absolutely incredible. If you want to tour the inside, individual tickets start at 26 euros. I did not tour the inside, but I have seen pictures of the beautiful stained glass and pillars that are found inside.

5. Visited Park Güell

Park Güell is an impressive park with distinct architecture and peaceful gardens. Park Güell was designed by the famous architect, Antoni Gaudí. While touring the park, you can learn about Gaudí and the process of building this landmark. The ticket for entry was about 13 euros. Sometimes the tickets sell out, so I would suggest getting your tickets a day or two in advance. There are some buildings within the park that cost extra to tour, but you can do a decent amount as a tourist with just the entry ticket.

6. Found Gaudí’s Architecture

You will quickly learn that Antoni Gaudí had a significant influence when it came to art in Barcelona. He was an architect known as the greatest advocate of Catalan Modernism. You can find his work around Barcelona. Besides the famous Sagrada Familia, you should find his three houses around the city. These three houses are: Casa Batlló, La Pedrera-Casa Milà, and Casa Vicens.

7. Ate Churros

When you’re in Spain, you have to buy some fresh churros with chocolate, so find a churrería!

8. Visited the Cathedral of Barcelona

The Cathedral of Barcelona is another top sight to add to your itinerary. It is clearly something special! I wish they wouldn’t have plastered a giant advertisement to the front of it, but I guess I can’t make that decision… Nevertheless, it is cool to visit. This plaza is very popular.

9. Tried Tapas

Tapas are small plates of food in Spain. I enjoy trying new foods when traveling, so I recommend trying some tapas. There are tapas restaurants all over Barcelona. First of all, you should order some empanadas, because you can never go wrong with empanadas. Two other tapas I tried in Barcelona were croquetas and tortilla española. Croquetas are small balls of mashed potatoes and ham that are fried. Tortilla española is a egg and potato omlette that is usually in the shape of a pie slice. I can’t say that the foods were my favorite, but now I can say that I have had some traditional Spanish tapas.

10. Visited the Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona

The Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona is another popular landmark to add to your itinerary. This landmark is surrounded by a beautiful plaza with happy palm trees and numerous restaurants.

Conclusion

Barcelona is a unique destination for your next trip. Enjoy the hustling city, but also make sure you make it out to see the beautiful mountain range that surrounds Barcelona. There are various activities to keep all travelers entertained.

If you want more travel inspiration on other spots around the world, check out my destinations tab on my website for more blog posts. But for now, thanks for stopping by and cheers to making connections around the world!