Looking for team building activities in Barcelona? 

Our Barcelona team building treasure hunt is one of the most popular team building activities in the city.  It’s an exciting, interesting, and unique way to get acquainted with Barcelona.

Every day, we get lots of questions about our Barcelona team building treasure hunt (see, we told you it was popular). Here are the answers to them all…

How does your Barcelona treasure hunt work?

It’s all pretty simple. We give the whole group a detailed brief before splitting you into smaller teams.  Then, each team gets a backpack packed with useful equipment.

We then unleash you on Barcelona’s incredible Gothic Quarter (or Old Town) in a crazy, madcap treasure hunt. Using the kit given – and the brains of your team – you compete to solve clues, collect scavenger items, and take pictures.  This is all to gather as many points as you can to win the activity and prove your team is the best! 

Why is your Barcelona team building treasure hunt so popular?

Mainly because it’s a lot of fun. We know it is because we designed it! Furthermore, people keep telling us how much they enjoy the activity. 

We’ve all done team building activities before. Let’s be honest, some of them are terrible, but we guarantee this one isn’t.

Our Barcelona team building treasure hunt is affordable, adventurous, and exciting. The activity helps to bring teams closer together and they’re a unique way to explore Barcelona.

Where do we go?

The entire treasure hunt takes place in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, which is the central part of the old city. During your treasure hunt, you’ll see attractions such as:

  • Barcelona Cathedral
  • Placa del Pi
  • Sant Felip Neri
  • Placa Reial
  • La Rambla
  • … and plenty more!

More than that, the way the activity is designed you’ll notice more than you would on a simple tour.  Your team wanders in, through, and around lots of great architecture. You’ll stroll past cafes, ancient buildings, monuments, houses, and galleries, all while keeping your eyes peeled for clues. 

What equipment do we get?

Everything you need, we give you (well, apart from your own brain – you need to bring that). Each team is allocated the following items: 

  • Rucksack – easy to carry on the move and keeps all your kit together
  • Laminated map
  • Clue booklet – this includes obscured pictures. It’s your job to find the unobscured sites and answer the questions
  • Scavenger hunt – a list of things you need to find. Haggling, buying, borrowing, and finding are all fair game
  • Vintage Polaroid camera – using this, you’ll need to snap some pictures. Some fun, some challenging, and some embarrassing. Your team will need to get creative
  • A brilliant surprise prize (but only for the winning team)
  • All the other important stuff, like pens and paper

Once it’s all over, your team gets to keep a photo album as a memento which is stuffed with all the photos you’ve taken on your Barcelona treasure hunting team building trip.

Who is it for?

Anyone, anywhere, who wants to have fun. If you want a team building treasure hunt in Barcelona, it’s for you.

Work in a small team? We accommodate teams as small as 8. Work in a large team? We have the capacity for up to 200.

Beyond company events, our treasure hunt is also suitable for families, groups of friends, and anyone else.

How long does it last?

You should allow approximately three hours. Afterward, most teams go for food or drinks, where we normally also hold a prize-giving ceremony. Usually, teams extend the night long beyond this ceremony.  To enjoy the excitement, laughter and good vibe still lingering long after the treasure hunt is over. 

Your team will still be talking about the activity after you’ve returned to the office.

Do you offer any other Barcelona team building activities?

Yes, we offer loads!

Our other Barcelona team building activities include boat trips, sailing races, tapas cooking, flamenco nights, city tours, plus many more.  

Hopefully, we’ve answered all your questions about our Barcelona team building treasure hunt. If we haven’t, get in touch and ask them – we’re always here to help.

In this blog, we explore The Born aka El Born and provide a taste of the different areas to be found in beautiful Barcelona. Along with some history, we’ve also included some of our top picks. Let’s dive in!

What’s a barrio?

Barrio is a Spanish word used to describe a neighbourhood or quarter of the city. And each of Barcelona’s barrios has something unique to offer!

