Hi Sarah, here’s your Barcelona Day Plan
Thanks for letting us plan your family’s day. It’s built around your first visit to the city, while Brilliance of the Seas is in port.
Your exact terminal letter shows in the Royal Caribbean app. Check it before you leave.
- Brilliance of the Seas yours5am to 5pm
- Costa Smeralda9am to 6pm
- Marella Discovery 27am to 4pm
Get off early and head back early: taxi ranks and terminal security get slow from late morning, with two ships boarding new guests.
Busiest from 9am to 3pm. An estimate from every ship’s times.
Low of 13° · sunset 5:45pm
Sarah, here’s your day, hour by hour
Built for you, Tom and the children, 6 and 9, on your first trip to Barcelona: both big Gaudí sights in the morning before the crowds peak, a proper tapas lunch in old Barceloneta, a run on the beach, and taxis between every stop so little legs last the day. Every time works back from your all aboard at 3:30pm, so you’re never rushing for the ship.
Your day at a glance
- 1Off the ship and taxi to Sagrada Família
- 2Sagrada Família
- 3Taxi to Passeig de Gràcia
- 4Casa Batlló
- 5Taxi down to Barceloneta
- 6Lunch at La Cova Fumada
- 7Beach time on Platja de Sant Miquel
- 8Taxi back to the ship
-
8:15amuntil 8:45am1
Off the ship and taxi to Sagrada Família
Taxi from the terminal rank, 20 to 25 minutes, about €19 to €25
Once the ship lets in-transit guests off, walk through the terminal to the taxi rank outside. Ask for 'Sagrada Família, Carrer de la Marina', the entrance side. You'll be there in good time for the 9am opening.
A taxi rather than shuttle and metro, so the children start the day fresh instead of tackling stairs and changes.
-
9amuntil 10:30am2
Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 Sagrada Família
Taxi drop-off at Carrer de la Marina
Take the first entry slot of the day, while the light through the stained glass is soft and the crowds are thin. The included audio guide fills you in, and the children can hunt for animals carved into the Nativity façade. Ninety minutes is plenty without rushing.
First slot of the day because this is your must-see Gaudí. Adults pay €26 and both children go free, but book their zero-cost tickets with yours. Skip the towers: the long spiral stairs down are hard work for little legs.
Book aheadPowered by GetYourGuideBook ahead: Barcelona: Sagrada Familia Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket & Tour (GetYourGuide)
-
10:30amuntil 10:45am3
Taxi to Passeig de Gràcia
Taxi, about 10 to 15 minutes
Taxis line up around the basilica. It's a short, metered ride down to Casa Batlló.
Another taxi, since walking this is a good 25 minutes on city pavements.
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11amuntil 12:15pm4
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Casa Batlló
Taxi drop-off on Passeig de Gràcia
Gaudí's 'house of bones' looks like a sea creature, with a dragon-scale roof, and children tend to love it. The visit is indoors with an audio guide, so it doesn't matter if it's drizzling. Adults from €29 online, and under-12s go free.
Chosen over Park Güell because it's indoors and flat, with no uphill slog, and the dragon roof is a hit with 6 and 9-year-olds.
Book aheadPowered by GetYourGuideBook ahead: Barcelona: Casa Batlló Be The First Entry Ticket (GetYourGuide)
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12:15pmuntil 12:35pm5
Taxi down to Barceloneta
Taxi, about 15 to 20 minutes
Hop in a taxi on Passeig de Gràcia and ask for Carrer del Baluard in Barceloneta, the old fishermen's quarter.
Leave here by 2:20pm at the latest -
12:35pmuntil 1:45pm6
Lunch at La Cova Fumada
Taxi drop-off on Carrer del Baluard
This no-frills family tavern is where the bomba was invented: a fried potato ball filled with meat and topped with spicy sauce. Get there before the 1pm local rush. There's no sign outside and no booking, so just look for the queue.
Picked because you love food: it's the real thing, not the paella touts on the seafront, and kids happily eat bombas and chips.
