Turisme de Barcelona reviews: the official shop, the Barcelona Card and whether it pays off
Verdict: it is the cheapest and most trustworthy place to buy the Barcelona Card, Articket or the Hola Barcelona travel card, but it won't sort out Sagrada Família or Park Güell, which you book separately on their own official sites.
ⓘ Note: we are not Turisme de Barcelona We are not Turisme de Barcelona 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
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Barcelona Card: Access to 25+ Museums & Unlimited Public Transport
4.3 (1,636 reviews)
from €59Check dates
Verdict: 7.5 out of 10
Turisme de Barcelona is the city's public tourism consortium, and its online shop (now at thisisbarcelona.com) is where the Barcelona Card actually comes from. Buying there means buying at source: the official price, 10% less online than at the desk, and a named public body behind the sale. What holds the score back is not trust but clarity: the flagship card is widely misunderstood, and the shop doesn't make like-for-like comparison easy.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price and transparency | 8/10 | Official prices with 10% off online, but the price per card duration is hard to see on the product page |
| Flexibility | 7/10 | Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on the Barcelona Card; it's a physical card you have to collect |
| Public reputation | 7/10 | No Trustpilot profile or overall rating; the Barcelona Card holds 4.3/5 from 2,400+ reviews on Tiqets |
| Experience | 7/10 | Good value if you do two or more museums a day; weak for Gaudí-focused trips |
| Reliability | 9/10 | Public consortium since 1993, tax ID and address published in its legal notice |
| Overall | 7.5/10 | Mean of the five criteria, rounded to 0.5 |
Good fit for
- ✔ Museum-hoppers (Picasso, MNAC, Miró, CaixaForum, Montjuïc Castle) who will also use the metro a lot.
- ✔ Anyone who wants the Barcelona Card, Articket or Hola Barcelona at the official price with no middleman.
- ✔ Travellers after a small-group Gothic Quarter walk that includes the cathedral cloister.
Not a fit for
- ✘ Gaudí-first trips: Sagrada Família and Park Güell are on none of the cards.
- ✘ People who want everything instantly on their phone: the Barcelona Card is a physical card collected at an information point.
- ✘ Anyone visiting only one or two museums in total: single tickets work out cheaper.
Fact sheet
| Legal entity | Consorci de Turisme de Barcelona (Barcelona Turisme), a public consortium · tax ID P-5890003-F · Passatge de la Concepció 7-9, 08008 Barcelona, per its legal notice |
|---|---|
| Founded | Agreement of 8 September 1993; members are Barcelona City Council, the Chamber of Commerce and the Fundació Barcelona Promoció |
| Base | Barcelona (information points at Plaça de Catalunya, the airport, Plaça d'Espanya, Sagrada Família and the Columbus Monument) |
| Catalan tourism registration | Not published in its legal notice |
| What it sells | Barcelona Card (with transport, Essential, Family and Modernista), Articket BCN, Hola Barcelona, Arqueoticket, Nightcard, Bus Turístic, Aerobús, attraction tickets and its own Barcelona Walking Tours |
| Official price range | From €7.50 (Columbus Monument viewpoint) to about €130 (Barcelona Card Modernista) |
| Where to book | thisisbarcelona.com/tickets (barcelonaturisme.com now redirects there) and at the information points |
| Public ratings | No Trustpilot profile. Barcelona Card: 4.3/5 from about 2,480 reviews according to Tiqets; 4.4/5 from 2,400+ according to GetYourGuide; 4.3/5 from 1,600+ according to Headout |
What it sells and what it costs
The shop does two jobs: it sells its own cards and tours, and it resells third-party tickets (Aquarium, Zoo, cable car, Montserrat, Tablao Cordobés and more). On its own products it is almost always the cheapest option; on resold tickets its prices match the official ones (La Pedrera and Sant Pau, for instance). Here's how it compares with the platforms we work with:
| Product | Official shop | On platforms | Honest read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona Card (with transport) | From €39; €35.10 online | Tiqets from €39; GetYourGuide and Headout from €59 | Official is cheapest. Each site's "from" price may refer to a different duration, so always compare the same number of hours |
| Hola Barcelona (48 h) | €17.76 online (€18.70 standard) | Headout €18.70; GetYourGuide from €19.70; Tiqets from €23.73 | Cheaper on the official site |
| Articket BCN | €38 | Tiqets €38; Headout €38 | Same price everywhere |
| Bus Turístic | €29.70 (10% off online) | Tiqets from €30.50; Headout from €33 | Official wins narrowly |
| Aerobús | From €7.75 | Headout and GetYourGuide €7.75 | Same |
| Barcelona Walking Tours: Gothic | From €25.65 (2 h, up to 15 people) | Not identified on our platforms | Official shop only |
| Barcelona Walking Tours: Picasso | €38 (€40 standard) | Not identified | Official shop only |
| Barcelona Card Modernista | From about €130 (72–120 h) | Not identified | No transport; no Sagrada Família or Park Güell |
Official prices per thisisbarcelona.com; platform prices per their product pages on the day of review. Platform prices change often. The Barcelona Card Modernista page showed different figures in its text and metadata (€130 and €134), so check at checkout.
