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Barcelona was my first trip on my own, without any family, just one of my best friends and I. It was May of 2014 and I had just graduated from college and couldn’t wait to get away to explore the world on my own. My friend and I had booked 3 days in Barcelona and 3 days in Ibiza and it was our first time visiting Spain. Barcelona was BEAUTIFUL! So much history to learn about and delicious foods to try but out of all of my vacations, this is the one I wish I could do over. Even though I loved it and had so much fun, at the time I didn’t realize how important it is to plan out things for your vacation and because of this, we missed out on some places that we wanted to see because we didn’t do our research beforehand. We booked our trip through European Destinations which is now called Trip Masters. They are a travel company that bundles your flights & accommodations in packages for you which I find very helpful if it’s your first time going to multiple places in Europe. Do keep in mind though, when booking package deals you may not actually get the number of days as advertised. For example, this particular trip was 3 days in Barcelona and 3 days in Ibiza but we really only got 2 full days in Barcelona as the third day was spent going to the airport to catch a flight to Ibiza and then we had 2 full days in Ibiza after that.

Day 1: La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell

We landed the prior evening just in time for dinner and accidentally slept in a little on our first full day. We had booked a tour of La Sagrada Familia and would’ve missed our tour if our hotel wasn’t located so close to the site! Our hotel was okay, but if I were to visit again, I would stay at the Radisson Blu 1882 hotel which is also in a perfect location near the La Sagrada Familia. The basilica has been under renovation for quite some time now and is expected to be fully completed in 2026 but it’s still worth the visit. The detail that went into the building of this structure is unbelievable. Next we walked through Park Guell, admiring more of Gaudi’s work as he seems to be everywhere you turn in this city. There is a great viewpoint on the top of the hill that overlooks Gaudi’s pink house (pictured below). The beautiful pink house is now Gaudi’s House Museum and he lived there from 1906-1925. Afterwards, we explored one of the most famous markets in Barcelona, Mercat Boqueria. They have tons of booths filled with fresh meats, cheeses, treats, and dry goods. You can samples some of the best food that the city has to offer here and find great gifts to bring back home. That evening, we checked out the Gothic Quarter which has small, twisted streets with medieval touches and tons of bars, shops, and authentic restaurants.

Day 2: Touring Casa Batlló

For the majority of our second day, it was cloudy and rained in the afternoon. We had planned to take the hop on hop off bus tour so that we could see as much as possible. These bus tours are always a good option in a large, historical city because it helps give you an idea of the lay of the land, gives you some history of buildings, and can even serve as your mode of transportation instead of taking taxis or the city’s transportation system. In the afternoon we toured Casa Batllo, which is another very famous site by Gaudi. During the tour you learn the history of the house & can explore almost all of the rooms and the inspiration behind its’ architecture. We really wanted to go to the Picasso Museum but when we got there, we realized it was closed on that day and we were really kicking ourselves for not planning more in advance. That night we packed our bags and went to the airport the next morning to board our short flight to Ibiza for a couple of days.

There’s so much to do and see in Barcelona and now that I’m older, I realize how important it is to plan out your vacation and make the most of the time you have there. If you’re interested in learning more about my travel planning habits since this trip, you can visit my itinerary guide where I break down how exactly I plan all of my trips using Google Maps and see my Excel template.

Spain definitely remains on my travel list and I would love to visit Barcelona again! I would recommend staying in Barcelona for at least 3 full days to ensure that you really get a chance to see everything this wonderful city has to offer. Barcelona also offers a tourist card which gets you into more than 25 museums for free, plus tons of discounts on other activities and even free public transportation! I bought the Paris Pass before I visited there and it was totally worth it! If you have the opportunity to spend a few extra days in Barcelona, you should take the train to Zaragoza. The train from Barcelona to Zaragoza is only one and a half hours and Zaragoza can be a great day trip or you can opt to spend a couple of days there.

Happy travels!

- Tess

Tess Arnold

Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip!  If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!