Walking Planets

If you like the idea of getting under the skin of Barcelona and learning some of the amazing stories behind its history and culture, but hate the idea of being herded around the main attractions with a big sign saying 'tourist' on your forehead, then you'll like the concept behind Walking Planets. Their atypical walking tours take you around some of the less touristic districts, like Raval and El Born and reveal treasures that most visitors simply won't see - be that a monastery of Japanese tea-drinking nuns, the burial place of Guifre the Hairy, or the beautiful Gothic hospital where Gaudi died and Dr. Fleming experimented on the corpses of beggars. The local, officially-accredited guides behind Walking Planets are keen to impart much more than Barcelona's history however: current affairs, urban trends and modern life in the Catalan capital are all part of the experience! Visit their website for a full list of district and private tours, start times and prices.

This was by far the best way to see Barcelona. My two teenager daughters and I were taken around the city by our guide Sandra for two days. The tour was fun, interesting, and very informative! Amazing city and so much to see and learn. I would tour with Sandra for several more days if we had the time. Her English is exceptional and she is very knowledgeable and fun.

I have had two Walking Planet tours in 1 week - one walking through the Gotic district and a 3hr bike tour of which both were awesome! Sandra was humorous, very informative and took the time to ask me what I was interested in to personalise the tour. I really appreciated that! If everyone could make history as interesting and alive, I think I would have taken more history classes!

We travel all around the world, and always try to go on a walking tour to get a feel for the place and the people.

Planet Raval with Sandra was fantastic - in-depth history of Catalonia and Barcelona illustrated by places along the route; Lifestyles, public policy, education, immigration - Sandra answered the questions and helped us really understand how real people live. All of this in addition to a great architectural and story-telling walk, done with great charm and pride in Barcelona.

Second tour was Planet Gaudi with Aida. Very different style, but also very knowledgable. Even though we did a lot of reading on Gaudi, Aida pointed out details that were not covered in the guidebooks.

We also took a tour from a different company and it was a major disappointment. Stick with Planets!

A novel idea and a great way to see the city.