This variety gives us plenty of possibilities for Barcelona group activities and is exactly what makes the city such a vibrant place to visit for your private groups or company events.

Where is El Born?

Sandwiched between the Gothic Quarter and Ciutadella Park (the main park in the city), El Born has grown in popularity with the trendsetters. Like its Gothic neighbour, this barrio has its share of winding narrow streets. It is full of contrasts, which include Gothic, medieval history and modern influences. Over recent years it has also become popular for its boho yet fashionable stores, bistros, and bars. This eclectic mix gives the area a very unique charm.

The Backstory

Originally sitting outside of the city’s Roman wall boundary, as the city grew the walls were extended to include the area in the 15th Century.

The Roman archaeological remains can still be seen inside the old El Born Market, now a dedicated centre for the culture and history of the area. This old market is definitely worth a visit!

The location – near the working port – was convenient for traders who began to build palaces in the area. A financial crisis meant that King Felipe V decided to destroy much of the neighbourhood and built a castle instead, which is now Ciutadella Park.

Its colourful history is what gives the area its unique aesthetics and curb appeal.

The Current Vibe

We love the local designer boutiques, diverse selection of restaurants, wine bars and antique curiosity shops.

Let’s also not forget the beautiful architecture steeped in history, cobbled streets, terraces perfect for long lingering lunches and an impressive medieval church (Santa Maria del Mar). We can’t recommend the area enough!

Get it on your itinerary for an organised group tour or just a saunter around area taking it all in slowly.

For those culturally inclined it is also home to the Picasso Museum.

We also recommend the lesser-known, but in our opinion, equally interesting Museum of Modern Art.

El Born: Top Picks

Plan your group trip to Barcelona with some of our top picks below!

El Xampanyet

Looking for an authentic bar experience? Go back in time to experience one of the area’s longest-standing traditional bars, El Xampanyet. Dating back to 1929, the name comes from the sparkling wine served there. Enjoy a glass and some tapas in the hustle and bustle of this unique bar.

Guzzo Club

Guzzo Club is a café, bar, art gallery and music club all rolled into one. Get down with the hipsters for a bite to eat, a few drinks and a late-night boogie.

Hoffman Pastries

We wholeheartedly recommend getting your sweet fix here! Try one of their award-winning croissants (our favourite is the mascarpone croissant!) or whatever seduces you from the selection mouthwatering selection of pastries. You’ll find Pastisseria Hofmann at Carrer dels Flassaders, 44.

Cal Pep

Don’t be fooled by the laid-back vibe, Cal Pep is a real hidden gem and one of the best places to eat tapas in Barcelona!

AIRE Ancient Baths Barcelona

Tired from all the exploring? Check out AIRE Ancient Baths Barcelona. The ancient thermal baths offer a calm and relaxing space to chill out and recharge your batteries – to get you ready for the next barrio adventure.

This blog was first published on June 29, 2020, and updated on Dec 2, 2022.

Here at Barcelona Tours we continue with our Travel Blogger Series. Asking what our favourite bloggers have been up to during the last year. Given that travel was off the table, how did they fill their time and what does the future hold?

We talked to Chris from Aussie on the Road.  We wanted to hear about his recent experiences and what he makes of it all.

Thanks for joining our Travel Blogger Series. How much did the pandemic affected your life as a travel blogger?

Both my travel blogging and my day job as a safari tour operator were severely impacted by COVID-19. My income dried up almost overnight. Thankfully, I was able to pivot into doing something different – running paid games of Dungeons & Dragons.

I am slowly starting to see offers trickle back in for partnerships as a blogger.  The depressed climate means people are making lowball offers. These aren’t worth the time and effort it would take to put them into action. I imagine travel blogging will be a hobby for the foreseeable future for me.

How do you think travel might change after the pandemic?

I think we’ll see a heightened level of caution being exercised by people, especially when it comes to travel insurance. Working in safari sales, I’ve seen countless people find out the hard way that their chosen insurance package did not cover them for events such as a pandemic. Thankfully, there are some reputable insurers who did work with my clients to help them recoup their lost money, but the vast majority were left high and dry by their insurers.

