We love Barcelona it’s one of my favourite cities in Europe. We have been lucky enough to visit Barcelona twice now and it is a city that does not stop surprising you. It is always bustling with locals and tourists alike. Everywhere you look there are amazing and unique things to do in Barcelona with kids.
I read somewhere that the biggest mistake you can make when you visit Barcelona is not to look upwards and unfortunately I read this after we had already visited the first time. The second time I made sure I remembered this and I was stunned at what I had missed.
From ground level all the way to the sky, there is always something to look at in Barcelona with kids. After booking our air ticket we set about finding things to do in Barcelona with kids. Is Barcelona the best place to go in Spain with kids?
Let’s begin the Barcelona with kids activities
Family activities in Barcelona – Bike tour
We went on a bike tour in Barcelona. The tour took us through the streets of Barcelona and it was a fantastic way to see Barcelona with kids. On a bike tour in Barcelona, we were showed the Gothic and El Born quarters of the city (They are two of the most interesting places to stay in Barcelona).
While biking in Barcelona our tour we headed down to Barcelonetta to cruise along the wide bike and pedestrian paths that line the coast. Barcelona is extremely bike-friendly with bike lanes on even the busiest of the streets that criss-cross the city. This is a great family-friendly tour for kids in Barcelona. Another option is bike rental Barcelona and does it at your own pace
We went on bike tour with the amazing Steel Donkey bike tours.
There are a large number of Barcelona bike tours to choose from. You can cruise the Gothic Quarter, explore Montjuic, or even combine a biking and tapas tour
See all your bike tour options right here
Barcelona for kids – Cable car
Remember when we said earlier lookup in Barcelona? Well, the Barcelona Cable car is one of the things you will see. The Barcelona Port cable car runs from the golden sands of Barceloneta to the Montjuic station. Access to the cable car is available at either end of the line. It only takes 8 minutes to cross, but it is truly memorable.
The cable car has a long and proud history in Barcelona, it dates back to 1929. The red and white cabins can accommodate 20 people and crosses the port at a height of between 70 and 90 metres. The cable car provides amazing views of the Mediterranean coastline. The Cable car is a must and one of the best Barcelona family attractions as it is fun, exciting and does not take long to complete..
Family things to do in Barcelona – Montjuïc light show
The colossal Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is one of the top Barcelona night time experience for families. What you will see is 3620 water jets circulating 2600 litres of water every second from the fountain. The result of all this water spraying everywhere is a light show of dancing fountains that will have you in awe. The Montjuic fountain has over 7,000 different combinations.
The light shows are twice daily usually during the times of 8 pm and 9 pm making this one of the best tourist attractions for families in Barcelona. Best of all is free, how much more affordable is that. The magic fountain is then only a 5-minute walk from Plaça España. If you decide you can take the metro then the España metro station is only a few minutes walk
Klook.comBarcelona for kids – visit the Beach
The beaches at Barcelona were transformed for the 1992 Olympic games. Nowadays there are many sandy beaches that are great for swimming. The calm waters of the Mediterranean are perfect for kids and parents alike. Even if you’re in Barcelona with a baby head down the beach as you can hire umbrellas for sunshade. Facilities such as toilets and showers are scattered along the foreshore.
There are so many families that make their way down to the beach on a warm day in Barcelona that your kids will find a friend or two! The beach is one of the best free things to do in Barcelona with kids. Just as a word of caution don’t leave your belonging unattended on the beach in Barcelona. For parents taking older kids to the beach, you will find many of the local women swim topless!
You will find a multitude of Barcelona Cards available. Some will provide free entry, some will provide discounts. Some are aimed at just museums while other are for adventure activities. These are well worth looking at to get the most bang for your buck in Barcelona
Search all the Barcelona Discounts cards available right here
Ferrari Land
Located just outside Barcelona is the newest biggest attraction on the Catalan landscape, Ferrari Land Barcelona. Located at Port Aventure along with another theme park and water park Ferrari Land fits right in. Ferrari Land is over 70,000 square meters of fun and adrenaline. Barcelona Ferrari Land features 5 great rides especially for the kids who are not quite ready to take on the full paced attractions.
