Spain is, by far, my favorite country to visit. While I have spent the majority of my time in Madrid, I had the opportunity to visit Barcelona after my Mediterranean cruise. This is the best way to spend three days in Barcelona!

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This area has way more to offer than can be fit into just two days, however, my time in this city was limited. This itinerary is a good place to start!

Barcelona has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Home to Barcelona FC, world renowned architecture, beautiful beaches and some of the best seafood in the world, Barcelona is a must see.

The temperature in Barcelona remains mild throughout the year. The summer months of July and August can be quite humid but rarely get above the low 80’s. Spring and fall are more comfortable months if you aren’t looking for a hot, summer vacation.

While Catalan and Spanish are the official languages, you will find many locals also speak English.

Barcelona also houses one of the largest cruise ports in Europe. I spent as much time as I could exploring this eclectic city before it was time to fly home after my cruise.

Below are some of my recommendations, but keep in mind that there is plenty more to see!

Day One

Start your morning in the Sagrada Familia neighborhood of the city. Here you will find many cafes lining the streets as you make your way to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Stop and enjoy a café con leche with a pastry and enjoy some people watching.

Next, make your way to the Sagrada Familia. I would highly recommend having purchased your tickets ahead of time. Be sure to arrive at the cathedral prior to the time assigned to you when pre-purchasing your tickets. Without a skip-the-line ticket, you could easily spend your entire morning waiting for tickets to enter the cathedral!

A trip to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without a visit to this stunning piece of architecture by Gaudi. Like many sites in Europe, it is constantly undergoing repairs (cue the scaffolding in all of your pictures).

Salt Restaurant & Beach Club at W Barcelona is the perfect place to grab lunch after a busy morning. Fuel up before spending the afternoon walking around or checking out the beach.

If you are looking for a more relaxing afternoon, take a swim in the Mediterranean or order a cocktail poolside at the W.

For more of an adventure, take a walk on Las Ramblas or within the Gothic Quarter. Keep in mind that although Barcelona is a fairly safe city, they are known for pickpocketing. Always be aware of your surroundings.

For dinner, head over to Cerveceria Catalana. This tapas restaurant is popular with both locals and tourists, so plan on having to wait to get a table or a spot at the bar. Don’t worry, it will be worth it.

To start, order a pitcher of sangria, beef tenderloin montaditos, razor clams, prawn skewers, and as many crispy camembert skewers that you can eat. After you have finished those, order all the other tapas that have caught your eye! Everything we had at this restaurant was delicious.

Day Two

Book a tour that includes a visit to Montserrat, lunch at a traditional restaurant and a cava winery tour. These multi-destination tours are great! Most of these companies will either pick you up at your hotel or have you meet them at a central location for the start of the tour.

This day will begin quite early as you make your way up the windy roads to Montserrat. If you are prone to motion sickness, now would be the time to take some medicine.

All the cliffside, winding, narrow roads will be worth it once you have arrived at Montserrat. As we first arrived, the clouds were clearing from the sky and they were literally passing through where we were standing. The experience was amazing.

Once you arrive, you will have time to walk around and take many pictures. If you are lucky, you will get to listen to the Children Choir of Montserrat. After this, check out some of the vendors that are set-up outside selling cheese, honey, wine and other local products.

We made sure to pick up a few products to enjoy as a late night snack back at our hotel.

After Montserrat, your tour will take you to lunch at a traditional restaurant followed by a local cava vineyard. Although most tours won’t guarantee which vineyard you will be going to ahead of time, being in this region, you are sure to get some amazing cava!

Our tour took us to the Pares Balta vineyard where we had a great afternoon of touring the vineyard and winery as well as tasting some of their most popular wines.

After a long day of sight seeing, enjoy a relaxing dinner at Can Culleretes. Known for their traditional Catalan cooking, this warm and inviting restaurant is the perfect place to wind down after a long day.

This restaurant is located on a side street off of Las Ramblas, right in the heart of it all!

Day Three

Begin your day with churros con chocolate at Churreria Laietana and then enjoy the short walk over to the Boqueria Market.

Spend your morning weaving in and out of the aisles of this market. This is the perfect place to pick up some treats to travel home with!

The market is filled with fresh produce, specialty food items, food stalls and much more. Pick up some cured meats, manchego cheese, figs and whatever else looks good to you for a picnic lunch.

While Barcelona has many parks for you to enjoy your picnic, I would suggest Parc Guell. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was designed by Gaudi in 1900.

Find a park bench and enjoy your market finds while you take in all of Gaudi’s unique designs. This park does require a ticket to enter but the 10 euros is worth it for this amazingly colorful park.

Where to Stay

W Barcelona

You can’t get better views of the Mediterranean Sea. This hotel has 473 rooms and is located right on the beach, along the Barceloneta Boardwalk.

It boasts six different dining options, a spa, fitness center, and a swimming pool overlooking the Mediterranean.

The location is ideal if you are wanting to spend some time at the beach. It is away from the hustle and bustle of Las Ramblas but still has a great nightlife scene right at the hotel.

We stayed in a king bedroom room with ocean views. The room was spacious, modern and made for a really great stay.

The lobby area is great for having a cocktail or even reading a book. It has a lounge bar feel but becomes more of a night club as the night goes on!

The staff were helpful when assisting us with transportation and the check-in, check-out process was quick.

Want to look up great rates for your next vacation? Click here!

Another great option is Petit Palace Boqueria Garden. This hotel is located right on Las Ramblas and offers rooms that have kitchenettes and can accommodate up to six people.

Guest rooms are situated around a garden courtyard in this boutique hotel. This is a great, affordable option for your trip but has less amenities than a larger hotel would have to offer.

To check-out rates for Petit Palace Boqueria, click here.

For another amazing Spain vacation, check out my post The Picturesque La Residencia in Mallorca!

So there you have it, my recommendations for the best way to spend three days in Barcelona! I hope these recommendations help you book an amazing trip to this amazing country!