Barcelona Bus Turístic pass, the official: Hop on hop off Card
The Hop On Hop Off Bus is the most convenient way to see Barcelona´s highlights in a short period of time. Each year over 2 million visitors use the city’s official sightseeing bus to explore the best of Barcelona.
Benefits
- 3 routes, 44 stops, 1 ticket
- Explore Barcelona from north to south and from east to west with a single ticket
- Hop On / Hop Off when and where you want
- Buses run every few minutes and stop at all main sights
- Free personal audioguide in 10 languages
- Learn more about Barcelona’s touristic highlights with the free audio guides
- Free coupon guide with discounts worth over €180
- Discount coupons for museums, attractions, shows and establishments.
- Free WiFi on board
- Share your pictures instantly with friends and family.
Routes
The open-top tourist bus runs on 3 different, circular routes:
- Blue Line – The most popular line starts at Plaça Cataluña, passing through the famous Paseo de Gracia where Gaudi´s buildings La Pedrera and Casa Milà can be found. Other important stops include the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Camp Nou stadium.
- Red Line – The Bus’s longest route also starts at Plaça Cataluña and passes through the Paseo de Gracia which is convenient for changing bus lines. After Gaudi´s highlights the bus turns left, visiting the Montjuïc hill area before driving back to to the city centre.
- Green Line – This short line runs along Barcelona´s city beaches, from Port Olympíc to the Forum.
Schedule and Tours
The Hop On Hop Off Bus passes every 5-25 minutes, depending on the time of the year. The first bus arrives approximately at 9am and the last one departs around 8pm (7pm in winter). Exact timetables can be found at the bus stops.
The blue and red line run everyday of the year, except on December 25th and January 1st. The Green Line is only available in high season, from April to November.
Look up and enjoy the best sightseeing with the Official City Touristic Bus.
Barcelona Bus Turistic is the official visit of Barcelona. It has three different routes and 6 different transfer points allowing the users to change the route easily in any transfer point and customize his own ride.
Make sure you visit important spots like Plaça Catalunya, MACBA, Sagrada Família, Passeig de Gràcia, Gracia Town, Park Güell, Tibidabo, Pedralbes, F.C Barcelona Stadium, Montjuïc, etc…
What’s included:
- Ticket for the three routes for up to 2 days
- Touristic Guides of Barcelona on board every bus
- Audio Guide in 16 different languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Arabian, Hebrew and Turkish.
- Free WiFi.
What options are there for Bus Turistic tickets?
2026 Prices
Two ticket durations are available — 1-day (24h) and 2-day (48h). A single ticket covers both the Red and Blue routes with unlimited hop-on/hop-off.
| Ticket | Adult (online, 10% off) |
|---|---|
| 1-day (24h) | from €29.70 |
| 2-day (48h) | from ~€40 |
Children under 4 travel free. Full per-tier adult/child pricing is in the dynamic checkout widget — check the official Bus Turístic website or thisisbarcelona.com for the exact current price before booking. Buying online saves ~10% versus the kiosk and skips the queue, which in peak season can be 20–30 minutes at Plaça Catalunya.
The 3 Routes in Detail
All three routes start (and end) at Plaça Catalunya, which makes life simple: you don’t have to figure out where to board, just head to the big square in the city centre.
Red Route (North Barcelona)
The Red Route covers north Barcelona, passing through Passeig de Gràcia (jump off here for Casa Batlló and La Pedrera), Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, onward to Park Güell (timed ticket needed for the Monumental Zone — book in advance), then up toward Tibidabo and the Collserola hills before returning via the Pedralbes neighbourhood. A full loop without stopping takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. Most people hop off at two or three stops and rejoin the next bus.
Blue Route (South Barcelona)
The Blue Route covers the south and seafront. From Plaça Catalunya it heads to the Barceloneta waterfront, then climbs Montjuïc — home to the Fundació Joan Miró, MNAC, and Montjuïc Castle — before looping back via the Olympic Ring, Port Vell, Port Olímpic, Sagrada Família, and Torre Glòries. Budget around 1.5 to 2 hours for a full loop. The Montjuïc cable car is not included in the Bus Turístic ticket but runs near the Paral·lel metro.
Note: route colour naming (Red vs Blue) can vary across third-party sites — the operator’s own map is the authoritative reference.
Green Route (Forum / Coastal)
The Green Route is the shortest and most seasonal of the three — it runs from spring through autumn, roughly April to November. It traces the coastline from Barceloneta east to the Fòrum area, covering the Olympic Port, the Poblenou district, and the Diagonal Mar. It’s the least essential of the three routes unless you have a specific reason to visit that end of the waterfront, but it’s included with your ticket so there’s no harm in taking it for the ride if you have time. A full loop is only about 45 minutes.
