What to see and do when you’re in Barcelona with kids
If you’re travelling to Barcelona with children, you’ll be delighted to know that there’s always plenty to do for visitors of all ages! Check out our long list of suggestions for activities with children in Barcelona. You’ll have great fun!
Funfairs, family excursions, museums, attractions…
Each and every child is a world of their own, so we’ve put together a wide range of ideas for an unforgettable family day out, either visiting animals, discovering giant objects, playing sport or riding on the best funfairs. Ready?
- Laberint d’Horta: the most adventurous kids will love tackling the challenge of finding their way out of this maze, just like Theseus had to escape from the Minotaur on Crete! OK, so there are no minotaurs in Barcelona, but children will still feel like heroes when they manage to find the one and only way out. It is set in a lovely park with gardens, waterfalls, Neoclassical and Romantic buildings, a duck lake and picnic tables, which are great for taking a break and having a snack.
- Tibidabo Barcelona: this Barcelona funfair is loved by children and grownups alike. It’s the perfect place for families to try out its famous rides, including the merry-go-round, big wheel, watchtower, roller coaster, log ride, fast train, 4D cinema and (if you’re feeling brave) Hotel Krüeger. And that’s not all: it also boasts some of the best views over the city.
- CosmoCaixa: one of the most interesting and fun museums in the whole of Barcelona! Kids can learn about astronomy in the Planetarium, get close to starfish and other sea creatures in Toca Toca, carry out a whole host of science experiments, touch an iceberg or explore part of the Amazonian rainforest in the Flooded Forest… A thousand and one engaging activities in a unique space, and children learn something at the same time!
- Illa Fantasia: this waterpark is in Vilassar de Dalt, a town only 30 minutes out of Barcelona. It’s a great place to spend a summer’s day, with more than 22 water rides laid out over 70,000 m² and huge slides and pools, including one with waves that drives kids wild! Lunch couldn’t be easier: there are 900 picnic tables and 100 barbecues, as well as plenty of other eating options for all tastes!
- Barcelona Zoo: this is the place to see elephants, lions, giraffes, penguins, gorillas, kangaroos, zebras, tigers and other animals from different ecosystems on our planet. Barcelona Zoo also has a small farm where kids can interact with goats, ponies and other animals. They also run fantastic educational workshops and family activities.
- Chocolate Museum: of all the museums in Barcelona, there’s no child that won’t love this one! See a chocolate model of the Sagrada Família and meet the Smurfs, Asterix &Obelix and Tintin in chocolate, something you won’t forget in a while… You can also learn about the history of cocoa. Try to resist the urge to eat everything on display!
- Montserrat: if you feel like a bit of exercise after all that chocolate, climbing a mountain might be a good idea! You can drive to Montserrat from Barcelona, but children will love the alternative option of train and then cog railway or cable car. Montserrat was under sea level for thousands of years and then moulded by the elements to create its unique shape.
- Vall de Núria: another excellent family excursion from Barcelona. It takes just over two hours to get there, but it’s well worth it! The landscape is spectacular at any time of year and there are plenty of activities for all the family, including archery, horse riding, boating and canoeing on the lake. Not to mention its huge activity park, with a climbing wall and aerial runways. In winter, you can ski.
- Port Aventura: this theme park in Salou, 1½ hours from Barcelona, thrills young and old alike. It’s divided into six areas: Far West, Polynesia, China, Mediterranean, Mexico and Sesame Adventure, with the characters from Sesame Street and lots of activities and fun shows for kids.
- Barcelona Aquarium: ideal for young fans of sea life and films like The Little Mermaid. Children won’t believe their eyes when they see sharks swimming overhead! They also run family activities and summer schools and can even arrange birthday parties.
- Catalonia Miniature Park: you’ll love losing yourself among the small-scale yet very realistic models of the main sights in Catalonia, which make children feel like giants! Catalunya en Miniatura also has several adventure circuits for all ages.
- Abracadabra Llibres: a lovely Barcelona bookshop that’s in a class of its own, with a huge collection of children’s and illustrated books in several different languages. Avid readers will never want to leave this magical world of wonderful books.
- Parc Oreneta Barcelona: of all the children’s parks in Barcelona, we like this one best of all, with a real castle, amazing play area and miniature steam train that puffs its way along 600 metres of track! It’s in the Sarrià neighbourhood, with lots of different plants and trees and superb views over the city.
- Poble Espanyol: a great opportunity for kids to discover the many different styles of architecture across Spain without ever leaving the site! You’ll also find lots of craft shops, including glass blowers, and a whole host of activities, many aimed at children.
- Montjuïc Castle: it’s worth making the trip to the top of Montjuïc for the views alone, but children also enjoy the cannons and playing at holding the fort. Montjuïc Castle is also a venue for many city festivities, including La Mercè, when it fills with circus acts and shows for kids. There are several ways of getting there, but the most impressive and thrilling (though not the cheapest) is by cable car across the port, by taking the Telefèric de Barcelona.
- Camp Nou: there’s no way Barça fans can go home without visiting Camp Nou. The Camp Nou Experience includes a full tour of the ground and admission to the museum, where kids can wonder at the five European Cups won by the club and explore the space dedicated to Messi. Close by is the FC Barcelona Ice Rink, open all year round and ideal for ice skaters keen to show off their moves!
- Parc de Francesc Macià: this park never fails to amaze kids, with its giant models of sweets, shoes, cupcakes, pencils, rubbers and far more besides! It also has slides and play areas. You’ll find it in Malgrat de Mar, just over an hour from Barcelona.
- Granja Aventura Park: a great place for kids to get to know, touch and feed farmyard animals in a natural setting. It also has treetop walkways and a vegetable garden where you can learn how to grow vegetables as a family. A wonderful family day out in nature, in Viladecavalls, about 40 minutes out of Barcelona.
- La Puntual: families love La Puntual, the smallest theatre in Barcelona, where puppets and shadow play are the stars of the show!
- Museu Blau: the Barcelona Natural Science Museum is a paradise for budding palaeontologists, mineral collectors and anyone eager to learn more about all kinds of animals… If you love nature, this is the museum for you!
