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Gaudí Free Tour

Gaudí Free Tour
FREE
Tour Details | Reviews | Meeting Point | Tour Highlights | Important Info | FAQs
Tour DetailsReviewsMeeting PointTour HighlightsImportant InfoFAQs

Tour Details

The best possible introduction to Gaudí and his stunning architecture. Learn about the life story and unusual techniques of one of the most influential architects while marveling at of his most important buildings in Barcelona.

When

Summer (Mar to Oct): Every day at 11am & 4.30pm
Winter (Nov to Feb): Every day at 11am*
RESERVATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL (you can easily book your place on this same page).
Please check our safety regulations to minimise COVID-19 related risks.
(*) Tours not running Dec 24th, 25th & 26th and Jan 1st

Duration

2.5 hours approx. (not rushed but leisurely paced).
We take the metro twice to cover the long distances between the buildings (fare not included).

Price

Free (you decide the price)

This is the title given to tours that work on a donation basis. At the end you can give the guide what you felt the tour was worth. In our small company we are confident enough to let you decide the value.

Language

English

Meeting Point

Plaça Reial (by the water fountain)

More details +

Tour itinerary

Plaça Reial / Palau Güell / Block of Discord / Casa Batlló / Passeig de Gràcia / Eixample architecture / La Pedrera / Sagrada Familia

More details +

End point

Sagrada Familia

Wheelchair friendly tour

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Reviews

FIRST RATE BARCELONA GAUDI TOUR

"Pre-booked with Runner Bean Tours for the Gaudi tour and had a great time! Ann-Marie was incredibly knowledgeable and put everybody quickly at ease. I would recommend without reservation" Read on Trip Advisor

THEIR GAUDI TOUR IS A MUST DO

"Our guide, Tati, was amazing. She is very passionate and knowledgeable about Gaudi's work and will answer questions about Barcelona" Read on Trip Advisor

GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABOUT BARCELONA

"After the Gaudi tour we visited La Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera on own. We are glad we took the tour prior, it gave us additional knowledge we wouldn't have known while we were there! " Read on Trip Advisor

EXCELLENT TIME ON THE RUNNER BEAN GAUDI BARCELONA TOUR

"Jessi's knowledge of Gaudi is phenomenal and her energies are great. A few days after the tour we went on our own to Park Guell and Palau Guell, since she got us so interested in Gaudi." Read on Trip Advisor

AMAZING!

"Learnt so much about Barcelona and Gaudi's architecture, got great tips from our tour guide Jarrod and he even took pictures of each person in the tour at major locations (Casa Batllo & Sagrada Familia)" Read on Trip Advisor

Meeting Point

Plaça Reial (by the water fountain)

How to get to the meeting point

Nearest metro stop: Liceu (L3). Take the the exit named “Sortida: Liceu” and walk down La Rambla towards the sea (the main Opera House will be on your right). After 2 minutes you will see a Kentucky Fried Chicken on your left. Take the next left into the square (Plaça Reial).

How to find the guide

Our friendly guides will be waiting by the fountain in the middle of the square holding a big green umbrella and wearing a bright green vest and a name tag. They will give you a sticker to reserve your place on the tour.

Other Free Tours in Barcelona start at the same meeting point. If you want the quality of a Runner Bean tour be sure it is a Runner Bean guide.

Free Walking Tour Barcelona meeting point guide

Tour Highlights

PLAÇA REIAL

It has been a traditional meeting place in Barcelona since it was built in the XIX century. But this is not the only reason why our tour starts here. A young Gaudí has left some illuminating work in the square. It’s also the meeting point for our Gothic Quarter Free Walking Tour.

PALAU GÜELL

The first project for Gaudí’s patron and his first masterpiece. Situated in the midst of the old city, Palau Güell shines out amongst the surrounding buildings. Find out about Gaudí’s beginnings as an architect and his unusual approach to the design of the house.

BLOCK OF DISCORD

Three architects compete for the most striking building in the block. Known as La Manzana de la Discordia (Block of Discord) by local Barcelonans, we let you decide which one is your favorite of these architectural masterpieces.

CASA BATLLÓ

It has been called “a fairytale in stone” and “the house of yawns”. Today, nobody doubts that Casa Batlló is the architect’s most magical building. From knights in shining armour to traditional festivals, all is included in Gaudí’s imagination.

