Barcelona City Tour reviews: prices, routes and whether it is worth it
Verdict: Julià and Moventis's sightseeing bus costs the same as TMB's but lets you cancel free on its own site and stops near the cruise terminal; summer queues are just as long — 7/10.
ⓘ Note: we are not Barcelona City Tour We are not Barcelona City Tour or its official website. This is an independent review based on public sources; some links are affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Headout).Tickets and tours to book
8 options · Prices checked on 18 October 2026
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City Tour Barcelona: 24-Hr or 48-Hr Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
4.3 (1,625 reviews)
from €30.03Check dates
Barcelona City Tour: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour with Eco Catamaran Cruise
4.4 (227 reviews)
from €44Check dates
Verdict: 7 out of 10
Barcelona City Tour is the city's other sightseeing bus. It is run by a joint venture (UTE) of Grupo Julià and Moventis, which in September 2024 won the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) concession for the next 12 years. It runs two routes, Green (East) and Orange (West), and charges exactly the same as TMB's Barcelona Bus Turístic. We score it half a point higher than its rival for one practical reason: on its official site you can cancel free until the day of use, and the ticket counts real hours (24 or 48) rather than calendar days. Summer queues, however, are the same story.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price and transparency | 7/10 | Clear fares and 10% off online, but the site itself gives different stop counts, language lists and frequencies. |
| Flexibility | 8/10 | Free cancellation until the day of use, hour-based tickets and a 24-to-48 h upgrade on board. |
| Public reputation | 7/10 | 3.9 on Tripadvisor and 3.8 on Google; 4.4 on GetYourGuide from almost 25,000 reviews. |
| Experience | 6/10 | Modern buses and a live-tracking app; long waits and full buses in high season. |
| Reliability | 8/10 | Public concession, seller identified by tax ID; few Trustpilot reviews, and low ones. |
| Overall | 7/10 | Mean of the five criteria, rounded to the nearest 0.5. |
Good for
- Cruise passengers: Orange route stop 1 is at the World Trade Center, next to the terminal.
- Anyone who wants to be able to cancel while buying straight from the operator.
- Anyone who wants bus and boat on one ticket (combo with a one-hour eco-catamaran).
- Camp Nou, Port Olímpic and the seafront: both routes cover them.
Not for
- Anyone heading up to Tibidabo or Pedralbes: its routes have no stops there (TMB's Bus Turístic does).
- A single summer day with a fixed midday plan for Sagrada Família and Park Güell: the queue complaints match those for the TMB bus.
- Confident metro users with several days: public transport is cheaper (see Barcelona transport).
Fact sheet
| Company | Joint venture of Grupo Julià and Moventis. Online seller: JULIÀ TRAVEL, S.L.U. (tax ID B-29045895, registered in Madrid). Gray Line member |
|---|---|
| Founded | Grupo Julià launched the City Tour brand in Barcelona in 2000; the site says "official sightseeing bus since 2009". Current AMB concession since 2024, for 12 years |
| Base | Customer point and lost property: C/ Sardenya 311, Barcelona |
| Catalan tourism registration | Not published |
| What it sells | 24- or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus (Green and Orange routes), eco-catamaran combo, the summer Night Tour and the Christmas Tour |
| Official price | Adult 24 h €33 (€29.70 online) · 48 h €44 (€39.60 online) |
| Where to book | barcelona.city-tour.com, its app and on board (full fare); also GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Headout |
| Public ratings | 3.9/5 on Tripadvisor (3,973 reviews) · 3.8/5 on Google Maps (3,063) · 4.4/5 on GetYourGuide (24,873) · 4.5/5 on Headout (9,431) · 4.3/5 on Tiqets (1,600+) · 2.2/5 on Trustpilot (8 reviews, unclaimed profile) |
Ratings read on the review date. The fleet has 15 electric buses and the concession commits to 44, all fully electric, according to the operator and the press coverage of the award.
What it sells and what it costs
The Green (East) route follows the seafront, Port Olímpic, the beaches, the Fòrum, Glòries, Sant Pau, Park Güell and Ciutadella: 14 stops and about 2 h 10 min for a full loop. The Orange (West) route climbs Montjuïc (Miramar, Fundació Miró, the Olympic Ring, MNAC, Poble Espanyol) and passes Camp Nou, L'Illa Diagonal, La Pedrera, Sagrada Família, Estació del Nord, the Zoo and the WTC: 20 stops and about 2 h 30 min. First bus at 09:00, last departure from Plaça de Catalunya at 19:00, all year except 1 January and 25 December.
| Ticket | Official site | GetYourGuide | Tiqets | Headout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 24 h | €33 · €29.70 online | from €33 | from €30.03 | from €29.70 |
| Bus 48 h | €44 · €39.60 online | option on the same listing | ||
| Bus 24 h + 1 h eco-catamaran | €44 October–December (€46 May–September), 15% off online | — | from €44 | from €44 |
| Bus + Aquarium | — | from €63 | — | — |
| Bus + FC Barcelona Museum | — | — | from €66 (non-refundable) | — |
| Night Tour (summer) | €22 adult · €10 child | not found on the platforms | ||
The honest maths: for the plain bus ticket, Headout matches the official online fare (€29.70), Tiqets charges 33 cents more and GetYourGuide asks the walk-up price of €33 — €3.30 more than the official site. Because the operator already offers free cancellation, the case for a platform is weaker here than for the Bus Turístic: use one if you want everything in one app, or if Headout costs you the same anyway.
