My Barcelona Travel Guide. Amazing Architecture, Tapas, Bike Rides, Cocktail Bars, and a Side Trip to Girona ~ Adventures in Southern California

Barcelona is one of the busiest cities in Europe. The crowds can get absolutely insane on weekends, especially around the major tourist attractions. But if you visit during the fall and explore during the week, you can avoid a lot of the crowds. There is so much to see and do in Barcelona. The architecture is incredible, the food is fantastic, and the nightlife is some of the best in Europe. It’s an awesome city for exploring on foot or by bicycle. Flights from LAX to Barcelona are often around $500-600 roundtrip in the fall.

Incredible Architecture and Museums

One of my favorite attractions in Barcelona is the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which is one of the best art museums in the world. The building itself is absolutely spectacular and arguably one of the most beautiful buildings housing an art museum in Europe. It sits high above the city on Montjuïc, with incredible views looking back toward Barcelona. Even if you're not a huge art museum fan, this is a place you should visit just to see the architecture and surrounding grounds.

Another attraction you can't miss is the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. The church is unlike anything else in Europe, with its massive towers and bizarre architectural details designed by Antoni Gaudí. The $30 admission tickets are insanely overpriced, but it's something you have to experience at least once. Pony up the dough and do it once. The interior is just as impresive as the exterior.

I also highly recommend making the climb up to Montjuïc Castle. The fortress sits on a hill overlooking Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. The views are fantastic, and it's a great place to escape the busiest parts of the city. You can spend a good portion of the day exploring Montjuïc, visiting the museum, walking through the gardens, and checking out the castle. If you only had one day in Barcelona, these are the three things I would do.

Rent a Bike and Explore Barcelona

One of the best things we did in Barcelona was rent bicycles and explore the city. We spent time cruising through the narrow streets of the El Born neighborhood on a weekday when it wasn't too crowded. This is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Barcelona. You can also ride six miles along the coast on a dedicated bike route, passing beaches, restaurants, marinas, and beautiful Mediterranean scenery. I highly recommend renting bikes for at least half a day.

Amazing Tapas and Some of the Best Cocktail Bars in Europe

Barcelona has some incredible restaurants, but one of my favorite things to do was just wander around and try tapas at different places. Instead of sitting down for one big dinner, we would stop at several restaurants and order a few small dishes before moving on to the next place. My favorite tapas experience was at El Pintxo de Petritxol. They had the best variety of pintxos and tapas that I found anywhere in Barcelona, and everything was being made fresh. There were so many great choices that I just kept ordering more food until I could barely walk out of that place.

Barcelona also has some of the best cocktail bars I've visited in Europe. Creps al Born Cocktails and Creperie might actually be my favorite cocktail bar in all of Europe. The cocktails were incredible, the food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was really lively every night. It's located in the heart of El Born, which is already one of the best neighborhoods in Barcelona for restaurants and nightlife. We went back 3 times in 3 nights for a cocktail.

Take a Side Trip to Girona. One of the Best Small Cities in Spain

If you only have time for one side trip from Barcelona, I highly recommend visiting Girona. It's an incredible medieval city that's just a short train ride from Barcelona. The old town is filled with narrow stone streets, beautiful architecture, restaurants, and bars. It almost feels like a miniature version of Barcelona. If you've watched Game of Thrones, you'll probably recognize quite a few locations around Girona. They filmed a ton of scenes here, including locations used for King's Landing and Braavos. One of the most impressive attractions is the Girona Cathedral, which has a massive staircase leading up to the entrance. Admission was only about $8 when we visited, making it a better bargain compared with some of Barcelona's major attractions.

Girona is also a popular destination for cycling. There are some fantastic cycling routes through the surrounding countryside, including routes that will take you all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. It's a great place to start a longer bicycle ride if you want to get out of the city and explore more of Catalonia.

One of my favorite things about Girona was just walking around and exploring the old town. There are some excellent cocktail bars, beautiful plazas, medieval buildings, and plenty of interesting streets to get lost in. The city is compact enough that you can explore most of the major attractions on foot. I actually recommend spending a night in Girona rather than just visiting for a few hours. You can check out the restaurants and cocktail bars at night, especially on a weekend when the city has a great atmosphere. It's also a smart way to plan your trip. Spend your weekdays in Barcelona when the crowds are more manageable, then head to Girona for a weekend night instead of fighting the enormous weekend crowds in Barcelona.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Barcelona?

I recommend at least three or four full days in Barcelona, especially if you want to visit the major attractions, spend time at the museums, explore the neighborhoods, and rent bicycles. If you're planning a trip in the fall, I would try to schedule Barcelona during the week and add an overnight in Girona. The two cities make a fantastic combination. Barcelona has the big attractions, spectacular architecture, beaches, and incredible nightlife, while Girona offers a smaller medieval city that's just as enjoyable to explore. There is an inexpensive high speed rail with tickets for around 10 euros each way that connects Barcelona to Girona and you can make the trip in under an hour.