For our thirtieth birthdays, my best friend and I just took the most incredible one week trip to Spain! We spent three nights in Ibiza and three nights in Barcelona, and I couldn’t wait to write about our experiences here! In this post, I’ve detailed everything that we did during our time in Barcelona.

Accommodations:

Nobu Hotel Barcelona: We only stayed at the Nobu Hotel for one night, right when we arrived to Barcelona. It was a bit removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, but it was perfect for what we needed. After a long overnight flight with no sleep, I was able to take a nice relaxing shower, pull the blackout curtains shut and get about 12 hours of sleep in the comfortable bed. Because of this intentionally relaxing start to our trip, we were both refreshed and ready to take on Spain after our first night!
Hotel Royal Ramblas: For the remainder of our time in Barcelona, we stayed on La Rambla, a famous tree lined street with dozens of shops, restaurants and historic buildings. We absolutely loved the location of our hotel, Hotel Royal Ramblas, as we were within walking distance of nearly everything. I would HIGHLY recommend staying in this area if it’s your first time in Barcelona!

Things to See/Do:

Parc Güell & Sagrada Família: These are the two top sights that you need to see in Barcelona! We took a guided tour through Airbnb Experiences, and loved it. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and both locations were absolutely breathtaking.
Mercado de la Boqueria: This famous market is a great place to wander, eat, shop and people watch. I purchased some souvenirs and we each bought a delicious fresh juice from one of the vendors. I would have loved to explore more of the market if we’d had a bit more time!
Gothic Quarter & El Born: These trendy areas have tons of fun restaurants, shops and historical sights. Be sure to spend some time wandering through these beautiful neighborhoods during your time in Barcelona!
Las Ramblas: Last but not least - shopping!! Barcelona is a shopping lover’s paradise. Although there are great shops all over the city, La Rambla was where we spent the most time shopping. We were restricted on luggage space, so I ended up leaving a few things behind to make room for some new purchases. If you can leave some space in your suitcase prior to arriving, do it!!! You’ll thank yourself later.

Food/Drinks:

Paradiso: For anyone who loves a good cocktail, this is your place. Paradiso was voted #1 in the world this year and it definitely lives up to the hype. We went two nights in a row and had incredible experiences both times! The first night, we had tickets for the Macallan Experience, which included 6 cocktails with food pairings. It was an unforgettable experience, and I’m so happy that we did it! We also got two of their regular cocktails, the Paradiso Express and the Immersion, which were so unique and delicious. I would definitely recommend stopping here if you have a free night in Barcelona.
Caravelle: We got an absolutely delicious brunch here! We split the French toast and the huevos rancheros and loved both. The passion fruit syrup on top of the French toast was so unique and yummy. I would definitely recommend this spot for breakfast!
Bar Cañete and Güell Tapas: These were the two best tapas restaurants that we went to in Barcelona! They both had a fun, lively atmosphere and the food was incredible. Be sure to try the chorizo sausage sandwich at Cañete!

Travel tips:

Paradiso can have extremely long wait times, but there are ways to guarantee your entry. Tickets can be purchased for their weekly “experiences” which take place in a separate room. However, once your experience has concluded, you are allowed to enjoy drinks in the main bar area! Also, Paradiso has a sandwich board out front with a QR code that acts as a line place holder. If you are near the bar, go scan the QR code, put your name on the waitlist and when it’s your time, you can return to the bar and head right inside!
If you can, visit or take a tour of the Sagrada Familia in the afternoon. We were there at about 6pm and the light shining through the stained glass was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen! Our tour guide let us know that the afternoon tours are always the best times to witness this beautiful sight!

Take a peak at everything we did in Barcelona below! :)