5 Days in Barcelona at Christmas: A Magical Winter Itinerary (2025 Guide)

Barcelona was on our bucket list for a long time, but for various reasons we never managed to visit it. This Christmas we finally made it and the trip left us excited.

After reading many online reviews and being concerned about finding activities during public holidays, we booked and scheduled our 5-day stay in advance. As it turned out, we shouldn’t have worried because there are plenty of things to do in Barcelona during Christmas, even though most shops and some attractions are closed.

Barcelona has the fame of not being a secure city with many pickpocketers around the busy areas. Although we tried to be very careful, we never felt unsafe. The only negative point is the number of people and tourists, creating chaos in the streets and attractions. You always have to wait in lines and if you do not book in advance you may be disappointed as you are not able to find a ticket last minute. The only thing that we didn’t book in advance was the park Guell as we were not sure if we could fit it in our schedule. When checking online for availability during our stay, all the tickets have gone. So we highly recommend an early online booking if you want to visit this park.

Barcelona in Christmas is magical. With Christmas lights creating a very festive atmosphere. Although Barcelona is not famous for its Christmas markets, there are several around the city with the one at the Moll de la Fusta being impressive. We visited the city as a family with an 11-year-old child, and there were many family-friendly activities to do.

Below we are sharing our itinerary, where we tried to include as many things as possible while keeping it on a relaxing pace. During our stay, we explored many areas of the city on foot, as we believe this is the best way to see any destination. Although Barcelona is relatively large, it is still a walkable city. Although Barcelona has a really good bus and metro system, for the attractions that were located in a more distant location we used taxis as we found it to be more convenient as a family of three.

What we particularly loved during our holidays was the food. Tapas, steaks, potatoes, sangria and of course churros were among the highlights of our stay.

After reading many excellent online reviews, we chose to stay at H10 Casanova, part of the H10 hotel chain, and we were not disappointed. It is centrally located, near La Ramblas and all the main attractions. It is also next to a Metro station. We got a family room and it was very spacious and clean with decent facilities and excellent breakfast.

So here is how we spend a perfect 6-day Christmas holidays.

Day 1:

We started our exploration with a walk at La Rambla, where we visited the Mercat de la Boqueria which was one of our holidays highlights. It had merchants with an amazing selection of chocolates, cheese and charcuterie. We then heated to the Gothic quarter with its charming streets. We stopped at Plaça del Rei and Plaça de Sant Jaume square for a photo before visiting the Barcelona Cathedral. There was also a Christmas market, which was open until the 23rd of December with street musicians creating a magical atmosphere.

At noon, we stopped at the Benedict Brunch restaurant where we enjoyed some delicious eggs Benedict.

In the afternoon; after having a siesta at the hotel, we explored Passeig de Gràcia Avenue which features stunning Christmas decorations and checked out Casa Mila and La Pedrera which were beautifully illuminated for Christmas. If you love high-street shopping, save time to visit the luxury boutiques.

We ended our night at the El National restaurant. A complex that features various restaurants with a festive vibe. We chose to eat at the steak house. The food was decent, and the festive atmosphere enhanced the experience.

Day 2:

After having breakfast at the hotel, we headed at FC Barcelona Museum, which we booked in advance. The museum is really interesting and will excite equally all football and non-football lovers. The robot-goalkeeper challenge was our son’s favourite activity at the museum.

For lunch, we visited Miss Simona restaurant before exploring Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia is definetly impressive from the outside and simply stunning from the inside. We were wondering if it was worth booking tickets, but it definitely was. It is one of the most impressive cathedrals we have ever visited (and we have visited quite a few).

In the evening, we visited the Christmas market at Moll de la Fusta, which we loved and had the chance to try some lovely local delicacies like patatas brava, paella, sausages and churros.

Day 3:

As it was the 24th of December, and we were not sure if any attractions would be open, we booked train tickets for a day trip to Girona. It turned to be a fantastic idea. We left Barcelona at 9.45, and the train ride took only 35 minutes.

Girona is absolutely stunning. The train station is only a 10-minutes walk from the old city. First, we crossed the Eiffel Bridge with its colourful houses which looks like a postcard. It’s an Instagram-worthy spot for capturing perfect shots. We then headed to the Cathedral, famous spot also from the Game of Thrones. We then walked through the cobblestone streets of the Jewish quarter and stopped for a hot drink and dessert at Verd Girona.

For lunch, we visited the Independent square where the Christmas market added a charming note. It was a sunny day and we really enjoyed our tapas and sangria at the terrace of a nice restaurant at the square.

Before going back to the train station, we went up to the city walls for panoramic views of the town. We caught the return train at 17.30.

Six hours in Girona are enough to give you a good sense of this charming small town.

Day 4:

On Christmas Day, most shops and attractions were closed, so we opted for some open-air attractions. We started with a walk to the Arc de Triomf and into the Ciutadella Park. We then visited the Barceloneta Beach. The weather during our stay was wonderful – around 15°C – and perfect for a walk along the shore.

For dinner, we chose La Selva steak house. It turned to be a very cosy restaurant with beautiful decoration, nice food and friendly service – a perfect way to end Christmas Day.

Day 5:

On Boxing Day, our last day in Barcelona, we took a day trip to Montserrat. We booked the guided tour through GetYourGuide (check the tour details by clicking on the below image. Highly recommended!). It was an exceptional trip. The meeting point was at the Barcelona bus station from where we had a half an hour bus ride to the cogwheel train, ascending on the mountain and enjoy – the cinematic views.

At first we were a bit disappointed as the fog covered the mountain, hiding the view, but the truth is that it created a magical atmosphere.

The cogwheel train ride up the mountain offered breathtaking views. We visited the Basilica and saw the famous Black Madonna statue before enjoying some free time to explore the area. The 2-hours free time allows for hiking and cable car rides. While others hiked or took cable cars higher up, we browsed local stalls selling honey, cheeses and perfect souvenirs.