For the more adventurous kids and teenagers, the park has 16 full paced rides to try out. The fastest is the Red Force clocking in at speeds of 180 kilometres an hour. Like all big-ticket attraction parks, there is shops, restaurants and stage shows for you to experience.
How to get there:
The resort has a stop in PortAventura World on the R-16 line run by Rodalies de Catalunya
Access PortAventura World from the A-7. Enter your starting point here and follow the directions to arrive at the resort in the easiest possible way.
Book your Ferrari Land Tickets
Family Activities Barcelona – Hop on hop off bus
Barcelona is a large city with many sites spread out all around the city. To use public transport to reach all the sites from the beach to Mount Juric from Park Güell to the famous La Rambla market requires lots of planning. More than the planning it takes time, time you could be spending seeing the attractions in Barcelona. Take the worry out of that especially if you’re in Barcelona with toddlers.
Jump on the Barcelona hop on hop off bus and see the sites while stopping and visiting the ones that suit you. This is hands down one of the best things to do in Barcelona with kids. The kids get to ride the doubledecker bus, there is little walking involved and the whole family get to see the sights of Barcelona.
It is such a smart way for your family to see Barcelona easily without navigating the metro system. The bus has 3 different routes in the city of Barcelona with 44 different. This allows you to pick and choose the kid-friendly things to do in Barcelona. stops This might just be the best way for a family day out in Barcelona.
Choose from 1 or 2 days and access 2 routes with stops at the best sites in Barcelona! You will also have head phone commentary to tell about the amazing city of Barcelona and close pick up drop off access to the best sites
Book your 1 or 2 day pass on the Barcelona City Tour today
Cafe at EL Court Englis
On the top floor of the EL Court Engles shop located on Plaza Espanya is a cafeteria. The cafeteria serves all sorts of yummy cakes and foods for lunch or just a snack. The real bonus of the Cafeteria is the all-encompassing view of Barcelona and if you don’t buy food the view is free! (But I dare you to walk past the food stalls in the cafeteria and not buy something!)
Book you airbnb in Barcelona today
Having windows all round means you get a view of the Catalan capital. Window seats may be at a premium so if you spot one get it while you can! Just keep an eye out for people leaving. We loved sitting down and having a little snack while taking in the views. A visit is one of the great ideas for families in Barcelona
Things to do with kids in Barcelona – Cruise on Barcelona Harbour
We went for a short 1.5-hour cruise on Barcelona Harbour with Las Golondrinas. The cruise showed you around the harbour from places where cruise ships dock to where container ships unload.
We made our way out of the harbour briefly into the calm waters of the Mediterranean sea.
Both the girls loved the boat, we enjoyed the sun, the calm waters and cold drink on board This was one of our favourite things to do with for kids in Barcelona. It was one of those easy activities, one where families and gets get to rest while still seeing the sights of Barcelona.
Book your Las Golondrinas cruise today
Food in Barcelona
Being by the sea fresh seafood is on the menu at many places throughout Barcelona. One of the favourite dishes is seafood Paella. To find one of the best Paella’s in Barcelona head to O’Toxo Tres Hermanos. It is located a few hundred meters off La Rambla. O’Toxo is a traditional Barcelona restaurant and it is where you will find, without a doubt, some of the best Tapas and Paella in the city.
We can recommend this restaurant as we ate here 4 times during when visiting Barcelona. The seafood and chicken/seafood paella is a must. Do not buy the Paella on La Rambla you will only get the mass-produced version that comes frozen in a box. O’Toxo offers the real deal cooked from scratch while you wait. Nothing better than some cod cake tapas and paella washed down by some Sangria!
Kids food in Barcelona
If your kids love a burger the place to head in Barcelona is Bacoa. Bacoa is an independent burger joint opened by 2 Aussies in the late 90’s that now has 15 outlets across Barcelona. They serve a good old fashioned homemade burger and chips with amazing hospitality to match. If your heading to the beach there is an outlet at Barcelonetta. Bacoa is good food in Barcelona.