EIXAMPLE ARCHITECTURE

Designed by Idelfons Cerdà in the middle of the 19th century, the Eixample was the new playground for the bourgeoisie of the time. Here you will find the modern shops and restaurants but also the great masterpieces of the Modernisme architecture.

CASA MILÀ / LA PEDRERA

Gaudí’s masterpiece. A raw sculpture carved and moulded into Passeig de Gràcia. Offensive at the time, abandoned to its destiny and recovered to its grandeur, Casa Milà was a very troubled commission that included not only fights and court cases but also a few subtle acts of vengeance by its creator.

SAGRADA FAMILIA

The unfinished temple, Gaudí’s obsession and the symbol of a city. The Sagrada Familia is like a storybook that is missing many pages. Find out about the temple’s past, present and future and hear about the architect’s tragic end. Our tour finishes here with the hope that someday you’ll see Gaudí’s dream realised.

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Important Info

  • Reservations for the Free Tour Barcelona Gothic Quarter are recommended as, in order to maintain the quality, numbers are limited in all our tours. If you have not booked, we recommend arriving at least 20 minutes before the scheduled time as most days we still have spaces available. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, reservations are mandatory for this tour at the moment.
  • We don’t ask for your credit card details in order to book a Free Tour. Be aware of websites asking you to do so on a Free Tour reservation.
  • It does not include a visit to the interior of the buildings.
  • Because some of the attractions are quite far apart, two short metro trips will be involved (fare not included). If you can, please bring a metro pass.
  • Our Free Walking Tours are geared towards independent travelers. If you are a group of more than 6 people please contact us for more information.
RUNNER BEAN TOURS - Barcelona Private Tours & Free Walking Tours
RUNNER BEAN TOURS - Barcelona Private Tours & Free Walking Tours
5.0
Based on 518 reviews
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Maria Fonseca
Maria Fonseca
21:04 31 Dec 20
Was a pleasant experience to have Lisa as tour guide.Full of details her explanation and very focus on what she was... saying.A touch of british humour was very much appreciated ;)Thank youread more
Brigitte Gneissl
Brigitte Gneissl
12:47 09 Dec 20
I booked the group tour for the Gothic quarter but obviously due to the current circumstances I was the only one on the... tour. Hence, my fantastic tour guide Lisa gave me a private tour and it was super interesting. I really learned a lot and it's a great way of discovering Barcelona. Highly recommended for anyone who comes to BCN! It's so important to also learn about the history and culture. A fantastic tour. Greetings to Lisa.read more
Satyajeet Sarang
Satyajeet Sarang
15:56 17 Oct 20
We did the Gothic Quarter tour with Miguel. We were lucky that the other party on the tour had cancelled so we had a... private tour!! Miguel was extremely knowledgable and gave us lot of detail and information on each place and also bits and pieces of the in-between that tied the places together into a whole story!Miguel spent a good amount of time with us and also gave us good local tips for food, shops and such.We would highly recommend Runner Bean Tours!!read more
Lisa Gill
Lisa Gill
11:17 14 Oct 20
We had a fantastic tour led by Lisa and due to COVID it was just the three of us. We've been to Barcelona many times... and so it was wonderful to learn more about the history of the city and the buildings we love so much. Lisa was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!read more
rhonda caplan
rhonda caplan
03:03 13 Oct 20
We were so impressed with our tour. It was fun, and extremely informative. They go by donation and they are worth every... penny .My friend and I have been on tours in a lot of cities and this tour ranked amongst our favorite. We were encouraged to ask questions, and if I ever have an opportunity I would take as many tours from them as they offer. Thank you 😊 💙read more
Aoife Leddy
Aoife Leddy
13:56 12 Oct 20
We had a very short time in Barcelona so to make the most of the time we had, we decided to do a walking tour. I'm so... glad we chose Runner Bean Tours. We did the Antoni Gaudí tour with Lisa and thoroughly enjoyed it. Even our children were engaged throughout thanks to Lisa's gift for storytelling and bringing you on a journey with her tour. Given the current climate in Spain with few foreign tourists visiting, we were in a unique position to enjoy an almost private tour in a very quiet city...an experience we will probably never have the opportunity to have ever again. We enjoyed the Gaudí tour so much that we booked the Gothic tour the very next day and were lucky enough to have Lisa as a guide once more. Again, a wonderful tour delivered in an engaging and really entertaining way. Lisa's knowledge of the history of Barcelona shines through and her passion for this wonderful city is absolutely contagious. Highly recommended for the whole family ♥️👌read more
Sophie Nadal
Sophie Nadal
13:46 08 Sep 20
I really appreciated the visit with Ali, who payed attention to us, asking if we add any questions regularly. She loved... introducing the city to us and we can feel it, it was a real pleasure. I recommend it !read more
Elizabeth Skelton
Elizabeth Skelton
14:14 03 Sep 20
We had an awesome time on the Barcelona gothic quarter tour with Miguel! Miguel was an amazing guide. He was full of... interesting information, and his passion and love for the city and his job made the tour extra enjoyable. He also gave us lots of recommendations for places to eat and drink in the city, and even helped us mark them on google maps. He also took some great pictures for us. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend runner bean tours. Thank you Miguel for giving us such an insightful experience!read more
Katie Mckitting
Katie Mckitting
17:06 01 Sep 20
We have done a lot of walking tours all over the world and this was by far our favourite. Miguel was very knowledgeable... and funny and made this an enjoyable experience. It is clear that Miguel loves what he does and made sure that we had fun too. There were only 2 others on the tour with us and he made sure we were safe and distanced and everyone wore their masks to make sure we all felt safe and comfortable. I 100% recommend doing this tour - especially if with Miguel if possible! Gracias for a lovely few hours in Barca!! 🙂read more
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FAQs

