Experience tomorrow the best of
Barcelona with Withlocals

"My daughter and I took a tour with Tomas, looking at the history and architectural history of the city. Tomas was showed us sites and places we would have never found without him. He is very enthusiastic, very friendly, and very knowledgeable. I would recommend booking with Tomas. "

"From start to finish, our experience with Brendan in Barcelona was just what we hoped for. I scheduled the three-hour tasting tour to ease our way into the city and set us up for two days on our own. Brendan was born in Ireland, raised on a pig farm in Argentina, studied Spanish history and culture in college. He spent about 10 years working in the tech industry before deciding that living in Spain and being a tour guide was where he truly belongs. Based on our evening with him, I’d say he definitely found his passion and place in the universe. Along with explaining all of the wonderful food we ate, Brendan sprinkled in just enough history – influences of the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, etc. – to give us cultural context. After several emails in advance, Brendan modified one of his tapas and wine-tasting tours to suit both my husband’s medically necessary dietary restrictions and our preference for a stroll over a sprint. Over the course of the evening, we discussed that what has become known as tapas is not traditional. At its start, a “tapa” was a small plate that covered the top of a drink to keep out flies. Whatever was served on the plate — olives, nuts, etc. — was chosen by the bartender, was the same for everyone, and was included in the price of the drink. But, now, tapas are widely enjoyed as appetizers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. We combined them into a full meal for our evening with Brendan. Over the next two days, we enjoyed small plates for lunch on one day and dinner the other at restaurants Brendan recommended to us. We started our evening with Brendan by walking to the Mercado de Sant Antoni, where we visited a stall selling an amazing variety of olives. We learned about the extensive olive production in Spain, which is actually larger than that of Italy and Greece. From the first stop, we learned that Brendan has established relationships with the people at every stop on the tour, and everyone was friendly and accommodating. The next stop was a typical Barcelonan bar where locals stand at the counter for a drink, then may sit to eat. We were introduced to Vermut, the traditional drink of Barcelona, and enjoyed a variety of small plates. The famous Jamón Ibérico, a dry-cured ham that is typically sliced very thin for serving, is a specialty of this area, but it’s also one of the things my husband can’t eat. By ordering it in a croqueta – a small fritter made with a thick, creamy white sauce mixed with finely diced jamón, then coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried – Brendan at least gave him a chance to try it. The final two stops were a restaurant built over an olive oil production facility (aceiteria) and a xurreria, where they make the fried dough strips that are dipped in very thick hot chocolate. Tired and pleasantly full from our culinary adventure, we walked back to our hotel. It was a wonderful way to be introduced to Barcelona and start our visit there. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, please contact Brendan for a tour. "

"Maria was a great local host! She answered all of our questions with ease, and even came prepared to give us an in depth understanding of the history of Barcelona, which was a nice suprise for a tapas tour."

"This was our second tour with Maria and we were not disappointed. She shares lots of really interesting information about Barcelona, she is fun and friendly, and happy to tweak her plan to suit you. We thoroughly enjoyed the Gaudi tour this time and when we come back again we will definitely be in touch and asking Maria to share some new things about Barcelona! Oh - and she gives great suggestions for extra things to do, too!"

"Marina led an excellent food and walking tour. My wife and I appreciated her food selections, knowledge-sharing, and showing us parts of the city that we likely wouldn't have seen otherwise. Also, she gave us great restaurants and other recommendations for us to visit during our remaining time in the city. "

"Was really a beautiful morning spent with Lillia , she was so informative and had a more of a tailored tour .. I wanted to see the city from an eye of a local and I had more than the with depth of history knowledge or the city. "

"I can't begin to say how much we enjoyed our time with Federico. He was well versed in the history of Barcelona, knew all the best spots (whethere we wanted to stop for a quick cortado or a glass of wine!) and navigated us beautifully through the Gothic Quarter, avoiding the touristic streets and large crowds. We saw a different side of Barcelona with Federico that we would not have seen on our own. In addition, he was just so pleasant to be with! "

"Maria tells a great story about Barcelona. We didn’t have much time in Barcelona but Maria left us wanting to come back to learn more. "

"Liliia was a great guide. She was very accommodating to the 2 toddlers in our group. She brought us to amazing places and made delicious food recommendations. We especially loved the vibe and food offerings at our first spot, Ocaña. Liliia also incorporated fun Gaudi history lessons throughout the deliciousness. Thank you for showing us around Barcelona. We had a great time. "

"Sebastian is an excellent guide. We enjoyed our tasting experience and our conversation with Sebastian. When we are back in Barcelona we will do this again. "