If you sat down and made a list of what makes for the perfect city tour, your answer might well be Barcelona. Part Spanish but proudly Catalan, it’s a stylish city that could keep you enthralled for weeks, never mind days.
Everywhere you turn, you’re met with the captivating influence of Antoni Gaudí. From Barcelona’s most iconic building, La Sagrada Familia, to the humble lamp posts in Plaça Reial, his unique designs define the city’s landscape. No visit is complete without experiencing his architecture.
Think of the Camp Nou, Las Ramblas, The Barra Gotic, Montjüic, Port Vell, Poble Espanyol, the Olympic Stadium…and you’re still only getting started.
You have many options for exploring Catalunya beyond Barcelona: the monastery of Montserrat, the Roman ruins in Tarragona, the Dali Museum in Figueres and of course no school tour would be complete without a visit to the amazing PortAventura Theme Park!
Cornerstones are the attractions that should form the core of any itinerary – the “do not miss” items!
For us there are 4 such cornerstones to a Barcelona itinerary:
The architecture of Gaudí: You can dedicate a walking tour or even spend a full day exploring the works of Gaudí – but even in small measures, his work defines Barcelona.
Las Ramblas and/or Barra Gotic: Barra Gotic is the heart of Barcelona, home to the Cathedral and more – easily accessed as part of any walking tour around the city. Las Ramblas is a long collection of streets that run from Plaza Catalunya down to the statue of Colombus by the sea at Port Vell.
Camp Nou: Home of FC Barcelona, the museum tour takes about 2 hours and brings you through the dressing-rooms and on to pitch-side, then finishing up in the trophy room.
PortAventura: Every tour needs a fun day and PortAventura is exactly that! A useful tip is to include your adventure park towards the end of your itinerary – students will go home on a high!
Montserrat: The Benedictine monastery at Montserrat is an excursion that combines culture with spectacular scenery.
Tarragona: The Roman ruins in Tarragona are made up of many different elements, including the amphitheatre, the Roman circus and Praetorium and the Devil’s Bridge aqueduct (about 4km outside of Tarrogona).
PortAventura: One of Europe’s finest theme parks – an essential full-day excursion!
Figueres: The Dali Museum can be combined with a visit to Girona – a peek inside the mind of an eccentric genius.
Filling time and gaps in an itinerary won’t be a problem in Barcelona – trying to cut out attractions will be the challenge!
The House of Illusion is a go-to for a variety of evening options and here are some other possibilities.
We offer schools 3 very different accommodation options, meaning that there’s a solution for every requirement.
Salou: Salou is a beachside town located 1 hour south of Barcelona. Its proximity to many attractions as well as the great value in off-season 3*/4* hotel rates make it the No.1 choice for most schools.
Vilanova Park: This is a 4* campsite with chalet accommodation options for school groups. Located half-way between Barcelona and Salou, it’s ideal for schools that want great facilities but also to be removed from the distractions of more urban settings.
Barcelona city centre: For small (or other) groups that don’t want the costs associated with coach transfers, we can accommodate you in a city centre location such as Poblenou – ideal for access to the Barcelona metro.
Flight routes change all the time, but currently the options include:
Barcelona El Prat is the city’s main airport, located on the south side of the city.
Reus is a good bet too – an hour south of Barcelona, located near Salou and close to many attractions, while Girona is about an hour north of Barcelona.
Carriers include Ryanair (Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Knock), Aer Lingus and Vueling (both Dublin only).
All our itineraries are designed to make the best use of the time available to you – the above itinerary is just a sample of what’s possible.
Runner Bean Tours are exactly the type of people we love to work with! To you, they are the guides that give you a local’s insight into all things Barcelona. To us, they’re Ann-Marie and Gorka, an Irish-Basque combination that will help you to get the most out of your Barcelona experience!
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