How To Do It ALL in 3 Days || Barcelona Travel Guide Fall 2022

Barcelona, Spain is one of those travel destinations that you hear so much about, you just have to take a trip to see it for yourself. I would have loved to see this coastal city in the summertime as that’s when its tourism booms but with so many other trips on the calendar, I didn’t get the chance to see it until early November.

No worries, there’s still plenty to do and plenty of tourists in the fall… you just won’t be swimming! Sharing our three-day itinerary complete with the most amazing hotel, some incredible restaurant recommendations, packing tips, things to do, and the best way to navigate public transportation. I hope you enjoy!

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Transportation

Barcelona is a huge city. Like so much bigger, and so much more spread out than I ever imagined. To my surprise, this is not a city where you can just walk from one tourist attraction to the next. Well, you can, but you’ll be walking a minimum of ten miles a day… which we did on our first day in the city!

Thankfully by the second day, we learned that most of the city functions by Metro with multiple lines that can take you from one zone to the next. If you switch the Maps app on your iPhone to the bus function, it will show you all of the different Metro and Bus lines, with live updates on what time they are coming, if there are delays, etc. A single ride is $2.40 or you can buy a 48-hour pass with unlimited uses (on the Metro and Bus) for just $16.50. We ended up doing this and it saved us so much money!

Once you get the hang of this, it makes getting around the city so much easier. The bus can also take you directly to your airport terminal which was life-saving!

Where To Stay

I found the cutest 5-star boutique hotel, The Corner Hotel on Instagram and it was the perfect home for the weekend. This adorable property was complete with a moody lobby, a fully functioning restaurant and bar, and an amazing rooftop pool. We were greeted with the sweetest Spanish dessert and a bottle of champagne on the house. What better way to kick off a weekend in Spain?!

Lauren and I stayed in one of their Superior Double rooms. In Europe, a room with two beds is typically two twin beds pushed together and that’s just what we got here. They were so comfortable and after 25,000 steps a day, I slept like a baby. Everything was super modern and incredibly clean too!

Our bathroom was so large with a walk-in shower and tons of countertop space. The walls of it were painted black so it was super sleek; definitely one of the best hotel bathrooms I’ve had lately. They also had cleaning come in daily to give us fresh towels and make our beds.

Not to mention we had tons of mirrors throughout the room with all kinds of space to get ready and safely store our belongings. We also had a cute view of the city with a small seating area to enjoy a morning mimosa. Love!

We were about half a mile from the popular tourist destination Casa Batallo and just a block away from the closest bus station. This is a great location if you’re looking to stay in the heart of the city, however, if you’re wanting to spend your vacation by the ocean, you’ll want to book something a bit closer.

As I said, the city is huge so there are tons of options. We ended up loving our cozy stay here. If you’re interested in booking The Corner Hotel you can check out their current availability and rates here.

Things To Do 

I couldn’t believe how BIG Barcelona is + how much there is to see. I wanted to do it all—eat, explore, and shop. Because of this, I figured getting a Go City pass would be my best bet. Go City is an all-inclusive sightseeing pass that allows you to visit various bucket-list attractions, enjoy top tours, and discover plenty of hidden gems.

Rather than paying an entry fee for each individual activity and dealing with paper tickets, with Go City, you’re able to pay one price with one pass. They have various different options but I ended up getting their Explorer pass. With this pass, I was able to choose a specific amount of activities.

I’ve used Go City in so many cities now and they are the best, saving you so much time and money. I highly suggest looking into these if you’re wanting to pack a lot into your trip! Not sponsored just passionate about these, haha.

Now onto our itinerary—warning you, it was a full weekend!

Park Guell

When asking for Barcelona recommendations, this was the first thing everyone said. This huge park was designed by architect Antoni Gaudí whose inspiration stemmed from organic shapes and unique color combinations. This building was a breakthrough design for the time and helped preserve the environmental beauty of the city.

Park Guell is huge with all kinds of gorgeous scenery, tiles, and nature to look at. So many amazing photo ops and a lot of pretty things to appreciate. This was one of the destinati

ons on our Go City passes so we booked a reservation ahead of time. This ticket technically gets you a guided walking tour in English, however, we ended up leaving the group and doing our own thing which is totally acceptable too!

