Best Barcelona Tours for Families
The Catalan capital is a popular destination for a family vacation. It’s one of the easiest European cities to reach from North America. Barcelona’s artistic heritage, crowd-pleasing cuisine, dozens of art and science museums, world-class stadiums, and amusement parks mean there’s something for kids of all ages. It doesn’t hurt that it also has a beach! For parents, planning a trip to Barcelona can quickly get overwhelming with the sheer number of activities and attractions. There’s a better way to enjoy a family vacation! Book the best Barcelona tours for families so knowledgeable, expert guides can give you the best experience possible.
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Best Barcelona Tours for Families
Barcelona Free Walking Tours
Gothic Quarter Free Walking Tour
Free walking tours are the best way to see the highlights and discover the essential history of a new destination. Because you only need to tip the guide, these tours can be a more affordable option for families on a budget.
The Gothic Quarter (or Barri Gotic) is part of the central old city. This Free Tour of the Gothic Quarter includes interesting stories about the medieval past of the city as you walk along the shady, narrow streets.
Visit top sights like La Rambla (Barcelona’s main street), Roman ruins, Barcelona Cathedral, and much more. Booking a full-day walking tour would be too exhausting for younger children, but this tour is a comfortable two-and-a-half hours.
Barcelona City Tours
Private Walking tour
There are tons of great private Barcelona tours for families too. We love this Private Walking Tour of Barcelona’s Highlights.
You will visit iconic landmarks like Barcelona Cathedral (tickets included), the Roman Temple of Augustus, Plaça del Rei, Plaça de Sant Jaume, the City Council building, and much more.
Barcelona Gothic Quarter Tour for Kids
Taking older kids on a regular group walking tour of the Gothic Quarter is fine, but booking a kid-friendly guide is a good idea for young children under 13. Context Travel offers the perfect Private Tour of the Gothic Quarter for Kids.
Play ‘spot the dragon’ and learn why there are so many sculptures and carvings of the fantastical creatures in the Gothic Quarter and Eixample neighborhood.
These tours are only two hours so they will (hopefully!) hold your kids’ attention spans and you will all have a great time learning about Barcelona’s history in a playful way.
Family-Friendly Barcelona City Tour
These three-hour Family Tours of Barcelona are a great way to see the city’s sights if you’re short on time. Even better, kids are free! Their guides are primed to make the tours fun and interactive for children with lots of games, quizzes, and fun facts.
Visit landmarks like Barcelona Cathedral, Plaça Reial, and the Palau Güell architectural museum (entrance ticket not included). Because it’s a private tour, you can slow down, speed up, or even skip places you’re not interested in.
Welcome to Barcelona Eco-Friendly Tuk Tuk Tour
While walking tours make sense for families with kids happy to walk and stand for over two hours, they’re not for everyone. This Private Electric Tuk Tuk Tour is one of the best Barcelona tours for families with younger kids or those with limited mobility.
It’s also great for families who want to see the highlights of Barcelona in a shorter time as you can zip down the narrow lanes.
This tour includes almost all of the best things to see in Barcelona on a first-time visit! Pass by the Arc de Triomf, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Plaça Catalunya, Plaça d’Espanya, the old port, and more. Note that the Tuk Tuks take a maximum of four people.
Barcelona by Bike Tours
Sunset Barcelona Bike Tour
Some of the best Barcelona tours for families are bike tours. There are tons of pros: visit more in less time, enjoy a fun activity, and take advantage of Barcelona’s straight and often narrow streets that cars struggle to drive down. But it’s impossible to cycle around Barcelona on a summer’s day without feeling exhausted and sweaty!
That’s why this 2.5-hour Semi-Private Sunset Tour of Barcelona is so perfect. With a maximum of six people per tour, you can ride around the city with an informative, friendly guide and parents can even enjoy a glass of cava on one of the stops.
Private E-Bike City Tour
While Barcelona’s city center is mostly walkable, you will need transport to venture to neighborhoods like Montjuïc Hill. You could navigate the metro stations or take the cable car, but taking a Private E-Bike Tour would be super fun. Electric bikes will mean you and your kids can pedal up the hills without breaking a sweat.
