Barcelona is famously stuffed with wonderful locations to go to. Why drag your self away from the historic heart of the Catalan capital? You can tour the Gaudi works or take a night paella class – Barcelona turns into much more alive at evening. But whereas Barcelona’s metropolis heart could also be stuffed with unimaginable cultural actions, whether or not it’s your first journey or fiftieth, it’s best to nonetheless make investments in one of many many day journeys from Barcelona. Catalan tradition is fascinating, and the encircling panorama is gorgeous to discover by public transport or rental automotive. You might go to Montserrat, gothic church buildings in medieval villages, or go wine tasting in rolling vineyards.
Top Barcelona Day Trips
In this information, we’ll cowl the most effective day journeys from Barcelona. You might pencil in a calming day journey to Arab baths or sort out a few of the greatest climbing trails in the area – the depth of your day journey is as much as you. One factor is bound, although; Barcelona has many day journey choices. And the truth that Barcelona has many practice traces and low-cost practice tickets is superb, particularly if you’re visiting Barcelona on a funds. Let’s try the most effective day journeys Barcelona has obtainable. You’ll love these high 19 contenders.
Planning Your Trip To Barcelona Right Now?
Below are a few of the high day journey excursions from Barcelona. Don’t neglect to plan forward when visiting Spain!
Top Day Trips and Tours from Barcelona:
1. Costa Brava
The Costa Brava is a large area in Catalonia. It calls for way over a day to see in its entirety. Costa Brava stretches from simply northeast of Barcelona metropolis heart to the French border, overlaying a few of the prettiest coastal villages and locations. It is considered one of Barcelona’s hottest day journeys – both as a self-guided expertise or a guided tour like this full-day one. You can enterprise out to villages with Roman and historic Greek villages. Or you possibly can take boat journeys to spots just like the Medes archipelago.
If you need an impartial journey, Costa Brava is greatest day-tripped by rental automotive on a highway journey from Barcelona. You can drive to the sting of Costa Brava (the resort city of Blanes) in below an hour, then proceed alongside the shoreline, hopping from village to city. Road-tripping the Costa Brava as a day journey from Barcelona is vastly rewarding, and you might be at all times near a scrumptious dish or a fantastic seaside.
We had so as to add it as a day journey due to how liberating highway journeys are and the way well-suited the Costa Brava is to day trippers, with city after city of coastal locations to take pleasure in. We’ll cowl numerous points of interest alongside the Costa Brava shoreline as day journeys in their very own proper. However, if you happen to battle to squeeze a day journey in, road-tripping Costa Brava is a unbelievable, extra basic day journey choice.
Distance from Barcelona: 50-minute drive to Blanes, Barcelona’s closest level of the Costa Brava.
2. Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar is considered one of Barcelona’s most drop-dead beautiful day tour choices. The little cliffside village has an Old Town declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument, and its ruins are proper into the Mediterranean Sea. On this present day journey, you possibly can stroll the village and take in its historic sights earlier than heading to Gran Beach – which has previous wall ruins spilling onto the sands.
It is unquestionably a day journey of two halves. You’ll spend the morning with tradition and historical past and the afternoon in the water or on the seaside. Tossa de Mar has numerous scuba diving and paddle boarding alternatives if you happen to fancy one thing a little bit extra adventurous than a day of sunbathing or swimming.
Tossa de Mar is an hour and 15-minute drive from Barcelona. Unfortunately, it isn’t accessible by public transport simply. Still, you possibly can at all times guide a shuttle service or guided tour if you happen to don’t drive. It is without doubt one of the most well-known Barcelona day journeys, so it’s best to have the ability to discover guided excursions simply.
Distance from Barcelona: 1-hour 15-minute drive from Barcelona
3. Wine Tasting
Going wine tasting is a vastly satisfying day journey. Barcelona is surrounded by the outskirts with rolling vineyards and greater than only a boutique vineyard. Priorat, Montsant, and Penedès are all notably well-known areas for Catalonian wine. And from Barcelona, we’d extremely advocate a small group tour to Penedès wine nation. Penedès is hailed for its Cava – a glowing white wine – however you’ll discover all kinds of types if you happen to tour the area. You can merely guide a wine-tasting tour that features transport from Barcelona metropolis heart. There are many choices; some, like this one, even embrace conventional meals like tapas.
