Things to do this summer in Barcelona

Summer in Barcelona is nothing short of magical. With its golden beaches, buzzing neighborhoods, and endless cultural treasures, the city offers something for every kind of traveler. Whether you’re a foodie hunting for tapas, an art lover tracing Gaudí’s footsteps, or just looking to soak up the Mediterranean vibes, Barcelona delivers. In this post, I’ve rounded up the must-do experiences to make your summer in the Catalan capital unforgettable. Let’s dive in!

Beach daytrip

There are many other beautiful beaches close to Barcelona, for example you could go to Sitges, Garraf or Castelldefels.

Read more about the other beaches in this post.

Relax at Parc de la ciutadella

One of my favorite things to do on my day off is going to the park and enjoy the sun with a good book. The park is quite big so you’ll find a spot easily. The park was built in the 19th century and when you walk around you’ll find the beautiful monumental waterfall, a lake where you can rent a boat and the zoo.

Check the sunset at Bunkers del Carmel

Anyone that did some research on what to see in Barcelona probably already heard of the Bunkers del Carmel. It is my absolute favorite view of Barcelona. From here you can see EVERYTHING! Plus next to the Bunkers there is an amazing park with also beautiful views of Barcelona. It is called Parque del Guinardó.

It is free to enter. Note: When it is getting dark, police will come to ask everyone to leave because of safety reasons.

Parque del Guinardó

To escape the crowded city, you can come to this park. It is absolutely one of my favorite things to do, especially if I need some quiet time. This park offers amazing views of Barcelona, also a perfect location to watch the sunset.

Read here more about this park.

Cafe hopping

Barcelona is a dream for café lovers. Whether you’re starting your day with a strong cortado or taking a lazy afternoon break with an iced latte and a pastry, the city’s café scene has you covered. Think charming terraces, hidden specialty coffee spots, and cozy corners perfect for people-watching or catching up on your travel journal.

Here are my favorite cafe’s:

Camelia art cafe
vera cafe
Matcha crew
Bristol cafe
Lilo coffee & brunch
Vitrina cafe

Casa de Vicens

While most visitors go to the iconic Sagrada Família or Park Güell, Casa Vicens is Gaudí’s often-overlooked gem, and the perfect summer escape for design lovers. Tucked away in the quiet neighborhood of Gràcia, this colorful house was Gaudí’s first major work and a bold statement of the genius to come.

Built between 1883 and 1885, Casa Vicens looks more like a vibrant mosaic dream than a traditional home. With its blend of Moorish, Oriental, and neoclassical styles, it’s a visual feast, from the intricate tile work and wrought iron balconies to the lush garden oasis out front. Inside, every ceiling, wall, and corner is a showcase of handcrafted detail and natural inspiration.

Wander around in Park Güell

Park Güell is designed by Antoni Gaudi, Here you’ll find lots of works from Gaudi and in the mean time you can enjoy the beautiful views over Barcelona as well. If you visit the park in summer time make sure to bring plenty of water, because you’ll probably be there a pretty long time walking around.

Tip: if you decide to walk to Park Güell, you really need to walk via the street Carrer de Molist. Trust me, the climb is worth it. When you are at the stairs at the end of the street stop for a minute and take in the view over Barcelona. From here it is a 5 / 10 minute walk to Park Güell.

Park Güell is open everyday from 09:30 to 19:30

A general ticket is €18,-

* you can purchase the tickets till 17:30, after this there are no more ticket available because of the closing time.

Check Getyourguide for tickets to the park.

Beach day in Barcelona

Barcelona has beautiful beaches, enjoy your day at Playa de Barceloneta, or go a bit further to Nova Icaria beach or Playa de Bogatell.

A Daytrip

There are many other towns close to Barcelona, so if you have enough time and want to escape the city life of Barcelona then this is a fun way to see more of Catalunya.

My favorites are Tarragona, Sitges and Girona.

Read more about these towns and how to get there in this post.

Enjoy a drink on a rooftop bar

In Barcelona there are many good rooftop bars to choose from. The perfect way to have drinks/food with your friends and enjoy the views of Barcelona.

