Do you have to visit Barcelona in 5 days and you don’t want to miss anything but at the same time you want to get out of the usual script and take some memory that nobody else has? We have an ideal itinerary for you. While it is true that Barcelona is an endless city that always leaves you wanting more for its perfect combination of beach, city and mountains with a warm summer and mild climate the rest of the year, with good ideas you can enjoy an unforgettable experience. For day 1, 2 and 3, we recommend taking as a reference the itinerary that we proposed in our post to visit Barcelona in 3 days, which included some of the essentials of the city:
Gaudí route with stop at La Pedrera and La Sagrada Familia in the morning, Park Güell in the afternoon and end of the day at the Mirablau bar , to enjoy wonderful views of Barcelona (reservations recommended). This route can be done the other way around, starting with Park Güell, since a trick that still very few know to enjoy this visit without paying the 8 euros that the entrance costs is to enter before 8. It will allow us a visit without crowds , take the picture of rigor in the salamander made of ceramic fragments without waiting for a turn. In addition, if the weather is nice and we want to put a finishing touch to our plan, we can finish our itinerary in the picnic area with views, tasting a selection of gourmet gourmet products such as jabugo ham, sausages with designation of origin and other delicacies that will compensate for the early bird.
We take you to the Park Güell a special basket with the best gourmet local products (ham, sausage, chocolate, wine) to make your visit an unforgettable experience. If you plan a romantic trip it is the ideal plan with your better half!
Tour of the center, the Gothic quarter and the sea area , with stops at Casa Batlló by Antoni Gaudí, walking route through Plaça Catalunya, La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter, walk through the Parc de la Ciutadella and night in the area of Olympic port and the Poblenou neighborhood.
Visit the monument to Columbus and itinerary through the Parc de Montjuïc and visit the Campo del Barça after a walk through Plaça Espanya, with a flourish on the terrace of the Hotel Meliá. For those who prefer a plan that does not happen to visit the Camp Nou, there are several alternative plans. If we want to know one of the neighborhoods that best preserve its village charm that was annexed to Barcelona in 1897 despite the growing tourist interest that has put it in fashion, we can go to the Vila de Gràcia. Its many places, each with its own personality, are full of life every day of the week, whether with people having a drink, children playing, street musicians playing, older people commenting on the play, etc. Another possible option is to explore the fascinatingRaval neighborhood , whose multicultural atmosphere, which drinks from its vibrant history , will catch us so as not to let us escape. Not only does a melting pot of communities coexist , such as the Muslim, the Sikh, the Catholic or the Buddhist, but it is also home to alternative artists and influencers from around the world (one of the most avant-garde contemporary art museums in Europe – the MACBA – is in this neighborhood, as well as a powerful film library and other cultural facilities) and is the scene of a lively nightlife. Both Gràcia and Raval can be reached from Montjuïc by subway, from Plaça Espanya (line 3, green) to Fontana or to Liceu.
Barcelona is in a privileged environment, because it has less than two hours by train some of the best beaches and coves in the Mediterranean , on the Costa Brava. There you can enjoy the sun and the bath, as well as an exquisite fishing and mountain gastronomy, contemplate beautiful landscapes following picturesque coastal roads and even, if we want to indulge ourselves, live experiences as a boat or balloon ride to explore area. Traveling to that part of Girona gives us the perfect excuse to visit one of the five most visited museums in Spain, the Theater – Dalí Museum, in Figueres, which was visited by 1,207,149 visitors during 2017. The place, which occupies an ancient theater burned down during the Spanish Civil War, does justice to the personality of the artist, who actively participated in its design. Different options to enjoy local cuisine at a good price, such as Can Jordi, Trànsit or El Racó de la Xeli, can be found near the Dalí Museum . To get to Figueres, the best option is to take the train (RENFE) at Barcelona’s Sants station and take a two-hour journey to Figueras, for the small fee of € 16 per person. You can check the schedules here
Another possible option to disconnect from the city is just 50 km away and visit the Abbey of Montserrat . This construction dates from the eleventh century, and is located in one of the most spectacular natural environments in Catalonia for the particular relief of its mountains, which delights visitors of all kinds, whether they are lovers of nature or culture. The abbey is formed, on the one hand, by the basilica, in Gothic and Renaissance style, where the monks live, where the most spectacular ceremonies take place. On the other, it consists of buildings that are intended to serve visitors, with cafes and restaurants, shops and places to stay.The most iconic attraction of the basilica is that it houses the Virgin of Montserrat, “La Moreneta” for its dark color, whose finding is believed to date from the ninth century, patron saint of Catalonia and pilgrimage point for believers and tourists. This visit is well worth a whole day, in which we can enjoy nature, culture and gastronomy in a place that many discard in a 5-day visit to Barcelona mistakenly thinking that it is far away, when in reality we have it very easy to reach.The FGC group of railways offers a combination of ticket that includes the subway ticket, the round trip ticket by train FGC to Monistrol from Plaça Espanya, round trip ticket at the Montserrat rack, tickets for the Sant Joan funiculars and Santa Cova and entrance to the Audiovisual Space of Montserrat. To buy tickets you can check this page
If we organize ourselves well the first four days, we can reserve a day to go to one of the best amusement parks in Europe (if not the best, after Disneyland): Port Aventura. Located a few kilometers from Salou, just over 2 hours by train from Barcelona, Port Aventura broke the record of 4 million visitors in 2016. The park contains several thematic areas, Mediterrània, Polynesia, China, Mexico and Far West , with iconic attractions such as the Dragon Khan, Stampida and Shambala roller coasters, the Hurakan Condor free fall and attractions in the aquatic environment such as the Tutuki Splash, the Grand Canyon Rapids and the Silver River Flume.In the area where Port Aventura is located, in Vila-Seca (Costa Daurada), if you have an extra day you can take advantage of the beach. To get the best option is the train: RENFE proposes three stops to catch the train from Barcelona: France Station, Passeig de Gracia and Sants Station. The journey does not exceed two hours and has a minimum price of € 8. However, on the Port Aventura website and on some internet portals you can find bus transport offers that are included in packs with tickets,
If we prefer to invest the fifth day in an activity related to nature, Barcelona offers all kinds of getaways, from horseback riding along the Bages (50 km), volcanic routes through Olot (100 km), bike or canoe routes by the Delta de l’Ebre (in the northernmost part of Catalonia) and much more.
In Catalonia the wine culture dates back several centuries. It produces eleven denominations of origin with different peculiarities and history. If we want to carry out a different plan and we do not want to get far from Barcelona, we can carry out a route through the cradle of champagne (sparkling wine similar to champagne), Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, and savor some of international fame. The Penedès area also offers exquisite wines, and on websites such as Enoturisme Penedès we can book experiences with hotel night and visit the winery included.
If you want to try the best local products of Barcelona by doing something different to go for tapas on a busy terrace, at PicnicBCN we offer you the possibility of enjoying a gourmet picnic in some of the most emblematic places of the city, such as the Parc de la Ciutadella or the Barceloneta Beach. Choose your menu and surprise your companion with an original plan!