How to select the right tourist card, or city pass, for your Barcelona city break! We look at the top 4 cards, which of them include entry to La Sagrada Familia, and which offer the best deals and value for money.
Top 4 Cards: – Barcelona Card | Barcelona Pass | Go City All-Inclusive | Go City Explorer
The original idea of tourist cards, here in Barcelona and other popular travel destinations around the world, was to give their users one handy entry card they can use at all the major attractions around town, saving them a lot of time, money and hassle. Often with free public transport thrown into the bargain.
While the idea is simple, the execution is not always so easy. For example many museums and sights in Barcelona are privately owned (including several of Gaudi’s greatest hits!), and a couple of mega-attractions like Sagrada Familia require pre-booking. Meanwhile the attractions that are publicly owned (most of the museums) have to abide by certain rules and regulations.
The result is that there is not one “catch all” solution to entering all of Barcelona’s attractions for free, but rather several different options that will suit the needs of different travellers to different degrees.
We compare the different tourist cards and city passes on offer… so you can make an informed decision about which option works best for you.
In this article, we compare the different tourist cards and city passes on offer, along with a transparent look at who runs them (as well as the official tourist board, several large travel giants offer their own products!) and how much value you get from each, so you can make an informed decision about which option works best for you.
The official Barcelona Card is available for 3, 4, or 5 days
Which Are The Top 4 Cards?
Keep reading for full details on what I believe are the four best options for travellers right now.
- Barcelona Card: the official tourist card, with free entry to city museums + public transport
- Barcelona Pass: free entry to La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and tourist bus (or swap the tourist bus for one of Gaudi’s two main mansions)
- Go City All-Inclusive Pass: free entry to virtually every major attraction! (Plus special 5% discount for Barcelona Life readers)
- Go City Explorer Pass: hand pick the attractions you want to visit (5% discount for Barcelona Life readers).
And if you’re still confused, you can also leave a comment… I will do my best to help!
Tourist Card Comparison Table
Want a quick overview of which pass includes which attractions? Check out our quick reference comparison between all the various cards. Hopefully that makes your decision-making process easier!
| Included in price? | Barcelona Card | Barcelona Pass | Go City All-Inclusive | Go City Explorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Sagrada Familia | No | YES | YES (+tour) | YES (+tour) |
| Park Guell | No | YES | YES (+tour) | YES (+tour) |
| Picasso Museum | YES | 10% off (+tour) | YES (+tour) | YES (+tour) |
| Public Transport | YES | No | No | No |
| Tourist Bus | 20% off | YES* | YES | YES |
| Flamenco Show | 20% off | 10% off | No | No |
| Boat Trip | 20% off | 10% off | YES | YES |
| Camp Nou Museum | No | 10% off | YES | YES |
| Casa Mila | €3 off | YES* | YES | YES |
| Casa Batllo | €3 off | YES* | YES | YES |
| MOCO Museum | YES | 10% off | YES | YES |
| MNAC | YES | 10% off | No | No |
| Joan Miro Museum | YES | 10% off | No | No |
| Poble Espanyol | 20% off | 10% off | YES | YES |
| Aquarium | 20% off | 10% off | YES | YES |
| Barcelona Zoo | 20% off | 10% off | YES | YES |
| Montserrat | No | 10% off | YES | YES |
| Day Tours | No | 10% off | YES | YES |
| PRICE | €55 (72 hrs card) | €85 | €159 (2-day pass) | €79 (2 attractions) |
*Barcelona Pass includes your choice of the Tourist Bus or Gaudi’s Casa Mila (or you can choose Casa Batllo, but in this case you need to pay a €10 supplement).
1. Barcelona Card
Barcelona Card: What’s Included? | Prices | Is It Worth It? | Online Reservations
The city’s official pass, run by the tourist board, the Barcelona Card offers free entry – with skip the line privileges – to many of the best museums in the Catalan capital, most notably the superb Picasso Museum, but also the MNAC (National Museum of Catalan Art), MACBA, Joan Miro Foundation and most branches of the Barcelona History Museum.
NEW: They also added free entry to the MOCO Museum, worth €20. Given this trove of modern art is right next door to the Picasso Museum, you can now do a double art dip in just a couple of hours.
There’s also free entry to many of the city’s less visited, but worthwhile treasures, such as the Frederic Mares Museum, Caixa Forum, CosmoCaixa (good for kids!), Design Museum, Egyptian Museum and the serene Botanical Gardens.
The card doubles as a free travel card around the city, which is handy and saves you faffing around at ticket machines for the duration of your stay.
After purchase, you will need to collect the card from the airport or one of the tourist offices / collection points in the centre. Usually it’s better to collect it at the airport, so you can take advantage of the metro transport direct from arrival. However the card is valid from the moment you first use it, so if you’re not planning to visit any museums on your first day you might want to wait to activate it later.
Sadly the Barcelona Card doesn’t include tickets to La Sagrada Familia nor Park Guell, nor any of Gaudi’s other UNESCO-listed works. Although it does at least provide you with discounts for Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Casa Vicens and Palau Guell, and many many more attractions, shops and entertainment venues.
Overall, I would recommend this option for any museum lovers who plan on using Barcelona’s excellent public metro system during their stay.
Top Tip: If you want museums and public transport plus Gaudi you could buy this card and the Barcelona Pass (or Go City Explorer Pass).
Free Major Attractions
-
- Picasso Museum. Skip the line entry to this Barcelona highlight (worth €12).
- MNAC. The excellent National Museum of Catalan Art (worth €12).
- MACBA. The city’s best modern art museum, in a stunning building (worth €10).
- Joan Miro Foundation. A look at Catalonia’s most famous artist (worth €12).
- MUHBA History Museum. Roman ruins, war bunkers and Jewish heritage across 4 different locations (worth 4 x €7).
