Gaudí Free Tour

Meeting Point

Tour Highlights

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 15 minutes before the scheduled time as most days we still have spaces available. Just be aware that, during the pandemic, a tour might not run that day if you didn’t make a reservation.
• 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

5.0

Based on 1647 reviews

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Natasha Soares

05:35 01 Nov 22

Extremely Professional and well conducted Tour . Our Guide Alberto was extremely knowledgeable and insightful. Even... though I was with a child of 10 years of age he engaged with her and kept her engrossed and attentive to all the information about Gaudi. We really enjoyed the tour with him and did not know how quickly the 2.5 hrs passed. We are looking forward to the next tour with Runner Bean today the Gothic Quarters . Definitely when in Barcelona this is the company to look up .read more

Evelyn H

19:22 27 Sep 22

Had a great time with Miguel for the Gothic quarter tour. Interesting stories and at the end recommendations around the... city. We had a wonderful time!read more

Maria Sultana

12:29 22 Sep 22

We just finished a tour of the Gothic old part of the city with Jarrod and what a great way to get to know the city.... Jarrod was super nice and knowledgeable, kept great pace and made sure to find spots for us to sit and keep in the shade. He was also very generous with recommendations of places to see,eat and how to get around. Two and a half hours flew by quickly and we got to see so many interesting spots. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to explore Barcelona. 🙂read more

Markus Hayden

17:59 08 Sep 22

I did both of the free walking tours on two consecutive days. Both are very interesting and you learn a lot.... Personally, I liked the Gothic Tour with Ann-Marie even a bit more.What is important to know? Well: first of all, you should be able to understand English 😉 furthermore, you should wear sunscreen (as everywhere in Barcelona) and you should wear comfortable shoes, since you will both walk and stand a lot.read more

Dejan Rizvan

17:52 04 Sep 22

I was always little skeptical about organized waking tours. But Jarrod changed my mind completely. Excellent tour of... Gothic Square with a lot of city history facts and some legends that you don’t expect. We highly recommend this tour and Jarrod especially. See you next time.read more

Paulina Mikuła

20:50 19 Jul 22

We were lucky enough to have Lisa as our guide for the Gothic Quarter tour! An excellent option when seeking an... enthusiastic and passionate tour guide who enables you to learn so much about the history of this beautiful part of the city.Highly enjoyable, educational and insightful! Couldn’t recommend enough!read more

R K

11:41 14 Jul 22

Thank you Miguel! Brilliant tour, good humour, easy to understand and follow. Good history info, Miguel had great... advice for the rest of our stay. I would recommend doing this on the first day of your trip. We did the Gothic quarter tourread more

Christopher Walsh

23:32 16 Jun 22

Touring the "old quarter" with Albert was the highlight of my Barcelona visit. It truly felt as if I were reconnecting... with a friend strolling through his hometown. Albert brought generations of knowledge and an historians perspective to a most informative presentation. Thank you for making that happen. Christopher Walshread more

Meghan Magee

23:18 16 Jun 22

We did the Gothic Quarter tour with Miguel, and it was the perfect way to spend our first day in Barcelona. Miguel was... so personable, informative, and told great stories. He led an amazing tour!read more

Alexandra Pode

18:16 09 Jun 22

We joined the family guided tour through the Gothic Quarters with our 10 yr old. Lisa is a fantastic guide, excellent... storytelling that was captivating for all ages and with a big heart for Barcelona and Catalunya which helps both big and small appreciate the history, heritage and beauty of the place. We took the tour on our first day which served as a great introduction for the next days. We also came back to some of the places we discovered on the way in the tour for eating and shopping. Lisa - warm regards from our family and thank you for hosting us!read more

Katie Pennick

11:52 07 Jun 22

A simply perfect start to our trip. I recommend wholeheartedly!Jarrod our tour guide was absolutely fantastic! His... enthusiasm and love for the city was infectious and he did a marvellous job of talking us through the history and culture of Barcelona. He was full of practical tips and advice and went out of his way to accommodate us.I use a wheelchair - the tour was wheelchair accessible (we stopped for a break half way through and there is a starbucks that has an accessible toilet!)read more

Rita Murray

20:13 01 Jun 22

Albert was our tour guide. He was attentive, very knowledgeable and provided an entertaining walk through Barcelona. He... was happy to respond to questions and provided many historical details throughout the tour. I’d highly recommend his tour. However, I think tourists need to understand that this tour is just over 2 hours long.We enjoyed Albert’s passion for history. We ourselves enjoyed it. But others may have found it a bit long.Thanks Albertread more

Shay Gilad

12:44 31 May 22

We had a wonderful Gothic Quarter tour with Miguel! He was full of knowledge about the sites as well as places to visit... and eat at in the city. Miguel was friendly, chatty, and very helpful. We would highly recommend this walking tour. The pace was excellent and we were able to go to all the beautiful sites 😊read more

