After 5 great days in Madrid and experiencing the wonderful culture of Spain with the most delicious tapas, a Flamenco show, beautiful works of art by Diego Velazquez, the Royal Palace and so much more we are now off to BARCELONA! We are most excited to visit the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi’s world of art and Pablo Picasso’s Museum. Keep reading to experience 5 fantastic days in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain!
Day 1 – Train Ride from Madrid to Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia & Park Guell
As we ventured to Barcelona we chose to take a train ride versus a flight. My daughter loves trains and it was only a 3.5 hour ride so a perfect option for families with little ones. We arrived in Barcelona Sants Train Station around noon and it was beginning to rain but fortunately there were plenty of yellow taxis ready to pick us up. We flagged a taxi down who then took us to our fabulous hotel El Avenida Palace which was the best! It is centrally located near many popular high fashion stores, restaurants, top sites you don’t want to miss out on and it felt very safe. After checking into our room and dropping off the luggage it was time for lunch! We walked out of the hotel and found the best tapas bar and restaurant called Ciudad Condal. We loved the food so much here we went several times! FYI, it is very local to order a drink called Cava aka champagne and it’s so delicious. After lunch we decided to take a stroll around the area to marvel at Barcelona life and then caught a glimpse at La Sagrada Familia. Wow, what a site it is! We took a few pictures but decided we would come back later in the week to view the beautiful church at a much a slower pace. From La Sagrada Familia we took a taxi to Antoni Gaudi’s most fascinating park creation, Park Guell. This park is something you have to experience first hand when in Barcelona! The architecture, colors and inspiration behind his creation is so exquisite, mesmerizing and beautiful. When you arrive be sure to purchase tickets as soon as possible so can you get inside the most iconic areas of the park. We spent a good 2 hours here and it was worth every minute! We had a longer day than I anticipated for our first day in Barcelona but our daughter was having so much fun we took advantage!
Tip Alert: If you get to Park Guell before 8am you get in for FREE! Once you are inside you can stay as long as you’d like. This is the best time to go too because tourism is very light and you can take really great pictures!
Day 2 – Casa Batllo, Gothic Quarters, Las Ramblas & Maremagnum
After a restful night we woke up early, had a wonderful breakfast and then went to our first site of the day, Casa Batllo! Casa Batllo is a creation from the famous Antoni Gaudi, when you step inside you feel like you are under the sea! Gaudi was an amazing architect who depicted nature into his works of art. We purchased tickets in advance and paid just a little more to ensure we skipped the line and went straight to the front. I promise you it is worth the few extra euros to not have to wait with a fussy child! After a couple of hours of touring Casa Batllo we took a taxi to the Gothic Quarters and our first stop was the Cathedral of Barcelona. It is amazing how gorgeous and massive this church is. There are a ton of tourists around so be prepared. We encountered a few gypsies in this area so just be alert and aware of your surroundings. We had no problems with anyone but it is good to be extra vigilant. After a few pictures we decided to get “lost” in the cobblestone filled Quarters to really enjoy the history, architecture and most of all the wonderful musicians who play in various areas with their instruments. Don’t forget to check out Carrer del Bisbe also known as the “Bishop’s Bridge” which is the most photographed bridge in all of Barcelona. This spot is extremely popular, as we were taking pictures we saw a bride and groom in full attire taking wedding pictures, I was very impressed! After lunch we decided to walk towards Las Ramblas which is an iconic area for shopping, entertainment and food. After watching some of the fun entertainers in full statue attire and characters we fell into Placa Reial. This square is located in the heart of the Gothic Quarters surrounded by restaurants, hotels, palm trees and one of Antoni Gaudi’s first pieces of art work which are two exquisite street lamps. As we continued our journey, we were in search of art work to bring back home to the States. Unfortunately, we did not find any local artists in Las Ramblas area so we walked and walked until we discovered Maremagnum. This spot is a shopping mall but so much more than that, it was specifically built for families to have a spot to enjoy a day out on the town. It is built on top of water with tons of stores, children play areas for fun, restaurants, entertainers and an Aquarium. It is here that we found the perfect piece of artwork for our home with the sweetest and very talented artist, Vicent Miro. For dinner we had authentic seafood paella, bluefin tuna and a pitcher of the much needed cava sangria! Needless to say, this was also a FULL day but since everything was so close in walking proximity we didn’t feel too overwhelmed.