- MOCO Museum. Spanking new museum with works by Banksy, Basquiat, Haring and Kaws (worth €19.95).
https://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/imgfiles/ecv/card/BarcelonaCard2024OK.pdf
Plus many more free museums. For a full list check here.
Other Freebies
Barcelona Card holders receive a free guide and metro map with their purchase.
Free Transport
Includes free public transport (metro, buses, trains and trams) in Barcelona city centre, plus free metro ticket to the airport.
Worthwhile Discounts
Barcelona Card offers billions of discounts. Here’s a sample selection:
- Casa Mila (€3 off)
- Casa Batllo (€3 off)
- Palau Guell (25% off)
- Casa Vicens (25% off)
- Poble Espanyol (20% off)
- Palau de la Musica Catalana (20% off)
- Sant Pau Recinte Modernisme (20% off)
- Barcelona Zoo (20% off)
- The Aquarium (20% off)
Barcelona Card Pricing
The official Barcelona Card starts at €55 for a 72 hour pass. Full pricing for adults and kids below.| ADULTS | PRICE | CHILD (4-12 yrs) | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 hours | €55 | 72 hours | €32 |
| 96 hours | €65 | 96 hours | €42 |
| 120 hours | €77 | 120 hours | €47 |
Is It Worth It?
Is it worth buying the Barcelona Card? The conclusion is yes, provided you plan on visiting at least one museum a day. If you do so, you’d be saving up to €20 per museum entry fee, plus travelling for free around the city using the excellent metro system, which will also now take you all the way to the airport. You’d have to buy your Park Guell and Sagrada Familia tickets separately, however, which is why for first-time visitors to the city I’d recommend checking the Barcelona Pass or the Go City All-Inclusive or Explorer Pass, before making your decision. You may even be able to combine two passes to get everything you want.
2. Barcelona Pass
By Tiqets.com
Barcelona Pass: What’s Included? | Prices | Is It Worth It? | Online Reservations
The travel specialists at Tiqets.com have put together their own Barcelona Pass which answers the core needs of many travellers.
Included in the package are skip-the-line tickets to Barcelona’s two top attractions: La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell.
The pass also includes free transport on the Hop-on, Hop-off Tourist Bus, which you can use to reach both attractions.
Or… you can swap the Tourist Bus out for tickets to Casa Mila instead, Gaudi’s epic mansion on Passeig de Gracia… the one built without using any straight lines!
A nice bonus are the free apps that come with the pass, meaning you have the benefits of a tour guide in your pocket at all times, wherever you are in the city.
Finally, the pass includes a 10% off discount code that you can redeem for virtually every major attraction and activity in the city, from the Camp Nou Museum and the Aquarium, to other Gaudi greats, such as Casa Vicens. You can make up to 5 purchases with the code.
One big advantage of the Barcelona Pass is that the tickets are electronic, so need to collect them, or even print them, you can use them on your mobile. You can then use the discount code you receive to book more activities on the Tiqets.com website.
Free Major Attractions
- La Sagrada Familia. Gaudi’s unmissable masterpiece (worth €20-35).
- Park Guell. Gaudi’s iconic park with city views (worth €10-13).
- Casa Mila (La Pedrera). Gaudi’s vast curvy mansion (worth €28).
Other Freebies
The Barcelona Pass comes with a number of handy free travel apps for the modern traveller.
Free Transport
The Barcelona Pass includes 1 day ticket for the Hop On, Hop Off Tourist Bus, worth €33. Additional days on the bus are available by paying a €9 supplement… just check the options when you’re buying the pass. (Note: the Tourist Bus is an either / or option with the Casa Mila… you can choose one only!).
Worthwhile Discounts
The Barcelona Pass comes with a discount code you can use on nearly any other Barcelona experience available on Tiqets.com.
- Camp Nou Stadium Tour (10% off)
- Picasso Museum Guided Tour (10% off)
- Casa Mila (10% off)
- Casa Batllo (10% off)
- Palau Guell (10% off)
- Casa Vicens (10% off)
- Poble Espanyol (10% off)
- Palau de la Musica Catalana (10% off)
- Sant Pau Recinte Modernisme (10% off)
- Barcelona Zoo (10% off)
- The Aquarium (10% off)
- Flamenco Show (10% off)
Barcelona Pass Pricing
The standard price for the Barcelona Pass is €85.00, and comes with 1 day ticket to the Hop On / Off Bus. Upgrading to 2 days is very affordable, while children get significant discounts (0-3 yrs are free), as do seniors.| ADULT | PRICE | CHILD (4-6yrs) | PRICE | CHILD (7-10yrs) | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | €85 | Standard | €17 | Standard | €26 |
Is It Worth It?
For first-time visitors to Barcelona, it’s hard to beat the Barcelona Pass for sheer convenience. It covers everything most tourists wish to do with just a single ticket – enabling you to plan your visit with just a few clicks of the mouse! Economically speaking, you don’t save loads of money here, as the value of the included products comes to about the same as the price of the pass itself. Therefore, to start making savings, you need to use your 10% discount code to buy more tickets or tours. With the likes of Camp Nou Stadium, the aquarium, a flamenco show, amazing day trips, even wine tours, to tempt you, this should be very easy indeed… and you can use the discount code up to 5 times! A free city guide app included in the pass is a nice touch too. Overall the Barcelona Pass is the perfect choice for lovers of convenience, who want the best of Barcelona in one card.
3. Go City All-Inclusive Pass
By Go City
Go City All-Inclusive: What’s Included? | Prices | Is It Worth It? | 5% Discount Code!
A new brand in town, the Go City All-Inclusive pass is rather impressive! You simply choose the number of days you will need the pass for (the more days, the higher the cost), and then you can visit as many sights and museums as you like for FREE within that timeframe.
