How to Spend 1-Week in Spain as a First-Timer: Barcelona, Madrid & Valencia
Since traveling to Paris together in January, my mom and I have definitely caught a bit of the travel bug. (See how I packed for it HERE). When I asked which other country she had interest in, somehow Spain came up. It’s a country whose culture I’ve only admired at a distance, mainly through Spanish classes and cuisines from NYC. However, the more research I did, the more I was convinced that it would be a great place to visit in May. I was torn on which cities to see, and for how long. But looking back I have no regrets on our planning, and wanted to share below how I spent 1-week in Spain as a first-timer.
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When it comes to travel, I don’t believe there is ever a ‘perfect’ time. The perfect time is when you feel ready and committed 🙂 That said, I love traveling in the off-season because it saves money and you don’t have to deal with as many crowds. We were lucky to be blessed with spotless, sunny, 70 to 80-degree weather throughout our trip. So if possible, I highly recommend early May as the time to visit Spain!
1-Week in Spain as a First-Timer: My Itinerary
I played around with a few different cities, but given that we were only in Spain for 1-week, I wanted to select cities that are fairly close together and allowed us to sample the major sightseeing spots. In the end, I landed on the following itinerary and found it to be a nice introduction to the country.
Barcelona: 3 Days
Valencia: 2 Days
Madrid: 2 Days
Some have shared that they skipped Madrid entirely, or found the city underwhelming. However, when I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the vibrant atmosphere. I wouldn’t have minded staying an extra day or so, and hope that offers you some confidence if you’re on the fence about visiting!
How I Spent 3 Days in Barcelona
There are a plethora of things to see in Barcelona, so I kept it as our first city to visit in hopes that the excitement would set a great tone for the rest of the trip. We were correct! Everything from admiring Gaudí’s architecture to meandering through produce markets—there was not a shortage of activities that captured by attention. The food scene was also incredible!
For this trip, I grouped activities of interest based on their proximity to each other. I found that the following itinerary made the most sense:
Day 1: I like to keep travel days light, and planned around the Sagrada Familia.
Brunch: There are so many great spots. We ate at Little Fern located in the Poble Nou district. It is vegan-friendly and so delicious!
Mercat del Encants – local flea market in Glòries (near our hotel)
Sagrada Familia
Drinks at the rooftop bar at Sercotel Rosellón (must reserve 7-days in advance)
Dinner at Madre Taberna Moderna (high-rated restaurant near Sagrada Familia)
Sercotel Rosellon Rooftop Bar – Best View of Sagrada Familia
Delicious Brunch at Little Fern Cafe in Poble Nou – Barcelona
Day 2: Casa Batlló, Passeig de Gràcia, La Rambla, Mercat de Boqueria, Gothic Quarter.
Casa Batlló: Highly suggest grabbing the earliest ticket (8:45am) to avoid the crowds, especially if you are visiting on a weekend.
Walk & shop along Passeig de Gràcia. This avenue is one of the most decorated ones in Barcelona, with a lot of nice architecture to admire.
La Rambla: ~1-mile pedestrian-friendly street filled with stalls. This place is teeming with tourists, so be careful with your belongings!
Mercat de la Boqueria: As you walk La Rambla, you will eventually find the famous market! Grab fresh fruit juice, jamón, and seafood at Bar Central (sit-down restaurant towards the back).
Gothic Quarter: Charming neighborhood with narrow Medieval-style streets. One of my favorite activities was meandering into the small shops there while appreciating the rich history.
Day 3: Parc Guell, Gothic Quarter & El Born (cont.), Ciutadella Park, La Barceloneta
Parc Guell: Location is out of the way, so I highly recommend taking a taxi. Grab the earliest ticket (9:30am) to avoid the crowds because it gets busy! To maximize time, I suggest heading to the mosaic Serpentine Bench first (located above the Hypostyle Room on the map). Enjoy photos and views before the crowds rush in. After that, you’re pretty much free to explore the rest of the park.
El Born: Located between the Gothic Quarter and Ciutadella, this district is filled with similar Medieval charm. Both the Picasso Museum and MOCO (modern art) are located next to each other here! I split these two up as separate visits, but thoroughly enjoyed both. MOCO is a shorter time commitment (~1-hour to see everything). Then grab croissants at the snazzy cafe a few doors down at Brunells.
