Best Barcelona Tourist Cards

The Barcelona Explorer Pass is a Barcelona sightseeing pass that includes great discounts to the main sights of Barcelona.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

7 min read

Best Barcelona Tourist Cards

Vista aerea de edificios en Barcelona | ©Kaspars Upmanis

If you're planning a trip to Barcelona, you're probably looking for ways to save money. There are many things to do and see in Barcelona, which makes the trip too expensive in most cases. Therefore, the best option when it comes to sightseeing in Barcelona is to book the Barcelona Explorer Pass.

This tourist pass includes dozens of attractions, such as the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Camp Nou or Casa Batlló. In addition, it also includes sightseeing tours, such as a tour of Plaza Catalunya. All with great discounts on the price of admission. What's more, it includes a guide to help you learn all about these places.

How much does the Barcelona tourist pass cost?

person with a range of tickets| ©Igal Ness
person with a range of tickets| ©Igal Ness

The Barcelona Sightseeing Pass varies in price depending on the attractions included on the card. This tourist pass makes it possible to include from 2 to 7 attractions. For a pass with three attractions, the cost is around 80 euros per adult. For children under the age of 13, the price is reduced to around 60 euros. On the other hand, children under the age of 3 do not have to buy the pass.

For the four-attraction pass, the Barcelona Explorer Pass costs around 99 euros for adults and around 71 euros for children under 13. As you can see, the price is only slightly higher than the 3-activity pass, so it may be worth booking the 4-activity pass rather than the 3-activity pass.

If you're thinking of booking the 5-attraction pass, you should know that it costs approximately 114 euros per adult and around 80 euros for children. Continuing with the 6-attraction pass, the price per ticket for adults is around 125 euros; for children it is around 90 euros. Finally, the 7-attraction pass costs 135 euros per adult and 99 euros per child.

This price includes many of the city's main tourist attractions, from museums to theatres and places of worship. This makes it very economical, as you'll save a significant amount of money on your trip to Barcelona.

Book the Barcelona Explorer Pass

How does the Barcelona Explorer Pass work?

Red bus on track| ©Miniautobusero
Red bus on track| ©Miniautobusero

The Barcelona Explorer Pass is an electronic pass, which you can have on your mobile phone or, if you prefer, printed out. You can choose to include between 2 and 7 attractions on your pass, and each attraction is free to enter, with each attraction being redeemed for a credit on your card. Since the pass also offers great discounts on the most important attractions in the city, you will have tickets to other attractions at reduced prices than those you would normally have to pay.

The pass expires after two years if it has not been used once. On the other hand, the Barcelona Explorer Pass is valid for 60 days from the time it is activated with the first use.

When you book your Barcelona Explorer Pass, you do not have to choose the attractions you want to see on your travel itinerary. However, although you don't have to pay your entrance fee to get into the attractions or choose them in advance, you will need to book them. I recommend that you do this well in advance, to avoid running out of dates during your trip.

Book the Barcelona Explorer Pass

What does the Barcelona Explorer Pass include?

people putting a ribbon on their arm| ©offfestival
people putting a ribbon on their arm| ©offfestival

The Barcelona Explorer Pass includes two to seven Barcelona attractions. In total, the Barcelona Explorer Pass includes dozens of tourist attractions in Barcelona. Among the most striking, I can highlight the famous Park Güell, which is the largest park in the city and was designed by Gaudí. Besides, with your pass, you will also be able to see La Sagrada Familia, the cathedral of Barcelona, which is also Gaudí's work and is still under construction.

On the other hand, beyond the previous places, another of the most famous included in the Barcelona tourist pass is the Casa Batlló. This building is located on Passeig de Gràcia and is a symbol of Catalan modernism.

In addition to tickets to cultural sites, the pass also includes sightseeing tours, such as a walking tour of Plaça Catalunya, which focuses on Gaudí's modernism, or a stroll along the Mediterranean. If you're a football fan, you'll also enjoy a visit to the Camp Nou stadium.

Book the Barcelona Explorer Pass

When should you buy the Barcelona Explorer Pass?

cliff top view in the daytime| ©op23
cliff top view in the daytime| ©op23

You should buy the Barcelona Explorer Pass if this is your first time in the city. If you have never visited the capital of Catalonia before, you should see the main sights of the city, which are included in the Barcelona Explorer Pass. So you can save a lot of money. Moreover, it will also bring you convenience, having all your tickets in one place and in your own mobile phone.

