Gràcia: the town that rang the bell
A bell, a bombardment, and a vermouth at the end of it.
- How long it lasts
- 3 h
- Runs in
- EN · ES
- Price
- 36 €
Never more than 10 people
Walking tours led by an actor
Told in the street where it happened.
On 4 April 1870 the bell of the clock tower in Plaça de la Vila rang the alarm, Gràcia rose against military conscription, and the army shelled the tower from Montjuïc. The bell cracked and kept ringing. We take ten people to the foot of that tower and tell it standing under it.
Ten people. Not thirty.
Book a placeIn English, Spanish and Catalan
How it works
An actor doing the guiding
David Magaña is an actor with a Barcelona theatre company, and these tours are his. Four of the five are guided walks, in the ordinary sense of the word — no costume, no character. What the training changes is the telling: nobody stands in front of you reading dates off a clipboard, and you get an argument rather than a list.
The fifth one is different, and it is the only one we will call theatrical: on the Gaudí tour at the Sagrada Família he does not talk about Gaudí, he turns up as him and stays there for ninety minutes. There is a written, rehearsed text behind it, fifteen people at most, and no microphone.
The history underneath is real and checkable — the bell, the bombardment, the annexation of 1897, the tile manufacturer who hired an unknown 31-year-old called Gaudí.
The bill
What's on
Gaudí comes alive
You will recognise the guide because he will be Antoni Gaudí.
- How long it lasts
- 1 h 30
- Runs in
- EN · ES · CA
- Price
- 30 €
Never more than 15 people
The Gothic Quarter: a neighbourhood that invented itself
Barcelona's most photographed bridge dates from 1928.
- How long it lasts
- 2 h
- Runs in
- EN · ES · CA
- Price
- 15 €
Never more than 20 people
The Gothic Quarter after dark
By day it is a crowded stage set. By night it is a narrow city.
- How long it lasts
- 2 h
- Runs in
- EN · ES · CA
- Price
- 18 €
Never more than 20 people
Montjuïc: the hill with two names
Nobody agrees where the name comes from. That is where it starts.
- How long it lasts
- 2 h 30
- Runs in
- EN · ES · CA
- Price
- 15 €
Never more than 20 people
A departure of your own
A private tour for up to twenty people: one price, your date, your language. It works for a birthday, a team, a school, or a family that has all flown in. Tell us who is coming and we will build the afternoon around it.
Ask about a private tourBefore you come
Read it before you book
Whether Casa Vicens is worth the ticket, whether your afternoon is Gràcia or the Gothic Quarter, and how to tell one walking tour from another before you pay. Six we would hand you first; the rest are next door.
One day in Barcelona: the case for cramming, and why we argue with it
The plan below fits in a day. It fits because four of the things people put in a one-day Barcelona itinerary have been taken out of it, and this page says which four and why.
Is Casa Vicens worth it? An honest answer, with the drawbacks first
Short answer: worth it if you have more than two days and you care about Gaudí rather than about the famous silhouettes. If you have one day, skip it without guilt.
Is Gràcia worth visiting? Half a day, and here is the measurement
Half a day, yes. A whole day only if you like sitting down. And if this is your one day in Barcelona, skip it — there are things here you have not seen yet that are not negotiable.
How to choose a Barcelona walking tour without picking the wrong format
Free tours are a legitimate way to see Barcelona, and often a good one. We sell paid tours, so that goes first.
Is the Gothic Quarter worth it? Yes, and the hour matters more than the map
Two hours, no ticket, and the oldest streets in the city. The reason people come away disappointed is almost never the neighbourhood. It is the hour they chose.
Is Montjuïc worth it? Give it half a day or give it nothing
Just over half of Barcelona's visitors get up here, and most of them see about a fifth of it. The hill does not fail people. Schedules do.
The reviews
Exceptional! David, probably the best tour guide in Barcelona, walked us through most of the fascinating history of the village of Gracia, while pointing out wonderful architectural details and interesting and fun cultural facts and traditions. One of the best walking tours we have done.
We loved the Gràcia walking tour. Aldo, our guide, was excellent and gave us a real insight into the history of Gràcia and the culture of the area. As we stayed in the neighbourhood for a few nights it was great to understand the area and its people, and how it differs from Barcelona in many ways.
We've enjoyed our tour with David and highly recommend it! The tour helped us view Barcelona with fresh eyes, from a local, Catalan perspective. David shared lots of interesting stories and showed us some hidden gems.
It ends with a vermouth.
Drawn from the barrel, at a long table, with the argument still going. Included in the price.
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