Bus tours are a great way to see the sites of Barcelona without tiring yourself and for those on a tight schedule they offer a way to pack in all those sites.

Barcelona’s Hop-on hop-off buses visit all of the city’s most important monuments with a guided commentary all the way.

Audio guides are available in twelve languages and the ticket includes discount vouchers for numerous restaurants and tourist attractions. Be aware that the buses can get very full in high season and that in the unlikely case of bad weather there are not many seats inside.

In Barcelona, there are two companies offering this service: Barcelona City Tour, and the Barcelona Bus Turístic. Both take in all the important sites, such as the Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, Park Güell, Passeig de Gràcia and Montjuic.

Barcelona City Tour has two routes. The eastern route runs from the city centre to Tibidabo and takes in the Camp Nou stadium on the way. The western route is only available in summer and runs from the port to the Forum.

Barcelona Bus Turístic covers all the same sites via three different routes:

Red line: Plaça Catalunya to Parc de la Ciutadella, Passeig de Gracia, Diagonal, Estacio de Sants, Montjuic and Port Vell.

Blue line: Placa Catalunya to the MACBA, Passeig de Gracia, Sagrada Familia, Gracia, Park Guell, Tibidabo and Camp Nou.

Green line: Port Olimpic to Poblenou, the Forum, along the city’s beaches (this only runs during the summer).

For more information from Barcelona Bus Turístic, click here

The beauty of a tourist bus is that you can get off at any of the stops and in your own time see the site, have a walk around the area and simply hop on the next bus when you are ready – buses run between every 5 and 25 minutes, depending on the time of the year. Alternatively you can just stay on the bus, enjoy the commentary and take in the sites.

All tour bus services begin at 9 o’clock in Plaza Catalunya and, with the exception of Barcelona Bus Turístic’s green line, last roughly 2 hours. These run every day of the year, excluding the Summer green route bus which is just during summer, and except the 25th of December and the 1st of January.

The cost of a tour is 22€ for an adult and 14 for a child (Barcelona City Tour also offer concessions for people over 65). Two-day tickets are also available at a cost of 29 euros for adults and 18 euros for children. Online bookings from Barcelona City Tour receive a 10% discount.

Tips for touring Barcelona by bus

Begin your journeys as early as possible, especially during high season when tours tend to be very busy. When you find a stop where you wish to get off, it is worth completing a whole circuit to gain an idea of the full journey first.

If staying in Barcelona for several days, it is worth buying a 2-day ticket, for only an extra 6 euros.

Discount booklets are still valid after your journey and offer reduced price entry to sites such as the Casa Batlló and the Aquarium.

If you wish to take a bus tour while it is raining, bear in mind that the number of covered seats is limited and the bus can get very full. Rain in Barcelona is usually light and the Barcelona City Tour buses have a canopy roof to protect passengers from light rain.

Remember to keep hold of your ticket, you will need to show it every time you get on.

http://www.barcelonacitytour.es/
http://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat

Have you taken a bus tour in Barcelona? How did you find it? Would you like to go? Please leave us a comment below!