Organising a trip to Barcelona with children is not a particular problem, just keep in mind some useful tips and tricks on what to visit in the city to make their trip interesting and fun too.
In the meantime, children are always welcome in restaurants or bars and, although there are rarely specific menus for toddlers, most restaurants have no problem preparing small portions.
In hotels, there are often discounts for children under the age of 12 sharing a room with their parents in an extra bed. In addition, the Spanish state railway, Renfe, offers a 40% discount to children aged 4 to 11.
There are numerous family attractions where you can entertain the little ones!
The Parc d’Attraccions del Tibidabo is perhaps the first attraction that springs to mind for a holiday in Barcelona with children. Suitable for young and old, it is the only old-fashioned amusement park left in the city. Actually, saying ‘in the city’ is an understatement, as it is located on a hill 500 metres above sea level, several kilometres from the centre of Barcelona. However, the journey to get there is an attraction in itself! Children will be delighted to take the funicular from Plaça Doctor Andreu to Plaça de Tibidabo. Incidentally, its ticket price is discounted if purchased together with the entrance to the park. If you don’t have a lot of time, you can fall back on the very efficient – but decidedly less charming – Tibibus, a bus that leaves from Placa de Catalunya and arrives directly at Tibidabo.
Once inside the park, you can enter the House of Horrors, enjoy bumper cars and lots of other games, as well as take a ride on a big Ferris wheel and visit the Museu dels Autòmates, which exhibits various robots inside. Puppet shows are also held and there are picnic areas, playgrounds and many bars and restaurants. In addition, apart from the playground, the Tibidabo hill has two other really interesting attractions, which are the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (Temple of the Sacred Heart) and the Telecommunication Tower, with its accompanying viewing terrace from which you can admire a 360 degree view of Barcelona and its surroundings.
The underwater kingdom where children will be amazed. With 21 huge tanks housing almost 400 marine species, the Barcelona Aquarium is one of the largest in Europe. It is a 10-minute walk from the Columbus monument, first walking down Rambla del Mar, which crosses Port Vell on the water, and then past the Maremagnum shopping centre. Here, you can spend an incredible day discovering the marine fauna of different ecosystems, including, of course, the Mediterranean.
The jewel in the crown of the Barcelona Aquarium is the 80-metre-long glass tunnel, which you can walk through to cross a tank – the largest in the entire facility, dedicated to the Ocean – where you will come face to face with three enormous grey sharks, Drake, Morgan and Maverick, as well as stingrays, fish of all kinds and a vast marine flora. At the Barcelona Aquarium, you can also take part in some really interesting experiences, especially for brave children, who can swim with sharks and sleep next to them.
La Rambla is the place in Barcelona where your children will want to climb on your shoulders to enjoy above the crowd all the street performances you will come across: street performers, fire-eaters, human statues, musicians. If you put a coin in their hat, the more generous human statues will give a lollipop to the little ones!
One of the most popular tourist spots in the whole of Barcelona, crowded at all hours, the Rambla is a long avenue both vehicular and pedestrian (administratively there are several streets, but they are all one after the other) that connects Placa de Catalunya with the sea. Strolling up and down the Rambla is a favourite sport for tourists visiting Barcelona, thanks to its small shops, stalls and some must-see attractions, such as the Boqueria market, the Wax Museum, and the aforementioned street artists.
A few hundred metres from the centre of Barcelona is one of the green lungs of the city: it is the Parc de la Ciutadella, inside which is a huge zoo park. Children can go wild at the Barcelona Zoo and admire up close more than 7500 animals of all kinds, from different parts of the world, living in a healthy and safe environment, covering a total area of no less than 13 hectares.
Among hippos, elephants, lions, reptiles and rhinoceroses, children will be delighted to walk around the cages and discover rare or exotic animals, such as Komodo dragons or Muntjac deer. There are ten areas in all at the Barcelona Zoo, each one dedicated to a different natural environment. For a relaxing interlude, spend some time in the Palmeral, a garden surrounded by a palm grove where parrots and parakeets flutter above your head.
Finally, the fun part of a visit to the Barcelona Zoo consists of the possibility of attending various shows. Among the activities on offer, there are also guided tours and creative workshops suitable for children. There is also an area set up like a farm, where you can pet goats and rabbits.
During a visit to the Museu Maritim in Barcelona, children will have the chance to experience the maritime world at first hand, hearing pirate shouts, cannon shots and the gurgling of submarines. Inside the maritime museum you will also have the chance to admire some life-size replicas of ships and galleons, such as Don Juan of Austria’s royal galley from 1571. Moored on the quiet shores of Port Vell, also part of the Maritime Museum, is the Santa Eulalia, a faithfully restored 1918 ship.
The museum is located near the Columbus Monument, at the end of the Rambla and not far from the Aquarium: a perfect triptych to keep your children happy during a visit to Barcelona!
