Things to do in Barcelona for One Day

Where to Stay

Hilton Barcelona– Prior to arriving, I was in contact with Pedro at the hotel.  He was very helpful with providing exact instructions on how to get to the hotel via metro and other arrangements from the airport and provided restaurant suggestions as well.  The hotel is conveniently located next to a Starbucks, great shopping, and a short walk from the metro.  Our room was very quiet and clean and comfortable.

Pros- Location, comfortable bed, clean, accommodating staff

Cons- None

Where to Eat

Honestly, just walk around and find a cafe with great music and people watching.  This city is FULL of unique delicious cuisine that you will likely be delighted wherever you go.  We really only had time for two meals in the city and I recommend them both, but as much as I love food, I wish we had tried more here.  Look on Trip Advisor or Yelp for great recommendations as well.

La Tramoia Tapas Bar- We came across this cute corner tapas restaurant after getting lost searching for another one.  It happened to be the jackpot.  They had a fixed price lunch or the options to order tapas.  The menu was full of choices (see images below).  I loved the atmosphere here too!

Restaurante Arume- Want to eat Paella? This little hole in the wall will rock your world.  The food, wine, and service was superb and their house dessert will truly surprise your taste buds.  Reservation recommended.

Brunch & Cake – This quaint healthy cafe has had my eye on Instagram since my trip.  Unfortunately I was not able to try it in my brief time in the city, but it looks incredible and will definitely be on my list for my next visit.

Things to Do in Barcelona

Book a full city tour or individual tours with Viator.  They are my absolute favorite tour guide company and we have used them so many times within my family for trips.

See La Sagrada Familia

The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is history in the making.  The temple has been in construction since 1882 and is estimated to be completed in 2026.  The architect Antoni Gaudi spent his entire life constructing this magnificent temple as he died in 1926.  The construction has been passed on to multiple architects since then.  Each side of the temple represents the different phases of the life of Christ.  The birth, life, death, and Resurrection.  We purchased tickets for an 11am tour to skip the line from Viator (English speaking tour).  The tour guide was wonderful and gave us so much information about the history and future of the Basilica.

Shopping on La Rambla Street

Want to get the full Spanish market experience of roaming through narrow streets looking for local shops and fun finds.  Start at La Rambla and continue to roam from there.  If you come this way you MUST stop and get fresh juice from “Fresh Juice by Melina” located on in the middle of the street before you reach the flower vendors.  I got the Coco-Pineapple and it was so fresh and delish and only 2€!! She also had fruit cups to go and tons of juices.  Be careful for pick-pockets along this street.  It is a high traffic area and you can never be too careful.

Where to buy authentic espadrilles.

La Manual Alpargatera- Located a few streets off of La Rambla.  We got the full experience of waiting outside to get into the store while it was closed for the afternoon siesta.   This place is awesome and so cheap and authentic.  All shoes are made in the warehouse behind the storefront.  My adorable red wedge espadrilles were only 19€.

Transportation

I bought a one day metro pass and it was totally worth it.  The airport has a metro that will take you into the city to where you can change trains to your desired destination.  A one day pass is unlimited trips for 10€.  The metro here was very easy to navigate and surprisingly clean.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, I hope you found some style , beauty, or travel inspiration to make you feel fabulous in your best way.  For more like this, see it first on my Instagram.  If you want to save for later, all images are pin friendly to save to your Pinterest. -xoxo- Mattison <3

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