Here are a few to choose from:

Ohla rooftop bar
Terrassa de Vivi
Bar – Terrassa Sercotel Rosselló

Discover the Costa Brava

It is really easy to do a daytrip from Barcelona to one of the famous towns of Costa Brava. You could go to Blanes or Tossa de Mar with public transport, the rest like Begur is easier to go with a car.

How to get there by public transport:

To get to Tossa de mar, you can take the bus from Barcelona Nord bus station, line to Tossa de Mar. It takes about 1,5 hours and costs are around 23 euros for a round trip.

To get to Blanes you can get the train R1 from Barcelona Sants towards Estación de tren Blanes. It takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes, and a round trip is around 15 euros.

Read more about Tossa de Mar in this post 🙂

To read more about Blanes, check this post.

Shop at Passeig de Gracia

Passeig de Gracia and Plaça Cataluñya are the center of Barcelona, here you’ll find the most known stores. Wander around and well.. spend your money 🙂

Discover the different neighborhoods

Barcelona is a beautiful city with lots of amazing neighborhoods, my favorite neighborhoods to walk around are: El Born, Barrio Gotico, Eixample and Gracia. Try to enjoy the weather by walking around and taking the beautiful sights and architecture of Barcelona in. Also don’t forget to buy some ice cream on the way to cool down 🙂

For the ones that like to make pictures this post about the best streets in Barcelona is for you.

Check this post to get to know the neighborhoods better.

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is probably the most famous thing to do in Barcelona. You can find this beautiful basilica in the district Eixample.

La Sagrada Familia was designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudi. Since the year 1882, the basilica is almost always being worked on. At the moment they think they will be ready in the year 2030.

You can see the basilica from outside, but you will not be disappointed when you take a look in the inside! La Sagrada Familia has also two towers you can visit, here they have stunning views of Barcelona. Keep in mind that when you purchase the ticket, you can only choose one of the towers.

More information about the opening hours you’ll find on their website.

Get here tickets for La Sagrada familia, with an audio guide and access to one of the towers.

Casa Battlo & Casa Mila

Another work from Antoni Gaudi is Casa Battlo, the outside of the house is already beautiful to see but the inside is also really interesting to see.

The duration of the tour is a small hour, because Casa Batllo is a famous attraction in Barcelona I would advice to purchase the tickets online.

Casa Battlo has also a roof terrace where you have stunning views over Barcelona, Unfortunately when I was there it was a gloomy day. But the view was still really beautiful!

opening hours:

Tuesday to Thursday from 09:00 to 18:30
Friday to Monday from 09:00 to 20:00

The price of a ticket is around €35,-

*The tickets also include a audio guide which is available in different languages: Dutch, Spanish, Catalan, English, France, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese and Russian.

Get here tickets for Casa Battlo.

Casa Mila

Casa Mila is another famous design from Gaudi. I really liked this house, I might like this one even more then Casa Batllo. Casa mila also has an rooftop with amazing views over Barcelona.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:30

prices:

La Pedrera Essential: €25,-
the unseen Pedrera: €28,-
La Pedrera night experience: €35,-
La Pedrera Premium: €32,-
La Pedrera Essential & night experience: €45,-

Check Getyourguide for tickets to Casa Mila.

Stroll around on markets

One of my favorite things to do when the weather’s warm is to wander through the city’s street markets. They’re full of energy, local flavor, and unexpected finds, whether it’s vintage clothes, handmade jewelry, or fresh snacks that you have to try. In this post, I’m sharing some of the best markets to check out this summer. Enjoy!

Check out this post for the markets this summer in Barcelona.

Escape the hot weather and admire the art in a museum

Barcelona has many good museums like: Picasso, Banksy musuem, Museu de Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (with amazing views over Barcelona). Take a break from walking outside and enjoy the beautiful art.

Read more about museums in Barcelona in this post.

Enjoy the Spanish food

One thing you should not forgot to do is enjoy the Spanish food, enjoy the delicious paella and try many dishes in a tapas restaurant. Here are some of my favorites: