Best Day Tours from Barcelona in 2024. Map and tour tips

Top 10 Day Tours from Barcelona

What to see outside Barcelona. Map and tips of best things to do near Barcelona on day trips

Updated March 2024

Our recommendation of most popular day tours outside Barcelona


Montserrat mountain and Benedictine abbey. Top choice!
Girona medieval city, Jewish quarter & Game of Thrones locations. 
Tarragona Impressive Roman ruins. Spectacular
Andorra, France & Pyrenees mountains Unique experience!
Costa Brava stunning coastline, villages and beaches
Penedès wine and cava region
Sitges charming seaside resort
Dalí museums near Barcelona
Priorat wine region
Port Avenura theme parks

Many sights outside Barcelona can easily be reached by train. You can choose between high-speed trains, regular trains or regional buses. All are safe and comfortable. If you want to avoid the hassle of planning and want to cut down on tour travel time, then many reputable tour companies offers day tours from Barcelona in small or large groups, some with hotel pick-up. 


Map Top Day tours from Barcelona 2024




Overview biggest attractions near Barcelona

Scroll down for pictures and information

There are several attractions near Barcelona. The most popular attraction near Barcelona is the Montserrat mountain mountain - it is home to Montserrat Abbey, basilica and the shrine of the Montserrat Black Virgin affectionally called "La Moreneta".

Montserrat welcomes around 2 million visitors a year and is about 1 hour from Barcelona by car or tour bus - it takes a little longer by train - maybe 1.5 to 2 hours. Scroll down the page for details.

Next is the city Girona which is perfect for a half-day tour to visit the Girona's medieval gothic center, Roman heritage, the medieval Jewish quarter and filming locations from popular Game of Thrones series six.

Tarragona is a popular day tour destination from Barcelona. If you love Roman history, then this is a must-visit. See the Roman ruins of Tarraco including see the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, Roman chariot racing circus and Roman walls, and outside the city a Roman aqueduct 

Also popular is the Dali Museum in Figueres. This museum was created by the great artist himself. It's crowded in peak season but a great experience for art lovers.

The stunning Costa Brava coastline is also a fantastic day out. The Costa Brava starts 1 hour north of Barcelona and continues all the way to France. The Costa Brava is a little more difficult to reach by train and bus, but it can be done. The main attraction of the Costa Brava are the villages, cliffs, beaches and coves along the coastline.

Andorra, France & Pyrenees. If you have never seen snow or high mountains, then rent a car or book a day tour to the majestic Pyrenees mountains and the tiny micro-state of Andorra. Andorra is 3-4 hours by car but worth seeing. For Andorra tours we can recommend DayTripsBarcelona.com who have a well earned reputation as a small and friendly operator. They are a Tripadvisor award winning family business with experienced expert guides - we're sure they will make your tour exceptional.


Montserrat mountain & Virgin of Montserrat


Montserrat Mountains near Barcelona

Montserrat mountain and Montserrat Abbey is a world class tourist attraction and an area of great natural beauty and spirituality very close to Barcelona. See the unique rock formations of Montserrat. Take mountain trains and enjoy beautiful views stretching to the Pyrenees mountains and the Mediterranean sea. Visit the Monserrat monastery and basilica which has a thousand years of history and visit the shrine of the Virgin of Montserrat. Perfect for day tours and half-day tours. 

Book tour to Montserrat
About Montserrat mountain
Pictures Montserrat mountain
Go to Montserrat yourself by train



Girona - History, Jewish Quarter & Game of Thrones


Visit Girona

Girona. 1 hour north of Barcelona. Go by train or day tour. Girona is a historic jewel just over an hour north of Barcelona full of legend and beautry. No wonder it was chosen as a location for popular TV show Games of Thrones series six. Girona is famous for its colourful hanging houses over the River Onyar, for the well preserved medieval Jewish quarter - and the walled Old Quarter (Barri Vell) with its dramatic history dating back to Roman times.

About Girona
Pictures Girona
Day tours Girona
Go to Girona yourself by train


Andorra, France & Pyrenees Mountains


andorra_montanas

Andorra and the Pyrenees mountains. There is no direct train or air connection to Andorra. The Principality of Andorra is a tiny country nestled in the Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France.

You can take a bus from Barcelona to visit Andorra but it's not really practical for a 1 day tour or rent a car, but for a 1 day tour it's easier to book a day tour from Barcelona. We can recommend is an excellent tour called the Three countries tour, which starts from Barcelona, then visits a village in France with hot springs, then tours through Andorra and the beautiful Pyrenees mountains, so you are in 3 countries in 1 day.