We ended the day with a stroll through Ciutadella Park, and then look a bus to La Barceloneta, a beach-town where we enjoyed paella, walked the boardwalk, and saw the locals dance. It was a beautiful day I didn’t want to end!
For 1-week as a first-timer in Spain, I wanted to squeeze in all the highlights. Not only is Valencia a very picturesque city that boasts a strong Mediterranean influence, but it is also the third-largest city in Spain and the official birthplace of paella!
Day 1: Explore Ruzafa. This neighborhood has a lot of offer in terms of eclectic shops, Bohemian charm, and vibrant cuisine.
Dulce de Leche Boutique: Stop by for authentic alfajores, a slice of chocolate cake, and freshly squeezed fruit juice or coffee. This highly-rated bakery lived up to the hype, and was the perfect spot to wind down in the daytime.
Shopping: Ruzafa is known for its boutiques, and vintage shops. You can spend a while browsing through them, and even picking up a few unique souvenirs along the way!
Canalla Bistro: I am a huge foodie, and saw this one featured in a few articles on places to eat in Valencia. This fusion restaurant combines Asian and Mediterranean flavors, and remains one of the most stand-out meals I had in Spain.
Jardín del Túria: I did not make it here, but I hear this park has great walking paths.
El Carmen Neighborhood
Dulce de Leche Boutique in Ruzafa
Day 2: Tour Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, then visit El Carmen (one of the oldest neighborhoods in Valencia) and the Old City (Ciutat Vella).
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias: This architectural complex houses multiple structures, including Europe’s largest aquarium. I didn’t end up going inside, but once you tour the outside, you will see how impressive everything is. Apparently in the summertime, there are also rental paddle boats you can ride across the water!
Old City (Ciutat Vella): Key sites to see here are Mercat Central de València, Valencia Cathedral, El Miguelete Tower, and Santa Catalina Church.
El Carmen: Admire the unique street murals, and visit Museo del Carmen. Get churros and horchata at Horchatería Santa Catalina (one of the oldest in the city).
Paella: No trip would be complete without getting this dish in the city it was birthed! We didn’t get to come, but some of the highly rated places in my research were: Toni Montoliu, and Casa Carmela.
Visiting Madrid was a no-brainer. However, with the limited time we had, we needed to be strategic on the key sites to see. I ended up selecting these activities, and was able to comfortably fit them all within a 2-days without feeling exhausted afterwards. If you are spending 1-week in Spain as a first-timer, here is the list of activities that felt like a good introduction to the city:
San Miguel Market: Compared to Mercat de la Boqueria, San Miguel felt more refined and gourmet. There were lots of fresh seafood, tapas, and even dessert options. Prices are on the higher end compared to Mercat de la Boqueria as well. More catered to Spanish fare rather than produce shopping.
Secret Cookies from the Cloistered Nuns: Not too far from San Miguel Market, you can purchase cookies from the cloistered nuns at Monasterio del Corpus Christi. This sweet cultural experience combines tradition with mystery, and makes a great take-home souvenir.
Enjoy Churros at San Gines: One of the oldest chocolaterías in Madrid.
Tapas at San Miguel Market
Secret Cookies from Cloistered Nuns
Shopping Along Gran Via: We stayed at the Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid, so it was conveniently located many big retailers including Mango (which is so much cheaper than in the U.S.). Not to mention, this street boasts of Art Deco and Neo-classical architecture, which was so stunning to admire!
Royal Palace of Madrid: The largest royal palace in Europe. We were not prepared for how big the lines were, but made the right choice by reserving our tickets in advance. I hear they sell out for weeks in advance, so to be safe, buy them 3-4-weeks ahead of time!
El Retiro Park / Shopping in Salamanca: Take a leisurely stroll along tree-lined paths, then grab gelato at Maison Glacée. Near El Retiro Park is also the luxury shopping district Salamanca. For shopping lovers, you will love the elevated brands offered here.
Seeing a Live Flamenco Show: Flamenco is most prevalent in southern Spain, but Madrid also has much to offer tourists. We ended booking our show at a smaller venue due to last minute planning. However, if possible, I highly recommend you see it through Teatro Flamenco Madrid.
Royal Palace of MadridChurros con Chocolate – San Gines
1-Week in Spain as a First-Timer: Highlights Summarized
If you are spending 1-week in Spain as a first-timer, I am super excited for you because there is so much culture to enjoy! Ultimately, your trip is super customizable but I found that visiting the 3 biggest cities in Spain offered me the best introduction: Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid.