Things to do in Barcelona with Kids

UPDATED JULY 2024
By Dom Bewley
barcelona kids

The children are our future - that's just a cold, hard fact. But what about the present? Well, we have to account for that too. Children very much live in the present, so it's important you make today's vacation one they'll remember forever. And where better way to do that than in the beautiful city of Barcelona! It may not be a huge theme park dedicated to their every whim, but there's plenty for kids to do in Barcelona!

From fun education excursions to museums dedicated to fun (really), you'll be surprised at the amount of great stuff there is for you and your little one to experience! But with so much to see and so little time to see it, which are the best things to do with kids in Barcelona? Calm your weeping body, settle down, and focus. We've done all the heavy lifting and collated our list of the very best things to do with kids in Barcelona, so you don't have to. You are very welcome.

Including:

  • Underwater exploration
  • Historical city wanders
  • Landmark-laden bus tours
  • 4D fun
  • The literal museum of fun
  • and more!
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L’Aquàrium de Barcelona

Most kids love animals, especially those of the exotic variety they only see on TV or read about in books. So why not make their fantasy a reality at the Barcelona Aquarium?

There, they'll have the chance to meet more than 11,000 weird and wonderful underwater critters, pass through the fantastic underwater tunnel where they'll be surrounded by chill sea animals just hanging out, and see live feedings for some of the bigger, spookier sealife.

They'll also explore 14 Mediterranean aquariums that contain all types of life found in Barcelona's seas. From seahorses to eels, sharks to rays, there's a world of wonderful wildlife down there for young minds to explore. Easily one of the best things to do in Barcelona with kids!

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Poble Espanyol de Barcelona

If your kid's the type to always ask questions about what life was like, or how people used to live, then this one should answer some of their questions. Poble Espanyol is a world within itself, an open-air architectural museum that recreates much of Barcelona throughout time.

This results in 117 buildings, streets, and squares, faithfully recreated from history. You and the little one can gaze up at ancient houses on a residential street, or see a centuries-old monastery up close. Truly a city within the city, it's hard to describe what it is - you really have to see it for yourself.

They also have expert craftsmen onsite that sell a variety of authentic knickknacks, as well as a whole gallery of art from some of the city's biggest artists. So why not pick something up for the little one to commemorate your visit?

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Bus Turístic Tour

Barcelona is a city packed with history, outstanding landmarks, and bucket-list locations. And with so much to see, it can be tough fitting all of them around a kid-friendly schedule. So why take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Barcelona's greatest hits?

For one day, you'll be able to board and get off any Bus Turístic service. That means you have complete freedom to see whatever you want, whenever you want. If your little one's eyes widen as soon as they set eyes on the Sagrada Familia, we wouldn't blame them. Simply hop off, explore the monumental building, and then hop on another bus to the next destination.

It's a great way to keep kids engaged without dragging them around every landmark until they're bored to tears. Don't worry, you can thank us later.

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Gaudí Experiència 4D

Gaudí's monumental gifts to the architectural world may stand on their own, but to a little mind, they may not be more than a passing interest. This is especially true when you consider the effect that surrealism and strangeness have had on the children's entertainment industry. Do you actually watch those kids' programs with them? They're weird. Really weird. So your little one may be desensitized to the magnificence of the Sagrada Familia or Park Güell in person. Which is a shame but, what are you going to do?

Well, what you will do is take them on an interactive rollercoaster of an experience through Gaudí's work, thanks to Gaudí Experiència 4D! This state-of-the-art interpretation of the main man's masterworks involves moving cinema seats, water effects, and a high-budget thrill ride to transport you into the mind of Gaudí. You'll learn about what influenced his designs. They'll appreciate flying through the air and feeling the ocean breeze on their face. To each their own!

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Museum of Illusions and Big Fun Museum

Next up is a two-for-one special. Two museums, two amazing kid-friendly experiences, and only one ticket required! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Big Fun Museum.

This wonderful fun house will see you and your kids shrunk to the size of a bug as you explore a Giant's House. Featuring larger-than-life utensils, apparel, and furniture, you'll have a blast climbing in the giant's massive shoe with them, or tightrope-walking along his teaspoon.

