From film festivals to scoffing toasted chestnuts, there’s plenty of things to do in November, whatever the weather. Travellers can also take advantage of fewer crowds at the likes of La Sagrada Familia, or take day trips to nearby gems, like Girona and the Dali Museum.
Is November a Good Time to Visit?
November is pretty much nobody’s favourite month back home, especially if you’re from the UK or Northern Europe… so you may as well get away from the pre-Christmas, autumnal gloom and jet out for some sunshine on a Mediterranean city break!
Barcelona in November is warm, sunny and cheerful, with plenty to see and do, and if you would prefer to visit the Catalan capital when there are less tourists then this is one of the best times of year to book your flights, and enjoy some of the city’s attractions without the crowds. It will still be around 18 degrees by day, and culture vultures won’t care that it’s not beach weather when they’re busy admiring the handiwork of genii like Antoni Gaudi, Lluis Domenech i Montaner and Pablo Picasso (more on each below!).
The incredible columns and ceiling of Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia
Apart from fewer tourists, you should find prices of hotels and apartments more affordable in autumn, and backpackers should also be able to save a few euros on their hostel beds. Overall this might just be the most economic month to visit.
Events-wise and there’s a mix of traditional celebrations like All Saints Day, and more modern offerings like L’Alternativa Film Festival festival. And while this is not the season of street parties and music festivals, the city’s regular nightlife is still in full flow, and alcoholics sociable folk will find no shortage of great bars to prop up.
The Weather in November
With the average November high temperature in Barcelona around 18ºC, and an average low of 8º, this is usually the month where the temperatures noticeably drop in the city from the summer highs (that can stretch into October), so you’ll need to add a jacket and jumper to your packing list. The lower temperatures aren’t all bad news though; they can make a day of sightseeing considerably less sweaty! And you can still strip down to a T-shirt at midday, when you find a nice bar or restaurant terrace kissed by the sun.
Other weather considerations to bear in mind are that the month averages five days of rain (which is around average in Barcelona), and that the days are also quite a bit shorter, as clocks have gone back by now. In other words, you may have to get up earlier if you want to see all the main attractions in the daylight.
You can keep an eye on the weather here.
17 Things To Do in November
As with any time of year, there’s more than enough to keep you occupied in the Catalan capital, day and night. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite things to do in Barcelona in November to help you plan your trip.
1. Commemorate All Saints’ Day
November starts off with a holiday in Spain – El Día de Todos los Santos, or All Saints’ Day. It’s a national public holiday to honour and remember the dead. Flower vendors line the streets to sell floral displays to people to leave at their dearly departed’s graveside. But it’s not all sombre contemplation; this is also the day when people traditionally eat small round almond cakes called panellets. Look out for them on sale at bakeries around the city.
2. Celebrate the “Castanyada”
One of the traditions of All Saints’ Day is to eat hot toasted chestnuts (castanyas in Catalan) that come wrapped in newspaper. They start being sold by street hawkers with pop-up roasting stalls around the holiday, and they continue doing brisk business throughout the winter. They also often sell roasted sweet potatoes at the same stalls. Keep an eye for them and don’t be scared to snag a bag!
3. Visit La Sagrada Familia While You Can!
Around 3 million people visit Gaudi’s masterpiece each year, and it’s rarely less than chock-full, especially during the summer months. November is actually one of the best times to visit as its one of the city’s quieter months for tourism, and you should have a bit of breathing space as you marvel at the white forest-like interior of the nave, and possibly even ascend / descend one of the basilica’s epic towers. Check out our page for more info on skip the line tickets, tours and towers or go right ahead or book a guided tour via Get Your Guide. Every tiny detail of this amazing basilica has a special significance – so exploring with a knowledgeable guide is a must!
THE BARCELONA PASS
For tickets to Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and the Hop on / Hop off Tourist Bus in one convenient purchase, check out the Barcelona Pass via Tiqets.com.
4. Wonder at the Palau de la Musica!
Barcelona’s unique aesthetic comes from the artistic movement known as Modernisme, also known as Catalan art nouveau. Gaudi was just one proponent of the genre (in fact his most famous works took on a style all of his own), and his contemporaries like Domenech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch are held in almost the same esteem by locals for the architectural legacy they left. You can see some of Barcelona’s most beautiful façades when you visit the Palace of Catalan Music, while those with more time might also wish to visit Hospital of Sant Pau and the Casa Amatller. A guided tour of the Palau de la Musica Catalana, in particular, is well worth it, as you also get to see the stunning concert hall and inverted golden dome skylight – plus the balcony offers a fantastic Instagram moment.
5. Learn to Cook Paella!
You can’t leave Barcelona without trying Spain’s signature dish… but why not go one further and learn how to cook your own rice and seafood feast (vegetarian options also available!)? During this fun and laidback experience your expert chef will take you on a tour of the famous Boqueria food market, before heading back to the kitchen to share the secrets of a great paella. As well as contributing to this culinary masterpiece, you also learn how to mix a mean jug of sangria. At just €65 per person, this is a great activity to do instead of a restaurant lunch or dinner. More info here, or hit the button below to reserve your space on Get Your Guide.
6. Visit Girona & The Dali Museum
Girona is one of Catalonia’s finest gems, a large medieval town crowned by a spectacular cathedral that was used to film several famous King’s Landing scenes in Game of Thrones. Meanwhile, the Dali Theatre Museum is one of the world’s most entertaining art museums – showcasing the madcap style of the godfather of Surrealism. Getting to both by public transport is a bit of a pain, but there are several minibus tours that leave from Barcelona on a daily basis. I’d recommend this one, which features transport, guide, and museum tickets for a pretty reasonable €82 per person. If you have to change your mind Get Your Guide offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the event.
