How much does Barcelona Card cost and what it includes in 2026
More than 25 museums in Barcelona are free with a single card. For €57 you get admission to all of them plus unlimited rides on the metro, buses, and airport trains (as of 09/2026, official Barcelona Turisme store).
After that, everything depends on your itinerary. Three days of museums and daily trips around the city pay for the card with room to spare. A weekend at the beach and one visit to Gaudí will cost less without it.
The short answer: Barcelona Card pays off for those who combine museums and transport. Below we break down what the card includes, current 2026 prices, and the payback math.
Ad: this article contains affiliate links. We earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
What Barcelona Card includes
💡 In short:
- The card covers admission to more than 25 museums and cultural sites in Barcelona.
- It includes unlimited rides on the metro, buses, trams, and airport trains.
- The card is valid for 48, 72, 96, or 120 consecutive hours from first use.
- It pays for itself with three museums and daily transit rides.
- Card prices and validity: 09/2026, verified on the Barcelona tourism board website.
The card is built on three blocks: museums, transport, and discounts. The list of participants changes every year, so check it before your trip.
The most expensive tickets the card covers in full:
Museum | Regular ticket | With the card |
|---|---|---|
MOCO Museum Barcelona | €19.50 | Free |
Fundació Joan Miró | €15 | Free |
Museu Banksy | €14 | Free |
Museu Egipci de Barcelona | €13 | Free |
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya | €12 | Free |
Museu Picasso | €12 | Free |
MACBA | €12 | Free |
Castell de Montjuïc | €12 | Free |
CosmoCaixa | €8 | Free |
Fundació Antoni Tàpies | €8 | Free |
A separate ticket to each of these museums costs from €8 to €20 (as of 09/2026, card page at Barcelona Turisme).
Beyond these, the card covers 18 more sites. These are Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), Centre Martorell d'Exposicions, El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria, MUHBA Plaça del Rei, MUHBA El Call, MUHBA Via Sepulcral Romana, MUHBA Domus, Disseny Hub Barcelona, Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món on Carrer de Montcada, Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món on Montjuïc, Museu Frederic Marès, Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes, CaixaForum, Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, Museu de Ciències Naturals, Museu de la Música, Museu de la Xocolata, and Museu Olímpic i de l'Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch.
Each of them can be visited once for free while the card is valid (as of 09/2026, card page at Barcelona Turisme).
Transport with the card
TMB metro, buses, and trams are included without limits. That also covers FGC suburban trains and Renfe Rodalies in zone 1, the Montjuïc funicular, and the airport train.
What costs extra | Separate ticket | With the card |
|---|---|---|
Hola BCN 72-hour pass | about €26 | Included |
Hola BCN 96-hour pass | about €33 | Included |
Hola BCN 120-hour pass | about €41 | Included |
Metro to the airport | separate airport fare | Included |
Train to the airport | separate Renfe fare | Included |
Transit pass and airport ticket fares change by season, so check exact amounts before your trip (as of 09/2026, Hola Barcelona and official TMB website).
Night buses are not covered by the card. If you return to your hotel after midnight, plan a separate ride or a taxi.
© Javierito92 · CC BYPhoto: Javierito92, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsCard discounts and perks
Besides free entry, the card gives discounts at more than 70 places: museums, tours, the aquarium, the zoo, flamenco shows (as of 09/2026, discount details on the card's website).
Place or service | Card discount |
|---|---|
Palau Güell | -25% |
Palau de la Música Catalana | -25% |
Sant Pau Recinte Modernista | -20% |
Casa Batlló | -7 € |
Casa Milà (La Pedrera) | -1 € |
Poble Espanyol | -20% |
L'Aquàrium de Barcelona | -20% |
Zoo de Barcelona | -20% |
Parc d'Atraccions del Tibidabo | -20% |
Telefèric de Montjuïc | -15% |
Mirador de Colom | -20% |
Mirador Torre Glòries | -20% |
Barcelona Bus Turístic | -10% |
Museu Marítim de Barcelona | -20% |
Museu d'Història de Catalunya | -20% |
Museu Europeu d'Art Modern (MEAM) | -50% |
The list is long, with dozens of entries, and it changes. Before your trip, check whether the places you want are participating right now. Some discounts only work when you buy tickets online.
© Fred Romero · CC BYPhoto: Fred Romero, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia CommonsHow much Barcelona Card costs
For adults, the price depends on the validity period:
Duration | Adult ticket |
|---|---|
48 hours (2 days) | 39 € |
72 hours (3 days) | 57 € |
96 hours (4 days) | 67 € |
120 hours (5 days) | 79 € |
As of 09/2026, Barcelona Turisme price list.
For children aged 4-12, entry is cheaper: 72 hours cost 35 €, and 96 hours cost 44 € (as of 09/2026, children's prices at Barcelona Turisme). Museums usually let children under four in under their own child policies, so check that at the entrance.
