When you travel to a city you’ve never been to before, it can be stressful to try and figure out all the things you want to see, along with planning out an itinerary to make sure you see them all.

Right from Barcelona's El Prat Airport is a few minutes drive away from all of the amazing things the city of Barcelona has to offer.

With so many things to do in Barcelona, one way to see a lot of the “must-sees,” while also getting a feel for the city is to take a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. Read on to find out if you might want to hop on one of these tours in Barcelona!

If you’re headed to Barcelona, but not sure where to stay, check out our suggestions here!

What is a Hop On Hop Off tour?

Hop on Hop Off bus tours can be found in many major cities.

This style of bus tour allows you to see famous landmarks while using the bus as a way to conveniently get you from place to place so you don’t have to worry about navigating public transport on your first days somewhere. Every tour operates on a route, stopping at various landmarks.

You can either ride the bus through the whole circuit, get off at the sights that interest you or do a combination of both. You can then hop back on when the next bus comes through. 

Tours also frequently come with pre-recorded commentary so you can learn all about the city you’re visiting and the sights you’ll see. These will come in multiple languages so you don’t need to worry if you don’t speak the local language.

Buses frequently also have open rooftop seating so you can get the best views as you cruise through the city. 

Stops in Barcelona

One of the big Barcelona Hop On Hop Off bus operators is City Sightseeing.

Their Barcelona tour has three routes, each exploring different key sights in Barcelona.

Currently (as of publishing), only two of the routes are running as the green route is suspended temporarily. There is some crossover between the red and blue routes, so you can switch between the two as many times as you’d like for as long as your ticket is valid.

Both routes take 120 minutes to do the full cycle without getting off, with buses running every 20 minutes. Here are the stops:

Red Route

Frequency: Every 20 minutes

Tour Duration: 120 minutes

First bus departure: 09:00

Last bus Departure: 19:00

Stops include:

1. Plaça de Catalunya
2. Casa Batlló - Fundació Antoni Tàpies
3. Passeig de Gràcia - La Pedrera
4. Francesc Macià - Diagonal
5. Estació de Sants
6. Plaça d’Espanya
7. CaixaForum - Pavelló Mies Van der Rohe
8. Poble Espanyol
9. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
10. Anella Olímpica
11. Fundació Joan Miró
12. Telefèric de Montjüic
13. Miramar - Jardins Costa i Llobera
14. World Trade Center
15. Colom - Museu Marítim
16. Port Vell
17. Museu d’Història de Catalunya
18. Port Olímpic
19. Zoo
20. Pla de Palau - Parc de la Ciutadella
21. Barri Gòtic
    

Blue Route

Frequency: Every 20 minutes

Tour Duration: 120 minutes

First bus departure: 09:00

Last bus Departure: 19:00

Stops include:

1. Plaça de Catalunya
2. Casa Batlló - Fundació Antoni Tàpies
3. Passeig de Gràcia - La Pedrera
4. Sagrada Familia
5. Sant Pau Recinte Modernista
6. Park Güell
7. Tramvia Blau - Tibidabo
8. Sarrià
9. Monestir de Pedralbes
10. Palau Reial - Pavellons Güell
11. Fútbol Club Barcelona
12. Diagonal - Les Corts
13. Francesc Macià - Diagonal
14. Eixample
    

Your Hop On Hop Off ticket can be used on both routes for the duration of its validity, and you can hop on and off as many times as you like, providing there’s another bus coming.

While the bus doesn’t cover every monument or attraction in Barcelona, you can get off at any of the several stops to explore the area. You can also use the bus to get you from one place to another before exploring further.

Bus tickets do not include entry to any of the landmarks or attractions, though (however, if you purchase an Essential ticket, you will be given a return ticket for the Montjüic Cable Car, valid for one calendar day). 

Ticket prices

If you’re interested in taking a Hop On Hop Off tour in Barcelona, you’ll need to purchase tickets.

City Sightseeing tickets are valid for three months, and valid any day.

Keep in mind that the prices and availability mentioned below may fluctuate. For the most up-to-date pricing, features, and availability, make sure to check the official site!

Their ticket prices have three categories, which are as follows:

Iconic - from $31.00 USD

• Tickets for one or two day hop on hop off bus tour
• Free WiFi
• Audio guide in 16 languages

Essential - from $43.40 USD

• All the benefits of an iconic ticket
•  Return ticket for the Montjüic Cable Car (valid for one calendar day)
  

Value - from $62.00 USD

• All the benefits of an iconic ticket
• Early morning Montserrat tour

If you'd like opt in for the optional catamaran cruise with a skyline view of the city to top off your sightseeing tour, make sure to book through here instead!

Route map

While we’ve provided you with all the stops on both blue and red routes, it might not mean much in purely a list format. If you’re looking to see it on a map, and the difference between the two CitySightseeing routes, look no further!

Other Hop On Hop Off bus tours

As with Paris and Berlin, there’s more than just one company offering hop on hop off bus tours in Barcelona.

In addition to City Sightseeing, there’s also Barcelona City Tour, with routes that take you across the city.

Their tours operate from 9:00 to 19:00, with a 30-minute frequency. Currently, they run two routes, a West (orange) and an East (green) route that take you to different sides of the city. Here are the routes side by side:

Both routes start at Plaça Catalunya (stop 1), and take approximately two hours to complete. 

Tickets can be purchased online in advance, and cost €27 for one day adult, and €36 for two days adult. Tickets are valid on both routes for the duration of the ticket’s validity. 

You can also download the City Tour Worldwide official app to be able to track busses in real-time. The app also provides tourist guides for all the locations along either bus route. You can download the app on iOS and Android devices. 

Flying to Barcelona?

If you're still looking at flights for your trip to Barcelona, make sure you're booking the cheapest flights available on the market with SkyScanner!

SkyScanner helps you find the cheapest flights available so that you wouldn't have to pay more for flight tickets and save that money for more things to do or food to eat!

Vamos a Barcelona!

For the first visit to Barcelona, a Hop On Hop Off bus tour is a great way to familiarize yourself with the city, as well as check off some of the major Barcelona landmarks. It’ll also save you some potential stress of having to figure out how to navigate the city while trying to see everything you want to see.

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