5 Top Tips For Barcelona With Kids

Top Five Tips for a Perfect Holiday in Barcelona with Kids

Barcelona is a big spread out city, so when going with kids, go to these 5 places. There is so much to see and do it can become overwhelming. With the amazing amount of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all the Gaudi, and all the fabulous food, you don’t know where to start.

Coming from Zürich, the differences were quite obvious. The food scene is huge in Barcelona, with store hours extending well into the night. For instance, we left our hotel at 4am to catch our 6am flight back to Zürich and there were plenty of people still out on the street enjoying their Saturday night. It can seem overwhelming to choose fun activities for the family with so much to see and do. As soon as we walked onto the famous La Rambla, I knew we needed to find the perfect places for our family and get off that very busy tourist street. Here is what we loved doing with our family.

1. Park Güell

Park Güell is a wonderful place to spend a whole day with the family. TOP TIP, to see the Gaudi area, tickets for a time slot need to be purchased either online or at any of the ticket counters at Park Güell. When I was doing research for where to go with my girls before our Barcelona holiday, Park Güell was listed as FREE by many family travel bloggers. It is NOT free for the Gaudi part. Tickets are cheap, so get them online and download them before showing up at the Park.

The Park is absolutely fantastic. Take the metro to Vallcarca. Once at Vallcarca walk as the sign directs you to Park Güell. Then on the left you will see the escalators that help take you up the very steep hill to the park. Once at the park, walk the rest of the way up to the very top. Our girls had a great time spotting butterflies and listening to a street performer at the top of the hill.

Depending on the time slot for the Park Güell Gaudi UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are a lot of great playgrounds in a terraced layout. There is one, then another, then another. It’s fantastic. The playgrounds are part of the large free area. Only the very tiny Gaudi area is it necessary to have tickets and a time slot.

We spent two days at Park Güell. One day the girls walked all around, exploring the viaduct, the street performers, and wandering through different trails. Only when we walked up to the Gaudi part did we realize we needed tickets, and by that time, we were thinking about dinner. So we came back the next day with our online tickets. You’re welcome.

1. Buy online tickets for Gaudi time slot, UNESCO Heritage site
2. Great playgrounds for kids
3. A great place for a family picnic as there is no on site restaurant

2. Food Tour

We loved our food tour with Josh. He took us out of our comfort zone and into how the locals eat. We toured an amazing food market off the beaten path where we sat for tapas, sampled meats and cheeses, and picked up food for later in our private tour.

I loved seeing the city off the beaten path, out of the tourist hustle and trying new foods. I found the busy streets of Barcelona overwhelming when looking for a place to eat as a family. Now I know that the local markets will always have amazing options and to think beyond the restaurant.

3. La Boqueria

The best food market in the world? Definitely the most beautiful, fresh, and colorful I have ever seen. So much fruit, fruit juices, and fresh fish. My daughters loved seeing all the fish still moving around. We loved sitting at a bar and eating and drinking tapas while watching everyone shopping at the market. The girls bought fresh juices and fruit cups here, as well as calamari. We also ate here one night at a paella restaurant. It’s wonderful to hop off the crazy La Rambla and escape into this gorgeous experience. 4. Barceloneta Beach

The beach is a wonderful escape from the bustling La Rambla. The girls took off their shoes and got their toes in the sandy beach. When in Barcelona, make time for the beach. Your kids will thank you.

5. Gothic Quarter

This is my favorite area in Barcelona. There is so much food and culture in one gorgeous little spot. The old cathedrals, the Roman Wall, the gorgeous alleyways, the desserts, oh my! Plus, the very best churros were found right in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. With so many cute cafes winding through this gorgeous old town, we spent most of our time here. I would highly recommend staying in this area when visiting Barcelona.

Barcelona feels like a girl’s weekend place to go shopping and eating. I am glad we went as a family, but seeing it once was wonderful. The food, the people, and the historical Gothic Quarter were absolutely amazing.There are so many more places in this world that we need to see and discover. Including more places in Spain. Do you have a favorite place in Spain? Does your family love Spain? I think we need a beachy Spain holiday next.