I also think we’ll see a slow period of growth.  Where people take tentative travel steps by visiting places closer to their own backyard, before making long-haul international trips.

We are asking everyone in our Travel Blogger series, what are your plans for future travels, where is top of your list to visit?

I haven’t seen my family back in Australia since the day after my wedding back in 2019, so my #1 goal would be getting back to see them. I’ve got a new nephew or niece on the way that I’m dying to meet!

Beyond that, my wife and I moved to Tbilisi right before the outbreak, and our plan had been to finally see some of Europe. Aside from having seen lots of Georgia, we haven’t made much headway in that area yet! My goal for 2022 would be to see as much of Europe as we can.

Do you think people during this time have lost interest in travel stories?

Not at all! I think there is still plenty of demand for escapism and daydreaming, but that doesn’t necessarily pay the bills as a travel blogger. I think as things begin to ease up, more and more people are excited to read about the countries they can visit now or will be able to visit soon. There are already plenty of countries opening for tourism with appropriate precautions- I think we’ll see these early adaptors getting a lot of attention, as cooped up bloggers make their way there and begin to sing their praises.

What is your opinion on the new travel measures that they are currently implementing in your country?

I applaud Australia’s efforts to curtail the spread of the pandemic. The swift and strict early lockdown prevented the pandemic from spreading out of control in Australia. Even if it did mean a major hit to the tourism economy.

What I wasn’t a fan of was the way my country left ex-pats stranded abroad high and dry. Between the inhibitive cost of international flights and the brutally expensive mandatory quarantine, it hasn’t been possible for us to get back home. No real support was offered to those of us who couldn’t get home before the borders were closed.

Now, our favourite question in the travel blogger series. If you have been to Barcelona before what would be your ‘must-see place to visit? If you haven’t visited Barcelona before, would you like to and why?

I’ve not had the pleasure to visit Barcelona (or any of Europe outside of Georgia and the UK) just yet, but that had been our plan for 2020. I’m definitely going to be building up a dream itinerary for a 2–3-month European itinerary once things get back to normal!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Chris and taking part in our travel blogger series. We hope that Barcelona is on that dream itinerary! And incase Chris feels like a sneak preview he can check out some of the amazing things to do here

We continue with our series of posts on Travel Bloggers! Discovering how they have been affected by the pandemic and what the future holds. We spoke with Thomas Dowson about his niche blog ‘Archaeology Travel’. 

About Thomas

Archaeology Travel is a travel blog written specifically for people who enjoy exploring archaeology and history sites when they travel. It is produced by travel blogger Thomas Dowson, an archaeologist who trained in South Africa. His research focused on prehistoric arts of southern Africa and western Europe. 

In the mid-90s he moved to the UK where he set up the world’s first postgraduate degree program on rock art. Other research activities include the contemporary significance of the past, which continues to influence his writing on Archaeology Travel. Thomas travels to explore the ways in which archaeological and historical sites and museums are experienced. 

  • How much has the pandemic affected your life as a travel blogger

In February 2020 when I was buying my visa to visit Jordan, already then there were restrictions for people from southeast Asia on entering Jordan. A few weeks later, on my return home via Paris, I got off the plane in Charles de Gaulle Airport and was very surprised to see how many people in the terminal were wearing masks. Back then it was voluntarily. 

A few weeks later Europe was in lockdown. It was a very strange feeling after 5 years of non-stop traveling as a travel blogger to suddenly find myself ‘grounded’. But I was able to use the time to develop a few features on Archaeology Travel. The pandemic, more specifically, not being able to travel, made me think carefully about what it is I was offering on my website. I am still learning! 

  • How do you think travel might change after the pandemic?

Hopefully, we have seen an end to crowds. With social distancing being the order of the day, there will surely be fewer people visiting the once very popular attractions such as the Acropolis in Athens or the Colosseum in Rome. Those that see millions of visitors each year. Being with fewer people sounds like a great thing. But the way we experience these places will change as we are forced to follow one-way routes. 

