Barcelona Weekend Break

Tours and touring in Barcelona

One of the most relaxing ways to see Barcelona is to take some form of organised city tour and there are many different alternatives available.

Having the sightseeing element of your weekend break prearranged by a specialist tour operator saves time and helps keep your travelling and budget under control. It also ensures that you do not miss any of the main attractions.

A tour of this kind has even more value when you only have a short period of time like a weekend available and there are loads of options from which to choose. An increasing number of visitors, especially those visiting the city out of season, choose to make their Barcelona weekend break a vacation that is pre-organised through a local tour company. These tours usually include all excursions, hotels and dining.

Barcelona weekend break bus tour

Many tourists opt for one of the Barcelona sightseeing bus tours and these really are excellent if you want to cram a lot into a short period of time. They also have the advantage that you can hop on and off the buses (which come and go every few minutes) whenever you want to take a closer look at something. You are never tied to a tour guide or schedules and you dictate the things that you see and the pace at which you see them.

The official Barcelona city tour buses run on two separate routes. One route covers the north of the city and the other route covers the south. Combined they stop at 42 different points of interest and you only need to purchase a single day ticket to be able to jump on and either bus as often as you want.

A single day adult ticket costs just under 20 euros, with a two day pass being 23 euros. Children get a discounted ticket.

Whilst on the tourist bus, information (in several languages) is relayed about each forthcoming stop, so you always know where you are and what is coming up next. This is a great way to “almost independently” explore Barcelona.

Coach tours of Barcelona

If you like the sound of a bus tour, but want a more inclusive package, then you can select a guided coach tour.

These tours normally fill a day (eight to nine hours) and see passengers being taken to all of the city's main tourist attractions at which point they are guided around the attraction by an English speaking tour guide.

These more formal tours usually include a lunch and do not require you to make any plans of your own. They are a very good way of seeing a lot whilst getting first hand information about the places that you are taken to.

This kind of coach tour typically has an itinerary that includes the Gothic district, the seafront and port zone, a look at Gaudi and other modernist buildings and probably a visit to one of the park areas like Montjuic or the village of Poble Espanol. Entry fees for any attractions are usually included within the tour price.

Barcelona walking tours

If you do not trust yourself and a map to cover all of the city's big visitors attractions, you can always opt for a walking tour. A number of companies offer this service and you can normally find out who they are (and where they depart from and return to) from one of the city's tourist offices. You also need to ensure that you arrange to meet with a guide that speaks English.

These walking tours offer a more intimate look at Barcelona and can be very informative. On the down side, you tend to get lumped in with any other “would be” tourists who arrive at the same time. Consequently you could be one of five or six people, or twenty or thirty all trying to hear the tour guide.

Walking tours start from about 10 euros per person and speciality tours can be themed around Gaudi or Picasso etc.

Excursions out of Barcelona

Although Barcelona city has more than enough to see in a weekend break, you may have visited the city before and now want to explore the areas and towns beyond the city itself. If this is the case (and you do not have a hire a car), then a coach tour to one of the nearby towns or visitor attractions may be a good idea.

There are a number of companies in Barcelona offering a variety of different coach tours into the mountains and hills of Cataluna. They vary from trips to monasteries to mini tours of Barcelona's surrounding towns and make a great escape from the busy city.

A common tour from the city takes visitors to the mountain, monastery and church of Montserrat and lasts about half day, many find this a great addition to their Barcelona weekend break.

Other tours

In addition to the tours types previously mentioned, you can also take a helicopter ride above the city, or enjoy a luxury limousine ride around a number of the Barcelona's interesting nightspots.

A helicopter flight offers an unrivalled view of the cityscape and the spectacular mountains that surround the “basin” area of Barcelona. Flight charges are based per person, although a single or couple may have to pay a supplement if they do not want to share the flight (i.e. retaining empty seats).

If you want to make your Barcelona night time adventures a little bit more exclusive you can hire a limousine for the evening. Costs are usually based on vehicle occupancy with the maximum number of passengers being eight (i.e. the cheapest cost per head) and champagne is normally served whilst on route. These limousine rides normally include a mini night time tour of Barcelona's tourists spots. You need to prearrange the period over which the limousine is at your disposal.

Finally for those who want some exercise, you can also take a cycling tour of Barcelona. The tours start from one day in length and are seemingly increasing in popularity. Several local companies offer this kind of active tour.