The Steel Donkeys Experience
Steel Donkey Bike Tours are the first and only alternative bicycle rides in Barcelona. Unlike with standard tours of the city, you won’t simply be learning about Barcelona you’ll be living it too… ride with us and we’ll search out the best patatas bravas in BCN, look around obscure but beautiful attractions like the Hospital de Sant Pau and the amazing neoclassical cemetery of Poblenou, stop off at local markets for delicious snacks or vintage threads, and recount the stories of the city under the shade of palm trees and in picturesque squares.
Unlike with standard tours of the city, you won’t simply be learning about Barcelona you’ll be living it too…
We’re not about fixed itineraries and reciting facts to you which you could read in a guidebook, we’re about going on adventures on our trusty steeds (bikes, but you can refer to them as Steel Donkeys if you like…) and revealing parts of the city which many locals don’t even know about!
No two tours are quite the same, but amongst the cool experiences we might enjoy are shopping for kitsch souvenirs at a local flea market, cycling along Barcelona’s resplendent beach promenade, meeting a legendary stuffed parrot and patron saint, enjoying a refreshing glass of orxata (tigernut milk drink) on the tree-lined Rambla del Poblenou, and exploring the back streets of the Borne district – with its traditional shops, Gothic churches and sordid secrets.
We always ride in small groups of no more than 8 guests, which makes it easy for us to get around and gives us the freedom of the city…
We always ride in small groups of no more than 8 guests, which makes it easy for us to get around and gives us the freedom of the city and plenty of flexibility to enjoy our day. That’s what makes us so different to other bicycle tours of Barcelona and maybe why we’ve been recommended by so many in the travel media, including Lonely Planet Magazine, The Guardian, Harpers Bazaar, Easyjet Traveller, Budget Traveller and many many more. We’ve also been awarded a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence for the 6th year in a row, making us a Tripadvisor Hall of Fame winner.
Find out more about the Steel Donkey’s experience on our Prices & Bookings page, where you’ll also find links to our Online Booking System.
Otherwise keep reading to find out more about our local guides, our stylish bikes, why the name or how we got started in the first place. Plus some FAQs.
Or check our video preview to get a sense of how we roll…
OUR GUIDES
Meet our passionate and knowledgeable guides. They’ll show you a side of Barcelona most travellers never see… find out more about them and their favourite hotspots right here.
EDU
Born and bred in Barcelona, Edu travelled the world before coming home to Catalonia, Spain. He is passionate about sustainable tourism and local travel.
MARI
A culturally-inquisitive Catalan, Mari loves wandering the back streets of Barcelona hunting for hidden treasures to reveal on her next tour…
MILOS
Originally from Serbia, Milos has called Barcelona home for nearly a decade now. A trained architect, he knows virtually every stone and slab in the city!OUR BIKES
We use stylish Italian city bikes as our metal steeds. These beautiful beasts have three easy-to-use gears, sturdy wheels and light frames.
Hate pedaling? We also offer eBikes!
More on our bicycles here.
WHY RIDE WITH STEEL DONKEYS?
We are no ordinary Barcelona bike tour… so if you want to cycle in a group of 20 people to La Sagrada Familia, check out the more mainstream companies you can find online. Otherwise here are some reasons to saddle up with us…
Sample Itinerary
We like to vary it up at Steel Donkey Bike Tours, going where our hooves take us… but if you want to get a glimpse of a sample itinerary, then check below to see some of our favourite Barcelona stop offs.
TESTIMONIALS
I can honestly say this is the best city cycle tour I have ever been on. I was slightly daunted beforehand about the prospect of cycling around a strange city, but the route we took was largely off road or on quiet back streets. Our guide was fantastic, and knew a lot about the city. It was great to do something a little alternative and he had lots of pithy stories about random things that allowed us to get under the skin of the city. And the cycle back along the playa with the sun setting over the city was sensational.
We aren’t the type to take a tradition tour but this ride was perfect for us. We rode all over Barcelona, saw a factory that recycles city banners into bags. We also had refreshment at a great cafe that is part of a design studio in a former warehouse, rode all over the waterfront, on streets we’d never know, and looked at the cemetery. We were out for about 4 hours, but and the ride was tailored for whatever one would want. Also, we were able to keep the rental bikes for another day and use them to ride to some famous Gaudi sites on our own. Excellent!
For more testimonials check out our Tripadvisor page.
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YEARS OF OPERATION
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KILOMETRES CYCLED
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