Amazingly, Go City seemed to have struck a deal with virtually every major tourist attraction in town, and everything you hope to see in Barcelona is included in the price (go back to Comparison Table to see what I mean!). In fact, they’ve actually gone one better for some of the top attractions, as you actually get a guided tour of La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and Picasso Museum included in the price (which starts at €159 for a 2-day pass, and perhaps hits a sweet spot at €194 for a 3-day pass), not just a ticket.
So far, go great… but is there a snag? Yes, a little one. Some of the best sights (starting with La Sagrada Familia) require booking in advance and are limited by availability, so you need to check that on their website before you go ahead and buy the pass. In general, provided you buying your All-Inclusive pass a week or two ahead of time you should be ok.
Overall there’s a stunning amount of high-end, expensive attractions included in the cost of the pass, and it should be really easy to get value for money – you might even save a small fortune! (UPDATE: We’ve negotiated a 5% discount on the pass for Barcelona Life readers… keep reading to save even more!).
Free Major Attractions
- Sagrada Familia Guided Tour. See Gaudi’s masterpiece with a local guide (worth €60).
- Park Guell Guided Tour. Wander through these landscaped gardens with a licensed guide (worth €32)
- Picasso Museum Guided Tour. Discover the legacy of Picasso in Barcelona and his early works (worth €33)
- Camp Nou Museum & Tour. Visit the stadium and museum of the legendary Barça FC (worth €28).
- Casa Batllo. A truly magical house with a fairytale façade (worth €35).
- Casa Mila. Gaudi’s most famous mansion, aka La Pedrera (worth €25).
- Poble Espanyol. Visit the whole of Spain, in one village (worth €14).
- The Aquarium. Admire 450 aquatic animals including bull sharks (worth €24).
- Barcelona Zoo. See lions, tigers, hippos, giraffes and gorillas (worth €21.40).
You can check the full list of the 40+ free attractions and experiences on Go City’s website, where you can also buy the pass.
Other Freebies
In addition to entrance tickets to almost all the top attractions, the Go City All-Inclusive pass also includes a tonne of tour options, such as a free walking tour with tapas tasting (worth €25), a free bike tour (€30), a segway tour (€29) or even a ticket to an escape room (worth €25).
Free Transport
The Go City All-Inclusive pass includes a day’s use of the Hop On / Hop Off Barcelona Tourist Bus, plus Montjuic Cable Car tickets.
Go City All-Inclusive Pass Pricing
Two days of accessing pretty much all that Barcelona has to offer is great value at just €119 per person, and gets better the longer pass you buy. Discounts for children of 12 and under.| ADULT PASS | PRICE | CHILD (4-12) | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 days | €159 | 2 days | €109 |
| 3 days | €194 | 3 days | €134 |
| 4 days | €224 | 4 days | €154 |
| 5 days | €244 | 5 days | €179 |
Is It Worth It?
Is the Go City All-Inclusive pass worth it? The short answer is YES. It’s incredible value. The 2-day pass only comes in at less than €80 a day… take the Sagrada Familia guided tour (€60) and you’ve nearly made that back… especially if you arrived by the Tourist Bus (€33). Take the Park Guell tour in the afternoon (€32) and you’ve completed €112 worth of activities for almost half price. Then on your second day you just need to visit two more premium attractions to be saving, and there’s probably time to do 3 or 4 if you plan well.
The picture looks even better on a 3-day pass, which comes in at less than €65 a day. You could do La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell via the Tourist Bus on Day 1 and finish with something fun like a brewery tour or escape room; then visit Casa Mila and Casa Batllo (next to each other), followed by Picasso Museum and MOCO Museum (also next to each other) on Day 2; and then on Day 3 take your pick between Montserrat, Camp Nou Experience, the Aquarium and many more.
***5% Discount Code. Save another 5% by using the promo code BARCELONALIFE5 when you check out!***
5% DISCOUNT FOR GO CITY PASSES!
Barcelona Life and Go City have teamed up so that you can save 5% per month on your all-inclusive pass, making an already great deal that bit better!
After you press the “checkout” button, just click on the question “have you got a promo code?” that appears during the Review Your Order stage of the buying process. Then enter the the promo code BARCELONALIFE5 and you’ll see your final quote amended to include your discount!
Note: this discount isn’t accumulative, so unfortunately you can’t use it in conjunction with their 5% discount for signing up for their newsletter.
4. Go City Explorer Pass
By Go City
Go City Explorer: What’s Included? | Prices | Is It Worth It? | 5% Discount Code!
The Go City Explorer Pass works completely differently to every other tourist card on this list. Instead of being valid for a number of days, the pass grants you entry to a set number of attractions (between 2 and 7, depending which option you select), and you can handpick these attractions from Go City’s list of partners.
The list includes virtually every major attraction in town, and overall the Explorer Pass is the most flexible option for travellers.
Free Major Attractions
- Sagrada Familia Guided Tour. See Gaudi’s masterpiece with a local guide (worth €60).
- Park Guell Guided Tour. Wander through these landscaped gardens with a licensed guide (worth €32)
- Picasso Museum Guided Tour. Discover the legacy of Picasso in Barcelona and his early works (worth €33)
- Camp Nou Museum & Tour. Visit the stadium and museum of the legendary Barça FC (worth €28).
- Casa Batllo. A truly magical house with a fairytale façade (worth €35).
- Casa Mila. Gaudi’s most famous mansion, aka La Pedrera (worth €25).
- Poble Espanyol. Visit the whole of Spain, in one village (worth €14).
- The Aquarium. Admire 450 aquatic animals including bull sharks (worth €24).
- Barcelona Zoo. See lions, tigers, hippos, giraffes and gorillas (worth €21.40).
- Segway Tour. Take a spin through Parc de la Ciutadella (worth €29).
- Tapas Tour. A walking tour of the Gothic Quarter with snacks (worth €22).
You can check the full list of the 40+ free attractions and experiences on Go City’s website, where you can also buy the pass.
