When to visit barcelona: Best Time to Visit Barcelona 2023

Barcelona in May Guide

June 

Average Temperature: 22° to 32°C

Clear blue skies, sunshine and beaches will welcome you to Barcelona in June. Spend days at the beach and evenings on quaint rooftops to enjoy stunning views of the city in June.

Things to do: Attend concerts and shows as part of the Jardines Pedralbes (starts on 7 June) which is a music festival.

Travel Tips: Do carry outdoor summer accessories such as hats, sunglasses, flip flops, scarves, and stoles to protect yourself from the sun.

Barcelona in June Guide

July 

Average Temperature: 24° to 33 °C

Summer is at its peak in July. Plan to spend most of your days at the beach getting the perfect tan lines. With tank tops and shorts, enjoy the many outdoor events that happen in July.

Things to do: Attend Rock Fest Barcelona and the Barcelona Beach festival.

Travel Tips: Book all your tickets online to avoid overwhelming lines at popular landmarks like the Sagrada Familia. 

Barcelona in July Guide

August 

Average Temperature: 24° to 30 °C

August is the height of the tourist season, and the city is bustling. As the temperature rises, more people opt for nights out in Barcelona, revealing a very appealing aspect of Barcelona.

Things to do: August hosts the biggest carnival in Barcelona – La Fiesta Mayor De Gracia with streets festooned with ribbons and flowers.

Travel Tips: If you’re heading out to nightclubs remember to check if the nightclub has a specific dress code since many do in Barcelona

Barcelona in August Guide

September 

Average Temperature: 17° to 26 °C

September is off-season in Barcelona which means there are fewer crowds. The temperature is still good to visit beaches that are far less populated as compared to the summer months. The humidity of the summer months starts declining considerably and the weather is perfect for sightseeing.

Things to do: September is your chance to see Catalan traditions and culture during the La Merce Festival.

Travel Tips: A lot of locals get the day off on National Day of Catalonia that happens on 9 September and head to Barcelona making it unusually crowded for September.

Barcelona in September Guide

October 

Average Temperature: 14° to 22 °C

Summer is officially over but October is a great time to visit Barcelona because the city sees pleasant weather making evenings and late nights a lot more fun. It is also off-season, so no annoying touristy crowds and lower airfares and accommodation!

Things to do: Visit landmark attractions like Casa Batllo, Sagrada Familia and many of Gaudi’s other attractions.

Travel Tips: October makes for a great time to remain outdoors so you can plan a guided tour on foot to discover local heritage hotspots in the city.

Barcelona in October Guide

November 

Average Temperature: 12° to 16 °C

November is an exciting month across Europe and especially in Barcelona. Christmas is right around the corner and the air is filled with a festive spirit for you to bask in.

Things to do: If you enjoy music, attend the Barcelona Jazz festival that has concerts across Barcelona.

Travel Tips: November 1 is All Saints Day, many shops and establishments may be closed.

Barcelona in November Guide

December 

Average Temperature: 12° to 16 °C

Expect gorgeous Christmas markets, colorful decorations and lights all around Barcelona in December. The Christmas spirit fills the air and you will get a chance to be a part of a traditional Spanish Christmas.

Things to do: Go ice-skating at Plaça de Catalunya that becomes a giant ice skating rink in December, Ring in the New Year in Barcelona with grand celebrations.

Travel Tips: December 6 is Constitution Day in Spain so a lot of locals get the day off and head to Barcelona making it unusually crowded for December.

Barcelona in December Guide

Know More About the Best Time to Visit Barcelona

What is the best time to visit Barcelona?

The best time to visit Barcelona is between May-June when the weather is warm but not too hot and there a range of festivals and events for you to enjoy.

When is it High Season in Barcelona?

May-September is high season in Barcelona when you will find the most number of tourists.

What are the hottest months in Barcelona?

July and August are the warmest months, with average temperatures around 28–29 °C

What are the coldest months in Barcelona?

January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 15 °C during the day and 9 °C at night.

When does it rain the most in Barcelona?

October sees the most amount of rain in Barcelona.

What is the best time to go sight-seeing in Barcelona?

April, May, September, and October are the best months to go sight-seeing in Barcelona.

When is Barcelona less crowded?

Barcelona is least crowded during the shoulder seasons of March – April and September – October.

Which time of the year can I get the budget deals in Barcelona?

During the shoulder season (March – April and September – October) and low season (November – Early March) you will get the best budget deals in Barcelona. Book your Barcelona attractions tickets online for the best deals.

What is the best time to go swimming in the beach in Barcelona?

