Description
Montserrat the magic mountain it’s a half-day excursion, a great Montserrat private tour from Barcelona.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
- 5 HOURS.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- A private licensed guide only for your party.
- Transportation at the Chauffered tour.
- Priority access at all the sights
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
- Tickets to visit the Montserrat audiovisual and Church. Let us know if you would like to listen to the Choir.
- Lunch
Montserrat: The Best private tour from Barcelona
Certainly, Montserrat is the most popular destination from Barcelona. Not only do foreign visitors enjoy the Montserrat tour but also locals. The Abbey of Montserrat is a monastery full of history located on top of a wonderful mountain, attracting people worldwide.
What to do at Montserrat ?:
- Nature: Montserrat has been a Natural Park since 1987. Discover a sedimentary mountain, formed about 50 million years ago! The magical, incredible shapes of its rocks are the result of millions of years of erosion. You’ll be amazed by its beautiful and unusual landscapes. If you wish, we´ll do some hiking to feel the energy of Montserrat.
- Spirituality: Montserrat has been, since 1025 (1000 years ago), the home of a Benedictine Community that nowadays consists of around 50 monks. It is one of the largest Benedictine communities in the world. Almost as old as the Benedictine Monks’ presence is Our Lady of Montserrat, a wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary dating from around 800 years ago. This holy image is the Patron Saint of Catalunya and the reason many visitors visit Montserrat. Due to its dark color, it´s also known as the Black Madonna or La Moreneta in Catalan.
- Art: The Museum of Montserrat houses a fascinating art collection with a Caravaggio as one of the main treasures. There are also paintings by Picasso, Miró, Salvador Dali, and French Impressionists, among many others. Furthermore, the Montserrat Museum houses a significant collection of archaeological sculptures from the Ancient Middle East. We´ll even see an Egyptian mummy!! The visit to the museum is optional.
- Boy´s Choir La Escolania: it is the oldest in Europe, even older than the Vienna Boys´ Choir! Formed by 50 boys between 10 and 14 years old. They study at the boarding school at Montserrat, where they get a general education, plus singing and music lessons, and training in at least two musical instruments. They perform almost every day at 1 PM, so if you like to listen to them, we´ll make sure to be there on time to have a place.
Mass at Montserrat
Mass is usually held at noon in Catalan. However, many international visitors attend it because the Basilica’s interior beauty and the monks’ singing are worth it. It is also possible to ask for a private mass for groups from abroad with their own priest.
- 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 the driver will pick you up at your hotel or apartment.
- Is it kid-friendly?
- YES, no doubts about it; Montserrat is perfect for families.
- Do we have Priority access?
- Yes, we have priority access to both places.
- I have some mobility issues.
- Montserrat involves some walking; You need to walk a bit uphill and be able to push a wheelchair. There are stairs at the last part of the access to see our Lady of Montserrat.
MONTSERRAT WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION – SLOW TOURISM
We offer the same private tour to Montserrat but using public transportation, a more sustainable option to help with the preservation of the natural landscape of Montserrat. It is the perfect tour for slow-tourism travelers and travelers who prefer using public transportation as much as possible, and it is cheaper than the chauffeured option.
The meeting point with the guide is at the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat train station at Plaça de España, the guide will have your tickets ready (the price might change depending on your preferences to use the cogwheel train or the cable car to go up the mountain for example).
Let us know in your email that you would like the Public transportation option, and we’ll calculate the price for you.
It takes longer than a chauffeured tour, so count on spending the day in Montserrat.
EXTRA INFO:
Many locals visit Montserrat in their free time, especially on Sundays. Some visitors are looking for fresh air and hiking. Others want to attend mass, take communion, see the Black Madonna and light a candle to thank her for something. If you’re feeling particularly energetic, athletic, and outdoorsy, we will be more than happy to walk with you towards Sant Miquel, one of the most beautiful sites near the monastery, or to the fantastic views of Sant Joan. Just let us know!
If you are an art lover, you may like to visit the Museum of Montserrat, which shows a great collection of Caravaggio paintings, Picasso, Miró, Salvador Dali, among many others. Furthermore, the museum of Montserrat houses an important collection of archaeological sculptures of the Ancient Middle East. We´ll even see an Egyptian mummy!! The visit to the museum is optional.
Enjoy an amazing Montserrat private tour from Barcelona.
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
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!
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