This tour is just over three hours and is ideal for older children over 12 years old. Visit beautiful places like Plaça Espanya, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and Montjuïc Castle. Plus, you will have beautiful views over Barcelona port!
Barcelona at Night Tours
Sunset Sailboat Tour
This Barcelona Sunset Sailboat Tour is more than a chance to explore Barcelona’s waters up close and see a beautiful view of the city. Your curious kids can learn the basics of sailing, take paddleboards out into the open waters, and learn more about the city’s sights.
Your tour guide/boat captain will sail past Mount Tibadabo with its hilltop amusement park and you can to spot the towering La Sagrada Familia. You will have the best seats in the city on one of the best Barcelona tours for families.
Gothic Quarter Ghosts and Legends Tour
You could take any of these Gothic Quarter tours during the day, but if you’re traveling to Barcelona with teenage kids then don’t miss this nighttime Gothic Quarter Ghosts and Legends Tour.
It’s a 90-minute tour through the winding cobblestone streets that starts and ends at a bar, but you won’t be sticking around. You will listen to gruesome ghost stories about murder and hauntings that will paint a dark picture of Barcelona that seems very far away from the tourist version.
Barcelona La Pedrera at Night
Everyone visiting Barcelona should check out Casa Milà. La Pedrera is Casa Mila’s nickname and one of architect Gaudi’s most famous creations. It translates to ‘stone quarry’ thanks to its natural limestone appearance. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts an impressive light installation on the roof every night!
Book Skip-the-Line Tickets to the La Pedrera Night Time Show and watch a fun audiovisual performance around the courtyard with a guide and interpreter. It’s an audiovisual experience and the perfect place to take older kids since it starts at 10:40PM.
Unique Barcelona Tours and Classes
Espadrille Making Workshop
Believe it or not, espadrille shoes were invented in the Occitania and Catalonia regions near the Spanish and French border. The King of Aragon’s soldiers and traditional Catalan dancers both wore them! Take part in this Private Espadrille Making Workshop and learn how to make your very own pair.
Expert instructors will help you at every step (pun intended) and provide all the materials and tools you need. It will beat any store-bought souvenir and you’re free to bring your babies and infants along too.
Mosaic Class
When you visit Park Guell, your kids will love the colorful mosaics all over the walls in the shapes of animals and fantasy creatures. Younger kids will love the opportunity to create their own masterpieces!
This two-hour Trencadis-Style Mosaic Class is a good place to take any artistic kid when visiting Barcelona. People of all ages can join and you will receive all of the instruction and supplies you need.
Of course, you get to keep your creations! Learn to decorate a photo frame or design a salamander, heart, fish, elephant, cat, dog, or seahorse in the style of Gaudi.
Barcelona Hidden Street Art Tour
Most visitors flock to the Picasso Museum in the El Born district or to see the work of other famous artists in MACBA. But did you know that Barcelona has a thriving street art scene?
Book a two-hour, late afternoon Hidden Street Art Tour and see how Barcelona blends old with new.
The tour passes through the El Raval neighborhood and Gothic Quarter where you will see huge murals and smaller works down narrow alleyways.
Barcelona Foodie Tours
Barcelona Market Tour & Paella Class
Spanish cuisine is known for its flavorful vegetables and fresh seafood. You could simply eat as much good food as possible during your vacation in Barcelona, but you could also shop at markets and learn to cook it too! This three-hour Market Tour and Cooking Experience is one of the best Barcelona tours for families with adventurous eaters.
This tour starts at La Boqueria, a fresh food market on La Rambla, where you source ingredients for your dishes.
Then, head back to a cozy kitchen and learn how to make simple tapas dishes and a hearty paella dish.
Parents and those over 18 can learn how to make sangria too. Everything is included from the food to the lesson and yes, you will dine on your dishes once you’re finished.
Note that the market isn’t open on Sunday afternoon, so book this experience for another day.
Tapas Tour with Flamenco Show
Flamenco dances and tapas dishes might be Southern Spanish cultural traditions, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy them both in Barcelona on a family trip! This Night Tour with Tapas and a Flamenco Show is the perfect combination.
