With the flexible and convenient Hop-On Hop-Off Barcelona City Tour you will travel in comfort in an open-top double-decker bus and can plan your sightseeing itinerary to suit your interests. Choose a 1- day, or 2- day ticket according to the amount of time you have available.
The buses start at Plaça Catalunya but you can join the tour at any of the stops. Please present your isango! voucher to the on-board guide and you will be given a hop-on hop-off bus ticket in exchange.
You have a choice of two great routes covering the main highlights of the city. The East Route has 15 stops and the West Route has 18 stops. Four stops appear on both routes. The hop-on hop-off ticket allows you to jump on and off all day long, and change route as you wish. While you are on the bus, you can learn about the history of Barcelona through a comfortable audio system with earphones, in 12 different languages.
You will be given a map and guide with all the stops on each of the routes, and discounts for different establishments in the city. The luxury buses are adapted for people with limited mobility and have an electric roof for use in the event of rain; they are fitted with anatomical seats and heating on both decks. They also have an English-speaking guide aboard permanently.
The frequency of buses at the stops varies with the season (between 10 and 20 minutes) and each route takes approximately 2 hours. The routes and stops are described below:
East Route:
Plaça Catalunya: A major square in the heart of the Bari Gòtic area of the city. The large, open square is lined with seating and the ornamental gardens contain statues. At one end are wonderful water features.
Catedral-Barri Gòtic (Cathedral Gothic Quarter): Barcelona Cathedral houses the tomb of Saint Eulalia along with a number of paintings and valuable metalwork. The Cathedral is the most important building in the Gothic Quarter.
Port Vell: The picturesque old harbour, a popular tourist area with many attractions, including sea-food restaurants.
Museu d’Història de Catalunya:An interesting museum showcasing the history of Catalonia from its distant roots to the present day in an interactive and innovative way.
Barceloneta:Known for its sandy beach and its many restaurants and nightclubs along the boardwalk.
Port Olimpic: This entertainment and leisure zone has become a popular area. Most people come here to enjoy the nightlife on offer in the bars, restaurants and dance clubs.
Platja del Bogatell (Bogatell Beach)*: Six hundred metres long and one of the safest of Barcelona’s beaches.
Nova Mar Bella Beach*: This 500 metre beach is a favorite with women. It is one of the beaches created as a result of urban redevelopment in preparation for the 1992 Olympic Games.
Fòrum*: Designed by the Swiss architects Jaques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (Herzog & de Meuron), the triangular Fòrum building is an architectural landmark in Barcelona and has been the subject of some controversy.
La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Cathedral) : Antoni Gaudi’s magnificent unfinished masterpiece.
Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul): Built between 1901 and 1930, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is still a fully functional hospital.
Park Guell: Designed by Gaudi and declared a Heritage Site by UNESCO. The park contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings.
Tibidabo: This hill is Barcelona's highest point, so you can see the whole city from here. There is also an impressive modernist church, called Sagrat Cor (Sacred Heart), a planetarium and the oldest amusement park in Spain (complete with original rides).
La Pedrera or Casa Milà, (in Passeig de Gracia): A block of flats with a wavy stone facade and sculptures on the roof, designed by Antoni Gaudi and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Casa Batlló (in Passeig de Gracia): Another Gaudi masterpiece built in his signature style in which fluid lines and organic forms replace straight lines and right angles. Passeig de Gracia is Barcelona’s most elegant and architecturally interesting avenue.
*In winter (01 Nov to 30 Apr) the stops at Platja del Bogatell*, Nova Mar Bella*, and the Fòrum* are replaced by stops at:
Ciutadella-Zoo: Parc Ciutadella contains a spectacular waterfall and navigable lake plus the splendid Barcelona Zoo with more than 7,000 animals of 400 different species from around the world.
Teatre Nacional-Auditori: A working theatre and one of Barcelona’s most important cultural centres
Glòries-Torre Agbar: The Torre Agbar, or Agbar Tower, is a 33-story tower at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes. It is the third tallest building in Barcelona and includes a number of revolutionary architectural design details.
West Route:
Plaça Catalunya: The major square in the heart of the Bari Gòtic area of the city.
Catedral-Barri Gòtic (Cathedral Gothic Quarter): Barcelona Cathedral is the most important building in the Gothic Quarter and houses the tomb of Saint Eulalia along with a number of paintings and valuable metalwork.
Passeig Colomb: This street contains the Cristobal Colon – a statue of Christopher Columbus with pointing symbolically towards the New World – and the House of Cervantes, where the famous writer Miguel de Cervantes lodged during his stay in Barcelona.
World Trade Center: This impressive complex houses a Congress and Convention Centre, plus more than 125 offices and shops as well as the Eurostar’s Grand Marina luxury hotel.
Jardins de Miramar: Public gardens with views over Barcelona Harbor.
Fundació Joan Miró: A collection of modern art which honors artist Joan Miro.
Anella Olimpica: One of the four major competition sites built for the 1992 Olympic Games.
MNAC Museo Nacional de Catalunya: An exceptional museum and one of the world’s most important centers for Romanesque art, with works spanning a millennium. Housed in the stunning Palau Nacional.
Poble Espanyol (Spanish Town ): An outdoor open-air architectural museum located on the mountain of Montjuïc in Barcelona.
Caixa Forum: Built to house a factory in 1911 by architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, this redbrick modernist fortress opened in 2002 as a center for art exhibits, concerts, lectures, and other cultural events.
Plaça d’Espanya: One of Barcelona's most important squares, built on the occasion of the 1929 International Exhibition, held at the foot of Montjuïc.
Estació de Sants: Barcelona’s main railway station.
Camp Nou: Home of FC Barcelona and one of Europe’s largest football stadiums.
Plaça Pius XII: A square close to the main shopping streets.
L'illa Diagonal: A gargantuan mall housing 170 shops and restaurants, two 4-star hotels, and a sports center. The shops include Diesel, Miss Sixty, Lacoste, Zara and the flagship store of Barcelona fashion house Custo.
Avinguda Diagonal: One of Barcelona's most important avenues. It cuts the city in two, diagonally from west to east, hence the name.
La Pedrera or Casa Milà, (in Passeig de Gracia): A block of flats with a wavy stone facade and sculptures on the roof, designed by Antoni Gaudi and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Casa Batllo (in Passeig de Gracia): Another Gaudi masterpiece built in his signature style in which fluid lines and organic forms replace straight lines and right angles. Passeig de Gracia is Barcelona’s most elegant and architecturally interesting avenue.
The tour ends at your convenience and you need to make your own arrangements to return to your accommodation.