Barcelona local guides and drivers
We have deep respect for our history and culture, but no matter how much we love our heritage, we understand that people truly connects with people. Ours tours are not all about education; they are social activities and a form of entertainment and we make sure to keep that in mind
Barcelona Great Tours’ team
Flavia
Born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, she came to Barcelona to study her master’s degree and never left. It is a true love story with this town; it’s been 17 years already! She has always worked with cultural events organization, but following closely and occasionally helping her husband Armando with his jobs. Looking for a change on her career path, she has decided to join forces with some partners and friends to create this new collaborative project called Barcelona Great Tours.
Armando
He has been working as a guide, driver and providing DMC (Destination Management Company) services for corporate events for over 25 years. During this time he has leaned to understand the clients and even anticipate their needs. He was born in Barcelona and he knows all of its secrets – he will make you fall in love with it no matter if your visit is for work or leisure.
Yayi
She is the sweetest one on our team, it is like to go sightseen with a dear friend. Yayi is originally from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Although she has degrees in Computers Tech she always felt more comfortable being useful to people, working as a flight cabin attendant for many years before deciding to stay permanently in Barcelona 19 years ago. Fooding, trekking, swimming, dancing, music, movies… she is the real fun!
Alex
Born and raised in Barcelona, Alex started his journey studying tourism; his strong people skills led him to work facing the public ever since he can remember. Volunteering during the Olympics in 92, working at hotels and finally as a tour guide and driver for big events. He is simply addicted to Barcelona!
Jordi
Originally from Barcelona, although he has spent some time away teaching Spanish, skating, surfing and travelling around the world. Ten years ago he was searching for a new direction in his professional life, something that could combine his love for history and architecture, something that could offer him the opportunity to keep meeting new and interesting people. All of a sudden the opportunity to work as a tour guide has opened and he has been enjoying it ever since.
Josep
This is the most “national product” we have in house. And the business started with his dad that used to drive Mr. Salvador Dali around…can you imagine the stories he could tell? Josep has seen it all, has taken hundreds of passengers around during visits, conventions, congresses, fairs… with time he has expanded the family business. It is simply in his blood.
Eli
Eli was born and raised in Barcelona, lived in London and Dublin for a few years. She went to beauty school, but blood called (she is Josep’s Daughter) and she came to continue the family’s legacy. She loves to travel and wishes she could find a guide like her everywhere! Eli connects to clients almost instantly and has great energy.
Our Values
You work hard all year, but at some point you take a well-deserved break. You know all the must-sees and must-dos, you don’t want to miss a thing! You jump in a bus with a group of 30 strangers to start ticking boxes off that list… After a while you realize that you will end up needing a vacation from the vacation.
Taking time and slowing down a bit can be extremely beneficial.
It involves a change of rhythm, and often doing less, in order to feel the atmosphere of the place you visit, dive in its culture, observe how local people live and maybe even connect with them.
It is also a more sustainable way of traveling, promoting positive impacts on environment, society and even economy, since money is more likely to stay within the community.
We have decided that our next move is to combine our efforts to create new projects and keep a more sustainable model of tourism. We hope we are taking the right steps to act in accordance with our values and commitments.