The last time I was in Barcelona was when I was 6 months pregnant with my first kid. Needless to say, I was thrilled when we decided to spend Christmas in Barcelona with the kids over our 2022 winter break trip to Europe!
Barcelona is such a fun and lively city! I love how art is seamlessly incorporated everywhere in the city. I mean, the city has been home to some of the greatest artists of all time, so it makes sense that art is everywhere!
Where To Stay
When looking at places to stay in Barcelona, I knew I wanted to be close to the Rambla, and close to the Barrio Gótico (Gothic Quarter). I had stayed farther from the center in previous visits and I had a good sense for how big Barcelona is, which is why I wanted to stay closer to the city center. That being said, Barcelona has an incredibly well-connected public transit system, and it’s super easy to get around.
We booked a great Airbnb apartment right in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, and loved the location! We loved the fact that this area is car-free and very lively. Also, there were lots of restaurants and shops everywhere (this is true about all of Barcelona!), and good spots for our kids to run around.
What To Do
We approached our trip to Barcelona as an opportunity to show our kids the work of Gaudí. We told them this trip would be their introduction to one of the greatest architects of all times, and they were quite excited about it. Below is an itinerary of what we did each day in Barcelona to help you plan your next visit there:
Day 1
On the first full day in Barcelona we decided to take public transit to Park Guell, and then walk back to our place with a couple of stops along the way. This meant the entire walk back (after getting to Park Guell) would be downhill towards the sea.
You can reach Park Guell using public transit. We chose to take the Metro and walk to the park, instead of taking a connecting bus. This route had us entering the park from the back entrance. Note that this route has lots of stairs so it’s not good for strollers. What’s nice about entering through the back is that you get to explore a bit of the surrounding neighborhood too. If you are looking for the best route to reach Park Guell, check out Google Maps. It’s been super reliable for us in many different countries!
Once we reached main areas of Park Guell, we walked around for a couple of hours. There were some spots I really wanted to show the kids, like the Nature Square, the indoor Hypostyle Room, and the Laundry Room Portico. Our gecko-loving child was ecstatic when she saw the salamander along the Dragon Stairway. This park is such a whimsical place, you could spend so much time admiring all the details!
If you want to plan your visit, check out the official Park Guell website. They even have recommended routes you can follow during your visit to ensure you see all the top sights!
After Park Guell we had planned to go see three Gaudí-designed houses in Barcelona: Casa Vicens, Casa Mila and Casa Batlló. We used Google Maps to find the best route and off we went on foot. Our first stop was Casa Vicens, followed by Casa Mila (La Pedrera). We didn’t go inside these two houses, but just took our time to admire them from the outside. They are each an incredible work of art!
We did go inside Casa Batllo. Neither one of us had been inside in our previous visits to Barcelona, so we were excited to finally see it! We chose to do the augmented reality (silver) tour and it was a fantastic experience! The Silver experience comes with a tablet that allows you to see Casa Batllo the way Gaudí did in his mind. It shows you the inspiration for each room, and each detail. This is a neurodiverse experience, meaning you can smell, touch, and see the space as part of the tour. This was our kids’ favorite thing we did in Barcelona, and with good reason.
Entrance is not cheap, but kids under 12 enter for free, so that makes it more affordable. Check their website for prices and discounts.
You could also take a bus or the metro to reach Casa Batllo from Park Guell, but the distance between them is not long. Just to give you an idea, the walking distance is a bit over 2 miles on a slight downhill. It is not a crazy distance to walk with kids, especially if you plan accordingly to stop for food and treats!
After Casa Batllo, we walked back towards our Airbnb, but first we stopped for gelato at OGGI Gelato in the Gothic Quarter. We sat there for an hour playing cards (we always bring cards with us on trips!) and resting our feet. Once we were ready to start walking again, we headed over to Santa Caterina Market to get provisioned for our day trip the next day.
Day 2
On our second full day in Barcelona, we picked up a car from Sixt Rent A Car at Rambla/Catalunya and drove to Andorra for the day! Check out this post I wrote about our day trip to this tiny European country!
Day 3
We started our day with a delicious breakfast of churros con chocolate near our Airbnb. After that, we hopped on the metro and headed to the Sagrada Familia for our 9:15 a.m. tour of the Nativity Tower. If you want to visit the Sagrada Familia, you can get tickets at the door, but I strongly recommend you buy them beforehand. The Sagrada Familia is one of those places that has become very popular so it can get quite crowded, and tickets can quickly sell out. Try to reserve tickets for the first tours in the morning and you’ll enjoy it better.