Leave here by 2:30pm at the latest -
1:45pmuntil 2:25pm7
Photo: DimiTalen, CC0 Beach time on Platja de Sant Miquel
Walk down Carrer del Baluard to the beach
Walk five minutes to the sand for sandcastles, shell hunting and some splashing at the edge. The sea is chilly by November, so plan on paddling, not swimming. Pick up a pastry from Baluard on the way if anyone's still hungry.
Your beach time, kept to a flat five-minute walk from lunch and timed for the end of the day, when the children have earned a run around.
5 min walkLeave here by 2:30pm at the latest -
2:30pmuntil 3pm8
Taxi back to the ship
Taxi, about 15 minutes, plus security
Flag a taxi on Passeig de Joan de Borbó and ask for 'Moll Adossat, Terminal' plus the letter shown in your app. It's about 15 minutes, which leaves you a buffer for the busy terminal security line. Head back by 2:30pm and you're on board by 3pm, half an hour before all aboard.
Running late?
If Sagrada Família runs long, drop Casa Batlló and take a taxi straight to Barceloneta. You'll still have Gaudí, lunch and the beach. If you're still uptown, leave Passeig de Gràcia or Sagrada Família by 2:15pm at the latest, and leave Barceloneta by 2:30pm whatever's happening on the sand.
Other ways to spend your day
If the plan above isn’t quite you, swap in one of these. They keep the same time back at the ship.
Park Güell instead of Casa Batlló
A dry day and children with energy to spare
Gaudí's mosaic park with the famous dragon and views over the city. It's outdoors and hilly, so it's only worth swapping in if the forecast clears and everyone's feeling bouncy. Take a taxi both ways and book a timed slot.
Book ahead: Barcelona: Park Güell and Gaudí House Museum Entry Ticket (GetYourGuide)
Barcelona Aquarium if it pours
A wet afternoon with restless children
If the showers set in, swap the beach for the aquarium in Port Vell, with its walk-through shark tunnel. It's on the harbour side of town, so the trip back to the ship is short.
Book ahead: Barcelona Aquarium: Entry Ticket (GetYourGuide)
Sagrada Família guided tour
If you'd rather have stories than an audio guide
A guide keeps children interested with tales of the turtles, the hidden symbols and why it's taken over a century to build. Book the 9am slot so the rest of the day stays the same.
Book ahead: Barcelona: Sagrada Familia Guided Tour with Reserved Access (GetYourGuide)
Book before you go
Tap a link in your saved PDF to check times and book.
- Barcelona: Sagrada Familia Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket & TourIn your plan, 9am
- Barcelona: Casa Batlló Be The First Entry TicketIn your plan, 11am
- Barcelona: Park Güell and Gaudí House Museum Entry TicketIf you swap: Park Güell instead of Casa Batlló
- Barcelona Aquarium: Entry TicketIf you swap: Barcelona Aquarium if it pours
- Barcelona: Sagrada Familia Guided Tour with Reserved AccessIf you swap: Sagrada Família guided tour
- Barcelona: Private City Tour by Eco Tuk TukOptional extra
- Barcelona: Catamaran Cruise with optional Live Jazz MusicOptional extra
- Barcelona: Churros, Hot Chocolate, and Games Family TourOptional extra
Getting into town
Don't try walking from the ship. Moll Adossat is at least 30 minutes on foot along busy port roads before you even reach the bottom of La Rambla. Once you're in Barceloneta it's flat, and the restaurants and the beach are all within five minutes of each other.
Taxi
Our pick for youTerminal rank → Sagrada Família
- Takes
- 20 to 25 min
- Costs
- €19 to €25
- How often
- Queue at the rank
Four of you fit in one standard taxi, it's door to door, and it costs about the same as four shuttle and metro fares.
T3 Portbus (Blue Bus)
Adossat terminals → Columbus Monument
- Takes
- 10 to 15 min
- Costs
- €3 single, €4.50 return
- How often
- About every 20 min
Cheap and simple, but it's cash only and queues build when several ships empty at once.