Free Transport
The Go City Explorer pass doesn’t include any free transport, but you can use one of your attraction slots to select the Hop On / Hop Off Barcelona Tourist Bus. (You can also select the Montjuic Cable Car, but that would only make financial sense if you opting for the 6 or 7 attraction pass option).
Go City Explorer Pass Prices
Choose between 2 to 7 attractions and pay accordingly. This pass makes sense if you plan on visiting a small amount of expensive attractions.| ADULT PASS | PRICE | CHILD (4-12) | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 choice pass | €79 | 2 choice pass | €54 |
| 3 choice pass | €109 | 3 choice pass | €79 |
| 4 choice pass | €129 | 4 choice pass | €89 |
| 5 choice pass | €154 | 5 choice pass | €104 |
| 6 choice pass | €179 | 6 choice pass | €124 |
| 7 choice pass | €194 | 7 choice pass | €134 |
Is It Worth It?
The great thing about the Go City Explorer Pass is you really can’t lose. You simply add up the prices of the attractions you want to visit and then check if the pass works out cheaper!
Generally speaking, if you want to visit a lot of premium attractions (by which I mean those that cost €20 or over) then the Explorer Pass is going to save you a significant amount of money. For example selecting the Sagrada Familia guided tour (€60), the Park Guell guided tour (€32), Casa Batllo (€35), Camp Nou Experience (€28), the Tourist Bus (€33) and the Picasso Museum guided tour (€33) has a total value of €221, while the 6 choice pass only costs €179. That’s a pretty massive saving!
***5% Discount Code. And the good news is that you can save another 5% by using the promo code BARCELONALIFE5 when you check out!***
5% DISCOUNT FOR GO CITY PASSES!
Barcelona Life and Go City have teamed up so that you can save 5% per month on your Explorer pass, making an already great deal that bit better!
After you press the “checkout” button, just click on the question “have you got a promo code?” that appears during the Review Your Order stage of the buying process. Then enter the the promo code BARCELONALIFE5 and you’ll see your final quote amended to include your discount!
Note: this discount isn’t accumulative, so unfortunately you can’t use it in conjunction with their 5% discount for signing up for their newsletter.
Individual Tickets to Top Attractions
If you’ve done the maths, and none of the cards are saving you any cash-money, then here are some handy links where you can grab your tickets to each attraction individually…. COMING SOON!
Challenge Duncan!
Still not sure what card or pass you should buy? Then challenge me to make the best decision for you… let me know in the comments section what you want to do in Barcelona, and I’ll let you know which card – if any – is right for you!
About the Author
Joanne
Thanks for your great site. We bought the 2-day Go City All Inclusive pass as it’s our first time in Barcelona.
We noticed that there were instructions to pre-reserve Sagrada Familia and Park Guell and we did so. But for Casa Mila and Casa Batllo it says to present the pass at entry. I’m worried that if we don’t pre-reserve it could be full (traveling beginning of June). Do you know if it’s possible to reserve an entry time in advance with the Go City AI Pass?
Duncan
Hi Joanna, apologies, just seen your comment now. I imagine you will be all right (SF and PG are on another level of busy-ness to other attractions!), but let me write now to Go City and I will try to get some clarity here…
Duncan
Hi Joanna, I have just heard back from Go City. They said
“On attractions that need reservations we have the booking system which they have used for the other attractions that require. On attractions that say just show your pass unfortuantly it is not possible. We give hints on less busier times ie Casa Batllo: We recommend visiting between 12pm and 3pm or after 6pm to avoid busiest times. During peak times please allow an extra 20 mins to get through the ticket gates.”
It seems they are confident you will be able to get in, otherwise they would no doubt add an obligatory time slot reservation system. I occasionally walk by those two mansions, and I haven’t seen any excessive queues of late. Hopefully that will remain the situation in June.
Ginie McBride
Hi Duncan. I’m hoping you can advise on best pass that would incorporate as many of the following as possible. In Barcelona from midday on Monday 25/3 to Thursday 28/3 midmorning:
Sagrada Familia
Park Guell
Picasso musuem
Casa Batlo
Casa Mila
MACBA
Many thanks in advance
Duncan
Hi Ginie
I think either take the All Inclusive Pass for 2 days (Tues and Weds).
https://www.barcelona-life.com/go-city-all-inclusive-pass
This has the advantage that the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell tickets come with a guided tour. I think the Picasso Museum too.
Or take the Barcelona Pass and select Casa Batllo instead of the Tourist Bus (this is a new option available!), then pick up the 3 cheaper attractions (Casa Mila, MACBA and Picasso) as individual tickets with the 10% discount you get with the Barcelona Pass… I think this works out marginally cheaper than the Go City Pass.
Cheers!
d
Suzie Vermeulen
Hi Duncan
My husband and I are visiting Barcelona from 10 – 16 May. We’ll be staying in Sant Adria de Besos, which means we’ll have to travel to the city centre for most of the attractions. We are planning to see Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batlo & Cable Car to Montjuic and Picasso museum, using the Hop on Hop off bus.
Can you please recommend a suitable city pass? Are all of the tickets bought in advance skip-the-line tickets or just the guided tour ones?
We’ll have to use public transport every day and also when travelling from the airport on 10 May. On 16 May we board a cruise ship. Is it worthwhile buying the Hola Barcelona Pass or you also mention T Casual tickets?
Thank you for this very informative guide!
Regards
Suzie
Duncan
Hi Suzie
So you could get the Barcelona Pass and select Casa Batllo (instead of Tourist Bus), then pick up individual tickets for Tourist Bus, Cable Car and Picasso Museum with a 10% discount on Tiqets (which you get with the Barcelona Pass). This should work out around 135 euros I think.
