The Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus is a popular way to explore Barcelona. These city tour buses are ideal for those who want to see Barcelona’s highlights in a short amount of time, or for those who prefer to avoid public transportation in a large city. With the hop-on-hop-off, you can visit the city at a faster pace and see all the important sights (or those that most appeal to you). It is advisable to buy your tickets for the hop-on-hop-off buses online in advance. With your purchase voucher, you won’t have to queue for tickets in Barcelona and can board the bus from any starting point.
Discovering Barcelona with the Hop-on Hop-off Bus
One of the easiest ways to sightsee in Barcelona and visit all the city’s highlights at a quick pace is by using the tourist bus, known as the Hop-on Hop-off bus. While this tourist bus might sound very touristy, in reality, it’s an extremely practical means of transportation to discover the city. It’s particularly suitable when you want to visit Barcelona in a short time or avoid public transport. Here are the pros and cons of the hop-on-hop-off buses in Barcelona.
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Types of Hop-on Hop-off Buses in Barcelona
There are two companies that offer such bus tours in Barcelona: Barcelona Bus Turístic and Barcelona City Tour. They differ in colors and routes, but both are excellent means of transportation to comfortably explore the city and its highlights. In terms of prices and services, they hardly differ from each other, so my advice is to look carefully at their routes and make a choice based on your needs and areas of interest.
These double-decker buses are fully equipped: they come with earphones and an audio guide that tells you everything about the city, they stop at the most important attractions, and you can get on and off as often as you like. Sitting on the top floor, which is open-air, gives you the chance to see Barcelona from a different perspective.
Option 1: Barcelona Bus Turístic
The blue Bus Turístic is the official Hop-on Hop-off bus of the local tourism office. The Barcelona Bus Turístic offers three different routes: the red, blue, and green, and travels past all the major highlights. It is the only bus tour with official tourist guides on board and is adapted for wheelchair users and visitors with hearing impairments.
Routes of Barcelona Bus Turístic
The Barcelona Bus Turístic operates throughout the year on two different routes (red and blue), and a third route (green) is added between March and November. In the summer, you can also participate in a special evening tour. The routes and stops of the Bus Turístic are as follows:
- Red route (2 hours): from Plaça Catalunya to Parc de la Ciutadella. Passes by Passeig de Gràcia, Avinguda Diagonal, Estació de Sants train station, Montjuïc, and Port Vell.
- Blue route (2 hours): from Plaça Catalunya to MACBA. Passes by Passeig de Gràcia, Sagrada Família, Gràcia, Park Güell, Tibidabo, Pedralbes, and Camp Nou (FC Barcelona).
- Green route (40 minutes): from Port Olímpic to Poblenou. Passes by the Fòrum and the beaches of Barcelona. Available only from mid-March to October.
- Summer evening tour (2.5 hours): a special hop-on-hop-off evening tour is offered in the summer where you can see the most beautifully lit buildings of Barcelona from the double-decker bus. The evening bus tour operates from June to mid-September on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 9:30 PM. The departure point is Plaça de Catalunya number 14. Separate tickets are required for this tour.
- Christmas evening tour (1.5 hours): during the holiday season, a special hop-on-hop-off evening tour is offered where you pass by the lit Sagrada Família, Arc de Triomf, and Casa Batlló to see the city’s most beautiful Christmas lights. The evening bus tour operates from late November to early January on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 9:30 PM. The departure point is Plaça Catalunya number 14. Separate tickets are required for this tour.
All the boarding points are shown on the map.
Why Choose Barcelona Bus Turístic
The Barcelona Bus Turístic, like its competitor Barcelona City Tour, is a convenient way to quickly discover Barcelona and see the main highlights. However, the Barcelona Bus Turístic offers much more variety in routes, including a special summer evening tour, stops at more places, and is the only bus tour with official city guides on board who can tell you everything about the city. You also receive a handy travel guide with all the information about the sights you will encounter.
Option 2: Barcelona City Tour
The Barcelona City Tour is the second company offering Hop-on Hop-off bus tours for tourists in Barcelona. The red Barcelona City Tour bus has two routes: one going east and the other going west, covering all the sights of Barcelona. These buses are fully equipped and made accessible for wheelchair users and guide dogs.
