Hop-on Hop-off Barcelona

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.

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.