Riding the Hop on Hop off Barcelona Bus

Last updated on 14 May 2025

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I am no stranger to exploring a new city by bus. So when my friend and I (okay, and our whole Contiki group) found ourselves in the height of summer in Spain with not much of a plan, we decided to try the Hop On Hop Off Barcelona bus.

I’ve talked about the Hop On Hop Off buses before (and have done one in Athens and also Amsterdam now), but I honestly think they’re a great way to get a really good feel for the city. Especially if you have limited time.

More often that not, the points you want to see in a city will be on the route of the bus, which means you’re saving time and energy trying to plan your way around the city (that you don’t really know!), and potentially do things like miss connections or pay too much for a taxi. With a Hop On Hop Off bus, you’re able to move around quickly, see all the top sites of the city (or be close to others), and literally get on and off the bus whenever you want.

Genius.

But to be honest, we decided very last minute to book Barcelona tour bus tickets mostly because the heat was so unbearable, we were hoping for a bit of aircon on the bus, so we could see the city without traipsing around and swearing our tooshes off.

While we didn’t get out a lot (and therefore not a lot of photos were taken!), it was still a great way to see some of the sites from the (mostly) comfort of the bus. We eventually got off the bus, just outside the Casa Batlló building, which was a nice surprise, before we headed back to the hostel. That night, we were back on our Contiki tour bus as we meant to see a Flamenco show.

What is the Barcelona Hop-On Hop-Off Bus?

There are so many of these around the world – and different companies run different ones, too – but the Barcelona version is a bus where you can get a ticket (usually a 24hour or 48 hour one) and you jump on the bus at one of the many stops around the city, and you can literally hop off at another stop … and then get back on the next one that swings by.

You’re literally hopping on and off the bus along a particular route so that you can easily see the city.

There are a few routes on the City Sightseeing company buses, which is the one we got. There’s a Red Route and a Blue Route. The Red Route hits lots of the main tourist attractions, while the Blue Route will see you exploring the northern part of the city, with lots of Gaudi stops, and also Camp Nou, which is one for the football fans (apparently 🤷🏻‍♀️).

I believe there’s also a Green Route, which is seasonal, and focuses more on the beaches and coastal spots.

Where does the bus stop?

Basically, every major sightseeing spot in Barcelona. Think the Plaça d’Espanya, Sagrada Família, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Poblenou, the Gothic Quarter … and lots more.

Even if there are other parts of Barcelona you want to see, you can jump off the bus and then walk a little way – most of the main sites in the city are on the route, so it wouldn’t be a far walk.

The full Red route loop is 2 hours, so if you were only using the bus for a day, then you could jump on it at the beginning of the day, ride the full loop and then decide what you want to go back to, if you didn’t have a plan yet. You can see a map here on the City Sightseeing Barcelona website.

What are the buses like?

The bus we were on for most of our trip around was decent. The aircon wasn’t great where we were, but it was still cooler than being out in the blazing sun.

There is, like all of the City Sightseeing buses worldwide, audio commentary that you can plug into. This is brilliant for hearing some of the story of the city and learning about the different stops as you drive around. There are 16 different languages that you can choose from.

There’s also WiFi on the bus, although I don’t remember it working very well, so probably don’t rely on it.

Was the Hop On Hop Off Barcelona Bus worth it?

While we could have utilised it more – lack of time, lack of energy, too much sweltering summer Spanish heat are to blame – I would do it again. I think it’s worth it.

If you’re going sightseeing in Barcelona, then it’s the perfect way to get your bearings and get a really good feel for the city before you launch yourself into the streets. If you have just a few days in Barcelona, then it’s a good option, even just a day ticket to see some of the bigger tourist spots first, before you explore the city on foot. You’ll have a better sense of direction, too.

I’d love to know if you’ve been on the Barcelona Hop On Hop Off bus! Or any other city’s?

Let me know in the comments. 

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Tours in Barcelona