We chose the Nativity Tower tour because Gaudí actually worked on it. Also, that is the tower that celebrates the life of Christ, so we thought it’d be more light-hearted for the kids. The self-guided tour was nice, but access within the tower has been significantly reduced as compared to the first time I was there 15 years ago. If you are short on time (or don’t want to spend the extra money), you could have an amazing visit walking around the cathedral and skip the towers.
Children must be at least 6 years old to visit the towers. If you are visiting with a little one, make sure you have proof of age. We were asked to show proof that Valentina was older than 6, and we were happy to have a photo of her passport on our phones.
My main advice for visiting the Sagrada Familia is take your time. Make sure to look closely at all the details in this beautiful nature-inspired temple. The main doors are especially intricate, and our kids spent a solid 15 minutes admiring them.
We spent over 2 hours at the Sagrada Familia. Afterwards we headed back to the Rambla to get all our food supplies for Christmas dinner. We managed to get all we needed at Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. La Boqueria dates back to the 1200s (!!!) and it’s one of Barcelona’s most popular destinations. I’ve made sure to stop there every time I’ve been to Barcelona. Not only is it a great place to get delicious food, but walking around the market is a wonderful experience by itself.
We spent our Christmas Eve walking around the lively streets around La Rambla. Despite what people might think, Barcelona didn’t shut down for the holidays. In fact, it felt very celebratory.
Day 4
On Christmas Day we marched the kids up the hills to Montjuïc to catch the teleférico up to the castle. The kids enjoyed finding cannons and climbing on them. The castle was closed, but it was fun to see from the outside. The views of Barcelona are fantastic from up there, so make sure you check them out!
As we started making our way down, we found two awesome slides on the hillside! They were super fun for both kids and adults alike, so we spent a while playing there.
We had originally planned on walking over to the Olympic Villa, and the Montjuïc Fountains, but we didn’t think our kids were up for the 20-minute walk there. In retrospect, next time I’d start by taking the metro to Plaza de España. From there I’d walk up the stairs to the museum and the Olympic villa and over to the castle. At the end you could decide to retrace your steps, or take the teleférico down the backside of Montjuïc.
We wished we’d had more time to visit some of Barcelona’s 55 museums, but we didn’t have time on this visit. This time we really prioritized seeing Gaudí’s work. We really wanted to visit the Fundació Joan Miró, and the MOCO museum, but we’ll have to wait until the next time!
Other than the scheduled activities, we spent our time wandering around the city, and having a good time exploring together!
What To Eat
Food in Barcelona is readily available and very varied. You can find most types of food there, which was nice. In general, people usually eat around 9-10pm, but you won’t have a hard time finding places to eat at any time of the day. Coffee culture is strong in Barcelona, so don’t be surprised if you get offered an espresso after your 9pm dinner!
Many restaurants in Barcelona offer tapas. If you get tapas, make sure to get one of Pan con Tomate (Pa Amb Tomàquet). This is a staple of Catalan cuisine and identity. While you can probably get this dish outside of Barcelona, you’ll probably get the best one there!
Another common menu item is a “bikini,” which is not what you think it is. A bikini is basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich! Bikinis are a great snack food, and a good option for kids.
How To Get Around
Getting around Barcelona is super easy! Barcelona has one of the best metro systems in all of Europe, and it really shows! The metro is super easy to use and it runs very frequently. You can use it to move all around Barcelona and into the suburbs. The bus system is also superb. You can plan your trips on public transit using Google Maps.
The alternative to Uber in Barcelona is an app called Cabify. We didn’t use it, but it sounds like it works just like Uber.
Finally, you can simply walk all over Barcelona. Walking is the best way to see a city! Barcelona is very safe to walk around, even at night and through the empty alleys of the Barrio Gotico. We never felt unsafe at all while walking at night with our kids.
Also, as a side note, Barcelona is stunning during the holidays! There were Christmas lights hanging above lots of streets, which was beautiful! It was the perfect place for our family to spend Christmas!
If you have any questions about visiting Barcelona, let me know. Or check out my places section to learn about other destinations around the world!
