Quick Summary
Prices and times on this page were checked on 27 July 2026 against the operator's official site (barcelonabusturistic.cat) and the Tiqets booking page. They can change with the season — the live widget above always shows today's rates.
The hop on hop off bus in Barcelona — locally branded Barcelona Bus Turístic and run with the city's transport authority TMB — is the simplest way to cover a city that stretches from the Sagrada Família to the Montjuïc hilltop and the beaches. One ticket, two colour-coded routes, 44 stops, and a bus every 10–25 minutes. You get on and off as many times as you like while the ticket is valid.
This site is an independent guide. We don't sell tickets — we explain how the system works, then link you to authorized resellers (Tiqets, GetYourGuide) where the booking actually happens. Below you'll find the short version of everything; each section links to a detailed page.
What the Ticket Includes
- Unlimited hop-on hop-off rides for 24 or 48 hours (your choice at checkout)
- Open-top double-decker buses on both routes
- Audio guide in 16 languages with single-use headphones — English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic and Catalan
- A city map with all stops marked
- A discount booklet for attractions, restaurants and shops along the routes
Ticket Comparison: Which One to Buy
| Option | Best for | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour ticket from €30.50 |
Short city breaks, cruise passengers | Enough for one route in depth or both routes with 3–4 stops. See current prices. |
| 48-hour ticket | Weekend trips, families who hate rushing | Costs only a few euros more per day. Do the Red route on day one, Blue on day two. |
| Bus + Catamaran combo from €46 |
Seeing Barcelona from land and sea | Adds a 60-minute eco catamaran cruise from Port Vell. Read the combo guide. |
| Bus + Sagrada Família | First-time visitors | Bundles the bus pass with timed Sagrada Família entry — the queue you most want to skip. Details here. |
| Bus + Camp Nou | Football fans | Bus pass plus the Spotify Camp Nou / FC Barcelona museum experience. Compare options. |
| Night Tour from €22 |
Summer evenings | A separate guided evening loop, not hop-on hop-off. How it works. |
One thing the hop-on hop-off ticket is not: a skip-the-line pass for attractions. It skips nothing at the Sagrada Família or Park Güell — for those, book timed entry separately or take a combo ticket that includes it.
The Two Routes in Two Minutes
Both routes start at Plaça de Catalunya and take about two hours if you never get off. Full stop lists and a map are on the routes & stops page.
- Red Route (south & east): Sagrada Família, Passeig de Gràcia (Casa Batlló, La Pedrera), Plaça d'Espanya, MNAC, Montjuïc viewpoints, Port Vell and the beaches.
- Blue Route (north & west): Passeig de Gràcia, Park Güell, Tibidabo funicular connection, Monestir de Pedralbes, Güell Pavilions and Spotify Camp Nou.
Timing Is Everything
- Board before 10:00. The first buses (9:00–9:30 from most stops) are the emptiest of the day; you'll walk straight onto the open top deck.
- Avoid 11:00–14:00 at Plaça de Catalunya — it's the main terminus and every tour group starts there mid-morning. Board one stop earlier or later on the same route instead.
- Best light for photos: morning for the Sagrada Família (sun hits the Nativity façade), late afternoon on Montjuïc for the skyline and sea.
- Summer heat: the top deck is uncovered. In July–August, do the open-air riding before noon and hop into museums during the 14:00–17:00 heat.
- More detail on frequencies by season is on the timetable page and the opening hours page.
How to Save
- Book online. The online rate (from €30.50) beats the walk-up price at the bus, and you skip the ticket queue at Plaça de Catalunya.
- Children's and senior fares exist for both durations — the exact reduced prices show in the booking calendar once you pick a date. Under-4s ride free on the operator's routes.
- 48h costs little more than 24h. If you're staying two days, the per-day price drops sharply.
- Use the discount booklet. It's included with the ticket and cuts a few euros off attractions along the route — it can pay back a chunk of the ticket price.
- All current promotions and the free-cancellation rules are collected on the discounts page.
How to Get to the Starting Point
You can board at any of the 44 stops, but the main terminus is Plaça de Catalunya:
- Metro: Catalunya station — L1 (red) and L3 (green), plus FGC suburban lines
- Rodalies trains: Plaça de Catalunya station (R1, R3, R4)
- Aerobús from the airport: both A1 and A2 lines end at Plaça de Catalunya
- On foot: top of La Rambla, 5 minutes from the Gothic Quarter
Show your smartphone voucher when you board for the first time; you'll get a paper day-pass for the rest of the validity. Arriving by sea? There's a dedicated guide for boarding from the cruise port.
Explore the Full Guide
Ticket Prices
24h vs 48h, adult, child and senior fares, online vs on-board rates.
Read the guide → 🗺️Routes & Stops
All 44 stops on the Red and Blue routes, with a downloadable map.
Read the guide → 🕐Timetable & Schedule
First and last buses, frequency by season, loop durations.
Read the guide → 📅Opening Hours
Daily operating hours, holiday closures, seasonal changes.
Read the guide → 🏷️Discounts & Deals
Every legitimate way to pay less for your bus pass.
Read the guide → ⛪Bus + Sagrada Família
Combo tickets that pair the bus with Gaudí's basilica.
Read the guide → ⚽Bus + Camp Nou
Pair the bus with the FC Barcelona stadium experience.
Read the guide → ⛵Bus + Catamaran
City tour by land plus a 60-minute coastal cruise.
Read the guide → 🛳️From the Cruise Port
How to board the bus straight off your cruise ship.
Read the guide → 🌙Night Tour
The summer-evening guided loop past illuminated landmarks.
Read the guide → 📱Mobile App & E-Tickets
Live bus tracking, route maps and how mobile vouchers work.
Read the guide → ⭐GetYourGuide Review
Is the GetYourGuide version of the tour worth it? Honest review.
Read the guide →Is the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Worth It in Barcelona?
Honest answer: it depends on how you travel. Barcelona has an excellent metro, and a single ride costs a fraction of the bus pass. What the metro can't give you is the view — the run up Passeig de Gràcia past Casa Batlló, the climb over Montjuïc, the seafront stretch — or a commentary that connects what you're seeing.
The bus pays off when:
- It's your first visit and you have 1–2 days to see the whole city
- You're travelling with kids, older relatives, or anyone who tires of stairs — the metro means a lot of stairs
- You want to reach the spread-out sights (Park Güell, Camp Nou, Montjuïc) without planning three separate journeys
- It's your orientation day: ride a full loop once, note what deserves a return visit
Skip it when: you've been to Barcelona before, you're staying a week, or your plans revolve around one neighbourhood. Buy metro tickets and timed attraction entries instead.