Cable Car In Parc De Montjuic

I was dying to ride the cable car around Parc De Montjuic. This was another thing on our Go City pass and probably my favorite thing we did in Barcelona. You just scan your ticket and then each party (up to 8 people) gets into their own glass “car”. It’s about a 20-minute ride round trip with the most incredible views of the city and ocean.

However, there is a spot where you’re able to hop off at the top and enjoy the view, take pictures, walk around, and see the castle. This is such a cool way to see the views and it’s relatively cheap at just 15€ per ticket.

Casa Batallo

Casa Batalló is another popular tourist spot to hit. This famous house was designed and lived in by the same architect who did Park Guell. There are huge crowds of people lined around this corner so get there early to grab a photo. It looks like a real-life gingerbread house in the middle of a chic city. So fun!

We used our Go City passes for a guided audio tour throughout the house. In each room you go into, you get a bit more information on what it was like when he lived there decades ago. There is a rooftop that has a full bar if you want to stop and enjoy a drink. As cool as this house was to see, I personally wouldn’t consider this a “must” during your visit.

Sagrada Familia

As you know every city in Europe has an iconic Duomo. I have to say Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia might just be my favorite. This gothic architecture is so unique and incredibly different from most of the ones I’ve seen throughout my travels. I loved it!

We didn’t end up having time to go inside this church but I hear it’s one of the prettiest with all of its stained glass. I would have loved to see it in person. Unfortunately, I don’t have many good pictures- we visited during the worst time of day!

Shop Along La Rambla

I had always heard that Barcelona was known for its amazing shopping and I took that statement with a grain of salt. Turns out, wow, the shopping here really is amazing. So many stores that I’ve never heard of with the trendiest items for so cheap! I couldn’t believe how inexpensive everything was.

We popped in and out of so many stores! I didn’t buy much, just a few pieces from Brandy Melville and a pair of jeans from Mango; but had my suitcase allowed for it, I would’ve brought home far more! I will say, no stores along the infamous La Rambla strip are open on Sundays so get your sho

pping done earlier in the week!

La Boqueria Market

The Boqueria Market is a must-see spot if you’re visiting Barcelona. This is a huge market with rows and rows of authentic treats—croquettes, empanadas, smoothies, fried seafood, and more. Everything is around $2-$5 and it’s such a fun way to try the local cuisine. Make sure to come hungry!

Visit The Beach

Barcelona’s tourism booms in the summertime thanks to being along the coast. Of course, even in the middle of November, we had to head down to the beach to sit and enjoy the water. I was actually shocked at how warm the water was. Not warm enough to swim or sit in a swimsuit but a gorgeous place for a midday picnic or journal session in your jeans!

The more places I go, the more I feel called to live closer to the beach once I get home and graduate…

Arc de Triomf

I don’t know much about the Arc de Trimof other than it holds some historical significance as an entrance to Barcelona. It makes for an iconic photo op and is in the middle of a gorgeous square worth checking out!

Parc De La Ciutadella

If you have a free afternoon you have to check out this park. It’s huge—the perfect spot to take a workout class, go for a stroll, or take a picnic. There’s some incredible architecture and a beautiful fountain mixed in as well! A very quiet, peaceful place to add to your itinerary.

Ride A Boat In The Pond

In the middle of the park, we found this small pond where you could rent a little boat for 30 minutes. It was 6€ for both of us and the perfect opportunity to live out our Nicholas Sparks moment. It’s not the most glamorous thing in the world rowing on your own but what a core memory. I am SO glad we were able to do this.

Where To Eat

If you know me then you know how much I love to eat. Trying all of the local cuisines is one of my favorite parts of traveling and the food in Spain certainly did not disappoint. We ate good! The only thing I wanted to try that I didn’t end up getting to was pállela. I know, don’t kill me! It just means I’ll have to come back someday…

Sagradas Tapas 

Tapas are small bite-size appetizers eaten mid-day. When in Spain, you have to try them! We found an authentic Spanish restaurant and tried a few different ones per the waiter’s recommendation.

Potatoes with garlic sauce, ham croquettes, battered brie cheese with fig (my personal favorite), and little sirloin steak slices. So good and surprisingly so filling! They had dozens of options here and each one was just a few dollars so it’s an easy + cheap way to try lots of new things.