7. Make Your Own Espadrilles!
Get creative during this fun-filled workshop that is currently the 2nd highest rated activity on Tripadvisor Barcelona! The activity takes place in a downtown workshop, where your young artisans will help you personalise a pair of Spain’s famous espadrilles – the footwear favoured by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. There may be some cava involved as well, but we can’t confirm or deny that! Great fun, and you can book directly on the organisers’s website. Just select Barcelona obviously (they also run in Seville and Puerto Rico!), and a special 5% BARCELONALIFE discount will be applied when you check out via your shopping cart. Just €89.90 per person – or €85.40 with the discount – and you get a new pair of shoes into the bargain!
Barcelona Life readers get a special discount! Enjoy!
8. Eat Tapas and Watch Flamenco!
An extremely popular activity, the Tapas & Flamenco experience is a great one for fans of Spanish culture who want to sample two of the country’s most typical traditions, both of which have strong roots in Catalonia as well. First you get to watch a passionate 40-minute flamenco concert in a central tablao, before sampling some authentic dishes served up and down Spain. The activity runs every night and you can find more infohere. To reserve your tickets, click the button below. More options here.
9. Take a Wine Class with a Sommelier
Spanish wines are both very affordable and extremely underrated. In this private workshop that takes place in the city centre, you will taste five local Catalan wines in the company of an expert sommelier, who will first introduce you to several smell and taste challenges to train your palate. The wines are paired with gourmet cheeses and light tapas, and by the end of the session you’ll leave with a firm appreciation of the local vintages, and a better understanding of wine in general. Love wine? Check all our favourite wine experiences here.
PRIVATE WINE TASTING CLASS
10. Sailing & Wine Cruise
Spoil yourself with this two-pronged pleasure cruise that combines sailing with wine tasting at a nearby vineyard! It doesn’t get much better than setting off in a luxury yacht from Barcelona’s Port Olimpic and cruising up the coast to one of the region’s charming urban wineries. Here, in the town of Alella, you get to tour an ecological vineyard and taste three unique wines in the company of a sommelier, together with an array of delicious appetisers. Afterwards a luxury minivan will whizz you back to Barcelona city centre. You can book this activity securely via Get Your Guide.
11. Discover Picasso’s Barcelona Legacy
Picasso spent his formative years in Barcelona, and his legacy in Catalonia is marked by the museum that bears his name, as well as by a number of places he frequented during his time here. Naturally, you can explore the museum, where 3,500 of his works are exhibited – with a focus on his early life and the evocative Blue and Rose periods – by yourself; however real art aficionados are advised to consider booking a guide tour, such as this one, to get a full insight into the mind and works of the 20th century’s most important artist.
12. Lock Yourself in an Escape Room
A hot craze in Barcelona right now, and indeed the rest of the world, escape rooms offer participants the chance to pit themselves against the clock in a battle of wits. By solving a series of puzzles, one after another, you have to move closer to finding the key or the code that will allow you to exit the room before the time is up. Each room has its own theme, and you might find yourself doing anything from rescuing Gaudi’s blueprints for La Sagrada Familia to infiltrating a secret society known as the ‘WD’. Read a list ofsome of our favourite rooms here. The perfect activity on a wet autumnal day, or for after dark.
13. Buff Up on the Year’s Best Films
Both theIn-Edit film festival,featuring musical documentary films, andL’Alternativa Film Festival,for independent films, take place in November in Barcelona every year. Autumn is the perfect time to check out what the city has to offer for cinephiles, with both festivals featuring international films, screened in their original language.
14. Celebrate Thanksgiving in Good Company!
Held on the fourth Thursday in November every year, Americans abroad tend to head straight down tothe nearest Irish barto eat their traditional Thanksgiving dinner.Flaherty’sdo a great one every year if you’re looking to get your fix of turkey and stuffing for the year with some fellow Statesiders and other good company.
15. Get Brainy at the “Barcelona Pensa” Festival
Barcelona’s very own philosophy festival is held in mid-November every year. It’s promoted by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Barcelona, in a bid to get the city more involved in philosophical thinking. It takes place at multiple locations around the city and features talks, presentations, workshops, and debates (naturally). You may need to brush up on your Catalan though to make the most of it.
www.barcelonapensa.cat
16. Visit The Camp Nou!
*Unavailable in 2023, as Camp Nou undergoes refurbishment (matches takes place at the Olympic Stadium)*
Obviously, the best way to experience Camp Nou is to watch the mighty FC Barcelona in action, or if not then you can still sign up for the Camp Nou Experience, when you’ll take a tour of the legendary 99,000 seater stadium, pitch, dressing rooms and of course FC Barcelona Museum, with its gleaming trophy room. Tickets cost €28 and you can reserve them in a couple of clicks on Get Your Guide. Just hit the button-link below.
17. See the Start of the Christmas Season
In late November,the first signs of the Christmas seasonstart to appear on the streets of Barcelona, like holiday markets and festive lighting displays. The exact dates vary from year to year, but you’ll definitely start to notice some of the Christmas cheer descending on the city by the month’s end. Catalonia has some frankly bizarre traditions at this time of year, so read up about the caganer and grab yourself a celebrity pooper at one of the markets.
More Autumn Inspiration!
So there you go… plenty of things to see and do this November! But if for some reason you haven’t filled your agenda yet then check out this long list of fun and unusual activities.
Or shop for tours and tickets below…
