Free things to do in Barcelona: museums, viewpoints, parks and beaches

When a guest asks us what they can do without spending money, we always say the same thing: more than you'd think. A lot of the best of Barcelona is out on the streets, in the parks and by the sea. And several of its museums are free on certain days.

Here's our list, based on what we've checked on official websites. Free-entry rules change from time to time, so before you go, always check the museum's website.

Free museums: Sunday is your day

Sunday is the best day to see museums for free. There are two rules worth knowing.

Sunday afternoons

According to Museus de Barcelona, the City Council's museum network, several museums are free every Sunday from 3 pm. They include:

• The Barcelona History Museum (MUHBA) and its sites around the city.
• The Maritime Museum, in the old royal shipyards at the bottom of Las Ramblas.
• Montjuïc Castle.
• The Frederic Marès Museum, next to the Cathedral.
• The Design Museum and the Music Museum.
• The Museu Blau, the natural science museum at the Fòrum.
• Pedralbes Monastery.
• The CCCB, with advance booking.

The first Sunday of the month

On the first Sunday of every month, most of those museums are free all day. A few others join in that aren't part of the Sunday afternoon scheme:

• Picasso Museum. Free on the first Sunday of the month and on Thursday afternoons, always with a booking. According to its website, free tickets are released four days before the visit and go quickly.
• Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Free on the first Sunday of the month and on Saturdays from 3 pm. You need to book your ticket online in advance.
• The Mies van der Rohe Pavilion and the Olympic and Sports Museum, both on Montjuïc.

A tip from us: first Sundays are busy everywhere. If you can choose, an ordinary Sunday afternoon is usually calmer. And if the museum asks for a booking, make it as soon as you can, because free places are limited.

If you're wondering which museums are most worth your time, our guide to Barcelona's most iconic museums will help.

Viewpoints with no ticket

Barcelona looks great from above, and it's almost always free.

Bunkers del Carmel

At the top of Turó de la Rovira are the remains of a Spanish Civil War anti-aircraft battery. From there you can see the whole city, from the sea to the Collserola hills. It's probably the best free view in Barcelona.

Two important things. The site closes at night, so go during the day or in the early evening. And this is a residential area: keep the noise down, take your rubbish with you and think of the neighbours, who have been asking for respect for years.

Montjuïc

The steps of the MNAC give you one of the loveliest views over Plaça d'Espanya. Higher up, the area around the castle looks out over the port and the sea. The gardens on the hill are free to wander.

Park Güell, outside the paid area

The monumental zone of Park Güell is ticketed, but according to the official website it's only a small part of the park. The rest is free to enter, with paths and viewpoints over the city. It's worth it even if you don't go into the paid section.

Walks worth the trip

Walking is free and Barcelona is made for it.

• The old town. You can cover the Gòtic and El Born on foot in a morning. The Cathedral, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Plaça del Rei and Santa Maria del Mar are all close together. We have guides to the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas and to El Born.
• Modernisme in the Eixample. Walk along Passeig de Gràcia and look up. Casa Batlló and La Pedrera can be admired from the pavement. The outside of the Sagrada Família is impressive too: walk round it and look at it from the squares on either side. For buildings beyond the famous names, see our post on Barcelona's architectural wonders that aren't Gaudí.
• Gràcia. A neighbourhood of small squares, narrow streets and plenty of local life. Ideal for an afternoon with no plan.
• Carretera de les Aigües. A flat track halfway up the Collserola hills, with views over the whole city. Very popular with runners and cyclists.

Beaches

Barcelona's beaches are public and free. Barceloneta is the closest to the centre and the busiest. If you follow the seafront north, you'll find wider and slightly quieter beaches, such as Nova Icària and Bogatell.

The seafront promenade, on foot or by bike, is a plan in itself, especially at sunset. If you're staying in the area, the old fishermen's quarter of Barceloneta is lovely to wander in the evening.

Parks

Ciutadella Park

This is the big park in the centre, between El Born and the Vila Olímpica. It has a boating lake, a monumental fountain and cascade, and plenty of grass to lie on. On Sundays it fills up with families, musicians and people doing all sorts. The Arc de Triomf and the promenade leading up to it are close by.

Other parks

The Montjuïc gardens, Joan Miró Park near Plaça d'Espanya and Turó del Putxet Park are all good spots for a break in the shade. With children, any park with a playground can save an afternoon.

Markets to browse

Walking into a market costs nothing, and it's one of the easiest ways to see how the city lives.

• La Boqueria, on Las Ramblas. Go in the morning; by midday it's packed.
• Santa Caterina, in El Born, with its colourful wavy roof.
• Sant Antoni, in the neighbourhood of the same name. Its iron building is one of the most beautiful in the city.

Every neighbourhood has its own market too. In Sagrada Família, for example, the local market is a good place to buy fruit and do your shopping if you have a kitchen.

Street festivals

Many of the city's festivals take place on the streets, with free activities.

La Mercè

This is Barcelona's main festival, held in late September around the 24th, which is a local holiday. Each year's programme is published on the official La Mercè website. There are open-air concerts, human towers (castellers), giants, correfocs (fire runs) and street shows all over the city. If your trip coincides with it, go with the flow.

Neighbourhood festivals

In summer, many neighbourhoods hold their own festival, with decorated streets, concerts and community meals. The Gràcia festival in August is the best known.

The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

The large fountain below the MNAC puts on free shows of water, light and music. It was switched off for about three years because of the drought and a major renovation, and came back in September 2025, in time for La Mercè.

It only runs on some evenings each week and the schedule changes with the seasons. In the low season there may be weeks without shows. Before you go, check the calendar on Barcelona City Council's website.

A free day, start to finish

If you want to put it all together, here's a Sunday we love:

1. In the morning, a walk round the Gòtic and El Born, with a stop at a market.
2. A picnic in Ciutadella or a simple lunch at a neighbourhood bar.
3. From 3 pm, a free museum: the Maritime Museum, MUHBA or the Frederic Marès.
4. At sunset, a stroll by the sea or a climb up to a viewpoint.

A base for getting around on foot

Many of these plans can be done on foot if you stay in the centre. At HiBcn we have flats in the Gothic Quarter, El Born, Barceloneta and Sagrada Família, and we meet you in person to tell you how to get around the area. Have a look at our apartments, or read our guide on where to stay in Barcelona first.