The Old City Gothic tour we enjoyed by Jarrod was the highlight of our recent stay. Although I lived in BCN for over a year and have visited 2-3 times prior, I now feel that I really know it's history much better. Jarrod was amazing and probably the best guide I've had. We always do the Free Walking tours of New York and were so happy to find the concept alive & well in Cataluna. Our only regret was that we lacked time to take their Free Gaudi tour later the same day. HIGHLY recommend. read more

This is an awesome company and they really are about providing an excellent experience. We used them for the Gaudi Walking Tour and our guide Lisa was amazing. Right from the beginning you can tell they have done their homework. Without Lisa our group would have stumbled around a bit and perhaps we would not have even seen everything we wanted to. I would recommend buying tickets to the Sagrada Familia about an 1-1.5 hour after your tour ends so that it give you time to grab a quick bite between the walking tour and going inside the Sagrada Familia. read more

amazing!!! I went to Barcelona for the very first time and had no idea where to start!!!! We did the usual "touristy" places, drove the Hop on Hop off Bus and came across the Runner Bean Tour. Our guide (i forgot the name but i remember he was Irish) was funny, very pleasant and mostly amazingly knowledgeable. He told us many stories, showed us places we would never found out on our own. He even brought cover ups so we could look appropriate at churches. I am so happy we decided to take it. beyond 5 stars! read more

Took the old city tour, and It was great! Our guide ( can't remember his name!) was fun loving who made a fantastic story teller. The meeting place for all the runner bean tours is at the fountain in Placa Reial, which is easy enough to find. If you have trouble, any shop owner around will easily point you in the right direction. The tour is 2.5 hours and we went through Barri gotic, including the Jewish quarter and outside the cathedral. There are stories to every part of the old city- why something looks the way it does and how it got there, and why there is Hebrew on this one brick on the wall of the building. The tours run on tip; it is your call for however much you want to give. Our guide was open to questions the whole time and clearly loved what he does. Highly recommended if it is your first time in Barcelona! read more

This was a great tour. Filled with information and our guide, Ana, was terrific. She answered lots of questions and provided enough information to help us know what attractions we wanted to go back to for more exploration. read more

My friend and I went on the Old City walking tour and it was fantastic! To begin, the meeting location is very specific. Though, it was in a huge public square our tour guide was extremely easy to find and greeted us with a big smile. I really wish I could remember her name because she was amazing. For the entire tour she joked and laughed with us turning what could have been a very mild, potentially boring history lesson into a very interesting, exciting tour of Barcelona. I enjoyed all of the interesting stories she would tell about the sites we saw. Overall: This is a fantastic tour and I was very impressed with our tour guide. read more

I took the Gaudi tour with Runner Bean on my last day in BCN. I found them on a travel website and it never hurts to do a "free" tour. They offer an Old City Tour as well, which I took a similar one with another "free" tour company on my 1st day. You can make a RSVP online, but you can also just show up at the meeting spot (Placa Reial) at the tour time and look for the green umbrellas. I did the latter. Catherine (from Ireland originally) was our guide and SHE WAS FABULOUS! I know you never know who you end up with, but it seems like all the tour guides are very engaging and informative and interesting. Truthfully I think that's the perk of doing a free tour. The guides make their living through tips only, so they are likely to be more invested in the tour and provide an excellent experience. Catherine happens to have studied arts and arts history, and she's armed with lots of fun facts. Keep in mind you have to hop onto the Metro during this tour. The guide will help with your purchase of Metro fare, but it's that much easier if you already have that in hand. I personally had a Barcelona Card for 3 days, and got an unlimited 1 day pass on my last day, and it's worth the money. DON'T forget to tip the guide. I don't know what's the "going rate" but for a 3 solid hour tour, I think 10 EUR per person is the minimum. It's still a bargain, if you look at other organized tour pricings, and those guides looked like they're hating every minute of their jobs. read more

I did both the old city and Gaudí tours during my 8-day visit to Barcelona. Catherine was my guide for the old city tour and Ann Marie guided the Gaudí tour. They're both Irish and gave excellent tours of the city. The website has very detailed and accurate (at least when I checked it) information. Both tours meet at Plaça Reial at 11am (if you don't have reservations it's a good idea to show up 15 minutes before that). Old city tour, only comprising of walking, ends at Santa Maria del Mar while Gaudí tour requires two short metro rides and ends at la Sagrada Família. I enjoyed the old city tour a little more, but perhaps partially because I had already been to almost all the Gaudí attractions prior to joining the Gaudí tour (la Pedrera, Casa Batlló, la Sagrada Família). Additionally, if you're already planning on visiting those sites, the audio guides there will provide sufficient information, so maybe a human guide on the walking tour doesn't add as much value. On the other hand, if you're just wandering around the old city you may miss a lot of the history and hidden treasures that you walk by (Baixada de Santa Eulalia, el Call, the tower in Plaça del Rei, etc). You're free to leave as much money as you'd like at the end of the tour. Catherine had a little purse to receive donations and Ann Marie just took them by hand when people offered. Both tours last 2.5 hours at a leisurely pace, and you can ask the guides about anything else about the city not directly related to the tour. Running from 11 to 1:30pm, the tours are perfectly timed for a leisurely breakfast beforehand and lunch afterward. I'd recommend any visitor to Barcelona look up Runner Bean. read more