Day 3 – Picasso Museum, Ciutadella Park & Casa Mila
We’ve done so much and we still have 3 full days to go! Before flying out to Spain I purchased tickets for us to visit the Picasso Museum in advance. I did this because the museum only sells a certain amount of tickets per day and they are timed stamped so if you want to go at a certain time to not conflict with any of your other plans do this early. I decided it would be best for us to visit first thing in the morning to encounter less crowds as possible. This was honestly perfect timing for us because we got to access the second floor first before anyone else due to our stroller so we got to go up the special elevator. We were able to view Picasso’s amazing work of art in peace with no distractions. I’ll be honest, I never understood Picasso’s art work and was never that impressed but I had a special moment after viewing one of his famous paintings called Las Meninas. My daughter was asleep in her stroller and we had the entire gallery to ourselves for almost 15 minutes! Picasso envisioned Las Meninas in so many different ways during different moments of his life that it really shows people the emotion and feelings he was feeling in those exact moments. I could have stayed here for hours! After a couple of hours we grabbed some snacks at the cafe and then headed out to the Arc de Trimof. The Arc de Triomf was built in 1888 over 80 years later than the Parisian Arc de Triumph. This arch is a civil monument versus a military one like in Paris. There are so many details on this arch you can honestly spend hours here going though each one. After taking several pictures we were off to Ciutadella Park. This park is the oldest and greenest park in the center of Barcelona with a very famous fountain, Cascade Monumental, designed once again by the one and only Antoni Gaudi. Unfortunately it was under construction when we viewed it so we were not able to see in its full glory but either way we enjoyed it as much as we could. As we continued walking around we saw a ton of local people relaxing by the lake, reading a book, having lunch on the green and even working out. It felt very safe and perfect for families with small children! There is even the Barcelona Zoo located near by which we did not get to visit. After lunch we continued our tour and visited Antoni Gaudi’s last house in the city, La Pedrera aka Casa Mila.
I purchased the Casa Mila tickets, just like Casa Batllo, in advance as we did not have to wait in line too long and jump right in. Gaudi was hired by Pere Mila and his wife Roser Regimon to construct a new building off the famous street Passeig de Gracia. It was considered a very controversial building because of its unique facade and design. Gaudi was an architect years ahead of his time and it shows. Casa Mila was inspired by geometry, nature and bringing natural light into the interior of the building. At the top of the building it reminds me of a scene from Star Wars and when you see it you will understand why. These designs were actually chimneys and skylights but my mind went wild while at the top. Give your self plenty of time to explore this house throughly and not be rushed. There is so much to see and experience! After a long day it was time to relax poolside to enjoy the water and views from our hotel.
Day 4 – Family Photo Shoot in Park Guell and Gothic Quarters & La Sagrada Familia
One of my most favorite things to do while traveling is scheduling a family photo shoot. I do this because I don’t like seeing all of our pictures together as selfies or pictures of just my husband and daughter or me and my daughter, you get the idea! For the past 4 years we have consistently done this and we don’t plan on stopping now. We decided to book a photographer about 9 days into our trip because I felt my daughter would be well rested and comfortable with the time zone change and it worked! I booked the photo shoot in advance and decided to take pictures in 2 iconic spots: Park Guell and the Gothic Quarters which we had already visited. We booked with a company called Local Lens who contracts photographers in the area to set up with families, engagements, friends, solo shoots and everything in between. We woke up super early and had to be at our spot by 7:30am to avoid the crowds but it was so well worth it! We started at Park Guell with the whole park mostly to ourselves and then took a taxi to the Gothic Quarters where we had a fantastic time shooting with very minimal crowds. We started at the Cathedral of Barcelona and made a full circle and ended at Carrer del Bisbe. We had our photographer for about 2 hours and received the photos about 5 days later. If you get a chance to plan your trip way in advance or in the spur of the moment I highly recommend hiring Local Lens. I promise these pictures and memories will last a lifetime! After the photo shoot we grabbed breakfast in the Quarters and then took a taxi back to the hotel to get into more comfortable clothes and then get back on the road. We had a great lunch followed by more walking and site seeing.