How does the free tour system work?

This is the title given to tours that work on a donation basis (at the end you can give the guide what you felt the tour was worth). In our small company we are confident enough to let you decide the value of the tour. You can not get a fairer system and this ensures that our guides give their best service every tour.

Do I need to make a reservation for the free tours?

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, reservations are mandatory for this tour during 2020.

What if I arrive late to the meeting point?

Usually there are spaces left and there is no problem joining the tour later. Please bear in mind that we can only hold reservations until the starting time so it is very important to arrive before then. Occasionally a tour might be full and late arrivals won’t be able to join in. This also includes customers with a reservation as their space will have been given away to the people on the waiting list.

Do we visit the interior of the monuments?

No. This is an introduction to Gaudí's life and architecture. We see the outside of the buildings and you can choose which one to visit later in your own time. Your guide can help you with opening times and recommendations.
If you are interested in visiting the interior of the buildings with a guide, we do offer private tours.

Is there a lot of walking involved?

Not really. As long as you can do a short stroll around a city you are ready to walk a Runner Bean tour.
Because some of the attractions are quite far apart, two short metro trips will be involved (fare not included). If you can, please bring a metro pass.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Please let your guide know at the beginning of the tour so he/she can show you the lifts at the two metro stations.

What should I bring?

During the summer it can get very hot so don't forget your sunglasses, sun-tan lotion and a bottle of water. Although the temperatures in Barcelona are mild for most of the year, in winter it can be cold so dress accordingly.

What if it rains?

Our Walking Tours run in all kinds of weather. In the case of heavy rain the tour will run as usual so please bring suitable rain gear.

Can I leave before the tour ends?

That is not a problem but please let your guide know so he/she doesn't wait for you at the next stop.

Do we stop for a break?

We generally stop for a quick toilet break (5 minutes or so). The tour is not too long so we think that a food or drink stop is not necessary and you can decide where you would like to go afterwards. Your guide will be more than happy to help you with recommendations.

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Copyright © Runner Bean Tours Barcelona 2010-2021
Office address: Carrer del Carme, 44, 08001 Barcelona
Phone number (Mon to Fri, 9am to 1pm): 636 108 776
NIF (tax registration number): B66797051

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VISITING OTHER
CITIES IN EUROPE?


Why not check out if your next destination is one of our European partners. There are two main associations offering Free Waking Tours around Europe and we are a proud member of both. The cities involved in these two projects are hand-picked for their quality and commitment while preserving that special feeling that only a local company can give.

WE SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

We are advocates of responsible tourism. On our tours, we are always sure we respect the local neighbourhoods and we only collaborate with small Barcelona businesses which help support the local economy. These are our friends and personal recommendations so you can’t go wrong with them.

FIND LOTS OF GREAT TIPS ON OUR BLOG

What to do in Barcelona: The Complete Guide
How to skip the lines in Barcelona
Free Things to do in Barcelona
Things to do in Barcelona with Kids
Traditional food in Barcelona

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