In addition, it is also recommended that you buy the Barcelona Explorer Pass even if you are only visiting the city for a few days. If this is your case, buy the option with fewer attractions, such as the two- or three-attraction option. This way, you won't overpay. However, if you're coming back to the city soon, you can buy the 7-attraction pass, as the Barcelona Explorer Pass expires two months after its first use.

Book the Barcelona Explorer Pass

When is it not advisable to buy the Barcelona Explorer Pass?

pensive man| ©Afif Ramdhasuma
pensive man| ©Afif Ramdhasuma

If this is not your first time in Barcelona, you have probably already visited the main tourist sites of the city. In this case, it may not be advisable to buy the Barcelona tourist pass, as your trip on this occasion will not be as touristy as you would enjoy it.

However, having visited a monument does not mean that you cannot visit it again. In fact, you will always discover new details that had previously gone unnoticed. In addition, when you travel, tourism is usually in a hurry. Therefore, you probably haven't stopped to look carefully at the different monuments.

Book the Barcelona Explorer Pass

Other Barcelona sightseeing passes

Blue Card Pass| ©Nathana Rebouças
Blue Card Pass| ©Nathana Rebouças

In addition to the Barcelona Explorer Pass, there are also other tourist passes in the city that may be of interest to you. The first is the Barcelona Card Express, a discount card with which you can get discounts on your tickets and even free entry to some attractions.

The Barcelona Card Express gives you a great discount on your trip, as it not only includes tourist attractions, but also allows you to save on restaurants and public transport in the city. The card is valid for 48 hours, so it's perfect for you if you're going on an express visit to Barcelona.

Some of the places with free access to the Barcelona Card Express are El Born Cultural Centre, the Fundació Joan Miró, the Museu Entològic, the Jardí Botànic de Barcelona and the Museu de la Xocolata.

On the other hand, some of those with discounts are the Sagrada Familia Basilica, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, the Barcelona Wax Museum, the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Barcelona Port Tour.

Book your Barcelona Card Express discount card

Barcelona Museum Pass

This Barcelona Museum Pass is exclusively for museums and is ideal for you if you are a big art lover. With the Barcelona Museum Pass, you can enter the best museums in Barcelona with great discounts on your tickets. This tourist pass costs approximately 35 euros. It also includes a souvenir as a passport as a souvenir.

The museums that are included in this pass are the following that I show you below:

  • The Picasso Museum
  • The Antoni Tápies Foundation
  • Joan Miró Foundation
  • Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona
  • National Art Museum of Catalonia
  • Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art

This pass is activated the first time you use it. I recommend that you buy it in advance, so that you don't risk running out of free dates during your trip to the city. All you have to do is present your voucher at the ticket offices of the museums concerned.

Barcelona Savings Pack

Another Barcelona sightseeing pass that might interest you is this money-saving pack with a visit to Camp Nou and the FC Barcelona Museum. The pass includes a tour of the city on a tourist bus, so you can see the main sights of the city without having to walk for hours. The bus is also air-conditioned, so it's one of the best things to do in Barcelona in summer.

The bus stops are free, so you can get off whenever you want to explore the areas you are most interested in. The bus makes more than 30 stops, including the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and the National Theatre of Catalonia. On the other hand, once you arrive at Camp Nou, you will have the opportunity to enter the trophy room, as well as the sportsmen's changing rooms and the press room.

Book your Barcelona Savings Pack

Tips to get the most out of your Barcelona Tourist Pass

girl about the observatory| ©Bruno Martins
girl about the observatory| ©Bruno Martins

The first recommendation I have to make, so that you get the most out of your Barcelona Sightseeing Pass, is to book in advance for those attractions where it is necessary. There are some that do not require advance booking; however, there are others, such as the Plaza Catalunya walk, which do require advance booking.

If you don't book in advance, you may miss out on the opportunity to see these places. And that's not the only drawback: you 'll also waste some of the money for the pass.

I also recommend that you first draw up your travel itinerary, with the days you intend to spend in the city and the places you're most interested in. Once you have this clear, book the pass with as many attractions as you think you need. This way, you won't fall short when it comes to buying a pass with just a few attractions. Also, don't forget to check the weather forecast when making your travel itinerary.

Book the Barcelona Explorer Pass