Wine-tasting excursions are good if you need minimal touring however love tasting new wines. It combines a little bit of countryside sightseeing, too, as you’ll be venturing to some critically picturesque wineries. The excursions are sometimes half a day lengthy, however they fluctuate relying in your tour.
Distance from Barcelona: 45-minute drive to Penedès from Barcelona
4. Castellfollit de la Roca
Castellfollit de la Roca is gorgeous. The tiny village teeters on the slender ridge of a basalt clifftop overlooking the confluence of two rivers under – surrounded by forest and wildlife. Only round 1,000 residents reside in Castellfollit de la Roca. However, it’s simply one of the crucial photographed locations in Catalonia and one of many high day journeys from Barcelona if you need a wow issue.
Visitors can stroll the Old Town and take a look at some actually area of interest little points of interest, together with a 150-year-old charcuterie enterprise that’s now a museum preserving Catalonia’s charcuterie historical past. While, for a extra distinctive vantage level over Castellfollit de la Roca’s gorgeous structure, you possibly can splurge on a scorching air balloon journey.
Castellfollit de la Roca is a 1.5-hour drive from Barcelona and is in any other case not accessible by public transport. It is, nevertheless, an extremely scenic drive and bypasses or cuts by means of quite a few pure parks. It even passes by means of Vic (a medieval city that can characteristic later in our information) because the midway level. If you might be debating driving to Castellfollit de la Roca, know that renting a automotive is unquestionably effectively price it.
Distance from Barcelona: 1.5 hour drive from Barcelona
5. Montserrat
If you go to Barcelona, you need to go to Montserrat. Montserrat is a striking-looking mountain city most identified for its Benedictine monastery, Saint Maria de Montserrat. The monastery has a statue of the Virgin Mary and little one rumored to have been carved by St.Luke, and this statue offers the city its nickname ‘Sacred Mountain.’ If you guide a Montserrat tour from Barcelona, you’ll undoubtedly have the monastery in your itinerary. But the entire city is gorgeous, and it seems as if the previous stone buildings have erupted up from the rocks of the mountains themselves. Montserrat is like one thing out of a movie set.
You can guide a Montserrat tour with resort pick-up – making it one of many best day journeys from Barcelona. However, to go eco-friendly, simply catch the practice from Barcelona-Sants Station. It takes simply over an hour by practice, and there’s no have to guide practice tickets in advance. Montserrat is without doubt one of the most basic day journey experiences; don’t miss this one if you need dramatic surroundings and a pilgrim expertise.
Distance from Barcelona: Less than 1.5 hours from Barcelona by public transport
6. Pyrenees Mountains
The Pyrenees Mountains make a superb day journey from Barcelona. The mountain vary is gorgeous and stuffed with ski slopes in winter and climbing trails in summer time. For both a climbing day journey or a ski day journey, the Pyrenees Mountains are your greatest shout from these day journeys from Barcelona.
A phrase of warning; the Pyrenees Mountains are the tallest mountain vary in Europe – so anticipate steep slopes and difficult hikes. The mountains cowl an enormous 270-mile stretch, with the best of all of the peaks being the three,404-meter-tall Pico de Aneto. The Pyrenees Mountains are an absolute beast of an space to discover.
As we stated, the Pyrenees Mountains are unbelievable for skiers and hikers. You can simply take a day journey to ski resorts like Arinsal Ski Resort and Grandvalira, benefit from the snow, after which head again for a night in Barcelona. While climbing trails just like the Ayous Lakes Circuit or Carros de Foc are additionally unimaginable in spring and summer time. For outside lovers, we simply had so as to add it to this information.
Distance from Barcelona: The Pyrenees Mountains are roughly a 3 hour 40-minute drive from Barcelona relying on the place you go to.