Then, at the Museum of Illusions which is a part of the Big Fun Museum, they'll have their minds warped and their eyes deceived by some dastardly tricks of perspective. Featuring giant dinosaurs, huge chasms, and floating spaceships that feel like they're just a touch away, it's one of the best things to do in Barcelona with kids!

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Barcelona Zoo

And finally, let's end this list with more kid-friendly animal fun at Barcelona Zoo! Your little one can go face-to-face with over 2000 animals who call it home. They'll find all their favorite animals within, from lions and tigers to giraffes and elephants. If they lean on the scaly side, make sure to visit the Reptile House so they can meet some weird and wonderful green critters.

Plus, there are plenty of hidden opportunities to learn there, thanks to talks from zookeepers, conservationists, and others who work there. There are even live feedings, if your little ones can handle the more grisly stuff!

And that's our list of the best things to do in Barcelona with kids!

Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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Art at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona (Image credit: Museu Picasso)
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Museu Picasso vs Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - (MNAC) Comparison

Barcelona has quite the pedigree when it comes to art. Not to put too fine a point on it, we’re talking about the self-same region that nurtured Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. Heck, this part of Spain is about as central to the development of European art as just about anywhere else on the continent. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the city’s fine art museums, among which the extraordinary Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and epic Museu Picasso are among the very best. We took a closer look at these two titans of the Barça art scene, including a little bit of history and the treasures you can expect to find within… Museu Picasso: The Lowdown Vital Statistics: Opened in 1963, Barcelona’s Museu Picasso was the world’s first museum dedicated entirely to the maestro’s work, and the only one to open in his lifetime. Even today, the museum’s collection of 4,000+ pieces, located in the very neighborhood where Picasso lived and studied as a teenager, makes it one of the three largest Picasso collections on the planet, alongside the Picasso Museum in Paris, and the mighty Prado in Madrid. The museum attracts over a million visitors annually. Picasso Museum in Brief: Picasso’s fledgling art career first took wing in the medieval streets of the medieval Gothic Quarter. Here’s where he lived with his family, studied at the School of Fine Arts, and found inspiration for his celebrated ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon’ at a Carrer d'Avinyó brothel. It’s appropriate then that this extensive collection of his work – and particularly his earlier, pre-Cubist work – should be exhibited here, close to the very neighborhood Picasso once called home. This is no ordinary museum either. Art of this quality deserves a setting just as impressive, and the series of five adjoining medieval palaces in Le Ribera, in which the collection is housed, more than delivers. The mind-boggling number of exhibits (some 4,251 at last count) is helpfully organized into sections that primarily cover Picasso’s early years, training period and celebrated Blue Period, taking in a fairly substantial hoard of sketches and paintings from those eras, as well as a much smaller collection of pieces from his Cubist period and beyond. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya: The Lowdown Vital Statistics: A stalwart of the Barcelona art scene since 1934, MNAC is *the* go-to for anyone with even a passing interest in Catalan art from the last 1,000 years. Set high on Montjuïc hill, this majestic collection is displayed within the historic Palau Nacional, a jaw-dropping confection that marries elements of St Peter's Basilica, Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, and other major masterpieces of European architecture. Something of a work of art in its own right then, this palatial Italian-style confection also just happens to command some of the best Barcelona panoramas in town. No wonder then that it draws in