About Andorra
Pictures Andorra & Pyrenees
Day Tour to Andorra from Barcelona

Dali museums near Barcelona


Dali museum Figueres

Barcelona does not have a Dali musuem but there are three Dalí musuems quite near Barcelona. They are located what is called the "Dalí Triangle." All three Dalí musuems are in the Girona province of Catalonia, Spain. 

The most popular and biggest museum is the world famous Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum. This is in his birth town of Figueres in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.  The museum was created by the artist himself, which makes it the biggest surrealist work of art in the world. 

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is best reached by train or by tour bus. it takes around 2 hours by car or tour. Tip: It is very popular in the summer and the museum doesn't sell skip-the-line tickets, so the only way to skip lines is to book a tour in advance that includes fast access - or stand in line. 

Another smaller but equally fascinating Dalí musuem is the Dalí house-museum in Port Lligat, where Dalí and his wife Gala lived. Port Lligat or Portlligat is a coastal village in a small bay on the Cap de Creus peninsula of the Costa Brava coast of the Mediterranean Sea near Cadaqués in the Alt Empordà country, in Girona province of Catalonia, Spain. This is a 3 hour journey from Barcelona and places are very limited. There are few tours that go to Portlligat from Barcelona.

The third and least known and least visited is the Gala Dalí house-museum in Pubol, where Dali's wife Gala Dalí resided alone for the last years of her life. Púbol is a village county of Baix Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. There are very few tours from Barcelona that include a visit to this museum.

About Figueres
About Salvador Dali
Tours to Dali museums from Barcelona
Go to Figueres yourself by train


Tarragona & Roman ruins of Tarraco


day tours from barcelona - tarragona


Tarragona is a beautiful coastal city just 1 hour south of Barcelona by car or train. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. Tarragona was the most important Roman city and the Roman capital city of Spain. 

The Roman imperial city was called Tarraco (full name is Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco) There are many impressive roman ruins in Tarragona, including the Amphitheatre of Tarragona (pictured above), the Roman circus and the Roman aqueduct. 

The Roman ruins of Tarraco have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

About Tarragona, Spain
Small group tour RomanTarragona


Costa Brava coast and beaches


Costa Brava day tours Barcelona

Visit the beautiful villages and beaches of the famous Costa Brava coastline of Catalunya that starts just 1 hour north of Barcelona.

In the winter you can enjoy the stunning scenery and in the summer you enjoy a swim in the crystal clear waters of the Costa Brava beaches and coves.

Pictures Costa Brava coast



Sitges - beach village near Barcelona


720x400_sitges_beaches

Sitges is a charming sea-side resort known as the St Tropez of Spain. Sitges is just south of Barcelona and can easily visited by train from Barcelona. Sitges is somewhere to enjoy for a few hours on the beach in the summer or just as a day out of Barcelona. It's most popular to visit in warmer months and bathing is comfortable from end May to end September

Sitges is a village so it has a tiny historic center with a couple of local museums, a nice church and a lovely promenade for walks. 

There are small group tours to Sitges but mostly as a stop on the way back from a visit to either the wine areas of Catalonia or Montserrat mountains. Generally tourists visit Sitges in the summer.

About Sitges
Pictures Sitges
Go to Sitges yourself by train

Port Aventura theme park & Ferrari land


720x400_portavent

Port Aventura is a big amusement theme park which is 1 hour south of Barcelona near Tarragona and Reus. PortAventura has Europe's biggest rollercoaster until in April 2017 a new themepark by PortAventura called Ferrari land opens with what will be the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in Europe. PortAventura also has a waterpark called Caribe Aquatic Park. To get to PortAventura theme parks take train or bus from Barcelona. When you have paid the entrance fee at PortAventura then all rides are free. Caribe Aquatic Park and Ferrari Land are a separate theme parks. We recommend you use a full day to enjoy Port Aventura and 2 if you want to include Caribe Aquatic Park and Ferrari Land

About Port Aventura
Caribe Aquatic Park
Day tour Port Aventura/Ferrariland
TICKETS PortAventura park
Train to Port Aventura

To get to these destinations and many more day trips from Barcelona visit our Barcelona tour page 

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Last Updated on Thursday, 21 March 2024 13:58
 

Thursday, 21 November 2024


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