Book Gaudí before anything else

The single biggest mistake in Barcelona is arriving without tickets to the Sagrada Família and Park Güell. Both sell timed entry that books out days ahead in season. Lock those two slots first, then build the rest of the trip around them.

The good news: the city is walkable and the metro is simple. Four days covers the headline sights, the old town and a real afternoon at the beach without rushing.

Day 1: Gothic Quarter and El Born

Start in the Barri Gòtic: the cathedral, the medieval lanes, Plaça Reial. Cross into El Born for the Picasso Museum and tapas. It's a walkable first day that grounds you in the old city before the big monuments.

Day 2: Sagrada Família and Eixample

Use a morning slot for the Sagrada Família — go early for the light through the east windows. Spend the afternoon on the Eixample grid: Casa Batlló and La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia. This is Gaudí's city at its densest.

Day 3: Park Güell and Gràcia

Take your Park Güell slot in the morning, then walk down into Gràcia, the neighborhood that still feels like a village — small squares, independent shops, a slower lunch. A calmer day after two intense ones.

Day 4: Montjuïc or the beach

Close with a choice based on weather and mood: Montjuïc for the castle, gardens and the Joan Miró Foundation, or Barceloneta for a long lunch and an afternoon by the sea. Both are a fitting, unhurried end.

For another Spanish trip at a slower pace, see the Andalusia itinerary. For a different European capital, compare the Lisbon itinerary.