a similar number of tourists to the Picasso Museum – around a million – every year. MNAC in Brief: Go for the art and stay for the sweeping city views: visitors to the museum enjoy access to the roof terrace for unrivaled panoramas of the skyline, taking in everything from the Montjuïc Magic Fountain below to the familiar lines and angles of the Sagrada Família, and the Mediterranean beyond. It’s worth taking a peek inside too, of course. For here’s where you can marvel at Romanesque religious murals par excellence, lovingly transported here from crumbling medieval churches in the Pyrenees, as well as key pieces from the Gothic and Renaissance eras, and some of the modern masterworks that inspired Dalí, Picasso, Gaudí and Miró. In summary, MNAC boasts what is quite possibly (nay, almost certainly) the finest collection of Catalan art, ancient and modern, on this planet we call Earth. Museu Picasso: Highlights & What to Expect The Museu Picasso works hard to convey the artist’s relationship with Barcelona, from the formative years spent learning his craft in this very district to his continuing connection with the city in death. Guided tours of the local neighborhood flesh this out, revealing Picasso’s family homes, teenage hangouts and more. One such tour is included with a Barcelona pass from Go City, which also includes entry to the museum, as well as other Barcelona attractions including Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família. Find out more about the Barcelona pass and buy yours here. Cool fact: during renovations in 1960, the Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca were discovered concealed beneath plaster in Palau Aguilar, one of the five medieval palaces in which Museu Picasso is housed. Considered a masterpiece of 13th-century Catalan art, these magnificent murals now form the focal point of the Gothic galleries at MNAC. Back to the present day Museu Picasso now, where highlights include: ‘The First Communion’ and ‘Science and Charity’. Some of his earliest major works, these oil paintings date from 1896-1897, when Picasso was still a teenager. Must-see Blue Period works at the museum include ‘The Dead Woman’, a striking portrait of a recently deceased subject, rendered in the trademark sickly blues and greens Picasso favored between 1901 and 1904. In 1957, Picasso set about re-imagining Velazquez’s iconic 17th-century royal portrait ‘Las Meninas’, bringing his own inimitable style to the project across 58 (count ‘em) separate paintings. The resulting collection, displayed in its entirety here is, quite frankly, unmissable. MNAC: Highlights & What to Expect  For an overview of Catalan art across the centuries, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is second-to-none, taking in everything from medieval Romanesque and Gothic murals to Renaissance masterpieces and modern art. Highlights of this 300,000-strong collection are many, but here are a few you absolutely must not miss: Baroque and Renaissance Spanish art provides some of the museum’s undisputed highlights. We’re talking masterpieces from the likes of El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán and more. Don’t miss one of the collection’s signature pieces: the unsettling ‘Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew’ by José de Ribera’, in which the titular Bart’s desperate, pleading eyes seem to meet the gaze of the unsuspecting viewer (i.e. you). Murals including the Master of Taull’s majestic ‘Apse of St Taull’ and the epic Linear Gothic Catalan masterpiece that is the Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca, are among some of the finest examples of early medieval Romanesque art anywhere on the planet. The modern art collection covers around 150 years from the early 19th century onwards, with Romantic, realist and neoclassical pieces that preempt the work of Gaudí, Miró, Picasso et al. Check out sculptures by Campeny and the Vallmitjana brothers, and paintings by Flaugier and Fortuny, for the win. Top tip: admission to MNAC is free after 3PM on Saturdays and on the first Sunday of each month. You can book tickets for these as well as paid entry slots here. Save on Attractions, Tours and Activities in Barcelona Save money on Barcelona attractions, tours and activities with a pass from Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
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Where To Stay in Barcelona

