Discover Barcelona’s rich architectural tableau on a compelling morning, afternoon or full-day walking tour led by an accomplished guide. On this Viator Exclusive tour, follow an architectural specialist around the city and see magnificent structures from a variety of historical periods. According to your interests, choose a morning tour around the medieval myriad of the Old Quarter; satisfy cultural cravings on a 3km afternoon tour of the innovative waterfront buildings; or combine both in an enriching full-day tour. An intimate experience is guaranteed on this small-group tour, on which numbers are limited to nine people.

Discover Barcelona’s beautiful architecture on this Viator Exclusive walking tour
View the city’s landmark buildings, such as Cathedral Santa Maria del Mar, with a architecture specialist as your guide
Learn about the city’s fusion of Baroque, Gothic and 21st-century styles
Choose a morning tour focused on medieval Barcelona or an afternoon tour showcasing its modern waterfront architecture
Upgrade to a full-day tour that combines both the morning and afternoon tour in one day, with time free for lunch (own expense)
This tour cannot be booked anywhere else!

What's Included

Architecture-specialist guide

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Start time

Pickup details

Location Name: Central Barcelona Directions: Morning and Full-Day Tour meeting point: Gran Teatre del Liceu, La Rambla nº 51. Metro Liceu L3 Afternoon Tour meeting point: El Born Cultural Centre, Plaza Comercial nº 12. Metro Jaume I L4 (under the big Catalan flag) Return Location: Concludes at El Born Centre Cultural (Morning Tour) or near Hotel Arts (Afternoon or Full-Day Tour)

What To Expect

Select a tour to suit your schedule and interests when you book this Viator Exclusive tour. Choose from a 2.5-hour tour around Barcelona’s atmospheric Old Quarter or discover the architectural innovation of the waterfront’s cluster of constructions on a 2.5-hour afternoon tour. Alternatively, combine both the morning and afternoon option on a comprehensive full-day tour; enjoy 2 hours of leisurely free time in which you can purchase a delicious lunch (own expense) in a local restaurant. All tours begin with greeting your guide in a central city location.

Please see the Itinerary section below for details on each tour option.

Morning Tour (Old City, 2.5 hours):Meet your guide and walk to La Boqueria, Barcelona’s oldest food market. Inspect its Modernist design before delving into the charming Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) to admire the cathedral of La Seu, medieval townhouses, and the old Jewish neighborhood. Along the way, learn all about the architectural styles you see from your knowledgeable guide. Refresh with a drink (own expense) during a break, then visit Santa Caterina Market to view its wavy, tiled roof. Next stroll to the lower ground floor of Picasso Museum, a beautiful public gallery housed in a former medieval palace. Continue to the 14th-century Church of Santa Maria del Mar, dedicated to Barcelona’s seafarers, to marvel at its intricate Gothic stonework. Finish at the restored El Born Centre Cultural, a cast-iron marketplace built in the 1800s, to view medieval ruins discovered during its restoration. Your tour ends here, when you say goodbye to your guide. Afternoon Tour (Coast, 2.5 hours):Meet your guide near El Born Centre Cultural and explore the marketplace, admiring the medieval ruins unearthed during its restoration. Next, admire the elaborate foyer of Barcelona França train station before heading to Barcelona’s waterfront. View the Palau del Mar, a series of former harborside warehouses, and explore the History Museum of Catalonia to see its restored lobby and magnificent views from its roof terrace. Continue to the old fisherman's quarter of La Barceloneta and pass its marketplace and beachfront before heading for Barcelona’s new waterfront. Hear how the area was built for the 1992 Olympics and see its contemporary buildings. Then, wander into the vibrant Port Olímpic area. Gaze at the Mapfre and Hotel Arts skyscrapers towering over the marina and admire the Golden Fish, the iconic, shimmering artwork created by sculptor Frank Gehry. Your tour then concludes at the Hotel Arts after this 3-Km walk. Full-Day Tour (City and Coast, 7.5 hours):If you’re keen to see both the modern and medieval sides of Barcelona, then upgrade! Book the full-day tour and enjoy the morning and afternoon tour together, with a 2-hour break for lunch (own expense). You’ll follow the same route as described for both tours; the morning tour ends at the afternoon’s start point.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Please wear comfortable shoes

Operated by ViajaraBarcelona

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

about cancellations.

Reviews

3.0

9 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-7 of 9 reviews

Our guide was great. She was very...

John_O, Oct 2016

Our guide was great. She was very informed about the many aspects of life in Barcelona and of the history of the region. A wonderful morning.

Not so much small group more 1:1...

Richard L, Oct 2015

Not so much small group more 1:1 which made this tour 100 excellent as I had the full and undivided attention of my very knowledgeable guide. Recommended, of course!

Mary Louise was very knowledgeable...

Laurette M, Oct 2015

Mary Louise was very knowledgeable, friendly and shepherded us through the streets on National Catalonia Day in the middle of thousands of people.

I hesitate to give it even one star...

Katya V, Jun 2015

I hesitate to give it even one star. A negative star would be more appropriate. If you want to do this tour - check who your guide will be. Otherwise it can be two hours in Barcelona you will never get back. The woman that met us for the tour was clearly not a tour guide. She did not speak much English, did not tell us anything about the subject - architecture and took us to the free exhibit to read the labels. Then she took us to the terrace of a restaurant, where the host was looking at us in surprise: imagine some random people just walking around the restaurant to enjoy the view without even a cup of coffee! We felt uncomfortable. That was in essence the tour, the rest was purposeless walking around random streets. The worst part was that we expected a tour of Barcelona's icon - Eglesia de Santa Maria del Mar, world-known gem. This architectural tour walked right by it without mentioning a word! A bit ironic...

My wife and I did this tour on our...

ronogborne, May 2015

My wife and I did this tour on our first day in Barcelona and while it was interesting, it simply didn't live up to the same standard as most of our other tours in Spain. If you truly are an architecture buff, then perhaps this would be a different story, but because the modern architecture lacks the rich history and artistic elements that make the architecture in the Gothic Quarter so spectacular. If we had this one to do over, we'd probably have skipped it, but I think the other gentleman in our tour group would say exactly the opposite.

1 traveler found this review helpful

I booked both the morning and...

Robert S, May 2015

I booked both the morning and afternoon tours. My guide was excellent! I was sore the next day, as I am not used to walking that much. I highly recommend the morning tour, with the Roman, Gothic, Medieval, and other old buildings, as the interesting sites are all nearby and worth seeing. The afternoon tour is more modern, there are fewer sites to see, they are farther apart, and I wouldn't mind having skipped that tour. Nothing wrong with the guide or the tour agency, just my preference.

It was excelent. A very good...

William P, Dec 2014

It was excelent. A very good overview of changes in the port area. Not just an architecture review but also an historical review. It helped me to understand that architecture in Barcelona goes way beyond Gaudi.