Currently the All Inclusive 2 Day pass is on sale for 130 euros so that might be even better!
https://www.barcelona-life.com/go-city-all-inclusive-pass
Hope that helps!
d
Ilona
Hello
I am planning family trip to Barcelona in the begining of June(5days=3full days,because we arrive at 13:00 1st day and leaving on 5th day at 13:00)
I am travelling with my husband and my mother in law,(seniora with limited mobility for walking).And i have disabled person’s status.
We have plane tickets and place where to live(close to La Sagrada Familia).
We know what we want to see( Montserrat,Tibidabo Montjuic,Magic fauntain Montjuic,Park Guell,something similar to la Boqueria,but less crowded.Sagrada Familia,Casa Batllo,Casa Mila,Poble Espanyol,MNAC,Jardi Botanic de Barelona,Parc de Cuitadella,maybe some flamenco. Also to try best Patatas Bravas and sangria,etc.
Duncan
Hi Ilona, not sure if you had a specific question, but I think either of the Go City Passes should save you some money.
One thing to bear in mind. The Magic Fountain is not working because of the drought conditions. The area is still nice to see, as the MNAC building is very grand with good views.
Good alternatives to Boqueria, with much less people, would be Santa Caterina Market or Sant Antoni Market.
Lisa
Hi again Duncan! Thank you for answering my previous question. I have one additional. Is the All-Inclusive pass consecutive days? We are planning a couple day trips in the middle of our Barcelona vacation (to Girona & Tarragona) so I’m worried we’d lose those days if we get the All-Inclusive pass.
Thanks!
Duncan
Hi Lisa, yes the All Inclusive pass is for consecutive days, so you would have to bear that in mind.
The Explorer Pass is valid for 60 days, so you might want to crunch the maths on that one instead!
d
Mandy RC
Hi Duncan, we are travelling to Barcelona next week for 5 days and I was thinking about getting the Go City Explorer Pass and possibly do 5 or 6 main attractions in that week. We hope to walk from one thing to another as we have a city centre apartment.
If you have to book Sagrada in advance, how can you show that you have a Go City pass which allows free entry? I’m not clear on how to do that. I’m guessing this doesn’t give an option to skip the queue? Thank you for this brilliant guide!
Duncan
Hi Mandy, so when you book the Go City passes you should be presented with a link to book a Sagrada Familia Guided Tour. The tour is run by another company (Amigo Tours) and they typically offer slots three times a day. 9am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm. The tour will include your tickets and you won’t have to get queue to get in (you will have to turn up on time though to the meeting point!).
More details here: https://gocity.com/en/barcelona/attractions/sagrada-familia-guided-tour
Lisa
Hello Duncan! My family is visiting Barcelona from April 1-9, 2024. We are 2 adults/2 children (10 & 12). We are looking to visit La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Montjuic, Casa Battlo, Casa Mila & Montserrat. We are not renting a car, so some kind of metro pass would be a helpful addition.
Thank you!
Duncan
Hi Lisa
I would definitely look closely at the All Inclusive City Pass, which is great for jam-packed schedules like yours.
https://www.barcelona-life.com/go-city-all-inclusive-pass
And remember to use your discount code of BARCELONALIFE5
For transport you could take advantage of the Tourist Bus with the All Inclusive (I think just for one day though), or you could invest in Hola Barcelona Transport Cards if you plan on being on the metro a lot. If you are not 100% sure you will get value from the Hola Transport Cards and want to be flexible you could probably just buy each family member a T-Casual card on arrival, that costs about €11-12 and gets you 10 journeys per card.
Angela
Hi Duncan,
Happy New Year! We are a group of 3 visiting Barcelona next month. Arriving Feb 5 afternoon, staying in Barcelona until Feb 11 early morning, going to Madrid and then back to Barcelona on Feb 12 late evening as our return tickets have to be departed from Barcelona on Feb 13. We plan to visit La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Casa Vicens, Park Guell, Picasso Museum, Montserrat, Tibidabo – Temple Expiatori de Sagrat Cor, etc. It doesn’t seem to have any pass or transport card for 7 days, is there? What’s the best options for fastest transportation/attractions entrance? Thanks!
Duncan
Happy new year Angela!
I would look into the Go City Explorer Pass… reason being is there’s no time limit (well a 60 day time limit, which is easily enough for your purposes!).
https://www.barcelona-life.com/go-city-explorer-pass
Anything that costs €25 or over put on the pass… anything less just buy as an individual ticket! And don’t forget your discount code. BARCELONALIFE5
Re: transport, see my comment to Lisa above!
Cherie
Greetings!
I’ll be in Barcelona for 3 days on the 16th-20th of December (2 days for travel). I anticipate on visiting La Sagrada Familia, Picasso Musuem, and Dali Theater and Musuem. What would you suggest? Also, do I need to make a reservation prior to my visit?
Duncan
Hi Cherie
Cheapest would be just to buy separate tickets, although, if you enjoy guided tours, then you get an Go City Explorer Pass, 2 attraction option, and choose Sag Fam guided tour and Picasso guided tour and you would be making a very nice saving!
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona-card-and-city-passes#go-city-explorer-worth-it
Don’t forget your BARCELONALIFE5 code!
As far as I know Dali Theatre Museum is not included in any pass… i actually just found a cool tour which I mention on my updated December article… check no. 11
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/december
You can also catch the train easily enough.
I would reserve your Sag Fam tickets / pass asap, the rest you can probably do nearer the time…
Best
D
Maggie
Hello Duncan! We’d love to see SF without the guide and Park Guell and Casa Batillo. We are also planning to use the metro. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Duncan
Hi Maggie
Ok, so you might want to consider the Barcelona Essential Pass, which is similar to the Barcelona Pass, but with public transport included (in the form of the Hola Barcelona Pass) instead of the Tourist Bus.
That would get you Sagrada Familia (with audioguide), Park Guell and free public transport (including metro/train from the airport), plus audioguide for Barcelona in general. When you buy the Essential Card via Tiqets you get a 10% discount code emailed to you, which you could use to pick up Casa Batllo tickets.
