What to Book in Advance in Barcelona (and when to book)

Last Updated on 7th February 2024 by Charlotte Nadeau

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Beautiful Barcelona has no shortage of things to do. From following in the footsteps of Gaudi to dining in hole in the wall tapas bars, there’s plenty to entertain and enthral even the most discerning of visitors. But this also means that the city is incredibly popular. Here’s what to book in advance in Barcelona to avoid disappointment!

If you’re planning a visit to Barcelona, be sure to check out our suggestions on how to spend 3 days in Barcelona and the best Barcelona travel tips you need to know before your visit.

If you’re planning to visit Barcelona, then you’re in for a treat. The Catalan capital is a mesmerising array of medieval streets interlaced with more modern architecture such as Gaudi’s breathtaking buildings which take more than a few queues from nature.

The busiest time to visit the city is during July and August and so it’s important to book attractions like the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila well ahead of time to ensure that you can visit on the date of your choosing.

If there’s a particular restaurant (particularly if it’s fine dining, Michelin starred, or raved about on social media), then you’ll want to book at least a week or so ahead of time.

As of 2023, it’s worth noting that you often have to put your credit card details on the bar/ restaurant booking for most places in Barcelona and this seems to be a growing trend that is happening all over Europe. We often have to do this while at home in London and had to do it when we visited Rome a few months ago.

What to book in advance in Barcelona

Sagrada Familia

Of course Gaudi’s crowning masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia cathedral is near the top of everyone’s bucket lists when it comes to planning a trip to Spain.

If you want to visit the Sagrada Familia without a tour, then you can book your ticket in advance. It’s often important to book more than a week in advance if you want to be able to visit in the morning.

Book less than a week in advance (up to around 3 days before) and there are usually slots available after 2-3 pm. Book less than 72 hours in advance and you’ll often find that there are only evening slots available or even none at all.

Alternatively, you can also opt for a fully guided tour like this one with fast track entrance. They usually last for 1.5 hours and this one also includes the elevator up to the tower with a panoramic view of the city!

For more flexibility, I would recommend booking at least a week in advance which allows you to choose between multiple slots, but be aware that weekends book up pretty fast. Even out of peak season, booking 2 to 3 weeks in advance is not a bad idea.

If you are planning to visit the top 3 attractions in Barcelona in one go (this will take around 5.5 hours in total) be sure to book this bundle tour which is probably the best deal you can get.

Nevertheless, given its rather long length, there are only 2 tours per day (8:45 AM and 2:30 PM) and so be sure to book a couple of weeks in advance to find the date that best suits you. Book in advance here

Park Güell

Parc Guell is a beautiful Dali designed park which overlooks the rest of the city and is fun for all ages. Explore unique installations set against the backdrop of some seriously beautiful gardens. As the park is quite large, you can typically turn up on the day to visit, though this is obviously not always guaranteed to work!

Barcelona: Park Güell Admission Ticket – As this is an outdoor attraction, you might want to visit in the morning as opposed to the afternoon to avoid the most intense heat of the day. In order to secure the time of your choosing, you should book in advance at least 4 to 5 days prior to the date you have in mind

Park Güell Guided Tour – as per the Sagrada familia above, you can also skip the line by booking this tour and benefit from the insider knowledge of a local guide. This tour often sells out ahead of the day, especially during the high season, ie summer, so be sure to book at least a week in advance to avoid disappointment.

Casa Batlló

Casa Battlo is widely considered to be one of the greatest of Gaudi’s works. Constructed at the behest of Lluís Sala Sánchez, the house is known locally as the House of Bones (Casa dels ossos) thanks to its unusual form and shape.

Now transformed into a museum, you can enter for a fee. As this is one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona, you’ll want to book at least a week or two ahead of your visit.

Barcelona: Casa Batlló Be The First Entry Ticket – now this is probably the best deal for those who enjoy visiting places in the morning and want to be able to take pictures in peace. There’s only a 10€ difference between the first entry ticket and the general one, entrances start between 8:30 am and 8:45 am.

Otherwise, you can also book a classic tour with an entrance from 9 AM onwards. Even though Casa Battló is not as busy as the Sagrada Familia and the Park Guëll during peak season, it’s still better to book a few days in advance.

