Outdoors · Barcelona · Spain
6 best outdoor things to do in Barcelona
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jvhertum, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Park Güell, Barceloneta beach and Montjuïc. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 14–19 hours across 6 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 14–19 hours
- Areas
- Gràcia, Barceloneta and Montjuïc
Outdoors in Barcelona
Park · Gràcia
1.Park Güell
Take bus 24 towards the upper entrances to avoid the steep climb from Lesseps or Vallcarca Metro, and book the first or last slot of the day.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
Beach · Barceloneta
2.Barceloneta beach
For more space, walk 15 minutes north to Nova Icària or Bogatell, and never leave bags unattended on the sand.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Iconic
Viewpoint · Montjuïc
3.Montjuïc
Ride the funicular from Paral·lel Metro, take the cable car up to the castle, then walk down through the gardens.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Free
- Kids
- History
Park · El Born
4.Parc de la Ciutadella
Rent a rowing boat on the lake, then picnic on the lawns with supplies from the nearby Santa Caterina market.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Theme park · Tibidabo
5.Tibidabo
Reach the summit by FGC train and the Tibidabo funicular, or the Tibibus from Plaça de Catalunya, and check the park's operating days, which vary by season.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Museum · Sant Gervasi
6.CosmoCaixa science museum
Pair it with Tibidabo on the same day, as both sit on the northern edge of the city.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Gràcia | Park Güell | 1.5–2 hours |
| Barceloneta | Barceloneta beach | Half a day |
| Montjuïc | Montjuïc | Half a day |
| El Born | Parc de la Ciutadella | 1–2 hours |
| Tibidabo | Tibidabo | Half a day |
| Sant Gervasi | CosmoCaixa science museum | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 3 free, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Park Güell. The longest visit is Barceloneta beach; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Park Güell: Timed tickets for the Monumental Zone sell out in high season; book online.
How to fit them into 6 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Gràcia): Park Güell, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Barceloneta): Barceloneta beach, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Montjuïc): Montjuïc, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (El Born): Parc de la Ciutadella, at least 1 hour.
- Half-day 5 (Tibidabo): Tibidabo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Sant Gervasi): CosmoCaixa science museum, at least 2 hours.
The best months to be outside
- July: highs of 29°C (84°F), about 2 rainy days, very busy crowds. Hot and humid, with crowded beaches and sights; sightseeing is best early and late in the day.
- June: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 4 rainy days, very busy crowds. Beach season and festival season begin, with long evenings and rising prices.
- May: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 6 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm and sunny with long evenings and the first beach days, though the sea is still cool.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- El Born — Boutiques, cocktail bars and Santa Maria del Mar east of Via Laietana
- Gràcia — Village-like squares, independent shops and Park Güell uphill
- Barceloneta — The old fishermen's quarter beside the city beach
- Poble-sec and Sant Antoni — Tapas streets below Montjuïc and a revived market quarter
More of Barcelona
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Barcelona?
Park Güell. Gaudí's hillside park, built between 1900 and 1914 as a garden suburb that never sold, has the mosaic salamander on the main stairway, the Hypostyle Room's 86 columns and a serpentine bench covered in broken-tile trencadís overlooking the city.
+Which of these are free in Barcelona?
Barceloneta beach, Montjuïc and Parc de la Ciutadella.