Montserrat and Barcelona. The best fullday excursion

Montserrat and Barcelona tour is a full-day excursion combining two unique places done or inspired by nature.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

8 HOURS.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

A private licensed guide only for your party.
Transportation at the Chauffered tour.
Priority access at all the sights

WHAT IT IS NOT INCLUDED

Montserrat tickets (different tickets to choose from)
Lunch.
Sagrada Familia tickets

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More details and prices

Montserrat and Barcelona tour

Our favorite recommendation for anyone who truly wants to take full advantage of their stay in Barcelona.

This is the best tour for getting the most out of your time in Barcelona.

What will we do at Montserrat

Early departure by 8:30 am to go to Montserrat, getting there early enough to enjoy the peace and spirituality of the place. The journey to Montserrat takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes, driving first along the highway, and then through the lovely surrounding countryside, and finally up the mountain. Trying to get there by public transport is very much an “adventure” that can easily take 3 hours. (Check out our blog)

The very first thing we’ll do is go straight to the Church to see the image of Our Lady of Montserrat, a wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary dating back to the 12th century. This holy image is the Patron Saint of Catalonia, and many visitors go to Montserrat especially to see it. Due to its dark color, it is also known as the Black Madonna or La Moreneta in Catalan. Once inside, you can see the beautiful chapels that line the Church and your guide will explain the meaning and history behind this unique image.

Learn about the Benedictine monks (the only inhabitants of Montserrat), the Boys’ Choir, the Museum, the surrounding nature, and the local gastronomy and traditions.

Afterwards, we’ll walk outdoors to enjoy the magnificence of the mountains, and even do some hiking if you wish, where you will be able to enjoy some fantastic panoramic views and take beautiful pictures. You can also stop for a while at the big souvenir and bookstore if you like.

In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Barcelona, passing over the Montjuïc Hill and then Passeig de Gràcia, one of the city’s two most prestigious and elegant avenues, stopping for an explanation and to take photos at the Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, the more popular name of the Casa Milà.

Finally, we will visit the interior of Barcelona’s jewel: the Sagrada Família, the most visited monument in Spain and one of the few places in the world that might still surprise even the most experienced travelers.

Prices

CHAUFFEURED

€920⁰⁰

From 1 to 6 people

VAT INCLUDED

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A few more details

How do I pay for the tour?
- We use Paypal and SumUp ( you do not need to have an account, you can pay with any credit card). You can pay for the tickets on the same day as the tour.
Do I have to buy the tickets?
- No, we will take care of buying the tickets for you.
Where do we meet?
- The guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, apartment, or cruise terminal.
Additional fees per person.
- 28 euros Sagrada Familia
- 18 euros Montserrat
Is it kids friendly?
- Montserrat is perfect for kids, and Sagrada Familia is a win-win.
Do we have Priority access?
- Yes, we have priority access to both places.
I have some mobility issues.
- Sagrada Familia provides wheelchairs on request. If you can not walk for too long, you might need to bring a wheelchair to Montserrat, it is all flat, but we do some walking, which is a bit uphill.

What can you do in Montserrat:

You can visit the image of Our Lady of Montserrat ( available from 8 am to 10.30 am / from 12 pm to 6.30 pm). Since last year, it is not free to access the Black Madona; we buy and book the ticket for you in advance.
You can listen to the Boys Choir of Montserrat ( They do not sing on Saturdays, August, or Christmas. During the year, they might travel a few times outside Montserrat). But, again, we need to book and buy the ticket for that.
You prefer to do some walking and enjoy great views and nature.
You are interested in art and would like to visit the important Museum of Montserrat, with unique art pieces from Caravaggio, Picasso, and many others.

Just let us know, and we’ll customize your Montserrat tour.

Which is the best day of the week to visit Montserrat?

We recommend going from Monday to Friday; weekends are jam-packed with many local people and too many cars.
If you can only go to Montserrat on the weekend, we recommend using the cable car or the cogwheel train to arrive from the town at the bottom of the mountain and have our driver pick us up to return to Barcelona.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Montserrat is certainly the most popular day trip from Barcelona and our tour attracts locals and foreign visitors alike. The Abbey of Montserrat, located on top of a beautiful mountain, contains a wealth of history, attracting people worldwide.

Sagrada Familia: during the tour, the guide will explain to you the history of this magnificent temple, which was started in 1882, showing you the Nativity and Passion façades, the Museum, and the interior with its colorful stained glass windows and infinite columns, which Gaudí imagined as a forest of palm trees under the light of the stars. You’ll discover all the secrets of this Wonder of the World.

COMBO Montserrat and Manresa

Combine Montserrat and the Cave of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Manresa. If you are a religious person and are particularly interested in the history of the Jesuits, we highly recommend another of our bestselling tours: Montserrat & the Cave of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Read more about it here.

Testimonials

Go small you won’t regret it
Carolina was our guide to Montserrat and under her exceptionally pleasant guidance, we walked to the top and took the funicular railway down. It was quite a nice hike up that apparently few undertake, preferring to take the rail up and walk down as an option. The solitude, vistas, and plant life were beautiful

Rich & Helene Osswald, Pennsylvania

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.

Dirk Bowles

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!

Kathy Robb, Rosewell-Georgia