Parc del Laberint d’Horta is the oldest park in Barcelona still in use. Built in neoclassical style and dating back to the 18th century, it takes its name from its huge hedge maze: children will feel like Alice in Wonderland, getting lost at every turn!
Ideal for a visit with children, it is also perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, as you can walk among centuries-old trees and perfectly manicured flowerbeds, in the midst of greenery and tranquillity. Moreover, to get there you will first have to reach the Horta-Guinardó neighbourhood, which is certainly not a tourist area, and this will also give you the chance to experience the Barcelona of the inhabitants, without too many frills and with a charm all its own.
The Teleferica del Montjuic is a cable car that starts on one side of the hill that encircles Barcelona from the south and goes all the way up to the castle. The trip will delight children, as it is relaxing and fun. At the same time, once at the top the little ones will be able to climb the cannons of the castle: fun guaranteed!
The trip along the Teleferica del Montjuic takes only a few minutes, but it gives you the chance to see Barcelona from a very unusual, yet privileged perspective. It is a very touristy attraction, but really worth it. The valley station is located at the Parc de Montjuic, close to Barcelona’s top attractions such as the Fundació Joan Miró, the MNAC and the Poble Espanyol. The outward journey goes all the way to the castle without any intermediate stops, while on the return trip you have the option of stopping at the Mirador, a truly beautiful viewpoint: go down as far as you like, then come back down without having to buy another ticket.
The MHCAT, or Museu d’Història de Catalunya, is one of the most suitable museums for a visit to Barcelona with children, as it offers a fun space for the little ones to dress up in medieval costumes and gallop on wooden horses. In addition, every Sunday from 12.30 p.m. there is a one-hour history lesson, during which Catalan legends are performed for the little ones. The collection of the MHCAT is really extensive, and includes completely different topics, although linked by a common thread: celebrating Catalonia, its discoveries and its history. With children, you can visit the area dedicated to archaeology, science and technology, photography and the graphic arts in general, for an afternoon of culture and family fun.
The museum is very well located with respect to the city centre, as it overlooks the Port Vell and leaves the Barceloneta behind: it is impossible not to walk past it, perhaps right after a visit to the Aquarium!
Barcelona’s beaches are a great place for children to have fun, as there are well-equipped play areas. In all, there are about ten beaches in Barcelona, and they stretch north of Port Vell, starting with Barceloneta, a trendy neighbourhood with a traditionalist soul: however, its beach is mostly frequented by young people and teenagers, it is very often noisy and therefore not always perfect for children. Better to move northwards, from the beach de la Nova Icaria beyond Port Olimpic onwards: here, one after the other, are the beaches of Bogatell, de la Mar Bella, de la Nova Mar Bella and del Levant. These are much less touristy beaches than those closer to the centre, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and they are also perfect for children due to the fact that the sand is fine, the seabed slopes gently and during the bathing season they are supervised.
Going to the beach always makes children happy, and even more so in a city like Barcelona, where the climate is always excellent throughout the year. Of course, in summer you can all go swimming together, but even during the winter months there is nothing better than an afternoon at the beach to relax and enjoy the warm sun of the Catalan coast.
The golondrines (‘swallows’) are nothing more than tourist boats that depart from the Port Vell area and take visitors to discover the Barcelona coastline. They can be booked right outside the harbour, and are for all tastes: there are the romantic ones designed for couples and the alcoholic ones designed for younger people – but maybe not quite suitable for children! However, there are also boat trips for the whole family, where the kids will be happy to sail the Mediterranean Sea and visit Barcelona from a different perspective, passing beautiful buildings like the W-Barcelona hotel and the Casino skyscrapers and iconic sites like the Port Olimpic.
The golondrines are increasingly being joined by another type of boat: the catamaran, which is also really fun for children thanks to the high speeds it can reach.
And finally, still on the subject of boat rides, you can rent a rowing boat on the small lake of the Parc de la Ciutadella and take your little ones around in the calm waters: fun guaranteed!
During your trip to Barcelona, why not treat yourself to one or more days of fun in one of the city’s amusement parks? Buy your tickets in advance to avoid tedious waiting and spend a day of adventure at Spain’s largest theme park Port Aventura, where you can choose from 37 rides and 6 different universes that will take you to as many destinations: Mexico, Polynesia, Imperial China, Far West will all captivate you!
To escape the heat of Barcelona what better than a day at the Illa Fantasia Aquatic Park, 75 thousand square metres and 22 attractions, including 3 large pools, a children’s park and much more will give you an unforgettable day.
Below is a selection of recommended accommodation for a holiday in Barcelona with children.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
Hotel 
Budget accommodations 
Apartments 
Family Hotel 
Luxury Hotel 
Resorts