The warmest and best months for swimming in the sea are July, August and September.

What can I do in Barcelona in Summer?

Visit landmark attractions, check out free outdoor concerts like Musica Als Parcs that takes place across parks in Barcelona, go to the beach and enjoy the warm, balmy weather.

What can I do in Barcelona in Winter?

Visit Christmas markets, go ice-skating and try the delicious Christmas food in Barcelona in Winter.

What can I do in Barcelona in Spring?

Visit the many gardens and parks in Barcelona to witness beautiful flowers in bloom. Head to landmark attractions or simply relax at the beach in Barcelona in Spring.

What can I do in Barcelona in Autumn?

Head to popular attractions like Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo, lounge at the beach or attend one of many events in Barcelona in Autumn.

What is the best time to visit Barcelona with kids?

The best time to visit Barcelona with kids is during the shoulder season (March – April and September – October) when the weather is pleasant and there are a fewer crowds so it is easier to handle children.

What is the best time to visit Barcelona for couples?

Couples would enjoy some along time as they stroll through the major landmarks so the best to visit Barcelona would be the shoulder season (March – April and September – October) or the low season (November – Early March) when the crowds are less.

What is the best time to visit Barcelona while travelling solo?

The best time to visit Barcelona while travelling solo would be during the shoulder season (March – April and September – October) to avoid huge crowds and get major discounts on hotels and flights.

What is the best time to visit Barcelona for shopping?

Late January and February is the best time to visit Barcelona for shopping. All the major sales in Barcelona begin in January.

Best time to visit Barcelona

Barcelona, one of Spain’s dazzling Mediterranean-hugging cities, has boundless culture, fabled architecture and museums, vibrant festivals, and an unrivaled drinking and dining scene. It’s also known to suffer from overtourism, particularly in July and August, which is peak tourist season. So when is the best time to visit? From the best weather to the main events, here’s a month-by-month breakdown of what’s happening in Barcelona through the year. 

Editor’s note: during COVID-19 there are restrictions on travel. Check the latest guidance before departure, and always follow local health advice. Events may be subject to change.

July and August are the busiest months for visitors to Barcelona © ferrantraite / Getty Images

High season: June to August and public holidays

Best time for festivals and events

Accommodation books out across Barcelona in high season and prices increase significantly. Locals tend to leave the city. Expect warm and sunny weather with some humidity. 

Shoulder season: March to May, September and October

Best time for long city strolls

Shoulder season is a good time to visit Barcelona, with mild, clear weather and fewer crowds, but be sure to book ahead if you’re traveling over Easter. In September, the sea is still warm. For pleasant weather, but without the sea dips, come in May.

Low season: November to February

Best time for budget travelers

Temperatures tend to be fairly mild in Barcelona through winter, ranging from a low of 46ºF (8ºC) to a high of 59ºF (15ºC). Streets are often empty, and accommodation costs drop.

You’ll find some empty streets if you travel to Barcelona in the low season © bbsferrari / Getty Images

Month-by-month breakdown

The timings of some festivals vary depending on when Easter falls, and events can shift slightly between months. Here’s a monthly guide to what you can expect through the year in Barcelona.

January

Barcelonins head to the Pyrenees for action on the ski slopes. School holidays run until around January 8.
Key events: Reis (Reyes), Festes dels Tres Tombs.  

February

Often the coldest month in Barcelona, February sees few visitors. Some of the first big festivals kick off, bringing abundant Catalan merriment amid the wintry gloom. 
Key events: Festes de Santa Eulàlia, Llum BCN, Carnestoltes (Carnaval). 

March

March brings longer, sunnier days, though still cool nights (light-jacket weather). There are relatively few tourists around and fairer hotel prices.
Key events: Barcelona Marathon (will be in November in 2021), Festa de San Medir. 

Sights are quieter in shoulder season, but book ahead at Easter © Eloi_Omella / Getty Images

April

Spring arrives with a flourish, leading to Easter revelry and school holidays, but April showers can dampen spirits. Book well ahead for Easter trips.
Key events: Barcelona Beer Festival, La Diada de Sant Jordi, Feria de Abril de Catalunya, Setmana Santa, Passejada Amb Barret, Barcelona Open. 

May

With sunny pleasant days and clear skies, May can be one of the best times to visit Barcelona. Lively xiringuitos (beach bars) open, gearing up for summer. 
Key events: L’Ou Com Balla, Festa de Sant Ponç, Festival de Flamenco de Ciutat Vella, D’A – Festival Internacional de Cinema d’Autor de Barcelona.

