When it comes to the best things to do in Barcelona, the classics still shine. Thanks to smart urban regeneration, its beaches and marinas are more inviting than ever for strolls and waterfront dining. La Sagrada FamÃlia continues its skyward ascent. And the city found renewed culinary fame as the capital of the 2025 World Region of Gastronomy. But this activity selection will take you beyond the headliners, too: Find tours that offer behind-closed-doors access to creatives and private apartments. Pedestrian-only streets beloved by locals (where you can fit in like one, too). These recommendations reveal the city’s many faces; good-looking, rebellious, unexpected, delicious. The aim? That you return home having experienced the city rather than just having seen it. So, as the Catalans say, benvinguts (welcome) to Barcelona.
Read our complete Barcelona travel guide here, which includes:
How we choose the best things to do in Barcelona
Every review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that activity. When choosing things to do, our editors consider landmarks and experiences that offer an insider’s view of a destination, keeping authenticity, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