I also hope everyone starts exploring more, rather than just chasing bucket lists. While there is nothing wrong with seeing the most popular sites, there are many other places just as worthy of our attention. Thinking about the Colosseum, for example, it is a great place and well worth visiting. But there are the remains of some 200 other roman amphitheaters around what was the Roman world. They may not be the size of the Colosseum or as well preserved but they are every bit as interesting. Visiting these places can be just as rewarding.  

  • What are your plans for future travels, where is top of your list to visit?

Rome, I can not wait to visit Rome again. There are now so many new things to see there since my last visit, including the Mausoleum of Augustus. I have been to the Colosseum, but I want to see more of Roman and Middle Ages Rome. I would also love to do more long-distance travel, and the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu are at the top of my list. 

  • Do you think people during this time have lost interest in travel blogger stories?

It is too early for me to say yes or no now with any certainty.  My feeling is people are going to be more interested in authentic travel stories, as they search for experiences away from popular attractions that are difficult to visit.

  • What is your opinion on the new travel measures that they are currently implementing in your country?

Personally, I think most if not all countries are doing the best they can: following good practices that are grounded in science. These measures in place now are not popular with everyone. But I have no time for conspiracy theorists. We are in a time when two groups of people are self-evident: those who are willing to play their part for the good of all and those who are shouting about some imagined loss of liberties. 

  • If you haven’t visited Barcelona before, would you like to and why?

I have not explored as much of Sapin as I should have, yet. This is definitely something I hope to remedy soon. One area I have visited a number of times, and love, is Costa Daurada – Tarragona and Reus. The area has such a long and fascinating history. So Barcelona must be the next step: to go from Gaudí in Reus and the Romans in Tarragona to the Sagrada Família and the Roman ruins in the Museu d’Història de Barcelona Plaça del Rei. And of course, Barcelona is one of Europe’s great cities. I hope to get there this year, if not, definitely next year!

Thank you Thomas! We’d love to see you in Barcelona very soon.

Here at Barcelona Tours, as much as we love the beautiful city that is Barcelona, we also love to travel the globe.  

When we can’t do that travel blogs are the next best thing. At Barcelona Tours we love to hear from those who dedicate themselves to exploration.  We devour travel adventures accompanied by amazing photos. 

Curious to find out how travel bloggers have experienced the pandemic, we reached out to ask some of our favorites.  How has the pandemic affected them, and where they plan to travel to first when they are able to do so? 

Kathy is an Australian Travel and Lifestyle blogger at www.50shadesofage.com and although has travelled all over the world, she is very passionate about her own country – Australia. When she’s not travelling, taking photos and blogging, she enjoys long walks, yoga, reading, cooking and watercolour painting.

 We caught up with Kathy who shared some of her thoughts with us. 

Interview: Being a travel blogger during covid, what’s next? 

  1.  How much has the pandemic affected your life as a travel blogger? 

Covid-19 and the immediate introduction of international and domestic travel restrictions in my country Australia, have heavily impacted my life as a travel blogger. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to travel as frequently as before and this has limited the amount of material I’m able to write about. I also believe that my audience has disappeared dramatically because no one is planning trips nor can travel since the pandemic. Without the material and audience, it has been tough, to say the least.

  1. How do you think travel might change after the pandemic?

I think travel after Covid-19 will change dramatically. I think for many people they will be afraid to travel overseas again and will limit their travel to within their own country. For others, they will be super cautious about travelling and will probably take more precautions. I believe things like Covid vaccine certificates, wearing masks and using hand sanitiser, will be mandatory for air travel. It will be a changed world for sure. 

  1. What are your plans for future travels, where is top of your list to visit?

At present I’m only travelling domestically within Australia. I have trips planned to North Queensland and Tasmania this year. Recently I have paid a deposit on a cruise in June 2022 to Hawaii and Alaska, but I’m unsure whether this will eventuate at present. It will depend on whether the Australian government lift the international travel restrictions that are in place at present.

