More about: 11 Things to Do with Kids in Barcelona
Travelling can be hard work for little ones. That's why it's always a good idea to plan activities and outings where they can take centre stage and have a great time. Luckily, Barcelona is a city that's well equipped for children to enjoy themselves while they explore it. There's a wide range of options to choose from, so you'll be spoilt for choice.
If you need a little help, here is a selection of 10 ideas and plans that will keep the little ones more than happy. These include amusement parks, excursions, different and entertaining experiences, and all without missing out on the most touristy parts of the city. As you will soon discover, Barcelona is a city with lots to see and do, but above all, it is also very family-friendly. So here are my recommendations:
1. A trip to Port Aventura
Although I've already mentioned Tibidabo Park, when it comes to amusement parks, we can't forget Port Aventura. Considered one of the best parks in Europe, it is located outside Barcelona near the city of Tarragona. However, it is only an hour away, so there are frequent excursions from Barcelona.
These excursions include return transport from Barcelona and tickets to Port Aventura, making them a great option for a family day out.
Port Aventura is actually a complex that includes the Port Aventura World amusement park, Ferrari Land and a giant water park that is perfect for summer. The amusement park is divided into six themed areas with more than 40 attractions, including Furius Baco and Dragon Khan, two of the most impressive roller coasters in Europe.
Since it can be visited in a single day from Barcelona, it is an unbeatable reward for children.
Useful information
- Price: From approximately £45
- Location: Port Aventura, Tarragona.
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 20:00.
2. Visit the Barcelona Aquarium
Zoos and aquariums are usually one of children's favourite places, and with good reason. Barcelona has both a zoo, located in the Ciutadella Park, and an aquarium. I highly recommend the latter, as it is not just any aquarium and some of the activities it offers are quite special.
For example, it is one of the best aquariums in the world in terms of shark experiences and, in addition to diving with sharks, it offers children the chance to spend a night at the aquarium sleeping surrounded by thousands of fish and sharks.
Apart from these types of activities, the Barcelona Aquarium has an immense collection of marine animals. They have aquariums with Mediterranean and tropical species, themed aquariums with unique species... But its main attraction is its oceanarium, its largest aquarium crossed by an 80-metre tunnel that allows us to immerse ourselves almost literally.
General admission for adults over 11 years old costs around £24, and reduced admission for children under that age is around £17. You can find complete information about prices at this link.
Useful information
- Price: From £24 for adults and £17 for children
- Location: Barcelona Aquarium, in the marina.
- Opening hours: Every day from 10:00 to 20:00.
3. A must-see visit to the Tibidabo amusement park
There's no better place for children to have fun than an amusement park. At least, I can't think of one. And Barcelona is home to one with a long history. Tibidabo Amusement Park is located on the mountain of the same name, west of Barcelona.
This park is the oldest in Spain and one of the oldest operating parks in the world. This is by no means a disadvantage; even Walt Disney himself said that it was one of the most magical places he had ever visited and that it served as inspiration for his parks.
** Tibidabo Park has six different levels with more than 30 attractions**. The most popular are the carousel, the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel, which offers incredible views of Barcelona. And since the park is located on a mountain, the views of the city are some of the best you can get.
A day here costs around £35 for adults and £14 for children, provided they are less than 120 centimetres tall. It is a perfect place to enjoy with the family, so the entrance fee is well worth it.
Useful information
- Price: From £35 for adults and £14 for children
- Location: Tibidabo Amusement Park
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00. (Varies depending on the season)
4. See the Montjuïc Magic Fountain show
The Montjuïc Magic Fountain show is one of the best things to do in Barcelona, and it's completely free. Given how spectacular it is, it's usually a big hit with children.
The show consists of a play of lights and music that accompanies the choreography of the fountain's powerful jets of water. The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is located at the end of Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina, between Plaza de España and the National Palace of Montjuïc.
In addition to the show, the area is perfect for a family stroll through the Plaza de las Cascadas to the terrace of the Montjuïc Palace, where you can enjoy the views. You can also go up to visit the Olympic Village or visit the Las Arenas shopping centre in Plaza de España, where there are countless shops, restaurants and venues for the whole family.
Useful information
- Price: Free
- Location: Avenida Reina de Maria Cristina.
- Opening hours: Depending on the season, between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
5. The best playground in all of Barcelona: Can Mercader Park
Playgrounds are ideal for children to enjoy themselves. There are hundreds of them in Barcelona, but some are more special than others. And of all of them, the best is Can Mercader Park. This park has more than 10 hectares of green areas, terraces, swings, sports facilities and all kinds of amenities to enjoy a day out with the family.
But without a doubt, what makes this park so special and unique are the mini electric trains that run through it. No child can resist them, and you can hop on to travel around the park on the tracks that run throughout the grounds. However, they only run on Sundays and public holidays. Although Can Mercader is located in Cornella, it is well worth the trip and can be reached in just half an hour by taking line 5 from, for example, Plaza de España.
