Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona City Centre
On this page I'll share with you my experience on one Tapas Walking Tour I took around Barcelona City Centre.
Tours of Barcelona are a great introduction to the city for first time visitors - a chance to get your bearings before perhaps setting off to do some more independent exploring. I took the tapas evening walking tour and enjoyed the personal and detailed insight that it gave into the city. Instead of travelling down the major roads we were taken into the heart of Barcelona's 'old town' and given a local's knowledge of parts of the city that some tourists may never see.
You can book this tapas walking tour online at Spainbookers.com
Tapas Walking Tour around Barcelona City Centre.
In this article I have given information on what stops are on the tour, the food and drinks offered, times, prices, languages and the commentary.
The Agenda for the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
The tour begins at 16:50 outside the Starbucks underneath Hotel 1898 - about three quarters of the way up the Ramblas on the left. The booking form states that the guide will be holding a sign for the tour, though this may not be the case. It is worth holding your booking voucher in your hand so that you are easier for the guide to find.
The Tapas Walking Tour takes in the following stops:
Granja Viader - A Typical Barcelona Café
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| Granja La Pallaresa | Granja Viader |
This 'Granja' - a café serving non-alcoholic drinks and cakes - is famed for being the place where Cacaolat (thick chocolate drink) was invented.
Calle Petritxol - A Street Containing Chocolate Shops and Cafés for Hot Chocolate
This charming and narrow street at the heart of the Gothic Quarter was once the chocolate making district of Barcelona.
Plaza del Pi - A square in the Gothic Quarter
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| Santa Maria del Pi Church |
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| Xocoa |
This small square at the centre of the Gothic Quarter is home to the Santa Maria del Pi Church.
Boqueria Food Market - Spain's Largest Food Market
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| La Boqueria |
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| Sheeps heads on sale at La Boqueria |
A large amount of the tour - approximately 30 - 40 minutes, is spent on a tour of the Boqueria food market. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me.
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| Escriba Bakery |
Escriba Bakery - A Famous Bakery on the Ramblas
This bakery on the Ramblas is one of the oldest in Barcelona.
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| Café de l'Opera |
Café de l'Opera - A Famous Café on the Ramblas
This old café is famed for its beautiful modernist style interior.
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| Plaza St Jaume |
Plaza St Jaume - A Square in the Gothic Quarter containing the Town Hall and Government Buildings
This square's buildings are grand and impressive - The guide will talk you through the history of the square.
Roman Columns - Ancient Roman Columns behind the Government Buildings
These columns are hard to find, down the back of Plaza St Jaume. Some of the original columns from the city of Barcelona.
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| Roman Columns |
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| Trobador Restaurant |
Trobador Restaurant - The First Tapas Stop on Calle Ferran
This is the first food stop on the tour. See below for more details.
Plaza del Rei - A Small Square in the Gothic Quarter containing Ancient Buildings
This square is home to historic buildings - one that our guide described as 'Barcelona's first skyscraper'!
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| Plaza del Rei |
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| Els Quatre Gat |
Els Quatre Gat - A Famous Old Café and Restaurant where Artists Used to Spend Time
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| Plaza Catalunya at Night |
This art nouveau style café was a popular hang-out for the likes of Picasso and his bohemian friends.
Plaza Catalunya - A Large Square at the Top of the Ramblas
This square looks pretty in the early evening light.
Lizarran - The Second Tapas Stop off Plaza Universitat
This is the second food stop on the tour. See below for more details.
Many of the stops on the tour are at cafés or restaurants where you will stop but not enter. This is a good reason to book the tour towards the start of your holiday. This will give you the opportunity to take note of places where you may wish to return to at a later date.
Languages Available on the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
- English
- Spanish
- German or French (must be requested when booking, by groups of more than five people.)
Food Available on the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
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| Trobador |
The tour stops at two different Basque style tapas bars, where tapas known as 'pinchos' are served.
The first stop was a small tapas bar on Calle Ferran - Trobador. Here we were each given a drink of our choice (this could be alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and a plate of pinchos.
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| A Classic Tapas Selection (Lizarran) |
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| Lizarran |
The second stop was at a tapas bar next to Plaza Universitat - Lizarran. At this stop we were given more choice with the tapas. As is traditional with pinchos, the bar was lined with cold pinchos. On occasions restaurant staff came offering hot pinchos from the kitchen.
In general, the service in the tapas bars was good. However, the experiences as a whole were not as authentic as at some of the other places that we visited on the tour. Both tapas bars visited were chain bars, where, due to the time of day, we were the only people in the restaurant.
Who is the Tapas Walking Tour Suitable for?
The Tapas Walking Tour lasts for approximately 2.5 hours. At least half of this time is spent walking and at least two thirds of it is spent standing. The tour covers approximately 1.5 kilometres of Barcelona. For this reason it may not suit elderly people who are not used to walking or families with young children.
Tickets for the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
Tickets for the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona can be purchased at Spainbookers.com
Price of the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
The tour costs €58.00
Price Includes:
- 2.5 hour walking tour of Barcelona's Old Town with personal guide.
- Tapas at two tapas bars and two drinks (of your choice) at each bar.
Times for the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
Each Day: 17:00 - 19:30 (approximately)
Check availability of dates for the Tapas Evening Tour.
Commentary on the Tapas Walking Tour of Barcelona
The tour is presented by a guide with local knowledge of the area, adding a personal touch. Topics ranged from the history of the city, advice on good places to go for food lovers and background on local Spanish cuisines. The guide was extremely friendly and approachable and made the group feel at ease.
Number of People on the Tapas Evening Walking Tour of Barcelona
The maximum number of people on the tour is fifteen. However, the guide explained that he had never done a tour with more than approximately five people.
In a Nutshell:
A Tapas Evening Walking Tour of Barcelona is a great introduction to the city. The price of the ticket is justified by the personal service and the amount of food and drink on offer. The small group size and friendly guide allow the group to feel chatty and relaxed - which is always important when eating and drinking together.