We ventured back to La Sagrada Familia but of course my little one decided it was time for an extra long nap. I was a bit disappointed but made the best of the situation. My hubby and I took advantage of this time to sit on the benches, marvel at the fascinating cathedral and wind down. We needed this relaxation after a few fun filled days. We did not get to visit inside La Sagrada Familia and as I am typing I regret it every day. I figure we will just have to go back in 2026 when it is finally complete! After this we had a delicious dinner and went souvenir shopping for family and friends.
Day 5 – Tibidabo Amusement Park & Cathedral del Sagrat Cor
On our final day in Barcelona I decided it was time to take our amazing daughter to the biggest amusement park they have to offer, the Tibidabo Amusement Park. Tibidabo is one of the oldest theme parks in the world! It was built back in 1899 and well over 100 years old but still going strong. You can get to this park by a personal car, bus or taxi. We chose a taxi and coming from the city center it was a little expensive but well worth it once we reached the top of the mountain. Yes, that is right, this huge amusement park sits at the top of Mount Tibidabo that can be seen from all of Barcelona and the views you see from the top overlooking Barcelona are breathtaking too! All taxis drop you off at a specific location nearest the church, the Cathedral del Sagrat Cor. This church is huge and incredibly beautiful. I would have never thought of putting a Roman Catholic Church next to a lively amusement park but it works in a very good way! After you pass the church you find the entrance into the park. We purchased our tickets on the spot and then headed in. Our first stop was the classic fairy tale Carrousel. We rode the carrousel twice while enjoying the most impressive views. My husband and daughter then rode the large Ferris wheel which I refused to ride because I am terrified of heights. Next we had our daughter play at a small park and ride some children’s rides like the train, a wagon and even a Nutella cup! Let me tell you this park is massive, there are literally 5 stories of nothing but fun, entertainment and rides for everyone to enjoy! We had lunch and then rode many more rides. After several hours of being at the amusement park we decided it was time to leave and get back to the hotel but let me just tell you it was quite difficult. As we tried to find a taxi to take us back into Barcelona we realized that no taxis just came up to Tibidabo to take tourists back down which was a big problem for us. As we tried to figure this out with no cell phone reception, I might add, a very nice family asked if we needed help with anything, I responded yes, that we were stuck in Tibidabo because we needed a taxi to get back down to our hotel in the city. They were generous enough to phone a friend who drives taxis to come to Tibidabo and pick us up. After about 45 minutes of waiting, the taxi finally arrived and we were on our way to the hotel…a huge sigh of relief! Needless to say, if you do decide to visit Tibidao which I strongly suggest especially with kiddos try to find transportation to help take you back down into the city not just up. Thank goodness this wonderful family took the time to help us out! Once we reached our hotel we grabbed a fabulous dinner at our favorite tapas bar, Ciudad Condal, had a bottle of Cava and then went back to the hotel to pack for our flight home!
Conclusion
Our 5 fun packed days in Barcelona was the absolute best for us! We got to explore the city at our own leisure, really enjoy the culture and view the most amazing sites Barcelona has to offer. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing, okay maybe just securing a taxi to pick us back up from Mount Tibidabo, but everything else was perfect! I truly feel we had the best experience here which is also so incredibly family friendly. If you decide to visit Barcelona please use my 5 day itinerary as a guide to help you and your family have the best time in Barcelona, Spain!
