What's Included<\/p>\nToggle<\/span>

Quick history about Barcelona\u00a0<\/a><\/li>
Where to stay your first time in Barcelona<\/a><\/li>
First visit must-dos in Barcelona<\/a><\/li>
First-Timers guide to getting around Barcelona with ease<\/a><\/li>
Guide to Barcelona\u2019s best food and drink<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n
<\/span>Quick history about Barcelona\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
First up, here\u2019s a little background info about this city that you should know. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia<\/b>, one of Spain\u2019s 17 autonomous communities. It\u2019s the second-largest city in Spain, with a population of 1.6 million.<\/p>\r\n
Though Barcelona is known today as a modern, cosmopolitan city, it\u2019s actually over 2,000 years old and boasts quite a bit of fascinating history. The city of Barcelona is very easy to navigate thanks to its walkability and abundance of public transportation<\/a> options. Walking the streets, you\u2019ll find two different co-official languages in Barcelona: Spanish and Catalan.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Many people, at least in the city center, also speak English, which makes it even easier to get around. So if you\u2019re ready, let\u2019s go.<\/p>\r\n
$\"A$
Barcelona is full of history. Photo credit: Kristijan Arsov<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n
<\/span>Where to stay your first time in Barcelona<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
There are loads of options when it comes to places to stay in Barcelona. Whether you\u2019re looking for the perfect hotel<\/a>, neighborhood, or local experience, doing just a bit of research will make for the perfect first visit to Barcelona.<\/p>\r\n
The city is divided into 10 districts<\/a> and 73 neighborhoods, each of which has its own unique character. When deciding where to stay in Barcelona, think about what\u2019s most important to you. Some things to consider<\/b> are:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Proximity to the city center<\/li>\r\n
How close you want to be to the beach or parks<\/li>\r\n
What public transportation is nearby<\/li>\r\n
If you want to be in a busy neighborhood or somewhere relaxed<\/li>\r\n
What attractions you want to visit most and how close you want to be to them<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
For more information, you can read our full posts on where to stay in Barcelona<\/a> and, of course, our guide to Barcelona neighborhoods<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n
$\"People$
No matter which neighborhood you choose to stay in, there will be plenty to explore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n
<\/span>First visit must-dos in Barcelona<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
The list of things to do in Barcelona is infinite. So much so that we made a list of 100 of them<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n
However, if it\u2019s your first time visiting Barcelona, there are certain things that are a must<\/b> on the itinerary, even if you\u2019re here for just a couple of days:<\/p>\r\n
\r\nVisit the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia<\/a><\/li>\r\n
Walk down La Rambla<\/li>\r\n
Explore La Boqueria Market<\/a><\/li>\r\n
Get lost in the historical Gothic Quarter<\/a> and El Born neighborhoods<\/li>\r\n
Take a self-guided tour of famous architect Antonio Gaud\u00ed\u2019s work<\/a><\/li>\r\n
Wander around one of Barcelona\u2019s many wonderful museums<\/a><\/li>\r\n
Hike around Montju\u00efc and visit its many different sights<\/li>\r\n
Rent a bike<\/a> and head down Barcelona\u2019s coastline<\/li>\r\n
Go on our Barcelona Tapas, Taverns & History Tour<\/b><\/a> to discover the city\u2019s wonderful gastronomy<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n $\"cheersing$
What’s on your Barcelona bucket list?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n
<\/span>First-Timers guide to getting around Barcelona with ease<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
Barcelona is a very walkable city. Depending on where you\u2019re staying, you might never need to set foot on public transport. That said, certain places, like Gaud\u00ed\u2019s famous Park G\u00fcell<\/a>, can be a bit of a hike on foot.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Instead, make good use of the metro or bus systems<\/b><\/a> which are easy to understand and function almost flawlessly.<\/p>\r\n
Local Tip<\/b>:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
\r\nIf you plan on taking public transportation several times, get a T-Casual card<\/a>, which is a 10-ride pass that will save you money over time. The card is easy to use and you can buy it inside any metro station.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
If you\u2019re the bicycle type, Barcelona is a fabulous city to see from the seat of a bike. There are plenty of bike rentals around the city that will provide you with a map of the city\u2019s bike lanes.<\/p>\r\n
$\"people$
Exploring Barcelona by bike is both fun and rewarding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n
<\/span>Guide to Barcelona\u2019s best food and drink<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
Barcelona is famous for its wonderful cuisine<\/b>, and it\u2019s no wonder why. The city boasts an incredible array of options, from rustic Catalan dining to modern and trendy tapas bars. Of course, you can\u2019t miss out on all of the sweets in between.<\/p>\r\n
Check out the best options for different tastes and occasions below:<\/p>\r\n
\r\nTraditional foods in Barcelona<\/a><\/li>\r\n
The best tapas bars in Barcelona<\/a><\/li>\r\n
Top pastry shops in Barcelona<\/a><\/li>\r\n
10 must-visit restaurants in Barcelona<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
The eating schedule and habits of locals can be tricky for visitors. Spain is famous for its long, late lunches and even later dinners, so it might be helpful to try and get on the local schedule if you want to eat like a local in Barcelona<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Finally, for a true taste of local flavor, head to the different historic food markets<\/a> around the city. The Boqueria market<\/a> is a must, but there are so many others to discover. Take a look at the video below to get a guided tour around the beautiful Santa Caterina Market<\/a> with our lovely co-founder, Lauren Alouise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-3135 size-full\">\r\n<figure class=\"img-responsive\" class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption>\r\n<p>If you know where you\u2019re staying for your first trip to Barcelona, make sure to check out the top bars, restaurants, caf\u00e9s, and more in each neighborhood. Of course, we have you covered, as always.<\/p>\r\n<p>Check out the links below to some of our favorite neighborhood spots in our guide to Barcelona\u2019s best bites:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-in-barceloneta\/\">Barceloneta<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-barcelona-born-neighborhood\/\">The Born<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-in-barcelona-the-gothic-quarter\/\">The Gothic Quarter<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-in-barcelona-poble-sec\/\">Poble-sec<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-in-barcelona-poble-nou-neighborhood\/\">Poblenou<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-in-barcelona-raval-neighborhood\/\">El Raval<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/where-to-eat-in-barcelona-gracia\/\">Gr\u00e0cia<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWe love to show our beautiful city to visitors. If it’s your first time in Barcelona, there’s no better way to see and taste this vibrant city.<br \/><br \/>\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_30047\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30047\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Devour-Tours-Summit-2020-Photoshoot-Barcelona-Photography-by-Ben-Holbrook-160-scaled-e1718786046942.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of typical tapas at a bar in Barcelona. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Let us show you some of the best tapas around town.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<br \/>\r\n<p><i>Update Notice: This post was updated on June 19, 2024<\/i>.<\/p>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coming to Barcelona for the first time? There\u2019s so much to see, do, eat, and experience in a short time, so it\u2019s normal that you might start to feel overwhelmed when it comes to planning. To make things easy, we\u2019ve created a first-timer’s guide to Barcelona to make sure that your first visit is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":37984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[361,363],"tags":[646,132,510,94,471,647,498,648,222,649],"ppma_author":[2459],"class_list":["post-14664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-barcelona-blog","category-barcelona-travel","tag-barcelona-neighborhood","tag-food-tour","tag-gaudi","tag-markets","tag-metro","tag-montjuic","tag-park-guell","tag-tours","tag-travel","tag-visit-barcelona"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n<title>Devour Tours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/a-complete-first-timers-guide-to-barcelona\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Complete First-Timers Guide to Barcelona! 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