Hope that works out for you!
Tamzin
Hi first time to Barcelona, dates 4th to 7th september
would like to visit
casa battlo. segrada, park guell , casa mila, motjuic and possibly a boat trip too , can you advise which would be best please , travel and attractions cards
Duncan
Hi Tamzin
Those sights are all included in the Go City All Inclusive pass.
For Montjuic, you could use the Tourist Bus (included) to get there and you also have cable car tickets (for going right to the top), and free entry to Poble Espanyol, Olympic Museum and CaixaForum. Or you could sign up for the Montjuic Walking Tour (included).
Richard Howard
Hi Duncan
There’s just to many choices. We will be flying in on the 26th of October and leaving November 1 on a cruise so we are most interested the transit pass and a few major attractions. We enjoy walking tours self guided and just getting a feel for the city. Don’t really enjoy busy tourist attractions. Which pass would you suggest. Thanks
Rich
Duncan
Hi Richard
Yes, it’s not always an obvious decision… I think the Barcelona Pass does a great job of catering to the first-time visitor’s needs. Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, tourist bus to join the dots. Grab it and you’re done basically!
However from your comment I feel like the Barcelona Card might be a better choice. That’s the official city card, which grants you free entry to pretty much all the city museums (more reading here: https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/museums so you can see which take your fancy), none of which (apart from the Picasso Museum) get too crowded. The Barcelona Card also grants you free public transport.
The Go City passes are great if you want to do virtually ALL the expensive Gaudi sights (Sag Fam, Park Guell and the three separate mansions) and / or like tours. You can save good money with them if you are piling up the expensive options basically.
Hope that summary helps!
You might be best off making your itinerary first and then seeing if any of the cards line up well with your choices!
Lily
Hi Duncan,
We are traveling in August with my husband and 3 teens. I already booked my Sagrada Familia tickets. We will like to visit Casa Batlló, el parque Güell, Monserrat tour, and maybe something else. Which pass would you recommend? Also, we are taking a cruise, which way is easier for us to get to the terminal, uber or taxi? Thank you Duncan!
Duncan
Hi Lily
If you’re already got your Sagrada Familia tickets then it’s hard to save money with any of the passes, because SF is the most expensive attraction and the cards are usually priced around including it.
The 3-choice Explorer Pass would see you break even more or less, but with the disadvantage that their Montserrat tour is just transport (no tour guide), and it might be a place where you want more context…
I would probably just go for individual tickets to each attraction in your position.
Here are my top 5 Montserrat tours btw, for some cool options:
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/montserrat#tours
Regarding transport to the cruise port… I haven’t actually been down to the cruise port, but I believe there’s a taxi rank there. Perhaps best iea though to book one advance, via the likes of Book Taxi BCN
https://www.barcelona-life.com/book-taxi-bcn
On their website they have a drop down menu where you can select Barcelona Port – Cruise Terminal as your pick up and Barcelona City (All Destinations) as your drop off. You can also let them know what ship you’re on, so they’ll be there to meet you.
Uber doesn’t work in Barcelona btw (although Cabify app does, so you could also try that for getting around town).
tina nguyen
You have this in your post:
Free Transport
The Go City All-Inclusive pass includes free use of the Hop On / Hop Off Barcelona Tourist Bus for the duration of the card, plus Montjuic Cable Car tickets.
The Go Card company said you only have a bus option once, NOT for each day you have the all exclusive.
Duncan
Thanks Tina, you’re correct, thanks for pointing that out. I have updated the post!
Kez
Hi Duncan – great information but I am confused as to what is best. 2 of us would like to visit La Sagrada, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila and Poble Espanyol, plus take the cable car. Is the Go City Explorer x 4 options the best way to go, bearing in mind I then have to pay for trains when I use them. Thanks for your suggestions.
Duncan
Hi Kez
I think you want the 3 choices Explorer pass…. because two of your attractions (Poble Espanyol and Cable Car) are less than €20, which is the difference between the 3 choice and 4 choice and the 4 choice and 5 choice pass. In other words, you’d be paying more. As long as each choice costs €20-25 the Explorer works better… if less, better to buy individual tickets.
Conclusion: So get the 3 x Explorer Pass for Sag Fam, Casa Mila and Casa Batllo and then pick up individual tickets for Poble Espanyol and Cable Car.
Have fun!
D.
ps. This Montjuic article might be useful for you!
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/montjuic
Klara Meyers
Hi Duncan,
Wonderful info, lots to digest, I am visiting with my daughter in May who uses a wheelchair, are the hop on and hop off buses accessible? Wondering which pass would work best for us, we are staying for six nights, don’t know where yet perhaps you can suggest an area that would be fun and accessible. I appreciate your advice.
Duncan
Hi Klara
So I checked for you and the official tourist bus website says:
“All Barcelona Bus Turístic buses are equipped with an access ramp and wheelchair space inside the vehicle.”
I would perhaps suggest staying somewhere in, or near, El Borne. It’s a nice district, centrally located and a good vibe. However you can’t go too far wrong, every central district is pretty nice IMHO and there’s a good metro services (with lifts and ramps) if you need to swap districts. Being close to the yellow line is useful for getting to and from the city beaches. Speaking of which Poblenou is a very chilled district with little traffic and close to the beaches.
I would recommend checking out this post my an accessibility expert for more tips:
https://curbfreewithcorylee.com/2018/09/18/barcelona-wheelchair-access-guide/
Have fun, and let us know how you got on!
Duncan
Shelby
Hi Duncan,
My husband and I are visiting Barcelona in 2 weeks, where our daughter is studying abroad. Looking at all of the passes it seems the City Explorer Pass may be best for us (and then purchasing the T-Casual transportation passes). My question is for the Sagrada Familia tickets, can we get tickets with a Tower Tour? It seems that some of the passes don’t offer the Tower tour and I’m not sure if the Explorer Package does.