Key Stops and What to See
These are the stops most worth building your day around:
- Plaça Catalunya — Your starting point and the easiest place to change between routes. All three lines pass through here.
- Sagrada Família — Non-negotiable. Gaudí’s unfinished basilica is unlike anything else in the world. Get here early (it opens at 9am) and book tickets well in advance — they sell out days ahead in summer.
- Park Güell — The Red Route drops you within walking distance. The free outer park areas are lovely; the monumental zone (the mosaic terraces) requires a timed ticket.
- Camp Nou — The Red Route passes the stadium. If you’re an FC Barcelona fan, the museum and stadium tour are worth an hour.
- Barceloneta — A relaxed stop for the beach, seafood, and the Frank Gehry fish sculpture. Good for a lunch break.
- Montjuïc — The most culturally dense stop: the MNAC, Miró Foundation, Grec outdoor theatre, and the castle, all within walking distance of each other.
- Passeig de Gràcia — Jump off here for Casa Batlló and La Pedrera (Casa Milà). Both need separate admission tickets.
Practical Tips
A few things I’d tell a friend before they boarded:
- Start early. The bus is busiest between 10am and 2pm. Getting your first bus at 9am means thinner crowds at the top stops and better photo conditions.
- Sit on the top deck, front seats. Obvious advice, but worth stating: the open top is the whole point of the bus. The front gives you unobstructed views.
- Buy online, not at the kiosk. Online booking is usually cheaper and always faster. The kiosk queues at Plaça Catalunya on a summer morning are long.
- Don’t try to do all three routes in one day. You’ll spend more time on the bus than at the sights. One route per morning is a saner pace.
- The audio guide is genuinely good. It’s free, available in 16 languages, and fires automatically based on GPS location. Use it.
- Check the Green Line dates. It only runs in high season — if you’re visiting in winter, don’t factor it into your plans.
How to Buy
There are three ways to get your Barcelona Bus Turístic ticket:
- Online (recommended) — Book via the official Bus Turístic website or a trusted reseller. You’ll get an e-ticket on your phone, sometimes at a small discount versus gate price, and you skip the queue entirely.
- At bus stop kiosks — Self-service machines at major stops like Plaça Catalunya. Card payment accepted. No discount, but convenient if you decide on the spot.
- TMB offices — The city’s public transport operator has offices at several metro stations. Useful if you need help or have questions, but slower than online.
Is It Worth It? An Honest Verdict
The Barcelona Bus Turístic is excellent value for first-time visitors who want to get their bearings quickly and see a lot of ground in a short time. It’s particularly good if you’re in Barcelona for just two or three days and want a low-effort overview before deciding where to dig deeper.
The 2-day pass is the sweet spot for most visitors. One day is enough for the highlights, but the second day gives you the flexibility to revisit a favourite area without rushing.
For repeat visitors or anyone who already knows the city reasonably well, the bus adds less value. If you know you want to spend a full day at Sagrada Família and another at the Picasso Museum, a T-Casual metro pass and walking will serve you better.
Pros:
- Great overview of the whole city in one or two days
- Audio guide is genuinely informative
- Hop-on hop-off flexibility is real — buses come frequently
- Discount coupon booklet can offset some of the cost
- Easy for families and groups
Cons:
- Gets crowded in peak season; top deck fills fast
- Traffic means buses can run late in summer afternoons
- Less useful if you’re spending your days deep in one neighbourhood
- Entrance to actual attractions not included
When NOT to Get the Bus Turístic
The Bus Turístic is a great product, but it’s not always the right choice. Skip it if:
- You already have the Barcelona Card — the Barcelona Card includes free public transport and discounts at attractions, making the Bus Turístic partly redundant.
- You have the GoCity All Inclusive pass — this pass includes hop-on hop-off bus access, so adding a Bus Turístic ticket on top would be paying twice for the same benefit.
- You’re staying a week or more — at that length of stay, the city’s metro and bus network is efficient and much cheaper.
- You’re a solo traveller who moves fast — the metro is faster between most major sights once you know where you’re going.
If you’re unsure whether your existing pass covers hop-on hop-off, check the Barcelona Card comparison before buying separately.
Bottom line: If this is your first time in Barcelona and you want a painless, enjoyable way to see the city’s highlights in one or two days, the Barcelona Bus Turístic delivers exactly what it promises. Buy online, get on early, grab the top deck — and enjoy.
