
Visiting Barcelona for the First Time? Here's What to See and Do
Take the bother out of a trip to Barcelona with our first time–friendly recommendations.
A visit to the Picasso Museum is key to understanding the true artistic genius of Barcelona’s famous native son. Visitors who want more insight into the art can pay a small fee for an audio guide or join a very limited selection of small-group guided tours that are included in admission (reservations required). If you want to explore with a tour guide on your own, book a separate museum tour that includes admission. Options include a private tour, skip-the-line tickets, or a combo tour; the latter combines a guided museum tour with a Gothic Quarter walking tour that stops at sites important to Picasso's Barcelona, including the famous Els Quatre Gats café.
The Picasso Museum is a must-visit for art lovers and all first-time Barcelona visitors.
Skip the queues by booking tickets online in advance.
Expect long lines on days when the museum offers free admission; plan to arrive early.
Photography and filming aren’t allowed within the museum collection.
The museum is totally wheelchair accessible; wheelchairs are available to borrow.
The Picasso Museum is centrally located in El Born, Barcelona’s medieval quarter, within walking distance of many attractions in the Old City. It’s also well-connected by public transportation; take the metro to Jaume I (Line 4) or Arc de Triomf (Line 1) or catch one of several buses to Passeig Picasso or Pla de Palau.
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year, with extended evening hours on Thursdays, when museum entrance is free. To avoid the crowds, visit on a weekday morning, and avoid summer and free-entrance days (Thursday afternoons and the first Sunday of each month).
The museum collection places a strong emphasis on Picasso’s formative years, including works from his time in Málaga and A Coruña. Keep an eye out forLa Primera Communión (The First Communion), painted when the artist was just 16.Woman with Bonnet comes from his Blue Period; Glass and Tobacco Packet is a fine example of a Cubist still-life.