Also, we want to book a tour to Montserrat. Is there one you would recommend over another? There seem to be so many options. We like to be active so one with a hike or wine tasting sound good. Thanks for any help you can give!
Duncan
Hi Shelby
Tower access is not part of the Sagrada Familia tour available with the Explorer Pass, although it’s possible you could later upgrade with the company who provides the Sagrada tour (Amigo Tours). The picture is not clear I’m afraid (I asked Go City, but they were not even sure).
If you want to be 100% sure, I’d maybe get separate tickets and use the Explorer Pass for other attractions. Given you’re here for 2 weeks you can take your time and the Explorer Pass makes most sense. Just use it for the most expensive attractions!
Regarding Montserrat, I put what I think are the best tours here:
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/montserrat#tours
Hope that helps…
Best
Duncan
Michelle
Hi Duncan,
We will be traveling with our 4 year old in April. Wondering what would be the best option for us if we want to visit Parc Güell, La Sagrada Familia, el Tibidabo funicular (amusement Park not necessary), Montjuïc, Casa Milá or Batlló, a boat ride and possibly Montserrat. We don’t want guided tours, just entrance. We arrive on a Saturday late afternoon and leav e either Tuesday or Wednesday (if we include Montserrat). We would probably do our own thing around the Gothic quarter on Sunday and maybe a boat tour to allow for jet lag recovery. Would possibly fit in El Tibidabo or Montjuïc Sunday as well if we are up for it. Then sagrada familia, Parc Güell and Casa Batllo on Monday. Leaving Tuesday afternoon or tagging on Montserrat on Tuesday and leaving Wednesday morning. I was thinking the GoCity 3 day all inclusive pass would be worth it but not seems like most of what they offer are guided tours, which would be a challenge with a jet lagged 4 year old (and limited time). What pass would you recommend for our time there? I don’t know if it makes sense to start our pass on sunday (when jet lagged) or Monday. I liked the idea of the hop on hop off for transportation ease to the main attractions but maybe it’s not too hard to navigate public transport. Thank you!
Duncan
Hi Michelle, while possible I think this might all be a bit ambitious for only two full days (Sunday and Monday).
If you’re keen to avoid being on a tour, perhaps the Barcelona Pass makes more sense. You can do Sagrada Familia and Park Guell on the same day, and use the rest of the day to ride the Tourist Bus over Montjuic (you don’t need advance tickets for Montjuic attractions like Joan Miro Foundation or MNAC so you can play Montjuic by ear). I’d just advise leaving plenty of time to get from Sagrada to Park Guell by Tourist Bus as I’ve heard the buses can get busy these days so you might have to queue a little to get on one. (Public transport def. possible, but a bit more hassle / walking).
Once you have the Barcelona Pass you can get 10% off Casa Batllo and a number of Montserrat and boat tours via Tiqets.
Hope that helps!
Natka
Hi Duncan, cool article! What do you think about the Hola Barcelona pass? Is it worth buying to save on public transport? We want to do the standard, I guess: Montserrat, Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Montjuic, Picasso Museum, maybe Poble Espanyol, or Aquarium. 5 days, Mon to Fri.
Thanks in advance!
Duncan
Czesc Natka
The Hola Barcelona Pass is pretty decent, as I believe you get the special airport metro fare included. You will probably save money vs. buying single tickets everywhere you go.
HOWEVER, I think 8/10 times you are going to save more money buying a T-Casual, which gives you 10 journeys on public transport for €11:35, with no time limit (or a time limit of several months).
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-fares-metro-bus/single-and-integrated/t-casual
You don’t get airport metro ticket included though (although personally I prefer to take the Aerobus anyhow, as I find it fast, convenient and still reasonably priced).
Nath
Hi Duncan
Very good article I have a question we are a couple traveling to Barcelona on march interested in seeing sagarada familia, park guell,football stadium and the hop off and on bus. We don’t want like a schedule to do things just to enjoy and walk around wich card do you recommend. Thank You
Duncan
Hi Nath
Thanks for the feedback. Regarding your question, unfortunately these days tickets to popular attractions come with a specified time slot, meaning it’s no longer really viable to do the major sights in an ad hoc fashion. You have to plan a bit in advance. That’s true no matter which pass you buy, or which portal you get the tickets from, including the official websites, so there’s no way around it I’m afraid.
For your needs, I’d personally probably go for the Barcelona Pass and use the tourist bus to round up all those attractions in one day. Sagrada Familia maybe 10am, Park Guell at noon, lunch, then Camp Nou at 3pm, and then ride the bus over Montjuic in the late afternoon, as it’s very nice up there and some good views (https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/montjuic). After you buy the Barcelona Pass, you should be able to buy the Camp Nou tickets with 10% discount via Tiqets.com.
That way you’ve done your sightseeing on Day 1 and can spend the rest of your trip walking around some cool districts like the Gothic Quarter, Born, Gracia or just go shopping, bar hopping or to the beach!
More inspiration here:
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/things-to-do
https://www.barcelona-life.com/things-to-do-at-night-in-barcelona
Note: the Go City Passes do cover your needs too, but with Go City you book a guided tour to the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell (not just entry tickets), meaning less flexibility about what times you can choose from. But maybe check them out in case the times work for you.
Merlin
Hello,
we want to visit Sagrada Famiglia, Casa Milo, Batllo, Park Guell and Picasso
Can u suggest a city pass for all of this atractions and can i use them twice for the same places?
Duncan
Hi Merlin, yes either of the Go City Passes will get you entry to those five attractions. However, you can only visit each attraction once, as far as I know.
Iva
Thank you for this great article! I’ve managed to use your discount on the Go City card 🙂
Duncan
Well done Iva! Have fun in Barcelona 😎
Dinyar Sidhva
Duncan, Thanks for your prompt response. Most useful.
Have a nice day.