You will find a whole range of amazing kid-friendly foods in Barcelona for kids. There is many different rice dishes, crumbed and battered fish, calamari and some of the worlds best cold meats. Croquettes are popular with locals and tourists alike and come filled with potato, fish, ham or chicken. The ever-popular Spanish omelette is available everywhere and should suit families in a Barcelona vacation. When it comes to kids with a sweet tooth you can try Churrios both plain and dipped in chocolate and Crema Catalana (a local style custard)
Klook.comPlaces for kids to eat in Barcelona
Below you will find some kids friendly places to eat in Barcelona. The food in Barcelona is amazing. Don’t eat on the famous tourist streets such as La Rambla, venture a few streets back to find the real taste of Barcelona
- The Boqueria Market is the main tourist narket in city. On a postive note it is filled with so much great food.
- Kasparo It’s a great little tapas bar located on a small city square in the Raval. The square has a kids playground right in front of the restaurant. Try the croquettes here.
- La Nena is a cafe and chocolateria made for kids. Not only does it sell one of the best hot chocolates anywhere but also pastries to die for. Through in board games and kids book and you have a great place for a break in Barcelona.
Things to do in Barcelona for kids – Barcelona Maritime Museum
Museums are great family attractions and the Maritime Museum is one of the best Barcelona family activities. The Maritime Museum is located just off the bottom of La Rambla near the Marina. The museum has plenty of displays from toy boats through the ages to a full-sized Gallion which absolutely amazed us all.
Talk about a kid-friendly museum in Barcelona this is it. Displays include a wooden submarine through to model cruise liners that sailed the Atlantic out of Barcelona.
There are also video presentations that are displayed on the sides of the shipping containers that are located in one section of the display. Multimedia displays such as this are a great attraction for kids in Barcelona. They are spoken in Spanish but there are English subtitles. Just to be able to see the full-size replica of a Spanish Gallion makes this a must-do in Barcelona.
Visit the Nou Camp
F.C Barcelona are one of the most popular football teams in the world. The Camp Nou in Barcelona is where they ply there trade week in week out the year in year out. For the football fan, a tour lets you walk in the footsteps of FC Barcelona’s legendary players. You can see the locker room, the stadium and the awesome F.B Barcelona museum stacked with all there winning trophies and memorabilia
Visit the Camp Nou today with your football made kids. This might just be the best tour for fathers and sons to take while in Barcelona
Browse all the different Camp Nou tour options
Barcelona with kids – La Barquera Market
Now, this can be a kids dream and a parent’s worst nightmare. The lolly stalls in here are some of the most colourful you will ever see and they have everything a kid could ever want! (And just quietly a sugar lover too!) If lollies are not your thing then you can’t go past a juice or the fruit stands.
They are just as magnificent and as colourful as the lolly stands. If you need it you will find it there. It is a market aimed at tourists so you must be very careful of pickpockets while you are there but it is worth a look. If you are staying for a little while in Barcelona with a family try and find a local market right near you. You will find it much cheaper and just as beautiful.
Things to do with kids in Barcelona – Barcelona Aquarium
Barcelona Aquarium is located at Port Vell / Maremágnum area of the city by the Harbour. You will be able to see the Barcelona Cable Car travelling above you. The Aquarium Barcelona consists of 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species.
An amazing at the aquarium in Barcelona features is an underwater tunnel that stretches 80 metres long and holds six million litres of water. It is certainly a one of kind feature as you move slowly around the tank on a travelator allowing you to take in all the species on display.
Visit the unique Barcelona Aquarium, entering without delay on a skip-the-queue ticket. Experience the spectacular Oceanarium as you walk along a transparent tunnel surrounded by sharks.
Book your skip the line and entry tickets today
Barrio Gótico Dragon Tour for Families
Go on a fun appealing adventure and discovery tour of Barcelona with your children. Mind you this is fun for the whole family. Search for hidden dragons and learn about their significance to Barcelona with a map and clues.
The tour begins in the Born district and you will be asked to find the answers to questions like why half a house stands nearby or so many geese live by an abbey, as you play the game.
