Carolina is a native of Barcelona. She always wanted to be a guide, so she studied Tourism and Languages and has a degree in Tourism. She speaks English, French, and Italian, and is now learning German. She is really enthusiastic about art and architecture and has been working as a local licensed guide since 2001. In her free time, she loves hiking and being in contact with nature. She is also a volunteer at the Cáritas solidarity organization, teaching Spanish and offering school reinforcement.
Begoña was born in a small town on the coast of Barcelona. She holds a degree in Tourism and speaks English, French, and Italian. As a former au pair and Disneyland cast member, she is great with kids and families. She loves history and is passionate about Gaudí’s architecture. She enjoys guiding the tapas and food tours. She is the former President of AGUICAT, a Catalan Guides Association. She is doing social volunteering at the Red Cross since 2011.
Albert was born and raised in Barcelona. He holds a degree in Law and is fluent in English and French, as well as Spanish and Catalan. He is passionate about history and sports and is well versed in political and economic affairs. He worked as a marketing and purchasing manager in a multinational for 11 years, but his dream of being a guide finally came true in 2003 and he’s been working as a guide ever since.
Catalonia and Barcelona licensed & local guides
Let us introduce ourselves; our names are Begoña, Carolina and Albert, and we are the guides at Skip the Line Barcelona.
We are licensed and professional tour guides since 2001, and all of us are local Barcelonians who are really eager to share Barcelona and Catalonia with our visitors.
Of course, we love being tour guides and take care of our clients.
Our primary goal has always been to show our beautiful city and its surroundings to our visitors from all around the world.
We are proud members of AGUICAT and APIT, the two leading Guides associations of Catalonia.
Why should I hire local licensed guides?
Well, that’s a very easy question to answer:
- Mostly, because you are hiring a professional, someone who has passed an exam set by the regional government, proving his/her knowledge of our art, history, culture, and traditions.
- Every year we attend many different courses organized by the University of Barcelona and some of the city’s most important museums and sights, and of course by the two leading tour guides associations in Catalonia, Aguicat and Apit. So, you know you are hiring someone who has studied to become a guide and whose life revolves around it.
- With a licensed guide, you’ll have Priority Access to the most important monuments and sights.
- There’s no intermediary, so when you contact us through our website, we are the ones answering the emails, writing what you’re reading now, and leading the tours.
- All our tours are exclusive for your party; no one else will join your private city tour.
Sustainable & Responsible tourism in Barcelona
We care about our city and region, plus Barcelona is our home. We are active members of the Tour Guides associations AGUICAT and APIT that are working together with both local and regional administrations to build the best city for ourselves and our visitors. Begoña was the President of the biggest tour guides association, Aguicat, for 2 years.
The restaurants that we recommend and those we take you to during the tour are all ones we have been to before; this means we take you to the same ones we go to ourselves, making sure that local businesses get promoted and rewarded for their passion for our gastronomy.
The same goes for souvenirs and shopping, we have contacts with many local businesses that will offer you a variety of hand/locally-made products.
We use audio guides. You’ll be able to hear your guide even in crowded streets, or if we are in a narrow alley early in the morning, the neighbors will not be disturbed by a guide shouting out loud to be heard by everyone. Plus, the audio guides will give you the freedom to take pictures while you are listening to your guide’s explanations.
Biosphere Tourism Certification
This 2021 at STLB we are taking advantage of the break in our profession caused by the global pandemic. We are working to get the Biosphere Tourism certification.
What is the Biosphere Active Tourism Certification?
Biosphere for active tourism is a certification of tourism sustainability designed for entities that offer experiences (sports, nature or cultural), improve their performance and reduce the negative impacts of the development of their activity, guaranteeing an adequate balance between economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions.
Within this category are classified as welfare entities those that offer, for example, relaxation circuits, Spa, Wellness, coexistence in nature and therapeutic activities. Sports and Nature entities are those that offer activities such as mountaineering, climbing, hiking, diving or other of the same nature. Cultural entities are those that offer guided visits, routes, tours, transfers, local shows or similar.
The certification guarantees the fulfillment of requirements based on the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement, ensuring that certified Active Tourism carry out new non-aggressive tourism models, satisfying the current needs of their customers and users without compromising future generations. The Biosphere Active Tourism report significant benefits for themselves, the society and the environment.
Why?
Because we want to be more sustainable and put our grain of sand in the transformation towards responsible and sustainable tourism. We hope to get it soon and be able to share it with all of you!!
Testimonials
Everything was so easy. We met our guide, Begonia, across the street, which was a perfect spot for a group photo before we bypassed the long lines and entered the temple. Begonia spoke English perfectly, was extremely knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. She not only knew all the history and facts about Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia, but she grew up in Barcelona so she was able to give us anecdotes and stories of the temple as well as the Spanish culture. We had several teenagers in our group and she kept them fully engaged throughout the tour. Although I had already visited the Sagrada Familia, I learned so much more being on a private tour, especially with Begonia as our guide.
I can’t say enough positive things about our experience with Carolina and Skip the Line. We were unsure about using a tour guide because we had never used one before, so we waited until we arrived in Barcelona to set something up. They responded immediately and were flexible concerning meeting times. We made an easy payment through PayPal and we were all set up. We met up with Carolina two blocks from where we were staying and she immediately engaged our 6 and 9-year-old kids. We went on to a tour that was incredibly informative from a historical perspective, but also in current events. And, it was great to get the perspective on current events from a local. Carolina was honest AND even-handed. The tour ended with “Certificates of Achievement” in understanding Barcelona for my kids. Skip the Line and Carolina were a highlight of our trip and I highly recommend them.
Best way to start our Trip !!!!
We signed up for the Highlights tour on our first full day in Barcelona and it was the perfect way to start our trip. Carolina was a great and patient guide and she really helped us get our bearings. We saw a few different areas of the city, learned a lot about each neighborhood, and ended up with a great tour of La Sagrada Familia. I highly recommend scheduling a tour with Skip the Line – they were professional, on time, organized and really fun to hang out with!
I was in Barcelona for two weeks with two different groups. I booked Skip the Line at the last minute just hoping for some generic info and no standing in line. What we got instead was two very good guides, great information, very professional, and a tour that far exceeded my expectations! This is a small company and now I know two of the three employees! I highly recommend it!
I got quick responses to my questions via email, it was easy to pay in advance and they chose a very easy meeting place– especially since we were coming by Metro. Would definitely use it again!
Albert was great. He was informative and flexible helping us make the most of our tour. I highly recommend getting a private tour of this site. Without it, we would have missed so much. Thank you!
Carolina set the bar high for the tour experience. She speaks excellent English, knows the history of Barcelona, organizes the tour to maximize results and is a very pleasant person.