  1. Do you think people during this time have lost interest in travel stories?

Yes, I do for international travel, but I believe that people are still interested in travel within their own countries. Most of the Australian content on my blog is attracting a good audience. I’ve recently been writing for a publication called The Big Lap Bible about travelling in Australia. 

  1. What is your opinion on the new travel measures that they are currently implementing in your country?

I totally agree with the international travel bans that are in force in my country. However, I would like to see them slowly open up some of our nearest neighbouring countries within the Pacific and South East Asia sectors. We already can travel to our nearest neighbour, New Zealand which is a step in the right direction. I was totally in disagreeance with the domestic travel bans when they were in force. It made it very difficult for families and business people to go about their lives as per normal and impacted on businesses heavily. 

  1. If you haven’t visited Barcelona before, would you like Barcelona Tours to show you and why?

I haven’t been to Barcelona, but had a trip booked to Spain and Portugal in 2020. That obviously didn’t proceed, but Barcelona and Spain are high on my bucket list. I would like to see the La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and watch Flamenco dancers. Then sip on sangria, feast on paella, and stroll through the streets of La Rambla.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Kathy. We would love to see you in Barcelona soon! 

When Kathy is able to visit us, we could certainly help her fulfil that bucket list. We would suggest she starts with our Gaudi Tour , follows that with a hearty paella lunch by the beach, and rounds off the day with a stunning flamenco show with some tapas and sangria at Poble Espanyol.  

Barcelona’s top tourist attractions are diverse and wide-reaching. There really is something for everyone! If you are looking for a cultural experience, then there are countless museums, galleries, and examples of wonderful architecture to enjoy. Take a look at our blog on the top Gaudi sights for ideas of some amazing modernist treasures to visit.

If you are looking for something a little less artistic, then this is the blog for you. This time we will look at Barcelona’s top tourist attractions that show a different side of the city. A side that focuses on sport, wildlife, and general entertainment.

FC Barcelona Camp Nou

The mighty FC Barcelona is renowned worldwide for the team’s amazing achievements in football. The club has a rich history, and a roll call of players, past and present, which sounds like a who’s who of football. FC Barcelona has won many trophies which are kept at the stadium in the Camp Nou Museum. This leads us on nicely to point out that you can book a tour of Camp Nou Stadium and Museum, this is definitely one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions so it can get very busy, we recommend booking tickets beforehand. During the tour, you’ll have the chance to feel like a real insider, with a visit to the changing rooms, press room, and you can even touch the grass on FC Barcelona’s sacred football pitch!

For a really special experience check out the small group tour with a sports journalist! 

Barcelona Aquarium

The aquarium is a great family day out and conveniently located in Port Vell. From here you can also easily access two other important tourist attractions in Barcelona, La Barceloneta, and Las Ramblas. Both are within walking distance of the aquarium. The main attraction at the aquarium is the unique Oceanarium. This is a transparent tunnel, over 80 meters long, which allows you to take a ‘walk underwater’. It feels like walking along the sea bed while creatures of the Mediterranean, including sharks, swim around you. The aquarium has a lot more to offer, with different themed areas from sea horses to tropical coral.

We recommend that you allow a couple of hours for your visit. To avoid long queues during peak season, we suggest booking tickets in advance.  You can find these on our Tickets and Attractions page. 

Barcelona Zoo

The zoo is a great day out for both families and animal lovers alike. The zoo houses around 300 species of animals, plus rich flora and parkland that has about 320 botanical species. It sits within the city park (Parque de la Ciutadella), we recommend spending some time in the park before or after your visit. The zoo is committed to conservation programs and its mission; ‘to actively intervene in the conservation, scientific research, and dissemination of wild fauna and its natural habitats.’

There is much to see at Barcelona zoo, from the ‘land of dragons’ to the ‘aviarium’, plus all the other exotic animals we normally only see on wildlife documentaries.