The guides are very knowledgeable and multi-lingual. Take a walk through culture, history and heritage of the ‘old town’ Barcelona with kids in a fun way! This tour is amazing when in Barcelona with older kids.
Book your kids friendly Barcelona Barrio Gotico Dragon tour today
Labyrinth Park of Horta
Situated in the centre of Barcelona’s Parc del Laberint d’Horta (Labyrinth Park of Horta) is one of the city unknown gems. This attraction having delighted visitors on their Barcelona family vacation for years. The maze was started in the late 17th century, You will find tall manicured hedge walls with over 2,000 feet of twists and turns for you and your kids to get lost in. Little and big kids visiting Barcelona will love this simple but adventurous activity
Since the park is set off from the normal tourist activities, you should find it less crowded and more relaxing for your family. There is only a mximum of 750 visitors a day entrance fee – €2.23, or free on Wednesday and Sundays.
You will find the maze at Passeig dels Castanyers, 1 Barcelona, 08035 Spain
Weather in Barcelona for a family holiday
Barcelona has a mild Mediterranean climate making family things to do in Barcelona easily. In summer the average high temperature rises to a peak of around 28°C (82F) in July and August. It hovers in the mid-20s in June and September. The humidity can be very high during these months making it exhausting even in mild weather The Spring and Autumn weather in Barcelona average between 16 and 22 degrees. Winter brings average low temperatures of 5 degrees and average warm temperatures of 14 degrees.
We hope this article provides you with some great inspiration for things to do in Barcelona with kids If you have had enough of kids stuff you will find plenty to do inside and outside of Barcelona. There are some amazing galleries and restaurants to try or make a day trip from Barcelona. We are sure you will enjoy your time in this amazing city.
How to get to Barcelona
Barcelona is the second-largest city in Spain, Population 1.6 Million
Barcelona airport is known as El-Prat Airport. It is located 12km from the city centre
Barcelona El-Prat is a hub for Vueling and Level airlines.
Barcelona is a focus city for Air Europa, Iberia, EasyJet, Norwegian and Ryanair
You can check the prices of international flights to Barcelona with CheapOair.
Direct trains from Madrid run daily
Barcelona Nord Barcelona Sants are two main international/long-distance bus stations in Barcelona. Direct buses for over 11 countries and 20 domestic destinations arrive here. Book your bus today with GoEuro
The Aerobús offers direct transfers from T1 and T2 to the city centre at Plaça Catalunya.
You can book an airport transfer with Suntransfers who we have personally used on many occasions.
You can reserve a rental car and have it waiting for you at El-Prat Barcelona Airport
Getting around Barcelona
Barcelona is served by a comprehensive local public transport network that includes a metro, tram and bus network
The largely underground Barcelona Metro network comprises twelve lines
Buses in Barcelona are a major form of public transport, with extensive local, interurban and night bus networks
You can buy tickets for individual journeys or if you intend taking more than 5 journeys on the metro or buses it’s best to buy the T10 ticket
Places to stay in Barcelona with kids
For families, Barceloneta is the number 1 place to be. The reason is that it provides ready access to Barcelona’s beaches and is a short distance to the Gothic Quarter. In Barceloneta, you will find a wide choice of apartments to rent. In the vicinity, there are plenty of mini-markets for buying groceries and eating out options. An apartment provides families with cooking and washing facilities that hotels can’t. For this reason, apartment rentals are popular with families.
Barcelona has accommodation options for every budget from Hostels, to apartments and hotels rooms.
Hostels in Barcelona can start from as little as 15€ Euro a night for a shared dorm room.
Based on our fellow traveller’s reports, Travelodge Barcelona Poblenou is a popular 1-star hotel for budget travellers. it features free WiFi and a restaurant. Other options for your Barcelona trip on a budget include Centre Esplai Hostel and Hotel Barbara.
For families visiting Barcelona, we recommend The Bicycle Apartments is a top 4-star apartment featuring in-room kitchens and laundry facilities. Other options for your family trip include Novotel Barcelona Cornella and Hotel Constanza.
