While spending 10 days in Barcelona, you’ll start to feel like more than just a tourist.

Of course, you’ll have plenty of time to see the city’s most iconic sights. But you’ll also be able to get off the beaten path more than the typical visitor to the city. You’ll discover hidden corners locals love, especially charming nearby towns and the best Catalan delicacies you’ve never heard of. Sound good? This itinerary for 10 days in Barcelona is all you need to get started!

Day 1: Food tour & beach

What better way to kick off your 10 days in Barcelona than by learning to eat like a local? That’s exactly what you’ll do when you join our Tastes & Traditions of Barcelona Tour. This experience will help you get the lay of the land in two of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods: El Born and Barceloneta. However, beyond that, you’ll start to gain an appreciation for the city’s excellent gastronomic scene!

When the tour is over, you’ll be in the perfect position to go relax and enjoy an afternoon at Barceloneta beach. While this is easily the most touristy of the region’s many incredible beaches, spending some time here is practically a Barcelona rite of passage. In the evening, use your newfound knowledge from the food tour to take a self-guided tapas crawl through the charming Barceloneta neighborhood.

Day 2: Santa Caterina Market, Parc de la Ciutadella, Picasso Museum, tapas & wine in Born

It’s the second of your 10 days in Barcelona. Time to start shopping like a local! You’ve already visited the Mercado de Santa Caterina (Avenida de Francesc Cambó, 16) on the food tour, but now it’s time to tackle it on your own. Stop by first thing in the morning after the vendors finish setting up. You’ll be completely immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of Catalan culture as you move among locals doing their grocery shopping. As you make your way through the stalls, be sure to stop and pick up some fresh products for a picnic lunch!

From there, make your way to Parc de la Ciutadella (Passeig de Picasso, 21). This gorgeous green space was originally a military citadel hundreds of years ago, but today it’s a great place to relax and get some fresh air right in the heart of the city. Row a boat on the gorgeous lake, check out the Barcelona Zoo, and pay a visit to the Catalan Parliament while you’re there! When you get hungry, find a shady corner to enjoy your picnic lunch.

In the afternoon, head to the Picasso Museum (Carrer Montcada, 15-23). The iconic Spanish painter was not originally from Barcelona, but moved there with his family as a teenager and spent quite a bit of time working in the city as an adult. Even if you’re not much of an art fan, the collection of masterpieces here is astonishing and worth a visit.

As evening falls, you’re in the perfect neighborhood to enjoy some of the best food and wine like a local! Born is home to some seriously fabulous restaurants, wine bars and cocktail bars. A tapas crawl complete with great drinks is the perfect way to end your day!

Day 3: Boquería Market, Las Ramblas, Barcelona Cathedral, Plaça de Catalunya, Palau de la Música Catalana

On the third of your 10 days in Barcelona, you’ll start to explore more of the city center’s most impressive sights. Start off at the most iconic of Barcelona’s many incredible markets: La Boquería (La Rambla, 91). This place gets quite hectic and chaotic as tourists arrive later in the day, but first thing in the morning it can be quite calm and pleasant. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at one of the market bars (we love Bar Pinotxo!) before continuing your day.

Take some time to stroll Las Ramblas and appreciate the morning calm on the famous tree-lined avenue. Later, make your way to Barcelona’s gorgeous cathedral (Pla de la Seu, s/n). The stunning Gothic structure has commanded attention from locals and visitors alike since the 15th century. It’s beautiful enough from the outside, but the interior will certainly take your breath away!

In the afternoon, spend some time relaxing and people-watching around Plaça de Catalunya. As Barcelona’s most emblematic square, this central point connects the Old Town with the Eixample district. From there, you’ll be able to visit the Palau de la Música Catalana (Calle Palau de la Música, 4-6). Designed in the Catalan modernist style so popular in the 20th century, the building itself is especially worth a visit (consider taking a guided tour). However, be sure to stick around later in the evening for one of the excellent choral and classical music performances by world-renowned artists.

Day 4: Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, shopping

On Day 4 of your 10 days in Barcelona, it’s time to start getting acquainted with the city’s most famous son: Antoni Gaudí! The famed Catalan architect designed many of the most iconic buildings in the city. Start your Gaudí adventures by visiting two of the homes he designed: Casa Batlló (Passeig de Gràcia, 43) and Casa Milà (Provença, 261-265). Both are supreme examples of his famous modernist design and integral parts of your sightseeing itinerary.

