Sightseeing Barcelona

Timetable

Municipal museums are generally open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm and are closed on Mondays. These times vary according to the location and the season, so please check the practical information on the museums' websites. Modernist monuments, most of which are privately managed, have much longer opening hours. They are generally open every day of the year, some even in the evenings.

To be booked

For the most visited monuments of the city, it is strongly advised - even indispensable - to buy your tickets in advance by choosing a time slot for the visit. This mainly concerns the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guëll, and to a lesser extent the Pedrera and Casa Batlló. For some museums and monuments, it is essential to download online invitations on free days. This is the case at the Museu Picasso and Palau Güell

Budget & Tips

In museums and other municipal places of interest, admission costs around €6-12 for adults, and is free for children under 16 years of age. In private institutions, prices are higher: from 17 € for the Sagrada Familia, up to 25 € for Casa Batlló

Many museums and cultural centres offer free access on certain days or at certain times. On Thursdays from 6pm, this is the case of the Museu Picasso. On Saturday afternoons, admission is free at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and the MACBA. Finally, on Sundays from 3 p.m. onwards, you can visit the Museu Frederic Marès, the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, the Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria, the Museu Blau, the Museu del Disseny, the Castell de Montjuïc and the CCCB free of charge.

Apart from these free periods, several passes will allow you to make the visits at a lower price. The Barcelona Card (barcelonacard.com) allows free access on public transport and to many of the city's museums (MNAC, Fundació Joan Miró, etc.). It costs from €20 for 48 hours. The Art Ticket (articketbcn.org) allows you to discover six museums and cultural foundations with a single ticket at the price of 35 €. It will give you access to the Picasso Museum and the Macba. Finally, the Arqueoticket (€14.50 on bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com) gives you access to four of the city's museums: the Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya (MAC), the Museu Egipci, the Museu d'Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) and the Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria

Main events

When the sunny days arrive, the city's museums and institutions compete in inventiveness to attract an audience that is often more inclined to sunbathe on the beach than to perfect its general culture! As a result, the night becomes the best time to attract the crowd. In July and August, don't miss the Pedrera Jazz, jazz concerts organised every weekend on the spectacular terrace designed by Gaudí. Or the Nits Màgiques de la Casa Batlló and the Nits del Palau Güell, with a concert and a glass of cava. Perched on the heights of Tibidabo, the Fabra observatory has found a good idea to attract visitors: organise dinners on its large terrace, accompanied by a night visit to its museum and the possibility of observing the moon from a century-old telescope! Reservations on sternalia.com/ca/sopars-amb-estrelles

Guided tours

On its website (bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com), the tourist office offers the classic guided tours on the themes of Gaudí and modernism, medieval Barcelona, and maritime Barcelona. More original are gastronomic trips to the city's markets, tours of tapas bars with a guide or tastings of Catalan wines. Many agencies also offer bike tours along the coast. To get off the beaten track, opt for a visit to the new trendy districts (Sant Antoni, Gràcia, Poblenou). The Barcelona Street Style Tour collective (barcelonastreetstyletour.com) offers free visits to discover the city's most beautiful graffiti. Also think about the free guided tours, especially those offered by Jean-Pierre (visitesguideesbarcelona.com) in French.