The facilities on site are good with picnic tables and restaurants. So you can take your time and enjoy the day at leisure.

The Olympics! Stadium and Olympic Museum

The 1992 Olympics were a pivotal event for Barcelona city. The games propelled Barcelona onto the world stage. In preparation for this, the city underwent a major transformation which left a positive legacy on the now world-famous Spanish tourist destination.

The hill of Montjuic was the main hub for the games, more specifically the area known as the Olympic Ring. The ring is home to the Olympic Stadium, Palau Sant Jordi (sports hall), and the Olympic Esplanade. There is also the very impressive telecommunications tower (built for transmission of the games) and is said to represent an athlete holding the Olympic Flame. Montjuic is also home to the Olympic pools and diving pools.

The diving pools also have another claim to fame, they were the location for one of Kylie Minogue’s videos! For the music nerds out there (we fall into that bracket) take a look at these other famous videos that were filmed in Barcelona 

We recommend a full tour of this area and for the real sports enthusiasts, there is the Olympic Museum. The museum will take you on a journey through the history of sport.  There are also interactive challenges to enjoy, plus the opportunity to learn about the 1992 Olympics and view some great pieces of sporting memorabilia.

When planning what to do in Barcelona we recommend checking out all transport options.  We love city breaks; they are a fun and vibrant way to travel. Sometimes we only visit a city for a few days and want to cram in a much as possible. Weighing up how to get around is key!

Barcelona Tours has some great tips we’d love to share with you.

Public transport

The public transport in Barcelona is very good. There is a reliable metro system, that is quick, modern, clean, and pretty good value for money. You can reach most of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions by metro, so it is our number one option for getting around the city.

You can also use your metro ticket on TMB (Transport Metropolitan Barcelona) buses and trams. Plus if you take the metro and the bus or tram within the same journey this only counts as ‘one trip’ and you are only charged for that. So if you got a 10 journey ticket, called a T-Casual, they would only charge you one trip!

All of the Gaudi attractions, including the Sagradas Familia, Casa Batllo, and Casa Mila, are just meters away from the nearest metro station.

The metro runs very regularly, every couple of minutes on most lines, and it is open until late; midnight during the week, 2 am on a Friday, and all night on Saturdays.

Buses are also very regular, and stop at pretty much all the top tourist attractions in Barcelona. When the regular buses stop running for the day, they are replaced by a night bus service.

Special Offers

If you plan on taking full advantage of public transport, we recommend that you consider one of the transport cards aimed at tourists visiting the city. There a two main options. The first is Hola BCN Transport Saver; this card is designed for concentrated use of transport within a fixed time scale. So you get unlimited trips on the metro, bus, or tram with various options starting from 48 hours.

If museums and galleries are high on your list of what to do in Barcelona then maybe the Barcelona Card is a better option. As well as free travel on public transport the card also includes access to over 25 museums and attractions. Options to book both these tickets can be found here.

On foot

Barcelona is a great city to explore on foot. If you have time and want to take in all the sights around you, there are areas of the city that are perfect for a leisurely stroll. The Gothic Quarter, known as the Barrio Gotico is perfect for a wander around. Each winding street leads to a different gem. You will find on your travels medieval churches, curiosity shops, and even Roman ruins.

The Ramblas is also an area to discover on foot. To experience ‘Las Ramblas’ in all its glory we suggest you start at the port and walk up the Ramblas until you reach Plaza Catalunya. From here, walk up Passeig de Gracia to reach some of the spectacular modernist buildings.

Group and Private Transport

Private transport can also easily be arranged. Maybe you would like a smooth transfer from the airport to your hotel, or a private driver to take you around the city. Get in touch to talk about the options.

If you are organising a group event or travel to Barcelona, then moving larger numbers of people around the city can get complicated.

Take the stress away from the logistics of your trip, by getting Barcelona Tours to do this for you. There are various options to choose from, take a look at our transfers for groups here.