June

Visitor numbers (and hotel prices) soar as Barcelona plunges into summer. Live-music festivals and open-air events give the month a festive air.
Key events: Primavera Sound, Festival Pedralbes, La Revetlla de Sant Joan, Pride Barcelona, Sónar. 

July

Prices are high and it’s peak tourist season, but July is a lively time to be in the city, with sun-filled beach days, open-air dining and outdoor concerts.
Key events: Cinema Lliure a la Platja, Festival del Grec, Crüilla, Rock Fest Barcelona.

Part of the Festa Major de Gràcia celebrations involves decorating the street © Iakov Filimonov / Shutterstock

August

The heat index soars; barcelonins leave the city in droves for summer holidays, as huge numbers of tourists arrive.
Key events: Festa Major de Gràcia, Festa de san Roc, Ffesta Major de Sants, Circuit, Música als Parcs. 

September

Those that took August off return to the city. Temperatures stay warm, making for fine beach days. 
Key events: Diada Nacional de Catalunya, Festes de la Mercè, Festa Major de la Barceloneta, Mostra de Vins i Caves de Catalunya.

October

While northern Europe shivers, Barcelona enjoys mild October temperatures and sunny days. With the disappearance of summer crowds and lower accommodation prices, this is an excellent month to visit. 
Key events: Liber, Mercat de Mercats, Open House Barcelona.  

November

Cooler days and nights arrive, along with occasional days of rain and overcast skies. It’s low season, but if you don’t mind a bit of gray weather, it’s still a great time to visit. 
Key events: Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day), Manga Barcelona, Fira de Santa Llúcia, LOOP Barcelona, Festival de Jazz Barcelona, L’Alternativa.

December

As winter returns barcelonins gear up for the festive period, and the city is festooned with colorful decorations. Relatively few visitors arrive until Christmas, though.
Key events: Nadal, New Year’s Eve.

Discover La Sagrada Família, Barcelona

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Vacation in Barcelona.

Everything you need to know about Barcelona: weather, map, attractions, hotels

• Climate and weather of Barcelona

• Barcelona Beaches and Sea

• Barcelona Attractions

• Barcelona Kitchen

The Catalan capital, beautiful Barcelona annually attracts
millions of tourists to their streets and beaches. Barcelona –
it is the architectural workshop of the genius Antonio Gaudí; live here
great singers – tenor José Carreras and soprano Montserrat
Caballe; football club “Barcelona” forever glorified his hometown
Worldwide.

Noisy, bright, blooming Barcelona is a great choice for
weekend tour. Barcelona offers not only rich
excursion program, but also a great vacation
on sandy beaches washed by the gentle Mediterranean Sea.

Climate and weather of Barcelona

The swimming season on the beaches of Barcelona starts in June
and lasts until October. The best time for a beach holiday
July and August count. With an excursion to Barcelona
it is better to go in September or May.

The beaches and sea of ​​Barcelona

The Barcelona beach stretches almost
for 5 kilometers. The most popular beach
Barceloneta. It is well equipped – there is
and umbrellas, and sun loungers, and beach activities, children’s
venues and restaurants.

The second most popular beach is Sant Sebastia.
It is very wide, covered with golden sand. Perhaps this is the most
crowded city beach. A little highlight of the beach
it has a library. On the beach of Sant Sebastia there is
nudist area. A relatively calm beach is Nova Ikaria.
There are not so many people here, the entrance to the water is gentle,
sand is soft.

The main feature of the beach is a huge number of bars
and restaurants, where queues of tourists constantly snake. Beaches
in Barcelona, ​​as elsewhere in Spain, free.
Sunbed and umbrella rentals fluctuate
from 5 to 8 euros per day.

Barcelona Attractions

When in Barcelona, ​​it is impossible not to see
to the most famous long-term construction in the world, the brainchild of the great
Gaudí, the fantastic Sagrada Familia – Sagrada
Surname. Spanish architect Antonio Gaudí transformed Barcelona
in the garden of your fantasies. Many call his style modernism,
however, all the creations of the genius Gaudi are so original, fabulous
and unique that only one definition suggests itself –
Gaudí style.

Sagrada Familia became the main project of the architect –
creating drawings and supervising the construction of a grandiose
He devoted 43 years of his life to the temple. According to plan
Gaudi, three facades were to appear at the temple: Christmas,
Passion of Christ and Resurrection. Every façade must be crowned
4 towers of enormous height – 120 meters each. These
The 12 towers symbolize the number of apostles. Central
tower – 170 meters high – was supposed to be
raised to the glory of Jesus. The Sagrada Familia is open to
tourists and visitors daily. You can see the inside
decoration of the temple, stained-glass windows and stucco, mosaics and frescoes.
The average tour time is 4 hours.