✈ Menu // Directions

Rosa Negra

WOW is all I have to say about this place. We stopped in on a whim because the interior was so cute and the line was out the door. That’s always a good sign!

These $4.50 strawberry margaritas were great but the burrito… phew, that deserves an honorable mention! I asked the waiter to give me whatever her favorite was because I couldn’t decide and she ended up bringing me the carne asada. The blend of cheese, beans, rice, guacamole, and meat was unreal. So many flavors happening at once and a huge portion. So good and the service here was so quick!

✈ Menu // Directions

Cafe Petit Pot

You know me, I can never stay away from a good brunch spot. I found this spot on Instagram and they had the most amazing food. I tried eggs benedict for the first time and was shocked at how much I liked the poached eggs with avocado and lime sauce. We also got their berry pancakes which had an incredible jam on top—the perfect sweet treat. The portion is small so this is good to pair with another dish.

We also got their avocado toast which was unlike anything I’ve ever had. This had beetroot tzatziki, feta cheese, tomatoes, and radishes on it. I’m so grateful for studying abroad because it has greatly expanded my food palette, allowing me to try so many yummy new dishes! Oh, and don’t forget to get the orange juice. It’s freshly squeezed here and phenomenal!

✈ Menu // Directions

FOC Barceloneta

This traditional Argentinian place was calling our names! It’s one of the few authentic places along the marina and it didn’t disappoint. We got their berry sangria and it was amazing. They charge $19 a pitcher which ends up being about 5 glasses. So yummy!

For food, I got their taco trio. This had one chicken one beef and one pork taco. I loved getting to try so many different things and was shocked to learn that I liked the pork taco best!

✈ Menu // Directions

Taco Alto

This place has hundreds of five-star reviews so we had to check out the $2.50 tacos for ourselves. I got one battered shrimp, one steak, and one battered fish which was my favorite. Each street taco has different toppings; trust their recommendations even if some of the combinations seem weird.

I will say, I was a little underwhelmed by their nachos but the owner made me the best frozen mango margarita I’ve ever had. So delicious! Would highly recommend this place for a quick, easy bite to eat.

✈ Menu // Directions

Things To Pack

Not sure what to pack for your trip to Barcelona?! We went in the fall and I have to admit, I was really stuck on outfit ideas. I ended up having to make some changes to the original looks I planned on wearing due to it being a bit colder than I expected so needless to say, bring layers!

I shared a full outfit guide with links to shop and directions to some of the most Instagram-able photo locations in this post. Be sure to check it out.

In the meantime, here are a few things I recommend packing for your fall trip to the city.

• A Scarf: If you’re coming to Barcelona in the fall be sure to pack a scarf. This is the easiest way to layer up this time of year and gives you a little extra warmth.
• Comfy Shoes: Even if you do use public transportation, you’re going to be on your feet quite a bit here. Definitely bring a pair of comfy shoes. I wore my Steve Madden Hutch booties almost all weekend and was just fine. If you’re wanting a sneaker, I recommend the Dolce Vita Zinas!
• A Pair Of Jeans: Unlike a lot of other European cities, this is definitely one you can wear jeans in! And trust me, temperatures dropped quite a bit at night so you’ll want to have a pair with you.
• A Crossbody: I find that some cities are tote bag cities and others are crossbody cities. This was one I was grateful to have a smaller bag in. The pit pocketing is pretty intense here, especially if you go out clubbing, so regardless of what you bring, make sure you’ve got something that you feel safe in.

Watch The Week

Want to see our weekend in Barcelona, Spain on camera? Be sure to check out my travel vlog for all of the fun + behind the scenes of these photos. I’ve been sharing new travel vlogs every single week to my channel so if you’re not subscribed be sure to hit that button and join the fun.

We packed so much into our three-day stay in Barcelona; although I will admit, I think it’s a city you only need two days in if you’re visiting in the fall. BUT, if you’re coming in the summer and are lucky enough to enjoy the beach, then I think it’s worth booking the extra night!

Regardless, nothing beats a good weekend trip away. Lauren and I had so much fun on our first weekend trip “just the two of us”. Looking forward to more bestie travels later this month. Catch us in Vienna, Austria, and Salzburg next!

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: What To Wear In Barcelona, Spain This Fall
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