How To Do Barcelona In Two Days

I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain this year and only stayed for two days. Here’s how to pack those two days with must-sees!

Is your life a constant struggle of wanting to travel the world but only having a limited amount of PTO days? Okay, good me too. Glad we’re on the same page.

I’m here to solve all your problems with one single blog post: How To Do Barcelona In Two Days.

We traveled to Barcelona and Madrid spanning a 10-day trip including travel. This left us only two days in Barcelona … and I wouldn’t change a single thing we did!

If you’re planning to make Barcelona a quick stop on your way around the world, here’s what I recommend you do.

Day 1:

Take a day trip to Montserrat!

You can travel to Montserrat via train and it only takes an hour! Round trip will cost you about $32.

You can catch the train from the Espanya rail station, which is on the green and red metro lines making it accessible from any part of a Barcelona city center that has a metro stop.

Once at Espanya look for Line R5 headed towards Manresa. More info here.

Don’t forget to also buy your ticket up the mountain once you arrive at Montserrat – I recommend the cable car ride. Live a little.

Once there, definitely check out the beautiful church and take a hike up the mountain.

This Montserrat trip will take most of your day, but it’s WORTH IT.

Once you arrive back to Barcelona from your awesome and amazing day trip, you’ll have just enough time to freshen up before dinner!

If you only visit one restaurant while in Barcelona, please go to Sensi Bistro.

We liked it so much we went twice! Every single thing on the menu is amazing.

It’s a little less traditional than some restaurants in Barcelona, but it’s the perfect mix of traditional Spanish fare with some American flair. (See what I did there?)

Also … don’t skip the espresso martini.

After dinner it’s time for a night out on the town. Barcelona’s night life is one of its charms in my opinion. Don’t leave Barcelona without reliving your college glory days at their infamous shot bar Espit Chupitos.

Day 2:

Explore the beach! One of the great things about Barcelona is that it’s a beach city. I recommend taking a bike tour to stroll along the various beaches and scope out your spot to post up.

When you get hungry (as one does when you’re busy laying on the beach all day), there’s a whole row of bars and restaurants along the beach that are great for sangria and tapas.

Some restaurants even have happy hour deals (I believe this beer + calamari costed us around $3).

After your day at the beach, stroll to Sagrada Familia (shown at the top of the post). This was probably my favorite part of the trip. It’s a Basilica by Antonio Gaudi that has been in construction since 1882!

Now let’s talk about day two dinner.

We LOVED the food at 7 Portes … the star of the menu for us was the cannelon. (We ordered one … then ordered another one for dessert).

After your 10pm dinner, it’s time to hit the night life.

Near the beach is also where the night clubs are located. We stopped at Opium for some dancing to American pop music. (Side note: the bartenders were very very very attractive … oh the sites of Spain).

So, let’s racap:

Day 1:

• Day trip to Montserrat via train at the Espanya rail station
• Return home, shower, get ready for dinner!
• Dinner (around 10pm) is at Sensi Bistro
• After dinner it’s time to party. Take a shot at Espit Chupitos!

Day 2:

• Hit up the beach! Take a bike tour to stroll along various beaches
• Get a sangria and tapas lunch at a beachside bar (They’re all good! Look for happy hour deals)
• Head to Sagrada Familia to see some of the coolest architecture in the world
• Dinner is at 7 Portes
• Back to the beach for dancing at the clubs

Happy traveling!