Posted: 2/10/2024 | February 10th, 2024
Barcelona is a vibrant, energetic city known for amazing food, beautiful architecture, and wild nightlife. It’s also a place that appeals to everyone: foodies, partiers, history buffs, night owls, and everyone in between will find something to see and do here.
From introductory free tours to in-depth history and food tours, I never get tired of exploring and learning about Barcelona. It’s a city with layers and layers of history and culture that most visitors barely scratch the surface of.
To help you plan your trip, here’s my list of the best walking tours in Barcelona.
Best Overall Tour
Take Walks
Take Walks is my go-to tour company in Barcelona, offering access to places that no other company gets and incredibly knowledgeable guides. I always have fun and learn a ton on these tours.
The Gaudí tour is the most in-depth and comprehensive one available, but there’s also an educational skip-the-line tour of La Sagrada Família, the city’s biggest tourist draw. If you want to visit this cathedral (and you should, it’s gorgeous), this tour is a must. Tours start at 53 EUR.
Best Free Tour
New Europe
New Europe is one of the most popular free walking tour companies in all of Europe. Its main offering is a solid introduction lasting around 2.5 hours and covering all the highlights. It’s a great way to kick-start your trip if you’re on a budget. There’s also a free tour that focuses on Gaudi and modernism. Just make sure to tip your guide at the end!
While those may be the best free and paid tours in town, Barcelona has a lot more to offer. Here are six other insightful and educational tours:
1. Devour Food Tours
Devour is my favorite food tour company. Its offerings are always super insightful and delicious. In Barcelona, Devour runs a few different tours, so there’s something for everyone.
If you’re a history buff like me, the Tapas, Taverns & History Tour is the best choice for you. It lasts over three hours and includes some mouthwatering tapas as you learn about Barcelona’s expansive history.
There’s also an evening wine and tapas tour, as well as a day trip to Monserrat that includes visiting a winery.
Tours start at 87 EUR.
2. Golden Tour Guide
This tour company offers skip-the-line, in-depth tours of Barcelona’s major attractions. If you want to learn about Gaudí, this 75-minute Park Güell tour (with skip-the-line access) is the best way to do so. You’ll get to wander the beautiful (and popular) park, admiring all the incredible mosaics and nature-inspired creations, while learning about the master artisan from an expert local guide. This is one of the most popular sights in town, so learning about it from an expert (and skipping the line) is key!
Tours start at 22 EUR.
3. Travel Bound
You can’t visit Barcelona without doing two things: eating tapas and watching a flamenco show. To make things easy, Travel Bound runs a cool tour in the Gothic Quarter where you can watch an amazing flamenco show and snack on delicious tapas. It’s the perfect tour for travelers who love learning about culture and want to soak up a more traditional slice of life.
Travel Bound also organizes a spooky ghost tour on which you’ll hear about hauntings, gruesome crimes, and other eerie tales from Barcelona’s dark past. It’s just 90 minutes long and a great way to learn about the city after you’ve visited the main sights.
Tours start at 17 EUR.
4. Turisme de Barcelona
Barcelona is an arty place, with lots of great museums, cool galleries, and stunning architecture. If you’re an art fan and want to explore more of this side of the city, Turisme de Barcelona runs a two-hour Picasso walking tour that takes you around his old neighborhood and favorite haunts. From there, you’ll then visit the popular Picasso Museum, which is home to a vast collection of his works (there are over 4,000 pieces here). You’ll get skip-the-line entry too. If you’re a history buff or art fan, this super informative tour is a fun way to explore one of Barcelona’s many niches.
Tours start at 35 EUR.
5. Original Europe Tours
If you want to experience Barcelona’s energetic nightlife, head out on this pub crawl and club tour. You’ll visit at least four spots (including skip-the-line entry) and get a few complimentary shots as you bounce from bar to bar. The tour lasts five hours, ensuring that you’ll get to soak up as much of the nightlife as possible. There’s even the option to add an open bar to your tour for just 20 EUR! Naturally, this tour is filled with mostly young backpackers, but if you want to meet people and have fun, it’s worth checking out.
Tours start at 27 EUR.
Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in Europe. And for good reason: it’s a gorgeous, energetic place that is bursting at the seams with amazing food, cool sights, and tons of history. By taking one of the walking tours above, you’ll be sure to have a fun, informative, and authentic visit to Spain’s most popular metropolis.
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Book Your Trip to Barcelona: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. Some of my favorite places to stay are:
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- SafetyWing (best for everyone)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)
Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Need a Guide?
Barcelona has some really great guided Gaudí tours. My favorite company to go with is Take Walks. Their “Complete Gaudí Tour” will give you the best in-depth and behind-the-scenes Gaudí tour out there.
Want More Information on Barcelona?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Barcelona for even more planning tips!
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