Barcelona in 3 days

Gaudí, tapas and beach - without the cruise-ship version of the city. Best time to visit: May-June and September-October. Average daily budget: $90 to $140 USD.

Land, Eixample walk, El Born night

Morning: Aerobus from BCN to Plaça Catalunya. Drop bags. Coffee at Federal Café.

Afternoon: Walk Passeig de Gràcia: Casa Batlló (book ahead), La Pedrera exterior, Casa Vicens.

Evening: Tapas crawl in El Born: Bormuth → Bar del Pla → El Xampanyet for cava.

Eat: Pa amb tomàquet, everywhere, the base of every Catalan meal.

Sagrada + Park Güell + Gràcia

Morning: Sagrada Família at 9am (pre-booked tower ticket). Allow 2 hours.

Afternoon: Metro to Park Güell. Free zone first, then monumental zone (booked).

Evening: Walk down to Gràcia. Plaça del Sol for vermouth, dinner at La Pubilla.

Eat: Patatas bravas at Bar Tomás (Sarrià), purists argue it's the best in the city.

Beach + Gothic + Bunkers sunset

Morning: Beach morning at Bogatell or Mar Bella (calmer than Barceloneta). Swim, coffee at Surf House.

Afternoon: Walk back through Born to the Gothic Quarter. Cathedral, Plaça Reial, Picasso Museum.

Evening: Bus 24 to Bunkers del Carmel for sunset. Late dinner at Carrer Blai pintxos.

Eat: Vermouth at Bodega 1900, Albert Adrià's tribute to old Barcelona.

Hidden gems

Hospital de Sant Pau - more impressive than Sagrada Família, half the crowd.
Carrer Blai for euro-pintxos, every bar charges €1-2 per pintxo.
Tibidabo at sunset.
Mercat de Sant Antoni on Sundays, the Sant Antoni book and coin market.
Bar Marsella in El Raval, Hemingway's absinthe bar, unchanged since 1820.
Búnkers del Carmel for sunset (free, locals only).
Refugi 307, Civil War bomb shelter under Montjuïc, a sobering 60-minute tour.

Getting around

Get a T-casual 10-trip transit card (€12.50, shareable across travellers). Metro is fast and clean, but the Gothic Quarter and El Born are walking-only. The Hola Barcelona Travel Card (€17 for 48h, €25 for 72h) includes airport metro, only worth it if you'll do 6+ rides per day. Bicing rentals are locals-only; tourists should rent from Donkey Republic or Cooltra scooters.

Safety

Barcelona has the worst pickpocket reputation in Europe - but it's almost always non-violent. Front pockets only on La Rambla and the metro (especially L3). Don't put your phone on outdoor restaurant tables. Solo female travellers are very safe in El Born, Gràcia and Eixample at night. Avoid empty Raval streets after 1am.

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