Routes of Barcelona City Tour
The Barcelona City Tour operates year-round along two different routes (east and west). In the summer, the east route is slightly modified, making it a bit longer than usual. The routes and stops of the Barcelona City Tour are as follows:
- East Route (green) (2 to 2.25 hours): from Plaça de Catalunya to Passeig de Gràcia. Passes by the Cathedral of Barcelona, Maremagnum, Port Olímpic, the beach, Forum, Torre Agbar, Sagrada Família, Hospital de Sant Pau, Parc Güell, Tibidabo, Casa Milà, and Casa Batlló.
- West Route (orange) (2 hours): from Plaça Catalunya to Passeig de Gràcia. Passes by the Columbus monument, Montjuïc, Plaça Espanya, Estació de Sants train station, Camp Nou (FC Barcelona), L’Illa Diagonal shopping center, Casa Milà, and Casa Batlló.
All the boarding points are shown on the map.
Why Choose Barcelona City Tour
Like the other bus tour company in Barcelona, Bus Turístic, the Barcelona City Tour offers a very complete city tour of Barcelona. All the important sights are covered, and you can get on and off as often as you like. The advantage of these buses is that they also have air conditioning, heating, and a sliding roof (the latter is especially useful on rainy days).
Advantages of the Hop-on Hop-off Bus in Barcelona
- Pleasant (and fast) way to take a tour of Barcelona, with audio guides telling you everything about the city.
- Fully equipped: comfortable seats, multilingual audio guides, space for wheelchairs and strollers…
- They are open double-decker buses where you can sit outside in good weather and covered below in less favorable weather.
- Passes by all the important sights of Barcelona, and you can hop on and off as often as you like.
- Multiple routes to choose from.
- No hassle figuring out how to get from A to B or how the public transport in Barcelona works.
- You get a free city map and discount coupons for various sights and attractions in Barcelona.
Hop-on Hop-off Barcelona Tickets
A Barcelona city tour with the Hop-on Hop-off bus is a popular choice among tourists visiting Barcelona. Therefore, it is highly recommended to order your tickets for these buses online in advance. This way, you avoid the long queues at the ticket counter and, once in Barcelona, you can directly board the bus at the nearest stop to be guided around the city.
Tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off bus are easiest to purchase online. But you can also buy them on the spot in Barcelona at ticket counters, tourist offices, or on the bus itself. Once your ticket is activated, it is valid for the chosen period (1 or 2 days). For a two-day ticket, it is for consecutive days.
Hop-on Hop-off Barcelona Opening Hours
The Hop-on Hop-off buses run daily through the city from early morning to late evening, making them an excellent means of transportation for getting around the city and visiting all the highlights. These tourist buses arrive every 5 to 25 minutes (more frequently in summer). With your online tickets, you can hop on and off the bus anywhere in the city (just make sure you’re at the correct bus stop). If one of the tourist buses is too crowded, it’s best to wait for the next bus, which won’t take long.
Hop-on Hop-off Barcelona: Tips & Tricks
- The tourist bus tours are a great option for first-time visitors to Barcelona who want to explore the city. Spending a day touring on one of the double-deckers allows you to quickly get to know Barcelona and see most of the highlights in no time.
- Always choose the Hop-on Hop-off bus if you’re hesitant about crowded metro systems or unfamiliar cities. If you book your tickets online in advance, you make things even easier for yourself, as you can hop on anywhere you like.
- Learn to distinguish between the two Hop-on Hop-off bus companies in Barcelona: the Bus Turístic is blue and has an eye with “Barcelona” as its logo, while the City Tour buses are red. The routes of the tourist buses are displayed on the front of the bus and at the bus stops.
- On sunny days, sit on the seats on the upper deck of the double-decker, which offer a great view of the city. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen and consider wearing sunglasses and a hat or cap.
- If you want to explore a sight in detail, it’s best to hop off the bus. Make sure to signal the driver in time, as the bus won’t stop if no one is waiting at the bus stop.
- Traveling with children? The Hop-on Hop-off bus is one of the best ways to explore Barcelona at your own pace. You can also bring a stroller or pram. Children under the age of 4 travel for free.
- All buses are wheelchair accessible and adapted for hearing-impaired visitors. Guide dogs are also allowed on the Barcelona City Tour buses.
- Take advantage of the discount vouchers provided to visit other attractions and landmarks in the city.
- Your tickets allow unlimited travel on all routes (during the validity of the ticket, of course). Check beforehand which attractions are on your route so you can buy tickets for these attractions online. This way, you avoid long queues at places like the Sagrada Família, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, or Park Güell.