If you're planning a vacation in Barcelona, you may already have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Delicious food, warm temperatures, and heaps of wonderful Mediterranean architecture bring millions to the city every year. But where are the best places to stay in Barcelona? Well, we've committed to key research just for you. So read on, and find out where is the best place for you to stay in Barcelona! Including: Plaza de Catalunya Barri Gotic El Raval El Born Eixample and more!   Plaza de Catalunya If you want to be in the thick of the Catalan capital, then look for a place in Plaza de Catalunya. Right in the center of Barcelona, it gives you a great jumping-off point to travel from as you explore. You'll be surrounded by high street shops, markets, coffee houses, places to eat, and things to do, so really, it's the perfect place to set up a basecamp if you've never visited Barcelona before. La Boqueria, one of Barcelona's best and oldest markets, is a short walk away, so if you're staying in an Airbnb and you need fresh food, it should be your first port of call every morning. And museums like MACBA, or Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, are right around the corner   Gothic Quarter Looking for something a little older with a touch more atmosphere? Barcelona's Gothic Quarter is, predictably, one of the oldest parts of the city. Wandering its streets, you'll see untouched architecture that dates back to the Middle Ages. It's a more old-school, slapdash approach to city planning you won't find in many other tourist cities. You'll find plenty of markets here, as well as local restaurants and family-owned stores. A far cry from Plaza de Catalunya's high-street affair, but you'll find things in the Gothic Quarter you won't find anywhere else on Earth. As far as things to do, Güell Palace, one of Gaudi's earliest buildings, is right nearby. So go look at it, take pictures aplenty, and bask in its brilliance.   El Raval The city's multicultural heart, El Raval is one of the most fun districts in the city. Brimming with bars, clubs, and live music, if you want the full Catalonian experience, not many places do it better. Fresh food lovers or general deal-seekers should go check out Mercat de Sant Antoni for all their bartering needs. And, if the language barrier isn't an issue, there are also a slew of theaters putting on myriad shows for you to enjoy. Photo-lovers also owe it to themselves to snap a pic of the famous El Gat de Botero, an enormous bronze cat statue by revered artist Fernando Botero.   El Born What was once home to the ruling classes of old Barcelona has now blossomed into a lively neighborhood while still keeping much of the architectural splendor of the past. Alongside all the history, you'll find local shops and restaurants that'll open their doors to you. As for entertainment, you're a bit spoiled for choice here. Besides the numerous local art galleries, you can also visit the likes of the Picasso Museum and see some of the world-famous painter's works, or go for something more modern thanks to the Moco Museum, which showcases eye-opening modern art from Banksy and other genre heavyweights. If you want a taste of local life with a few extra frills, El Born has got you covered.   Eixample Right off of Plaza de Catalunya, you'll find Eixample, one of Barcelona's more bustling neighborhoods. One of the city's biggest districts, you'll find plenty of touristy delights within its formidable borders. While it contains more restaurants, bars, and cafes than you'll visit in a lifetime, its crowning jewels are perhaps two of Gaudi's most famous works, Casa Battló and La Sagrada Familia. The mind-blowing buildings are two of the city's biggest tourist attractions, so prepare to queue if you do visit. Besides all that, you'll find the city's biggest flea market, called Mercat Els Encants, where you can pick up pretty much anything. And you'll be a short walk from La Ciutadella Park. If you fancy it, take a Segway tour of the park to see the sights in a more unusual fashion!   Passeig de Gracia One of the fancier parts of the city, Passeig de Gracia is Barcelona's very own mini-Manhattan. Grand old mansions, opulent shopping, and designer-draped denizens are all on display. If you wish to mimic the class of the locals, you'll have plenty of opportunities to, thanks to the myriad designer stores and luxury labels on offer. And, for the culture vultures, check out the Placa de Catalunya, a beautiful central square full of sculptures, and another of Gaudi's famed works, La Pedera.   La Barceloneta Want a little sand and sea with your stay? Why not pitch your tent around La Barceloneta, the city's seaside district? Of course, the highlight of the neighborhood is undoubtedly Barceloneta Beach. It's the city's most popular beach for a reason, thanks to its proximity to the city center, a load of seaside bars and restaurants selling fresh fish, and the many watersports people can take part in. In fact, other than the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya, where you can learn all about the city's rich and long history, nearly everything else is beach or ocean-related. However, given how close the city's amenities are, it's still more than worthwhile to stay there and simply travel into the heart of Barcelona when you want to see and do touristy things. After all, nothing quite beats a sea view in the morning!   La Vila Olímpica And finally, we end our recommendations for where to stay in Barcelona with a more modern site. La Vila Olímpica was once the Olympic Village during the 1992 Barcelona Games, but has since evolved into its very own neighborhood, with bars, restaurants, and beaches ripe for a vacation destination! A stone's throw from the Barceloneta seaside, while many consider it to be part of that neighborhood, it's developed something of its own identity in the decades since the Olympics. With its goldilocks placement between the beach and the city center, it could be the perfect place to set up your basecamp! And you'll hardly say no to the amenities on your doorstep either! And those are our recommendations of where to stay in Barcelona! If you need a good choice of accommodation then you can browse hotels in Barcelona for a range of hotel options in the city.
Dom Bewley
barcelona winter
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Things to do in Barcelona in Winter