7. Gala Dalí Castle Museum-House
Gala Dalí Castle Museum-House is a rags-to-riches story. The now-turned-Dali Museum was as soon as a forgotten citadel stumbled throughout by the Dali couple. Salvador Dali purchased the Eleventh-century Pubol Castle in 1969, rescuing it from an entire state of despair.
The ceilings had fallen by means of, and there have been cracks in the partitions – primarily a spoil of what was beforehand medieval grandeur. Salvador constructed the rooms across the ‘new’ structure that the collapsed constructions created. Dali Castle was reworked right into a romantic, baroque-style architectural masterpiece. And, most romantically, Salvador devoted the complete venture to his spouse, Gala.
Now you possibly can go to this citadel on a day tour from Barcelona. The citadel is now a museum devoted to preserving the Dali historical past and story, in addition to showcasing the citadel’s architectural magnificence. Admiring the furnishings and decor, you possibly can independently stroll by means of the citadel at leisure. Alternatively, guide one guided tour and discover with an skilled information.
Distance from Barcelona: 2 hours by public transport and 1.5 hours by automotive
8. Girona
Girona is an enormous medieval metropolis. Set apart the River Onyar, it’s overflowing with medieval structure and historic Roman fortifications. Girona’s community of manicured gardens and slender streets date again to the center ages, and its Jewish Quarter is filled with attribute arches. Even simply from taking a look at footage of the town, it’s simple to see why it was chosen as a filming location for Game of Thrones.
It is without doubt one of the high day journeys from Barcelona in the case of structure and chasing day journeys that depart ‘big impressions.’ You can take a guided strolling tour of the town or go to independently. Girona has many points of interest in addition to its attractiveness, together with Europe’s smallest sq., previous volcanoes on its outskirts, and cultural venues like cinemas.
Girona is simply 40 minutes from Barcelona by practice. It is unimaginable that you’ve got a distinct metropolis expertise lower than one hour away. Girona is a unbelievable candidate for day journeys from Barcelona if you happen to don’t drive. Game of Thrones followers, particularly, take into account including Girona to your Barca itinerary.
Distance from Barcelona: 40 minutes by practice
9. Mallorca
Ready for one of the crucial formidable day journeys from Barcelona you could possibly ever take? One choice is to get the ferry to Mallorca in a single day, take pleasure in a morning on the Balearic Islands, after which catch a ferry again for the night in Barcelona. This is good for these wanting to maximise their time in Spain. And it requires minimal effort in phrases of transportation – you possibly can take pleasure in an evening on the water, scrumptious delicacies, and entry leisure like movie screenings. While for a great evening’s sleep, there are non-public cabins to guide. On the return ferry, you possibly can maintain your eyes out for dolphins, whales, and seabirds. And you’ll catch the sundown at sea a minimum of as soon as on this journey.
Ferries from Barcelona depart in the night and arrive early in the morning in Mallorca – typically round 5:30 am. You port in Palma or Alcudia, providing you with time to discover these little port cities earlier than catching the ferry again. This day journey is greatest for early birds. But these daring sufficient to strive will probably be rewarded by a completely completely different ambiance in Mallorca. Palma has an enormous round citadel that dates again to the 14th century, an historic Arab bathhouse, and an actual huddle of aesthetic museums in completely different plazas. Alcudia has medieval partitions and interesting Roman ruins websites. Historically, Mallorca has hundreds to supply, and atmosphere-wise, it’s way more laidback than hectic Barcelona. It is an expedition-style journey from Barcelona and is ideal for anybody wanting an journey.
Distance from Barcelona: 6-7 hours by ferry
10. Calella de Palafrugell
Calella de Palafrugell is a candy coastal city in the municipality of Palafrugell. The city is fairly, with whitewashed, conventional buildings and loads of sandy seashores. It is a seaside day journey with the oomph to make wandering across the city worthwhile when visiting. For seaside lovers trying to enterprise right into a little bit of sightseeing, go to Calella de Palafrugell. You can try the Cami de Ronda Calella-Golfet remark deck, Torre de Calella, and hike the Cami de Ronda de Calella a Llafranc. Or simply choose a restaurant and take a look at some native delicacies earlier than kicking it on the seaside.