Online and on-site prices differ. Online, the card is sold at a reduced price, while the tourist center charges the full price for the same card (as of 09/2026, purchase terms on the card's website). So buy it in advance, not at the airport counter.
The card is sold by Barcelona Turisme, on GetYourGuide, and on Tiqets. On the platforms, booking costs slightly more, but you can pay by card and the voucher arrives by email immediately.
Checking Barcelona museum tickets on Tiqets is convenient once you have already picked specific museums and want to compare options for a single date.
Tours and tickets in Barcelona
Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and activities — most offers can be cancelled free of charge.
See offers on TiqetsThe widget loads once you give your consent.
Pros and cons
The main advantage is savings: three museums and daily trips cover the cost of the card. The second advantage is transport, because you don't buy a separate ticket for each trip and don't think about zones. The third advantage is speed: at the entrance, you walk past the ticket office line.
- Pros: free entry to 25+ museums, unlimited city transport, skip-the-line entry, city guide in 6 languages.
- The catch: the card is not fully digital, you exchange the voucher from the email for a plastic card.
- The catch: some places give a discount instead of free entry, and not everything you want to visit participates in the program at all.
It's worth calculating your itinerary in advance. If your plan includes five museums over three days, the card is almost always worth it. With one or two museums and long walks on foot, separate tickets and single rides cost less.
How to buy and activate the card
- Buy the card online and choose the date when you plan to pick it up.
- Receive a voucher with a code by email.
- Exchange the voucher for a plastic card at a tourist center. Pickup points are at the airport, in terminals T1 and T2, and in the city center at Plaça de Catalunya, 17.
- Show the card at the first museum entrance or on transport, and it will activate automatically.
No separate activation in advance is needed. The validity period runs in consecutive hours from the moment of first use (as of 09/2026, activation terms).
You can cancel the purchase before the day of your visit, usually up to 24 hours in advance on the platforms. Check this condition on the seller's page before paying.
How to get from the airport with the card
El Prat Airport is connected to the city by several routes, and the card covers some of them. The Renfe R2 Nord train runs from terminal T2 to Passeig de Gràcia, and metro line L9 Sud serves both terminals (as of 09/2026, TMB schedule).
At the ticket machine, it's easy to lose ten minutes if you travel without the card. With the card, the fare is already paid, and the turnstile opens right away. In the morning after a flight, you don't want to figure out zone 1 fares.
The funicular to Tibidabo and the Telefèric de Montjuïc cable car are not included in the card, those are separate tickets.
Who Barcelona Card suits
The card pays off for travelers who come for museums and actively use public transport. Five days, three museums a day, and trips between neighborhoods give you the maximum benefit.
It does not suit you in three cases. First: a short two-day trip with one museum. Second: relaxing on Barceloneta beach without trips to the center. Third: you walk everywhere and take taxis in the evening. Here, individual tickets work out cheaper.
Parents like the card because of the child price.
Reviews on sales platforms most often praise the savings and skip-the-line entry. Complaints concern the limited list of venues and exchanging the voucher for a plastic card (as of 09/2026, reviews on GetYourGuide and Tiqets).
⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
Is Barcelona Card worth buying in 2026?
The card pays off when you visit at least three museums from the list and use the metro or bus every day. In that mode, the card's cost is recovered through tickets and transport. If museums do not interest you, it is cheaper to buy individual tickets and single transport rides.
What is included in Barcelona Card?
The card includes free entry to more than 25 museums and cultural venues, unlimited travel on the metro, buses, trams, and airport trains, plus discounts at dozens of museums, tours, and entertainment venues.
How much does Barcelona Card cost in 2026?
An adult card costs 39 € for 48 hours, 57 € for 72 hours, 67 € for 96 hours, and 79 € for 120 hours. A separate reduced price applies for children aged 4-12. The online price is lower than at the tourist office on site (as of 09/2026, Barcelona Turisme price list).
Does the card include Sagrada Familia?
No, the basic Barcelona Card does not include Sagrada Familia or Park Güell. Both venues sell tickets with fixed entry times, and you buy them separately. If Gaudí is your main focus, budget for two separate time slots plus the card, or skip the card entirely.
Do I need to activate the card in advance?
No, activation is not required. The card starts automatically on first use, whether that is the metro or museum entry.
How many days should I get the card for?
Get the 72-hour card if you plan three days in the city. For 57 € you get transport and museums for the whole period. For four to five days, the 96- or 120-hour cards work well. The 48-hour option only suits a packed weekend when you can fit in two museums and a couple of trips.
In short: what to book
If you have four to five days and at least three museums, get the 96- or 120-hour card. If you are going for Gaudí, buy separate tickets for Sagrada Familia and Park Güell in advance, because entry there is by time slot (as of 09/2026, official Sagrada Familia website).
For a short two-day trip, the card is not necessary: regular tickets and single rides work out cheaper.
It is worth checking tours and tickets in Barcelona on GetYourGuide only after you have worked out your route.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.