Barcelona travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Montserrat
Highlights: Black Madonna statue (La Moreneta) in the basilica · Escolania boys' choir performance around 1pm daily · Sant Jeroni peak hike with panoramic Catalonia views · Museu de Montserrat's Old Masters and Catalan art collection · Rack railway (cremallera) ascent through the mountain
Sitges
Highlights: Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church perched on the seafront point · Museu del Cau Ferrat's modernist art collection · Passeig Marítim promenade and Platja de la Fragata beach · Old Town's whitewashed lanes and boutique shops on Carrer Major · Lively Carnival celebrations each February or March
Girona
Highlights: Girona Cathedral's Gothic nave, the widest of its kind in the world · Call Jueu Jewish Quarter's medieval stone lanes · Colorful riverside houses lining the Onyar · Passeig de la Muralla city walls walk with views over the old town · Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths), a Romanesque bathhouse
Tarragona
Highlights: Roman amphitheatre set directly above the Mediterranean · Tarragona Cathedral blending Romanesque and Gothic styles · Passeig Arqueològic walk along ancient Roman city walls · Roman Circus and Praetorium ruins beneath the old town · El Serrallo fishing quarter for fresh seafood
Penedès Wine Region (Vilafranca del Penedès)
Cadaqués and Cap de Creus (Costa Brava)
Highlights: Salvador Dalí House-Museum at Portlligat, the artist's former home · Cap de Creus Natural Park's rugged coastal cliffs · Whitewashed village streets and the hilltop Santa Maria church · Swimming coves (calas) along the rocky shoreline · Art galleries tied to Dalí and Picasso's time in Cadaqués
Figueres — Dalí Theatre-Museum
Highlights: Teatre-Museu Dalí, the world's largest single collection of Dalí's work · Dalí's tomb located within the museum · Torre Galatea, the museum's red facade topped with giant eggs · Figueres old town and the Rambla promenade · Empordà Museum for regional history and art
Colònia Güell and Gaudí Crypt
Highlights: Gaudí's Crypt with its inclined hyperboloid columns and stained glass · UNESCO World Heritage-listed model workers' village · Structural techniques Gaudí later refined at the Sagrada Família · Compact village layout, easily explored on foot · Visitor center models explaining Gaudí's construction methods
Poblet Monastery (UNESCO World Heritage)
Highlights: Royal pantheon housing tombs of the Crown of Aragon's kings · Cistercian cloisters and fortified monastery walls · Still-active monastic community, one of Europe's largest · UNESCO World Heritage recognition alongside Santes Creus and Vallbona · Conca de Barberà countryside and nearby vineyards
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Items
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Purchase the Montserrat all-inclusive ticket at the FGC machines at Plaça d'Espanya — it combines the train, rack railway, and optional funiculars into one ticket at the best price
For Sitges, Tarragona, and Castelldefels, the T-Casual card may not cover all zones — buy a separate Rodalies zonal ticket at the station machine
Book Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres tickets online (teatre-museu.cat) — walk-up queues in summer can be 2+ hours
Car hire is essential for the Penedès wine circuit — wineries (Codorníu, Freixenet, Torres) are spread between Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and Vilafranca and often require pre-booking tours
Cadaqués is most enjoyable in May–June before the summer crowds; access by car along the GI-614 mountain road is spectacular but requires care on narrow sections
For the Girona Game of Thrones filming locations, pick up a free map at the Girona tourist office in the cathedral quarter (Carrer de Joan Maragall, 2; tel +34 972 226 575)
Rodalies trains to Tarragona stop at Camp de Tarragona (AVE station out of town) — ensure you board a regional service stopping at Tarragona city centre (Camp station)
Start early (first train or bus of the day) for Montserrat and Cadaqués — crowds build significantly by 11AM