Indulge in eight food tastings, wine and cava tastings, tours around beautiful churches, and a one-hour flamenco show.
This is better suited for older teenagers rather than young kids as you will go to crowded bars where seating is sometimes limited. But you will get free entry to every establishment and all of the food and drink is included.
Barcelona Gaudí Tours
Gaudi Barcelona Tour for Kids
Visiting Gaudi sites is a must-do if you are visiting Barcelona for the first time, but looking at buildings for hours can be a lot for kids. Although his architecture is otherworldly and organic, it’s still architecture!
Luckily, Context Travel has found a better way for you to discover one of Catalonia’s famous sons with their Private Gaudi Tour for Kids.
This is a 2.5-hour tour of Casa Batlló, the Block of Discord, and Casa Milà, all designed by Gaudí. It includes the entrance fees of Casa Batlló where you will admire the facade of other buildings from outside.
Private Casa Milà Tour
Antoni Gaudí is a turn-of-the-20th-century Catalonian architect and many of his buildings are top landmarks in Barcelona.
Some of the larger, popular buildings with visitors like La Sagrada Familia may overwhelm your younger kids but this 90-minute Private Casa Mila Tour is one of the best Barcelona tours for families.
This tour gives you skip-the-line entrance with access to the roof, flower and butterfly courtyards. Take the tour at your own pace so you and your kids have the best time.
Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia
If you book the Gaudi kids tour above, the only other essential Gaudi landmarks you won’t have visited are Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia. Book this four-hour Skip-the-Line Tour of Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia to tick both off your list!
La Sagrada Familia is the famous unfinished church and Park Guell is a candy-colored estate that looks like Suess Landing at Universal Islands of Adventure. It’s a great place to take kids!
This is one of the best Barcelona tours for families with a guaranteed small group size (no more than 12) and direct access to both spots without waiting in line at the main entrance.
Day Tours from Barcelona
Montserrat Day Trip
There are so many good day trips from Barcelona along the Costa Brava, but Montserrat should be the exception.
This majestic pink mountain is a national park in Catalonia only 60 km from Barcelona with a sprawling 11th-century monastery and hiking trails. Public transportation from Barcelona to Montserrat is patchy at best. The easiest way to explore the countryside is by booking an eight-hour Private Montserrat Tour.
Take a cable car up to the top of the mountain in the morning before heading off to the Penedès wine region for a tasting. It’s famous for its delicious sparkling white wine, cava. You eat lunch at the winery so your kids don’t feel left out!
Day Trip to Girona
Want to check out another city in Catalonia? Only 100 km north of Barcelona, Girona is more compact with medieval architecture lining the River Onyar.
It offers a totally different vibe from Barcelona and Liv Tours has curated a five-hour Private Tour of Girona by train that the whole family will enjoy.
A local guide will take you through the history of Girona from its Roman founders (you will even see Força Vella, the remains of a Roman fortress), to the Moors, Charlemagne, to its current cosmopolitan status.
See great views of the city from the old medieval walls surrounding Girona and return to Barcelona in plenty of time for dinner.
Costa Brava Day Trip (with Snorkeling and Kayaking)
Don’t spend too much time pounding the city streets when your kids could burn off energy elsewhere. Do as the local families do and venture out to the coastline during the sweltering summer months.
This full-day Costa Brava Snorkeling and Kayaking Trip will handle the entire eight-hour day as soon as they pick you up in Barcelona, including a deli lunch. Explore hidden coves and sea caves on kayaks (included in the price!) and snorkel in crystal-clear water where you can see all kinds of marine life.
Book the Best Tours in Barcelona for Families on Your Vacation
Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or one week, there are tons of Barcelona tours for families with activities and day trips that everyone will love. We recommend using skip-the-line tickets and to avoid the notoriously long lines outside attractions like La Sagrada Familia and the Cathedral in high season!
Honestly though, we think the best part of booking tours is finding a fun guide who can entertain and inform your kids so you can relax and enjoy your time in Barcelona too.