Excellent tour! We loved walking through the Gothic Quarter and learning lots of facts and interesting stories about Barcelona & Catalonia. The halfway stop for empanadas was delicious too! Would definitely recommend!! read more

We had 2 great tours with Gorka and Anna. Both were patient and helpful as we navigated through the tight streets near the Cathedral and La Rambla. It is as so nice to be led by someone that knows the area. Thank you Gorka for the wonderful lunch recommendation after our tour! It has been our favorite place to eat. read more

Absolutely loved our walking tour. Our guide was so passionate and helpful. I highly recommend this tour.

We did the Free Gaudí walking tour yesterday and was great. Miguel was our guide and highly recommend him. He was knowledgable, friendly and fun. We are doing the Sagrada Familia/Park Guell tour today and fingers crossed we get Miguel again. Thanks!! read more

This was a great interactive experience. The guides were very knowledgeable and attentive. It was not a fast paced guide but went at a reasonable pace. The guides were very enthusiastic about their work and city that it made it easier to get familiar with the city. read more

We took the free walking tour of the Barri Gotic with Catherine on our visit to Barcelona and it was fantastic. The tour is not geared toward children, but the guide was so engaging that our 9 and 11 year old boys had no trouble for the entire tour. Catherine was quite possibly the best tour guide we had on our entire trip. She had visual aids and a variety of stories relating to each stop on her tour. We learned so much that we never would have picked up in a tour book. Barcelona was one of our favorite cities on our European trip, and we largely attribute this to the details we received on this tour. We weren't sure what our schedule would be in town, so I called the morning of the tour to add our names to the list. Before we left the US, I had emailed the company to ask whether the kids would be OK on the tours. Every communication I had with Runner Bean was friendly and efficient. We regretted that we didn't have time to participate in the Gaudi tour, but I'm hopeful that Runner Bean will expand their offerings to other cities. Highly recommended! read more

Highly recommend the Gaudi tour! You learn so much about the history of the city and the madman that is Gaudi. And the route is perfect. You end right at Sagrada Familia and if you time it right, you can hop right in line (get your ticket in advance) to go tour the Basilica read more

Booked the Old City tour through them when we were in Barcelona. And we couldn't have asked for a better tour. Our guide, Lowri, was great... joked around with us & taught us history. She seemed really passionate about her job. She also made sure we had enough time at each place to make sure we had pictures. I totally recommend using them. read more

We had 2 tours. A free ( pay what you think it is worth) tour with Jess of Gaudi buildings. She was patient and organized with wonderful stories. We were probably 20 people, age 12 to 89, but I think we all enjoyed our tour. The second private tour with Laura of the Gothic Quarter and Picasso Museum was worth every penny. She individualized an amazing tour for us from market to Picasso. We went in a "no wait" entrance line for Picasso and got the highlights so smoothly that even our almost teen was impressed. Topped off with the best recommendation for tapas. read more

Really a fun way to spend the day. Our guide Eric, has a PhD level of knowledge about the old gothic quarter. The tour was very engaging, interesting, and the right amount of people. We highly recommend Runner Bean Tours and Dr. Eric. read more

We did the Runner Bean tours for the Gothic Quarter with Miguel and the Gaudi tour with Ana. Both of them were fantastic! Really informative, engaging and quite funny as well. The tour group and duration were both good sizes for exploring the city. The context made me appreciate Barcelona even more! As a group of five students, we are trying to travel on a budget, and Runner Bean tours was a great fit for us. We also asked our tour guides for food recommendations and all of them were fantastic. Would highly recommend anyone visiting Barcelona to do Runner Bean tours! read more

My wife and I thought the tour was really good and we recommend it - had some very informative insights and special places to see. Do it.