A huge fountain is located on the hill of Montjuic. Water cascades
occupy 3 thousand square meters, and the main bowl
the fountain in the form of an ellipse is 65 meters long
and 59 meters wide. Fountain – decoration
architectural ensemble of Plaza de España and the National Palace
Catalonia. 3620 water jets shoot up
54 meters. The play of light and color is provided
120 spotlights, in the spectrum of which there are more than 50 colors.
Dancing Montjuic to classical music.

Amazing Park Güell is another brainchild of Antoni Gaudí.
Mosaic, mysterious paths, fabulous, like “gingerbread”
the houses are all Park Güell, a fantastic garden city
in Barcelona. On the roof of the columned hall is located
a serpentine bench stretched along the perimeter. She is bright
decorated with mosaics and very comfortable – according to
recollections, Gaudi asked the builder to sit in soft clay,
to get a cast that follows the contours of the human body.

The largest aquarium in Europe is located in Barcelona.
More than 8 thousand underwater animals live and live here
inhabitants from all over the world: there are octopuses,
and sharks and tiny seahorses.

Saint Juan’s Day is noisily celebrated in Barcelona in the summer
(similar to our Ivan Kupala Day). In the shortest night
no one sleeps in a year – fires are lit everywhere,
firecrackers explode, and fireworks bloom in the sky.
We definitely recommend visiting the Picasso Museum
and ride on the oldest funicular Tibidabo, which,
by the way, more than a hundred years.

Cuisine of Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, and therefore the dishes that
served in local restaurants, have their own characteristics.
For example, the same pizza here has an “accent” – it can
be both meat, and fish, and vegetable, and even
sweet – with jam, nuts or cream. Such pastries
called “coca”. The Catalans love to eat hearty, so
we recommend trying fried homemade sausage with white
beans, garlic and herbs – the dish is called “butifarra
con mongetes”. For those who follow the figure, we recommend “amanida
catalana” – fresh lettuce with tomatoes, olives,
asparagus, carrots and canned tuna.

Caneloni is a favorite dish of Spanish children. These are pancakes
with meat, fish or vegetable stuffing with bechamel sauce or
cheese. Barcelona is a major port city, so no gifts
the sea does not cost any lunch. Fideua is thin noodles
with mussels, shrimps or cuttlefish, fried
on fire. The dish is served with garlic sauce.

What is the best month to go on vacation to Barcelona :: Expert opinion

Tours to Barcelona are in demand throughout the year. Many people associate Spain with summer holidays, but in fact, summer is not the best time to visit this beautiful city.

The high tourist season in Barcelona lasts from mid-June until the La Merce festival, which takes place on the 20th of September. During this period, tourists from all over the world come to the Catalan coast to swim in the warm sea and see the sights of the city and its environs. All this is expressed in the fact that:

1. The cost of the flight is 1.5 times higher than in the low season.
2. Hotel accommodation costs space money
3. Queues lining up at major attractions
4. July and August are the hottest months, when everyone dreams of cool evenings
5. The water in the sea warms up only by mid-July, so you should not count on warm water in the sea either

There are a few more peaks during the Catholic Christmas and New Year, as well as the Catholic Easter and La Merce festival (around 24 September).

Between 18 and 24 September, the city hosts the La Merce Festival. On the one hand, this is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of folk festivals, but on the other hand, crowds of people in the squares, increased demand for hotels and closed shops.

The reason for the increased demand for hotels in Barcelona may also be long weekends in Spain or Europe, as well as large conferences and exhibitions.

Late spring and golden autumn are the best time to travel

[notification type=”alert-warning” close=”false” ]The best time to visit the city is from late April to mid-June. At this time, it is already warm enough to feel comfortable (from 19 to 25 degrees Celsius) during the day, and the daylight hours are long enough. [/notification]

If you want to combine sightseeing with a beach holiday, it is better to visit from September 10 to mid-October . In September, the daily air temperature drops to 26 degrees, and the water in the sea stays at 25-26 degrees Celsius.

If cloudy weather is not an obstacle, you can plan a trip for October. The weather this month is consistently warm, but there may be small weather incidents. But on the other hand, prices for hotels and flights are significantly lower than in September.

Monthly airfare

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Benefits of a holiday in the winter months

Heat-loving tourists are unlikely to enjoy Barcelona in winter. But the best time for those who like to relax on a budget. The last “beachers” leave the city in November, hotels are half empty and ready to cut prices by half, airfare also reaches its bottom.