Portbus plus metro
Columbus → Drassanes L3 → L5 Sagrada Família
- Takes
- 40 to 50 min
- Costs
- €3 plus metro fares
- How often
- Metro every few minutes
Works fine for adults, but there's a change and plenty of stairs, which is a lot for a six-year-old first thing.
Port info
The details you might need on the day.
- Emergency (all services)
- 112
- National Police
- 091
- City Police (Guàrdia Urbana)
- 092
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Cards
- Taken almost everywhere, tap to pay fine
- Cash
- Coins for the Portbus and small bars
- Tipping
- Not expected, round up for good service
- Wifi
- Use ship or mobile data, roaming check
- Step-free
- The Adossat terminals are step-free, and Barceloneta is flat, though old-quarter pavements are narrow.
- Tap water
- Safe to drink, tastes of chlorine
- Berths
- Royal Caribbean usually docks at Moll Adossat Terminals A to D. Your letter is in the Royal Caribbean app and on the ship's daily planner.
Good to know before you go
Worth a read before you head down the gangway.
Book free children's tickets too
Under-11s go free at Sagrada Família, but each child still needs a zero-cost ticket booked with yours, or you can be turned away.
Zip up phones and wallets
Barcelona's pickpockets work La Rambla, the metro and the beach. Use zipped cross-body bags and keep phones off café tables.
Security is slow on changeover days
New passengers from two ships go through the same terminal security as you, so being back by 3pm is a real buffer.
Use official yellow and black taxis
Use the meter and expect a small port pick-up supplement. Most taxis take cards, but carry a few euros in case.
Some places close on Mondays
Lots of Barcelona restaurants close on Mondays, so check Google Maps hours on the morning before you set off for lunch.
Never leave bags on the sand
Keep one adult with the bag and the shoes while the others paddle. Unattended beach bags disappear fast in Barceloneta.
What’s on in Barcelona on Monday
Strikes, opening hours and anything else that could change your plans.
Turnaround day for your ship
Brilliance of the Seas ends one cruise and starts the transatlantic today. Follow the ship's in-transit instructions for getting off and back on.
Gaudí's centenary year
2026 marks 100 years since Gaudí died, and the Tower of Jesus Christ at Sagrada Família was due to be completed in 2026, so expect extra interest and busy time slots.
A normal Monday in town
All Saints' Day fell on Sunday 1 November and isn't moved to Monday in Catalonia, so shops and sights keep normal hours.
Chestnut and panellets season
It's the All Saints' weekend, when Catalans eat roast chestnuts and panellets, little almond sweets. Look for them in bakery windows.
Showers in the forecast
Beach time is the bit of the plan that can move. If it's pouring, take a longer lunch and head back early.
Where we’d have lunch
All open on Monday lunchtime and a short walk from La Cova Fumada.
La Cova Fumada
Classic Barceloneta tapas tavern · Carrer del Baluard- Walk
- 1 min walk
- Price
- €
- Booking
- Walk-in
Weekday lunch, check hours
Where the bomba was born, and it's still cheap, cheerful and properly local.
Jai-Ca
Lively local tapas bar · Carrer de Ginebra- Walk
- 5 min walk
- Price
- €
- Booking
- Walk-in
All day, check hours
Fast, friendly and child-proof plates, a short walk from the beach.
Baluard Barceloneta
Wood-oven artisan bakery · Carrer del Baluard- Walk
- 2 min walk
- Price
- €
- Booking
- Walk-in
Early start, check hours
Perfect beach-picnic fuel and a lovely treat stop for the children.
Pez Vela
Paella with sea views · By the W Hotel- Walk
- 15 min walk
- Price
- €€€
- Booking
- Book ahead
Lunch from 1pm, book
The sit-down paella treat, with sea views and room for the children.
What to wear on the day
- Comfy trainers for everyone
- Light waterproof and a jumper
- Shoulders covered at Sagrada Família
- One zipped cross-body bag
- Small towel and spare socks
Thanks Sarah
Hope you and your family have a wonderful day in Barcelona. Remember, if you’d like more custom day planners like this, we’re more than happy to make them for you.
Zoe and the About2Cruise team