Whenever I'm in a new city I like to take a walking tour within the first day of arrival. This…read moreaccomplishes a few goals: - Getting adjusted to the local time/stave off jet lag - Getting yourself oriented to the major streets, landmarks and sights. This is essential for hassle-free sightseeing - Learn about the history and culture of a place, or a reiteration of facts if you did prior research - For solo travelers, an opportunity to mingle with likeminded people While researching for the Barcelona trip I noticed that there were two types of tours offered: one tour that focused on the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), which focuses on the city from its birth as a Roman colonia to the Middle Ages and another tour that focuses on the city's expansion (Eixample), with a particular focus on Modernisme and its star Antoni Gaudí. I booked both but with different tour companies. For the Barri Gòtic tour I booked it through Barcelona's official TI as it was highly recommended by European travel guru Rick Steves. Cost: €16.20. The meeting place is located in a side of a building in Plaça Sant Jaume. It's a little hard to find from the directions but one of the guards was able to point me in the right direction. Inside the TI there was lots of unsolicited information (which is rare nowadays in TI) along with really good quality souvenirs. I especially liked the coasters of modernista icons and a magnet set made by a local business. Olga was my tour guide. As I went during technically "off-season" there were only two other women accompanying me from France. Because of the very small group not only was she able to tailor the tour to individual interest but she also took us to two places normally considered off-limits to groups: Barcelona Cathedral and another church. This was much appreciated as the other church was considered a more "local" church and when I returned to Barcelona Cathedral several hours later, her information made my sightseeing all the more enjoyable because I could connect the dots. Olga was also an awesome tour guide in her own right. She presented the information in a way that made the entire audience engaged throughout the entire 2.25 hour tour (she went over as nobody was in any particular hurry). She engaged us by asking questions and also relating Barcelona to other cities in Europe as everyone was a seasoned traveler. But most importantly she presented enough context about the Barri Gòtic so that I was also able to make sense of the area throughout the day, especially MUHBA Plaça Del Rei where ruins of ancient Barcino are stored underground. The other most important aspect about this particular tour was how it tried to explain in layman's terms some of the various aspects of Catalan culture. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and some locals have a strong regional pride over national pride. This has led to a lot of conflict in modern history between the Catalonian government and Madrid. The TI may present one perspective of events but keep in mind that there are also Catalans who don't want to secede from Spain. Just keep an open mind. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Barcelona.