Barcelona Bus Turístic reviews: prices, routes and whether it is worth it

Barcelona Bus Turístic is the sightseeing bus run by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the public company behind the city's metro and buses, together with Turisme de Barcelona. It has been running since 1987, operates two routes (Red and Blue), and is the only one of the city's two hop-on hop-off lines that climbs towards Tibidabo, Sarrià and Pedralbes. As a company it is as solid as they come. The weak spots are the small print (no refunds) and what July and August riders keep reporting: full buses and long waits.

Good for

• A first visit of one or two days, especially if you want Montjuïc and Tibidabo without juggling funiculars and changes.
• Over-65s: the senior online fare (€25.20) is the cheapest of the two sightseeing buses.
• Families with small children and travellers with reduced mobility: every bus has a ramp and a wheelchair space.
• Anyone heading for Pedralbes, Sarrià or Tibidabo: the Blue route goes there, the rival does not.

Not for

• A single day in July or August when you plan to hop off at Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Batlló around midday.
• Anyone who needs to be able to cancel: bought on the official site, there is no refund.
• Longer stays and keen walkers: public transport costs far less (see our Barcelona transport guide).

Two loops from Plaça de Catalunya, roughly two hours each. The Blue route runs up Passeig de Gràcia to Sant Pau, Park Güell, Plaça Kennedy (for Tibidabo), Sarrià, the FC Barcelona area and Pedralbes. The Red route covers Sant Antoni, Montjuïc (CaixaForum, Poble Espanyol, MNAC, the Olympic Ring, Fundació Miró, the cable car), the WTC, Arc de Triomf, Sagrada Família, Poblenou, the Fòrum, the beaches, Port Olímpic, Barceloneta and the Columbus monument. The site advertises "more than 35 stops". Buses run daily 09:00–19:00 (last departure from Plaça de Catalunya) except 1 January and 25 December, every 10 to 25 minutes depending on the season.

The honest maths: the official website is the cheapest place to buy. GetYourGuide and Headout charge the walk-up fare (€33), which is €3.30 more than the official online price; Tiqets sits at €30.50, 80 cents more. What that gap buys you is the right to cancel: Tiqets lets you cancel free until 23:59 the day before, and GetYourGuide usually offers free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on this ticket (check the listing before you pay). On the official site, once it is bought, it is gone.

Tiqets also sells bundles that include this bus, such as Park Güell + cable car + Bus Turístic (from €64.50) and Casa Batlló + Bus Turístic (from €72.50). Both are listed as non-refundable, so they lose the one advantage that justifies buying on a platform.

Included in the ticket: a 16-language audio guide with headphones, on-board Wi-Fi, a map and a discount booklet (for example 20% off Poble Espanyol and the Columbus Monument viewpoint, €2 off the Aquarium and 15% off Catalunya Bus Turístic day trips with the booklet's code).

• Cancellation: the general conditions state that refunds cannot be made once a ticket has been bought. In exchange, a booking is valid for 90 calendar days from purchase to start using it. Night Tour and Christmas Tour tickets are only valid for the booked date and time, with no refunds.
• Validity: one calendar day or two consecutive calendar days, "not 24/48 hour periods". A 1-day ticket expires at the end of service on the day you first use it.
• Weather: no rain policy is published. Service can change without notice for force majeure, events or holidays (on marathon day, for example, both routes are diverted in the morning).
• Children: under 4s ride free; child fare from 4 to 12. Pushchairs travel folded on the lower deck and there are no luggage racks.
• Accessibility: every bus has a ramp and a wheelchair space; Night Tour buses are also adapted for hearing difficulties.
• On-board rules: no eating or drinking, no swimwear or bare chests, no open umbrellas and no standing on the top deck. E-scooters are banned; pets only in carriers.
• Night Tour: in summer (1 June to 13 September this season), 21:30 from Plaça de Catalunya, about 90 minutes, with a live guide in Spanish or English. It is a panoramic loop with no stops to get off.

• Fixed plans → official website. €29.70 a day for adults and €25.20 for over-65s on barcelonabusturistic.cat or the Hola Barcelona app. Cheapest, full stop.
• Uncertain dates → Tiqets. The Tiqets ticket costs €30.50 and can be cancelled free until the day before. For 80 cents, that is the best insurance going.
• Already use GetYourGuide or Headout? GetYourGuide and Headout charge €33. Worth it only if you want everything in one app; check the cancellation terms shown on the listing that day.
• Got a Barcelona Card? It gives 10% off the Bus Turístic, the same as buying online. Compare in our city passes guide.
• Is the bus worth it at all? Routes, stops and the comparison with the metro are in our Barcelona hop-on hop-off guide.