Warm Regards
Dinyar
Amanda
on the go explorer pass are there skip the line tours
Duncan
Yes, you can select Sagrada Familia or Park Guell skip-the-line tours with the Go Explorer Pass, and you will enter the attraction at the allotted time without queuing more than a few minutes… you do have to be on time though!
In general every advance ticket is a ‘skip the line’ ticket (the phrase ‘skip-the-line’ comes from the times when most tourists would simply turn up at the gates and form a line, but most people now plan in advance, esp. for the big attractions).
Dinyar Sidhva
Hi Duncan,
Intend visiting Barcelona in May this year and based on your recommendations am planning to buy the 4-choice Explorer Pass to cover Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batlo & Cable Car to Montjuic. Q.1 How do I get to use the guide for the first 2 attractions with this pass? Do I get him/her on site? Q.2 When visiting Casa Batlo is some audio facility available? Q.3 Is cable car experience to Montjuic worthwhile or do you recommend another attraction. Q.4 When booking do I have to specify which 4 attractions I will be availing.
Look forward to receiving your response. Thanks. Dinyar
Duncan
Hi Dinyar
With Sagrada Familia, after buying the pass, you will have to reserve a slot for La Sagrada Familia (I believe GoCity will send you a link to a booking calendar, or a calendar will pop up from their page) either on a morning tour (Monday to Saturday at 09:30) or an afternoon tour (15:30).
Same situation for Park Guell, but different timetables. In May, looks like you can choose from 12:15, 15:45 or 18:15 each day.
For Casa Batllo you’re essentially getting their standard ‘Blue ticket’, which includes Audio Guide and Gaudi Cube (360 degrees media exhibit).
Montjuic is really cool place to visit, with loads of attractions. You can read more here:
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/montjuic
The cable car is fun, with great views from the sky, and helpful if you want to get to the very top of the hill (which is a steep walk). However it’s only a few minutes ride, so it’s only a short trip. At the top of the hill is Montjuic Castle (it’s a fortress not a castle though), and great views over the commercial port.
If you wanted to get more value from your pass, you could use your fourth attraction slot to get into one of the more expensive attractions, like La Pedrera (aka Casa Mila), and just buy the cable car ticket.
Have fun!
Kevin M. Wong
Duncan, I just read your article and went to the link for the GO Pass, All Inclusive pass. We are going to Barcelona in late November for one week. We ended up getting the 5-day pass and it looks like we can see a lot while riding the double-decker buses to get to the attractions. I wanted to say thank you for your wonderful article that explained all of the pass options. I honestly think the one we got is the best value for your money, but if someone is only going for a day or two, I can see how one of the others might work better. If you have any other advice or suggestions, I will gladly listen to your wise words. Thank you for your help.
Duncan
Hi Kevin, yes I think the Go Pass is the best on the market right now, especially if you’re staying a bit longer, as you say.
None of the passes include a flamenco show these days, but there are some from just €20 on my dedicated page:
https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/flamenco
Have a great time in the city!
Lone
Hi Duncan
The link to compo does not work.
I would like a card if it pays off
We want to visit
-The Sagrada Familia
– Park Guell
– Montjuïc Cable Car, one the way
– Hop on off bus
– Metro
Duncan
Hi Lone
Yes, this article is going to need a quite intensive update following the pandemic. Things are still in flux a bit. One card that has reestablished itself is the Barcelona Pass, available now on Tiqets, and it has EXACTLY what you’re looking for (except the metro… but you can buy a T-Casual card for just 10 or 11 euros and use that to get around)! Here’s the link:
https://www.tiqets.com/en/barcelona-attractions-c66342/the-barcelona-pass-p1012495/?partner=barcelonalife
Henna
Hi Duncan
Please can you help !
There are 14 of us traveling to Barcelona on the 2nd jan returning on the 5th jan .
We have 6 teenagers
4 kids
4 adults
We basically Need a card for 4 days which gives us access to :
Airport transfers ( using the metro) to noval hotel and back
Metro use whilst out there and hop and on bus to get around
We want to see the
La Sagrada
Park Guell
Picasso museum
Football stadium if free ( not a must)
Boat trip would be amazing
Zoo ( possibly )
Any late night showes ( not essential but fun)
Aquarium (if possible )
As we will all spilt but need access to public transport the whole time out there. Our hotel is noval Barcelona metro is across the rd
Am confused to if we get the Barcelona combo which seems like the best option is that per person and how many days ? Do
You offer a family card which is cheaper and I have also looked at the I venture card that gives y out access for 7 days .
We need a card from 2nd jan until 5th jan your help will be much appreciated.
I hope to hear from
You very soon as I need to book these cards and the best option plz
Duncan
Hi Henna, yes it looks like Barcelona Combo is best option for you. The Combo is actually the official Barcelona Tourist Card, plus a package of Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Flamenco Show and Boat Trip added on top, at a discount price.
So you essentially are buying the Barcelona Card (you choose the duration, 3, 4 or 5 days), and that gives you free public transport, including metro to and from airport, and free Picasso Museum (plus many other museums). And then, in addition to the Card benefits, you also get the Combo bonuses as well (Sagrada Familia etc!), and you can choose the timing of those.
The Card would give you a discount on the Zoo and Aquarium (but not Camp Nou) if you did decide you wanted to visit any of those!
Hope that helps clarify things for you!
Have fun 🙂
Duncan
Ps. I don’t know of any family cards, but the Combo package is cheaper for those under 12 years old.
Alayne
Hi
Do you know if the night tour of La Pedrera is included in any of these tickets, please?
Many thanks
Duncan
Hi Alayne.
Yes, La Pedrera’s real name is Casa Mila.
You can see on the table that it is free with the Barcelona Pass.
Enjoy your travels!
Duncan
Duncan
Sorry, just realised you specified the night tour. Nope, that’s not included in any package. But you can purchase via Get Your Guide.