Barcelona Christmas Guide

This page has essential information for those thinking about staying in Barcelona fro the Christmas and the New Year period.

What’s the weather like during Christmas ?

Now, if you're looking for a white Christmas in Barcelona the chances of that happening are pretty slim. Yes, once in February 2004, there was a light fluttering of snowflakes for approximately half an hour. But this was the first time in 10 years that Barcelona city centre had experienced snow and we have not experienced snow since. However even on that rare occasion the snow melted on impact and did not settle, much to the disappointment of the people of Barcelona.

Before I moved to Barcelona I lived in the UK where snow is rather common and nothing new to me. So you can imagine how funny it was to see normally reserved Barcelonians, dancing in the streets as result of a little snow. I, however, preferred to enjoy the experience from the comfort of my nice warm flat.

Normally it's quite mild during December and we often have sunny days, not quite beach weather mind, but certainly reasonably mild but it can also be damp and rainy too so be prepared. Click here for a brief summary of the climate and temperatures during the Christmas period in Barcelona

What’s open during the Christmas period?

I’ve recently received a number of enquiries on what will be open during the Christmas holiday in Barcelona. This section will answer those questions.

Are the shops open during Christmas in Barcelona?

Answer Some shops will be open and others will not be open. As a general rule of thumb shops are closed during a fiesta (public holiday) However shops have a special trading license that operates up until and including the 24th December therefore most shops will be open and trading on the 24th December however many will close for half day - to be sure do your shopping in the morning ( NB opening hours are correct provided the 24th is not a Sunday in which case they will be closed). You may find some larger department stores like FNAC and El Cortes Ingles staying open until early evening.

For Christmas day and Boxing Day all shops will be closed. If you will be residing in self catering accommodation it is therefore a good idea to purchase your groceries before the 25th December.

Which restaurants are open ?

There are many restaurants which are open during the Christmas including the 25th and 26th of December. Barcelona is a popular tourist destination and the restaurant industry is accustomed with dealing with tourists during holiday periods. In short, there will be restaurants open for you to dine in and you will not starve! However it is recommended to reserve your table in advance - and be prepared for higher prices!

To reassure you further I have collated a selection of restaurants that have officially stated that they will be open during the 25th and 26th of December. Click here for restaurants open during the Christmas period.

What tourist sites and attractions will be open in Barcelona during Christmas?

On Christmas Day all of the museums and official tourist sites will be closed to the public. However on Boxing Day many of the main attractions will be open from 10 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. these include the Sagrada Familia, and Park Guell.

For the opening hours for the other main sites I recommend that you visit their respective official web sites for each site that you are interested in seeing. You will find accurate information regarding each sight's opening hours at their web sites. As you can appreciate, this would be a time-consuming task for me to keep up-to-date and it is best to check at source for this information.

To see a list of the main attractions I recommend you go to our Barcelona map page which has a diagrammatic representation of Barcelona city centre with all of the main landmarks and tourist attractions on it. You can click on any one of the attractions on the map to be taken to a photo gallery of that particular attraction. The photo gallery also has detailed notes about the attraction along with its official website address. Click here to visit our interactive Barcelona map.

For ease of reference here is a list of the most popular attractions in Barcelona

Sagrada familia
Cathedral
Casa Mila (La Pedrera)
Casa Batlló
Magic Fountain
Picasso Museum
Park Guell

or visit our Barcelona main attractions Page

Even if you wish to visit the above sites when the entrance doors are closed I would still highly recommend that you visit all of them (except for the last three in the list). You’ll still have a wonderful experience simply by looking at these attractions from the outside. In fact many guided tours around Barcelona do not even enter the main attractions because the site seeing experience is much richer from the outside.

Which art galleries and museums are open during Christmas holidays?

I recommend you visit our review pages for the art galleries and museums of Barcelona to find their official Web site addresses.
Click here for our Art galleries page
Click here for our museums page

Public transport during Christmas holiday period.

The metro system will be operating however it will have different operating hours during the Christmas period. It's recommend you go to the official TMB transport website to obtain the timetables for the exact operating hours. Click here to go to the TMB website

English speaking church services in Barcelona

Click here for details of an English speaking church in Barcelona

Stylish Accommodation During The Christmas Period

Have you thought about an apartment rental? Most tourists only think about a hotel for accommodation. But an apartment offers you your own private accommodation with a kitchen and lounge, bedroom and bathroom for about the same price as a standard hotel room.

If you're interested about an apartment rental option Click here to learn more about an apartment rental

Shops will be open until the close the December 24th, many restaurants will be open during the Christmas period including 24th and 25th. To check the official operating hours for the main Barcelona attractions and transport visit their official web sites for up-to-date a precise information.

Related Pages

Restaurants open during the Christmas period.
Christmas in Barcelona (This page)
English speaking Church in Barcelona
Montseratt Benedictine Monk Mountain Retreat
Shopping in Barcelona
Tax free shopping explained
Barcelona Art Galleries
Barcelona Museums
Barcelona Map

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