The is a big market for luxury travel in Barcelona. The Eurostars Grand Marina is a 5-star hotel with a restaurant and a poolside bar. Hotel Arts Barcelona and El Palace are two other upscale options for your holiday.
You can search for Airbnb for Barcelona offerings on our map further up the post. If you have never used Airbnb before get yourself $50 credit by signing and booking a stay right HERE
Hotels in Barcelona generally start from around $220.00 night for a double room 3star and increase incrementally as the luxury rating rises towards the 5-star average price of $408.00
You can compare and book your stay on Agoda, Hotels.com, and Priceline
Let us help you plan your trip to Spain
The following articles on our site will help planning your epic trip to Spain
Money in Spain
The official National Currency in Spain is the Euro. The symbol for the Euro is €. Euro’s come in €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500 banknotes (the €200 and €500 are very uncommon) as well as 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c Euro coins. There is also a €1, €2 Euro coin. You will find it easy to withdraw Euros from ATM’s and there are plenty of options within stores to pay with your card.
We recommend you join Transferwise multi-currency card for all your travelling money needs. Transferwise is up to 8 times cheaper than banks when it comes to transferring money from one currency to another. Transferwise supports up to 59 different currencies worldwide. You can track your spending on the Transferwise app and withdrawal funds around the world with your Transferwise ATM card. Sign up for Transferwise today
We always say if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Here at Wyld Family Travel, we recommend Fast Cover Travel Insurance for our fellow Australians and AXA Travel Insurance for the rest of the world
If independent travel is not your thing, a tour might be just what you’re looking for. Transport, accommodation and more are all organised for you for your holiday in Spain. We only recommend the best tours by Get Your Guide, Tourradar, Isango and Viator
We hope this helps and inspires a visit to Spain for you. You can search for more articles on our Spain page. Email us at mark.wyld@wyldfamilytravel if you have any questions or would like help booking a trip to Spain.
About the Author
Mark Wyld is a father, husband, traveler, and chief destination marketing manager at Wyld Family Travel. Having been to over 35 countries worldwide he knows a thing or 2 about traveling with kids and now traveling with teenagers. He has been writing first-hand, expert travel guides on this website for over 6 years and has featured on numerous other popular well-known websites. When he is not talking, dreaming, or planning travel he can be found working in disability support.
Barcelona looks like a fantastic destination for kids and adults alike. I love a good bike tour, especially on designated bike paths. The harbor tour on calm water seems like a great way to sit down and let the city come to you after a busy day of exploring. Thanks for sharing this colorful and informative list.
Barcelona is a fabulous city. It’s great to know it kid-friendly too. The building in the Park Guell photograph looks like something out a fairy tale?
Barcelona is indeed beautiful and kids friendly. The Gaudi Park is really cute too!
Officially added the Mont Juric cable car to my list of places to see on my first visit to Barcelona this Fall. The views look fantastic! I’m also a big fan of city cruises so I’ll add that too.
I’m curious what your kids liked best!
Loved Barcelona! Would be great to go back again now the kids are bigger – they were really little last time. Didn’t visit the aquarium or do the tour, some great tips + a reason to go back!
The thought of family travel excites me. Even though I don’t have children yet the idea of planning a family trip is getting name all giddy. Barcelona has been on my list of places to visit ever since college, just never got around to it. A lot of these locations and activities would be good for non-family travelers, I could imagine a few of these being good for dates ? Thanks for the post! Looking forward to reporting back once the babies are out and about traveling!
Cheers,
Mark
We just took our twins to Lisbon, and they really enjoyed it. Next trip is set for Barcelona–hoping we are able to use your list as a guide. How long was your trip for? How many days do you recommend?
Neil and I went to Barcelona for the second part of our honeymoon. Would love to go back with Isla, she’s nearly three now. Saving/sharing this list. Thank you guys!
I am planning with my kids. Love this.
If that can be done in Barcelona, we will recreate it in the rest of the world. Awesome post
Hi Clark.
We have a couple of other similar posts on our site like this one! It is so easy to find things to do in the big cities with the kids that you end up running put of time!
Thanks so much for leaving a comment and we hope you have an awesome day.
Bec and family
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