Barcelona isn’t just great for city breaks with friends and romantic getaways, it is also a fantastic destination when travelling with children. Take a look at our top 10 things to to in Barcelona with kids.
Ciutadella Park
1 Play in the Ciutadella Park
So many features make this a perfect place for kids to kick back and enjoy their holiday. There’s a large playground for toddlers, as well as swings and slides for the older kids. Glide amongst the ducks on the boating lake, bring a ball and play on the lawn, and marvel at the giant mammoth statue. Make the most of the Barcelona sunshine, at any time of the year!
Metro: Arc de Triomf /Barceloneta
2 Visit the CosmoCaixa & Planetarium
Barcelona’s science museum is full of interactive exhibitions that stimulate, engage and delight kids of all ages. Highlights include a submerged Amazon rainforest ecosystem (complete with weird animals and squawking birds,) installations that demonstrate classic scientific thories, and the Birth of the Cosmos exploding overhead at the Planetarium.
Isaac Newton, 26. FGC train to Tibidabo. Tues-Sun 10:00-20:00. 4€ general entry. Planetarium & other activities 4€.
Dolphins at the Barcelona Zoo
3 Go to the Zoo
The zoo is divided into different areas where all sorts of
animals live in a recreation of their natural habitat. There is a farm, also known as the “Children’s Zoo”, which is a favourite with the younger visitors. Children can pet the goats, sheep, and horses… if they’re in the mood!
Parc de la Ciutadella. Metro: Barceloneta. Open daily 10:00-19:00. Adults 15,40€, kids 3-12 years 9,30€
4 Bosc Urbá
This innovative and unique adventure park opens up a world of fun and possibilities for the kids, who will find an ultra cool playground just itching to be explored. The park has over 50 attractions from zip wires, nets, creepers and bungee jumps, to suspension bridges and trunks on platforms of up to 6 metres in height.
Parc del Fòrum. Metro: El Maresme/Fòrum. Open daily 10:00-13:00, 16:00-20:00.
5 Fun and games at the Bubble Park
This new concept of entertainment for kids is every bit as much fun as it sounds. Zip them up in hermetic spheres and watch them float around, trying to keep their balance in a shallow pool. Or how about trying the 12 metre geodesic bungydome with trampolines, and acuaboats for the smaller kids?
Maremagnum, Moll d’Espanya, Metro: Drassanes. Open daily 12:00-00:00. Free entry. 1 ticket for rides 6€, 2 tickets 11€
Catalunya en Miniatura – Plaça Catalunya
6 Explore Catalonia at the Miniature Village
Visit all of Catalonia in one day with this unique attraction, which has 150 miniature models of the region’s most significant cultural treasures. These include the Romanesque churches of Val de Boi, Gaudí’s masterpieces in Barcelona and the Gothic Cathedral of Manresa. Next door there’s the Bosc Animat adventure park with its four different climbing circuits for kids over the age of 3, including more complex circuits for the older kids.
Torrelles de Llobregat www.catalunyaenminiatura.com
7 Exhilarating rides and awesome views at Tibidabo Funfair
This amusement park is 100 years old, making it one of the oldest and most iconic in the world. Not only are there 25 different rides and attractions suitable for children, teenagers and adults too, but the park’s location is also truly breathtaking. Enjoy panoramic views of the city and the glittering Mediterranean whilst exploring this magical funfair. There is a good selection of food and drink in the park’s restaurants as well as lovely picnic areas which are always put to good use when the sun comes out.
FGC Tibidabo
Enjoy some chocolates at the museum
8 Indulge all the senses at the Museo de la Xocolata
Barcelona’s Chocolate Museum offers chocolate-making classes for kids at the weekends, for children aged 3 and upwards. Make sure you book the session in advance because the activity is extremely popular and loads of fun for the whole family. The museum contains many interesting chocolate sculptures to see and little corners to explore. Kids will love the tasty treats the café has to offer, not to mention the chocolate shop. Tasty and informative.
Carrer del Comerç, 36. Metro: Jaume I
9 Prince or Princess for a day with a horse-drawn carriage ride
Turn your day out in Barcelona into a page from a fairy tale by treating your little ones to a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Rides depart from the bottom of La Rambla and wind their way through the streets of Barcelona until they reach the Ciutadella Park. Personalised routes can easily be negotiated with the driver.
La Rambla. Metro: Drassanes
10 Visit the Barcelona Aquarium
Barcelona Aquarium
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is one of the largest aquariums in Europe, and is home to over 450 species of aquatic creatures, 35 different tanks, and an underwater tunnel of 80 metres. Children can also take part in workshops and tours, and if they’re feeling brave, they can stay overnight for the ‘sleeping with the sharks’ night time program.