Winter can leave many of us feeling lost, alone, and pondering existential questions. Where did the sun really go? Should I throw out my summer wardrobe and replace it before spring? Is there any point in going on vacation in winter? You're on your own with the first two, but we can help answer the third. Because yes, of course there's a point to winter vacations! Minimal crowds, cheaper flights, and the ability to focus on indoor fun. In summer, spending your vacation indoors might induce serious FOMO, but not when the temperature drops. But what about a famously summertime city like Barcelona? What then, we hear you scream into the night sky. What about it? There are plenty of things to do in Barcelona in winter. Quit your wailing. Here, we'll prove it by creating the greatest list of the best things to do in Barcelona in winter just for you. Hold on to your phones, laptops, or desktops, because it's about to get crazy. Including: Art Museums Brewery tour Escape rooms Science museums Gaudí the great and more!   Image courtesy of Giorgiolo/Shutterstock Get Artsy Let's kick things off with some indoor culture. Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you can't warm your insides with knowledge, inspiration, and learning. Feel the sacred light of art fill your withered body! We're talking modern art here, so strap in. First on the list is Barcelona's own Moco Museum. With plenty of mind-opening installations from the likes of Banksy and David LaChapelle, as well as surrealists like Dali, it's the most colorful, mind-bending place in town. Or, if you want a little less flash and a little more space to ponder, check out Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (or MACBA for short). More of a traditional gallery, you'll find multiple periods of modern art represented in its many galleries. Another modern art museum with an appropriate acronym is the Museu Europeu d'Art Modern or MEAM. This one has a slew of alternative forms of art inside, from concerts to live art theater, as well as other experimental works. Nice.   Estrella exploration Do you like beer? Ever wondered where it all comes from? Why not head down to Barcelona's famous Estrella Brewery, take a look around, and discover for yourself? Spain's biggest amber export, Estrella is enjoyed the world over. Step inside and learn about the history of the brand, the brewery, and its rise to worldwide acclaim. Then, when you've seen enough giant metal beer barrels to fill a lifetime, sample four refreshing Estrella beers for yourself in the tasting room. Delightful.   Escape for your life If things are getting cold outside, heat up proceedings with a race against time! That's exactly what you'll get at Escape Hunt Barcelona, the city's premier escape room experience. Pick from three spooky mysteries, partner up with a few buddies, and lock yourself away. Then, as time ticks away, find the clues, decode the riddles, and solve the game before your time runs out. If you fail, you're stuck there forever to wallow in your mistakes. Not really, but imagine if that really happened? Terrifying. If you're with a large group, you can even pair off, take on a different room each, and see who escapes first. If you're looking to beat the cold weather, Escape Hunt Barcelona is easily one of the best things to do in winter in Barcelona!   CosmoCaixa Do you like science? Do the universe's many mysterious leave you wide awake at night? Well, put those sleepless nights to rest thanks to Barcelona's amazing science museum CosmoCaixa. Go on a journey through the earth's ecosystems. Travel through space and time. Explore hundreds of interactive exhibits about all facets of our world and the stars above. Enter the Room of Matter, and explore the evolution of life and matter on our planet. Trapse through the Flooded Forest and its incredible recreation of the Amazon. Learn stuff and things about science while staying warm in the comfort of the indoors. Perfect!   Gaudí, but not as you know it Everywhere you go in Barcelona, you see his face. Well, not his face, but the faces of the buildings tell his story. Gaudí left his stamp on the city and then some, with his inspired buildings standing all over the place. So, if seeing them in person is out of the question, what with it being winter, why not enter the fourth dimension and see another side of the master architect? Because that's exactly what you'll get at The Gaudí Experience, the world's first interactive exhibition space to explore the life and works of the world-famous artist. Enter his world, uncover his creative universe, and experience it all through state-of-the-art exhibitions and installations. This culminates in a 4D cinema experience that has to be seen to be believed. Feel the wind in your face as your soar high above the trees, before they stretch and evolve into soldiers. Learn how nature and the world helped Gaudí realize his vision. Hold onto your seat as you move in time with the visuals. Easily one of the best things to do in Barcelona in winter!   Ice, ice, skating And finally, we end the list on a tricky one. Winter in Barcelona can mean highs of 57°F, so you may be wondering how in the wintery hell you'll be able to go ice skating. Well, don't worry, because no matter the weather, you'll still get your icy grind on. Just head to the L'illa Diagonal, a massive shopping center in the heart of the city. There, you'll find an indoor rink. And there, you can get your skate on like nobody's business. And there concludes our list of the best things to do in Barcelona in winter! Looking for more fun ideas for your Catalan adventure? If the weather's heating up, check out our top picks for outdoor entertainment. Like things out of leftfield? Our list of quirky activities has got you covered. And be sure to check out our guide to Barcelona's market scene if you like to eat fresh!
Dom Bewley

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