There is also this very well rated private tour of both Casa Batlló and Casa Milà if you prefer to combine the two attractions. As there are only 3 per day (10 AM, noon and 2 PM) I would highly recommend booking several weeks in advance in order to have more flexibility during your trip. Book the tour in advance

Montjuïc Castle and Barcelona Cable Car

The trend Montjuïc district presides high above the city and is most famous for its free to visit fountain illumination shows which take place during the summer months. If you want to visit this district with a local guide, then you can book a tour.

Barcelona: Walking tour with Montjuic Castle & Cable Car – This tour includes a visit to one of the highest points of Barcelona which is located in the Montjuïc district, well known for its museums such as the beautiful building of Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (Catalonia Art Museum) but also its castle.

This walking tour is ideal to not miss anything from the famous Gothic Quarter to the castle and includes the cable car journey. There is only one tour a day (starting at 10 AM) so be sure to book in advance.

If you’d prefer to avoid the hundreds of steps under Barcelona’s burning sun I would advise you to take the cable car. You can also book your tickets for a single round trip, though it’s not necessary to book them in advance.

La Pedrera-Casa Milà

Casa Mila is located just a short walk away from Casa Battlo and is also commonly referred to as as La Pedrera or “The stone quarry”. This art nouveau period building typically takes around an hour to visit and tickets should be purchased in advance.

There is also the option to add virtual reality glasses to this tour, making the experience even more immersive. Book in advance

If you do not mind getting up early, bear in mind that there is a guided tour available once a day at 8 AM that allows you to enjoy the sunrise views (depending on the time of the year). I would recommend booking this several weeks in advance given that there is a daily single slot. Book here in advance.

Picasso Museum

Pablo Picasso spent time living in Barcelona, and today the museum is home to a museum showcasing over 4000 of his works. Set across five adjoining medieval palaces, in the La Ribera neighbourhood, highlights include two of his most famous early works, The First Communion (1896), and Science and Charity (1897)

There is free admission on various afternoons during each month and you can check the official website to book a slot for one of these. If you want to do this budget activity, then you should plan to book a slot at least a couple of weeks in advance as these, understandably, get snapped up pretty quickly!

Barcelona: Skip-the-line Guided Tour of Picasso Museum – this is your chance to skip the line of one the most famous museums in Barcelona. Bear in mind that it’s closed on Mondays, and for more flexibility, it is best to book this guided tour in advance.

If you are a so-called “aficionado” of Art museums (Spanish translation for fan) then I would recommend getting yourself this art passport which is valid for a year after purchasing it, making it a great deal as you save almost half the price of each museum entrance ticket. Find more details here

Barcelona Cathedral

Although not nearly as famous as the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s Cathedral is nevertheless quite remarkable thanks to its Gothic architecture, and is a must for architecture lovers. This is especially when you consider the fact that the church is nestled within the historic Gothic Quarter of the city.

Visiting the cathedral is also a great way to enjoy views of Barcelona since it has its very own rooftop. However, bear in mind that the last entrance of the day is at 4:30 PM.

You probably don’t need to book your ticket in advance as tickets are often available on the day. However, if you’re the kind of person who prefers to plan things ahead of time, then you can book your entry tickets here.

Casa Vicens Gaudí

Yet another beautiful house designed by Gaudi is Casa Vicens. It’s certainly not the most popular Gaudi building in Barcelona and so you can often still find tickets on the day if you want to see a Gaudi building and everything has sold out.

If you would prefer not to risk having to spend a long time queueing, then it’s worth noting that there’s the option to book in advance in order to skip-the-line and save some of your precious time in Barcelona.

If you don’t want to miss out on a single detail about this house, there is also this well rated guided tour for a few euros more: Book here

Güell Palace

Constructed in the late 1880s, Palau Güell was designed by Antoni Gaudí  for the industrial tycoon Eusebi Güell. Much like Casa Vicens, it is by no means the most popular Gaudi designed building in the city and so you can often purchase tickets on the day, even during high season.

With this being said, if you prefer to plan in advance, then you can book tickets in advance to skip the line and visit this unique building in the middle of the El Raval district. Tickets go on sale around three months ahead of time.

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