Marisol Mosquera

09:45 25 May 22

Great tours! The guides are friendly, fun and knowledgeable. You can see how much they enjoy doing these tours. I did... two tours: The Gothic Quarter and Dark Past Night walking tours. Loved them both.read more

Andrea Hill

20:10 21 May 22

Incredible experience in Barcelona! We were traveling with our 5 year old daughter and it is hard to find activities... that would keep the whole family engaged. This tour did just that. We learned so much about the city and our daughter had a blast making new friends and completing activities. Highly recommend and wish every city offered this type of family activity. Ann-Marie was a wonderful tour guide and so great with the kids. By far our best day in Barcelona!read more

Janette Pena

17:38 19 May 22

We had an amazing time during the Gothic tour with Albert! He was extremely knowledgeable and kept the tour... interesting! There is not a ton of walking involved and my grandma and I had a great time! Would definitely recommend.read more

Michele Gordon

21:15 15 May 22

We spent a delightful afternoon with Jarrod in the Gothic Quarter on a small group tour. We enjoyed the descriptions,... history, commentary & pace. Jarrod is very knowledgeable about BCN & very approachable. We would highly recommend the tour. Also, Jarrod gave us some great restaurant recommendations. Thank you!read more

Ben Duvall

16:55 11 May 22

We had a wonderful tour of the Gothic Quarter led by Ann-Marie. She was very knowledgeable and engaging. This tour was... ideal way to start our first visit to Barcelona. I can't recommend this tour enough.read more

Natalie B

14:43 12 Apr 22

Lisa was spectacular. She was very knowledgeable, kind and she went at a great pace. She gave us so much information... that helped us understand the history of Catalonia but she went further to help us connect to the culture of Catalonia today. Lisa took the time to answer questions and gave us great tips to make the most of our trip. She also has great recommendations for restaurants, places to see and how to get around. The tour was great and Lisa was really terrific.read more

Lorraine Ogilby

16:24 31 Mar 22

We took a 2 1/2 hour walking tour of the Gothic quarter with Anne-Marie from Runner Bean tours. She was incredibly... knowledgeable and obviously passionate about both the city where she lives and the history! Full of information and details about every site we visited and we heard so much that’s not included in any other trip. Very interactive with the group and put every single person at ease. She was an absolute mine of local information and recommendations at the end - which we personally used for meals and other sites to visit. These guys work on a donation system and be prepared to give them every euro that you feel they are worth. We took two of their tours and they were the highlight of our trip to Barcelona!!read more

W L

08:57 30 Mar 22

I showed up on an earlier day for my city tour and Lisa was nice enough to let me join anyway. Her presentation was... both enlightening and fun. She had personal stories and on the spot observations to share which made it feel fresh. Her diction was very easy to understand and she was pleasant to listen to. Believe me I have been on some tours where the guides had annoying pet phrases like 'alright?' 'um' etc.. that can be tiresome to listen to for 2.5 hours. Lisa took personal interest in her guests and made the effort to talk to us individually whenever possible. Her food suggestions were great. I highly recommend going on her tour!read more

Helena Loremikan

23:40 22 Feb 22

I went on both the Gothic quarter tour and the Gaudi tour and both of them were brilliant. Miguel was a brilliant guide... and is so funny yet so informative. My friends and I enjoyed our tour so much we came back the very next day. I would highly recommend booking a walking tour with them you would not regret it at all!read more

Sue Pupo

18:21 03 Dec 21

We had a very informative, well researched and extremely interesting tour with Miguel today of Runner Bean Tours. He... pointed out interesting facts we would never discovered on our own, not to mention little known facts. It was highly informative. Do yourself a favor, and sign up for one of the tours. We have been on two now, and we’ll worth the time! You will enjoy Miguel, a very personable person and a great guide. He will make you fall in love with Barcelona.read more

Nick Williams

15:54 18 Aug 21

I did the Gaudí walking tour. We saw Palau Güell, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà/La Pedrera and Sagrada Família. There are more... Gaudi things to see but this is an excellent introduction to Gaudí.Miguel was the guide and he was brilliant. I also did the official Sagrada Família tour and the things Miguel told us were far more interesting than the official tour!!!I highly recommend this tour and I’m sure the other tours they offer are just as good!!!read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

Reservations are not strictly necessary but recommended as numbers are limited for quality purposes. If you haven't booked, we strongly recommend arriving at the meeting point early in case the tour fills in. If you are a large group of 7 or more you will need to book a private tour.
Just be aware that, during the pandemic, a tour might not run that day if you didn't make a reservation.

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.