Useful information
- Price: Free
- Location: Can Mercader Park in Cornella
- Opening hours: The electric train runs on Sundays and public holidays from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
6. Take the Montjuic cable car
The Barcelona cable car is one of the most original ways to get around Montjuic and always a very popular experience among children.
This cable car travels along the heights of Montjuic on a route of about 750 metres and offers privileged views of some of Barcelona's landmarks, such as the Spotify Camp Nou, La Sagrada Familia and the Plaza de España area. The starting point of this route is at the Parc Montjuic stop and goes directly to Montjuic Castle.
Tickets for the cable car cost £8.50 for adults and £7.50 for children between 4 and 12 years old. This is for a one-way ticket only. Return tickets cost €12.70 for adults and €9.20 for children. In both cases, children under 4 years old travel free of charge.
Another option for taking a cable car is to go up to Montjuic from the port of Barcelona on a 10-minute journey offering the best views of the port of Barcelona.
Useful information
- Price: From £9.40 for adults and £7.50 for children.
- Location: Montjuic, Parc Montjuic stop.
- Opening hours: From 10:00 to 18:00 in winter, from 10:00 to 21:00 in summer.
7. Enjoy a day at the beach
The beach is always a safe bet for children to enjoy themselves. And in Barcelona, especially in the summer months when the heat is on, it is a highly recommended option. There are several beaches in Barcelona that, thanks to their location and facilities, are perfect for a family day out.
The first and best known of these is Barceloneta Beach. Its more than 500 metres of sand offer space for sports areas, sunshade and sun lounger rental, lockers, showers and public toilets.
Barceloneta also has children's play areas for the little ones. In addition to offering all kinds of amenities, the promenade next to the beach has dozens of restaurants and bars for lunch or dinner. Given its location very close to the city centre, it is also very easy to get to. Another option with similar characteristics is Sant Sebastia beach, very close to Barceloneta.
Useful information
- Price: Free
- Location: Barceloneta Beach
8. For football fans: Live the Spotify Camp Nou Experience
Children are among the biggest football fans. And if you visit Barcelona, you have the power to make many of their dreams come true, especially for Barça fans. Barcelona is a very football-mad city, thanks in part to clubs like Barcelona, which offers fans the chance to fulfil their dream of visiting the stadium with the Spotify Camp Nou Experience.
This experience includes a tour of the stadium facilities. You can visit the stands, the changing rooms, the tunnel leading to the pitch and enjoy a view of the entire stadium from the pitch. You can also visit the club museum, where you can learn about its history and see its numerous trophies on display. If football is one of the greatest dreams of some of the children in Barcelona, this is the place to be.
Useful information
- Price: From approximately £45
- Location: Spotify Camp Nou
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00. Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00.
9. Take a tour of Gaudí's Barcelona
At first glance, a sightseeing tour of Gaudí's Barcelona may not seem very appealing for children. But that's a mistake, because these tours tend to delight kids for two reasons: if you go with children, the visits and guides are adapted to make them more enjoyable, and secondly, Gaudí's striking architecture always surprises children. Enjoying Gaudí with children is perfectly possible.
These tours take you around Gaudí's monuments and buildings in Barcelona. The main highlights of the tour, as you can imagine, are Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia.
In these cases, you can combine visits in many ways. For example, you can get combined tickets for just Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia or for Gaudi's two houses on Passeig de Gràcia. In any case, don't be afraid to take your children on these tours, as they are sure to enjoy them.
Useful information
- Price: From approximately £20 (depending on the type of tour)
- Location: Gaudí's Barcelona
10. Embark on the "Golondrinas" from the port of Barcelona
The Golondrinas are iconic boats in Barcelona that depart from the port to take visitors on tours of the city's coastline. It's a different way to get to know and see the city, and one that children particularly enjoy.
The Golondrinas are located in the port opposite the statue of Columbus, where they have their embarkation point. The route taken by these boats goes through the Port Vell area, where you can see several of the city's landmarks, such as the Hotel Vela, the clock tower and the Maremagnum.
There are two types of tours depending on their duration. The first lasts about 40 minutes and always stays within the port, while the other is longer, lasting around an hour and a half, and also covers more areas of the coastline.
Tickets start at £7.70. This is an ideal activity for children, as they can enjoy nature while getting to know part of the city.
Useful information
- Price: From £7.70.
- Location: Barcelona Marina.
- Timetable: From 11:00 to 18:00 approx. with departures every hour.
11. Take them to the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona or to the home of a master chocolatier
Let them have a blast at the Chocolate Museum, where they'll discover the history of this product that's so important to Barcelona's tradition. With tickets to the Museu de la Xocolata, they can explore the different rooms, learn about its uses and, of course, taste it.
If you prefer, you can also take your children to Casa Amatller, the home of the family of famous chocolatier Antonio Amatller. The building, with its exquisite modernist architecture, can be visited thanks to skip-the-line tickets that allow you to explore its different bedrooms, dining room and music room. You'll be amazed by the interior decoration.
However, children may enjoy it less as there is no chocolate tasting...