The best and the worst
The best
- It's the source. The Barcelona Card is the consortium's own product, and Tiqets lists "Barcelona Turisme" as the supplier. Buying direct cuts out a link in the chain.
- A real online discount. The 10% off the desk price applies to the card, the Bus Turístic and Hola Barcelona.
- Proper transport. The transport version covers metro, bus, tram, Rodalies zone 1, the Montjuïc funicular and the train or metro to the airport (not night buses).
- Small walking groups. The Gothic walk runs with up to 15 people and includes the cathedral cloister; Barcelona Card holders pay half.
- A transparent organisation. Legal name, tax ID and address sit in the legal notice; nothing to dig for.
The worst
- The big misunderstanding. Neither the Barcelona Card nor the Modernista card includes Sagrada Família or Park Güell, and it is the most common buyer mix-up.
- A physical card. You collect it at an information point with set hours; land late and the airport desk may be shut.
- Prices by duration are hard to see. The 48/72/96/120-hour table loads dynamically and is awkward to compare at a glance.
- Discounts with conditions. At La Pedrera the €7 discount applies to the Essencial ticket from 14:00; at Casa Batlló it's also a discount, not free entry.
- No overall public rating. There's no Trustpilot profile, only product-level reviews on the platforms.
The small print
- Cancellation: the Barcelona Card can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead, according to the official product page. On Tiqets, until 23:59 the day before.
- Validity: the card activates on first use and the hours run from then; the shop says it is valid until the end of the current year, so if you buy in December for a January trip, check validity first.
- Children: ages 4 to 12 pay a reduced price and younger children go free, according to the official site; the Barcelona Card Family is a separate version, from €72, covering the Zoo, Tibidabo, CosmoCaixa and the Aquarium.
- One visit per venue: each included attraction allows one entry per person.
- Accessibility: the shop doesn't detail accessibility per product; check with the attraction or an information point.
- Walking tours: these are paid tours, not "free tours". The Gothic walk in English runs most days at 10:00; check language and time before paying.
- Group size: the Ciutat Vella rules adopted in 2023 set groups below 20 people with no loudspeakers; the official walk's cap of 15 sits well under that.
Traps and how to avoid them
How to book at the best price
Barcelona Card, Hola Barcelona and Bus Turístic: book direct. The official shop applies 10% off online and there is no cheaper way to buy them. Do the maths first: the card pays off if you visit two or more paid museums a day and use public transport.
When a platform makes sense. If you already manage your trip in one app, want support in your language or prefer to cancel up to the night before, the Barcelona Card on Tiqets starts at €39, the same as the official desk price, with Barcelona Turisme as the supplier. On GetYourGuide and Headout the "from" price is €59, so compare it with the same duration on the official site before deciding.
Transport only. If museums aren't your thing, the Hola Barcelona card is simpler than the Barcelona Card. For art, Articket BCN costs €38 wherever you buy it.
Gaudí, separately. Sagrada Família (from €26) and Park Güell (€18) are bought on their official sites or, if you want flexible cancellation or a guide, through a tour; our city passes guide explains the trade-offs.
Alternatives
For a bigger choice of Spanish-language tours, look at Civitatis; for discounted shows, Atrápalo. And before you buy Gaudí tickets anywhere, read our guide to unofficial ticket sites.
Frequently asked questions
Is thisisbarcelona.com legit?
Yes. It is the shop of the Consorci de Turisme de Barcelona, a public consortium set up in 1993 by the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce and the Fundació Barcelona Promoció. Its legal notice publishes the name, tax ID and address. The old barcelonaturisme.com redirects to this domain.
Does the Barcelona Card include Sagrada Família or Park Güell?
No. No version, including the Modernista card, covers these two. It includes 25+ museums and venues such as the Picasso Museum, MNAC and the Fundació Miró, plus discounts at Casa Batlló and La Pedrera.
Should I buy the Barcelona Card on the official site or on Tiqets or GetYourGuide?
The official site is usually cheaper thanks to its 10% online discount (from €35.10). Tiqets starts at €39 and GetYourGuide and Headout at €59; always compare the same duration. A platform is worth it if you value its support or its cancellation policy.
Can I cancel the Barcelona Card?
Yes, free of charge up to 24 hours before, according to the official shop. On Tiqets you can cancel or change until 23:59 the day before.
Where do I pick up the Barcelona Card?
At the information points at the airport (T1 and T2), Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça d'Espanya, Sagrada Família and the Columbus Monument. Each has its own hours; Plaça de Catalunya opens longest.
Is the Barcelona Walking Tours Gothic walk worth it?
For a first visit, yes: it lasts 2 hours, groups are capped at 15 and it includes entry to the cathedral cloister, from €25.65. Barcelona Card holders pay half.
Planning a museum marathon? Run the numbers on the Barcelona Card
Compare the same duration on the official shop and on Tiqets, where you can cancel until the night before.
See the Barcelona Card