After getting to know Gaudí, it’s time to take a break from sightseeing and go shopping! This area of Barcelona is home to some of the best-known shops in the city. Well-known brand names line Avinguda Diagonal and Passeig de Gracia, but the side streets hide dozens of adorable little boutiques that are worth checking out as well.

Day 5: Sagrada Familia, Mercado de la Abacería, Gracia

The Gaudí adventures continue! Start off the fifth of your 10 days in Barcelona by visiting his unfinished masterpiece: the Sagrada Familia church (Carrer de Mallorca, 401). This historic building has been under construction for more than 100 years, and it’s still not finished! However, the interior is largely complete, which means you can marvel at the stunning high columns and gorgeous stained glass tiles to your heart’s content.

Insider’s Tip: Don’t wait until you get to Barcelona to buy your Sagrada Familia tickets. We highly suggest purchasing them online in advance to guarantee entry. Or consider joining us for an epic evening on our Sagrada Familia Closing Time Experience: Evening Light & Rooftop Views.

Spend your afternoon and evening visiting the gorgeous Gracia neighborhood. There’s so much to see and do in this off-the-beaten-path part of town, which many visitors simply pass through on their way to the Sagrada Familia. Explore the colorful and vibrant Mercado de la Abacería (Travessera de Gràcia, 186) and discover the hidden gems tucked into picturesque cobblestone backstreets. Gracia was a completely separate village before Barcelona swallowed it up, and there are still plenty of hints of small-town life in this neck of the woods.

Day 6: Winery day trip

As the first week of your 10 days in Barcelona starts to wind down, you may find yourself yearning to escape the city for a bit of calm. Our suggestion: get out of town and explore one of Catalonia’s many especially beautiful wine regions! Some of the best wine in all of Spain comes from this corner of the country, where you’ll find everything from humble, family-run producers and big-name international wine brands.

If you’ll be in town while our Montserrat & Cava Winery Tour: Day Trip from Barcelona with Lunch is running, we’d love for you to join us! This day trip features a guided tour of the iconic Montserrat Monastery—a quintessential Barcelona day trip destination in and of itself—before heading to our favorite family-run cava winery in the Penedes region.

Day 7: Sant Pau, Park Guell, Carmel Bunkers

Can you believe you’ve already been in Barcelona for a week? On Day 7, start things off at the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista (Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167). This beautiful and historic site will transport you back in time to the glamorous days of the early 20th century. For more than a century, the complex housed one of the largest hospitals in the city. Today, it has been transformed into a center full of history, culture and art. You can even visit a part of the space that has been set up to look like the old hospital did back in the day!

From there, it’s time to finish your Gaudí adventure by checking out another one of his most famous works in the city: Park Guell. This gorgeous park looks like something out of a fairy tale, with its whimsical gingerbread-like houses and colorful tilework. As the sun sets, stick around in the park to catch an amazing view, or hike up the nearby Carmel Bunkers. Either are excellent places to enjoy a stunning sunset in Barcelona!

Day 8: Sant Antoni, Montjuïc

Spend the eighth of your 10 days in Barcelona exploring a hip, off-the-beaten-path neighborhood! Sant Antoni is one of the best places in Barcelona to truly live like a local. It’s an exciting and vibrant part of town where few tourists happen to stray, making it easy to blend in.

Hip and happening Sant Antoni is also a great starting point for exploring the area on and around Montjuïc mountain. This hill overlooking the harbor is one of the city’s most characteristic spaces. Get to know Catalonia’s greatest artistic masterpieces at the National Museum of Catalan Art (Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, s/n) and visit all the regions of Spain without leaving Barcelona at Poble Espanyol (Avenida de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 13). And as evening falls, you’ll be in prime position to enjoy the spectacular Montjuïc Magic Fountain Show.

Day 9: Day trip to Girona

Explore a different side of Catalan life! Take another day to get out of busy Barcelona and escape to the nearby city of Girona. Steeped in history, the city is home to dazzling medieval architecture and Roman ruins. However, it maintains a strong modern culture as well. The picturesque city features plenty to see and do, while offering a quainter, more tranquil feel than busy Barcelona. And thanks to the high-speed AVE train, you can get there from Barcelona’s Sants station in less than an hour.

Day 10: Tibidabo

Can you believe your 10 days in Barcelona are already up? It’s time to relax and have some fun! And in Barcelona, there’s no better place to do that than Tibidabo. Perched on an imposing hill that towers over the city, it’s an especially fabulous place to spend your last day in town, especially with kids. The amusement park, with its emblematic old-world ferris wheel, retains a classic vintage vibe with all the fun of modern-day rides. The mountain is also home to a stunning cathedral which can even be seen from down below in the city.