For the bus-and-boat combo, the platforms charge €44, which is the low-season walk-up fare. With the 15% online discount the official site advertises, the same combo comes to roughly €37.40 on the operator's own site (our calculation): the official site is clearly cheaper. GetYourGuide also sells a version with a sailing cruise for €44, which is not the same boat.
Included: a recorded audio guide (15 or 16 languages, depending on which page you read), headphones, Wi-Fi and USB, a hearing loop, a discount booklet, a free walking tour and the app showing the bus's live position. Under 4s ride free; senior €28 and child €18 (24 h, walk-up fare).
Official prices from barcelona.city-tour.com; platform "from" prices read on the review date. Platform prices change often.
The best and the worst
Patterns that recur in Tripadvisor and Google reviews, not isolated cases.
The best
- A good first overview of the city on day one.
- On-board hostesses who help you find your way, a recurring point of praise.
- Both routes in 24 real hours: start in the afternoon, finish the next morning.
- Accessible buses, frequent early in the morning.
The worst
- Long waits in sun or rain, and "full" buses that do not stop.
- Audio out of sync because of traffic, and faulty headsets.
- Confusing signage at some stops.
- Open roof in the heat: an August rider says staff would not close it.
- On-board sales of tickets and excursions: one rider paid more for Poble Espanyol on the bus than at the ticket office.
The small print
- Cancellation: under Julià Travel's terms, free withdrawal until the day of use, as long as it is before the service starts, with a full refund. Night Tour and Christmas Tour: free up to 24 hours before; after that, no changes or refunds. Tickets are personal and are not replaced if lost.
- Validity: 24 or 48 consecutive hours; the 48-hour ticket must be used on consecutive days. You can upgrade from 24 to 48 hours on board by paying the difference.
- No reserved seat: buying in advance gives you neither priority boarding nor a guaranteed seat.
- Rain: most buses have a sliding roof, closed only when it rains, and a climate-controlled lower deck.
- Accessibility: a ramp at the rear door, but a maximum of one wheelchair per bus. Audio works with hearing aids. Guide dogs welcome; small animals in a carrier.
- Children and luggage: under 4s free, child fare from 4 to 12. Pushchairs folded on the lower deck; no large suitcases.
- Night Tour and Christmas Tour: the night loop runs in summer (5 June to 13 September this season) at 21:30 from Plaça de Catalunya; the Christmas tour from 28 November to 4 January. The site lists different Christmas departure times on different pages, so confirm yours when you buy.
Traps and how to avoid them
How to book at the best price
- Official site or Headout: a tie. €29.70 for the 24-hour ticket on barcelona.city-tour.com and the same on Headout, which allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
- Tiqets sells the same ticket for €30.03 with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
- GetYourGuide charges €33 for the 24- or 48-hour ticket. Only worth it if you already manage your whole trip there.
- Bus + boat: the official site, with its 15% off, is cheapest. If you prefer a platform, Headout and Tiqets sell it for €44; Tiqets lets you cancel up to 48 hours ahead.
- Bus + Aquarium: the GetYourGuide combo (€63) only makes sense if you were going to the Aquarium anyway; see our Aquarium page.
- Before buying, check in our Barcelona hop-on hop-off guide whether the bus beats the metro for your trip.
Alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is Barcelona City Tour reliable?
Yes: it is run by Grupo Julià and Moventis under a concession from the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona, and the online seller (Julià Travel, S.L.U.) is identified by tax ID and registered address. The usual complaints are about queues and waits at stops.
Barcelona City Tour or Barcelona Bus Turístic?
Same price. City Tour (Green and Orange) stops at the WTC near the cruise terminal and lets you cancel free on its own site; Bus Turístic (Red and Blue) reaches Tibidabo and Pedralbes. The tickets are not interchangeable.
Can I cancel?
On the official site, free until the day of use and before the service starts. On Headout and Tiqets, free up to 24 hours ahead. Night Tour and Christmas Tour: up to 24 hours ahead.
Is the 24-hour ticket really 24 hours?
Yes: City Tour counts consecutive hours from first use. Start at 15:00 and you can carry on the next morning.
Does it stop at the cruise port?
Orange route stop 1 is at the World Trade Center, near the cruise terminal. Check the official map for the stop closest to your pier.
Where is it cheapest?
On the official site (€29.70 online) or on Headout, which sells at the same price. Tiqets charges €30.03 and GetYourGuide €33. For the boat combo, the official site is cheapest.
Pick the channel that fits your plan
Headout sells the 24-hour ticket at the same price as the official online fare, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Compare it with the official site and decide.
See the ticket on Headout