We took the Runner Bean tour of Old City, and it was great in that our tour guide was very enthusiastic! She had interesting stories, and the pace of the tour was not too fast. At the same time, it definitely did not drag at each stop. I highly recommend the tour if you're new to Barcelona and want an introduction to the city. You can then explore any of the sites more in depth at your own pace. The tour is free, but definitely tip at the end, in that the tour guides put in a lot of effort! read more

Our tour guide Lisa was very friendly and knowledgeable! We were really happy to walk around and get to know the city through the Gaudi tour. I definitely recommend it! read more

Great tour of the Gaudi architecture sites in the city. Our tour guide Miguel was knowledgeable and entertaining. We started off with his first work and ended with his last work, La Sagrada Familia. He pointed out details on the buildings that one wouldn't notice at first glance and talked about Gaudi's process and style. All in all, a great way to spend 2 1/2 hours. With this company, you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth. read more

Great way to see and learn about Barcelona for a very reasonable price! The guides are super friendly, and local. At the end you pay whatever you think is fair. I signed up for their Gaudi tour and enjoyed it so much I went back the next day for their Gothic Quarter tour! read more

We had such a great time doing a tour of the Gothic Quarter. Our tour guide, Ali, was fantastic and super informative. Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone and we would do it again in a heartbeat! read more

I took took two tours with runner bean tours. They were each about 21/2 hours. One was the Gothic tour and the other was the Gaudi tour. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and the walking was at a reasonable pace with stops. The tour is limited to 15 people which makes it very manageable. Our guides were Jesse and Ali. Both terrific and personable. Even though the tour is free you give a donation to the guide for what you feel the tour was worth. Our first time taking a free walking tour and definitely recommend it. read more

We took the tour of the Gothic quarter today with Miguel. He was informative and funny and answered all of our questions. He even took the time to talk with us after the tour and make restaurant suggestions and help us navigate through the city. It really was a great sample of the city! Highly recommended! read more

I really enjoyed my tour of Gothic Barcelona with Jarrod today. I will definitely be back to do their our tours!

We did the Barcelona Gothic Quarter tour with Jarrod and I would highly recommend it. Normally for groups of 6 people or less, one could book the free Gothic Quarter tour where you make a donation based on how much you think the tour is worth at the end of it. My group of nine decided to book a private tour which cost 15 euros per person in the group. My experience with Runner Bean has been positive from the first email I sent inquiring about the tour to the conclusion of the walking tour. The company responded to all my questions promptly and handled the payment efficiently. Our guide Jarrod was very knowledgeable and gave us an in-depth historical background on the churches, plazas, and narrow streets we passed along the way. If you would rather have less historical information and more time for shopping or rest stops, the company's guides are flexible enough to cater to the needs of your group during the private tour. read more

I found Runner Bean in my guidebook of Barcelona by Rick Steve's. I booked the Gothic Quarter on a whim as it was our last day in Barcelona. It was very fun and the guide was very informative and easy to talk to between stops on the walk. My only wish is that I found Runner Bean earlier in the trip. I recommend it to get a feel for the city, learn its history and meet some fellow travelers. Well done Runner Bean! read more

Our Guide Ali was fabulous who took us back in time!!! We attended this tour first thing, coming from SF to Barcelona after taking 16-hour flight. Our entire group enjoyed every bit of detail she covered in this 2 1/2 hour tour. Best part neither my kids nor we dozed off in the middle of it !!!! Kids were engaged in a fun way the whole time. I will highly recommend for all age groups. read more

I went on the Old City and Gaudi tours. Really useful and interesting tours would recommend to anyone with an interest in history or art (Gaudi Tour). read more

Fabulous! Old Town tour with Jessie was great, no surprise she was a history major. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole 2.5 hours, and learned a ton of cool facts. Take this tour. read more

My mom and I went on the Dark Past Night Barcelona tour with Ali and on the Gothic Quarter tour with Jarred. Our tour with Ali was our first Barcelona experience after arriving a few hours earlier. She was welcoming, knowledgeable, and managed the group like a pro. We went on the Gothic Quarter tour with Jarred two days later and had another great experience. He was so friendly and engaging and the time passed too quickly! We loved hearing the myths and history of the city from both guides. I strongly recommend doing at least one Runner Bean tour early on in your Barcelona visit. Thank you, Ali and Jarred! read more

A fantastic tour full of detail, stories and more that really engaged us with the area. Gorka was great, very friendly and knowledgeable with great English. read more

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Barcelona! In addition to seeing many parts of the Gothic Quarter that we would have missed, we learned about the history of the area. I would highly recommend this tour and we will look for similar tours on our future vacations. read more

Great tour with Gorka today. He's a wealth of information and really gave us a good overview of the Gothic area.

Thorough and enjoyable trip through the Gotic! Our hostess was friendly and informative. It does help with orientation, especially when you first arrive--I learned some things, which is important to me. Nice to give them an appropriate tip since the tour is free. read more

Ann Marie did a wonderful job helping us understand the rich history, culture and traditions in Spain. She was very nice and accommodating, making sure the group was informed and happy. It was a nice pace with a 10 min break in the middle. We definitely saw things we would not have otherwise seen or noticed. Thank you so much! read more

This is a great way to be introduced to Barcelona! I owned a walking tour biz and know what makes a good one:knowledgeable, enthusiastic guides with inside scoop information. These guys are terrific! read more