Calella de Palafrugell is good as a result of it has points of interest to entertain you if you happen to get bored sunbathing and the potential for a calming seaside day. It is good for these planning day journeys from Barcelona with a bunch of various touring types. Versatile and fairly, Calella de Palafrugell is a high suggestion.
Distance from Barcelona: 3 hours by public transport or 1.5 hours by automotive
11. Sitges
Sitges is a enjoyable seaside city and one of the crucial LGBTQ+-friendly day journeys from Barcelona. The city is famend for its LGBTQ group and has an outgoing nightlife and celebration scene. And even higher, it’s simply accessible by practice, simply 35 minutes from Barcelona’s metropolis heart. Since the final practice is simply earlier than 11pm, you possibly can benefit from the seaside after which indulge in some nightlife earlier than returning to Barcelona – making Sitges a full-day journey to contemplate.
Sitges is way over simply the seaside and partying, although. You can take pleasure in modernist artwork on the Museu Cau Ferrat, admire white and blue fishermen’s homes in the Old Town, and go to deserted villages in the close by Garraf Natural Park. It is lower than one hour from Barcelona but affords a distinct vibe. Small however mighty Sitges is a inventive hub of tradition and group price visiting. And the frequent trains simply make this much more tempting.
Distance from Barcelona: 35 minutes by practice
12. Tarragona
It could also be a daring assertion, however that is the highest day journey for historical past lovers. Tarragona is an historic Roman metropolis with ruins scattered all through its streets – making it considered one of Barcelona’s most attention-grabbing archeological day journeys. Once known as Tarraco, if you happen to love Roman historical past, this metropolis is taken into account among the finest locations to be taught in regards to the Romans in Spain. Its most well-known (and arguably spectacular) ruins are the large stays of the traditional Roman amphitheater. But there’s the Roman Circus, discussion board, and Praetorium Tower too.
The port metropolis is only one hour from Barcelona by a scenic practice journey. You head southwest, hugging the shoreline with lovely advert hoc views of the Mediterranean Sea and its prettiest coastal cities. For us, Roman historical past instantly caught our eye. Still, from a sensible stage, it is without doubt one of the greatest Barcelona day journey choices.
Distance from Barcelona: 1 hour by practice
13. Vic
Heading inland shouldn’t be neglected when planning day journeys from Barcelona. Vic is a big metropolis set one hour inland from Barcelona by automotive. While it might not look ‘major’ in measurement, it’s the capital of the comarca of Osona and an actual cultural hotspot. We vote that you just add it to your record instantly. It has a powerful neoclassical cathedral, a December medieval honest on cobbled streets, and area of interest points of interest just like the Episcopal Museum of Vic.
Of all these day journeys from Barcelona, a Vic day journey is a culture-satisfying assure. Its structure alone is fascinating; the Queralt Bridge, an Eleventh-century Romanesque bridge (reconstructed many instances), and 2nd century Roman Temple of Vic are metropolis highlights.
Vic is well reached by automotive in lower than an hour, however you could possibly additionally take a bus in 1 hour and 20 minutes if driving isn’t an choice. It is a reasonably scenic route, chopping by means of agricultural landscapes and countryside that drastically contrasts the scenes in busy Barcelona. It can also be only a quick quantity of journey time – good for maximizing your time in Vic or squeezing the day journey into half a day if crucial.
Distance from Barcelona: 1 hour by automotive
14. Cadaques
Cadaques is essentially the most inaccessible place on the Costa Brava – or a minimum of that’s what individuals say. Tucked up by the border, it is without doubt one of the final coastal cities earlier than Catalonia flows into France, and solely the actually enthusiastic vacationers push themselves to enterprise to this point northeast. Cadaques is someplace we’d recommend renting a automotive to go to, however belief us, will probably be price it. You’ll drive up in the direction of the French border, go Girona (an excellent midway relaxation level), and end on the shoreline.
It is good for combining a go to to Girona with a go to to a quieter, less-visited coastal city – one of the crucial distinctive day journeys from Barcelona. The fishermen’s city sits on a rocky shoreline with gorgeous seashores, enveloped by the Cap de Creus Natural Park. You can try the handful of museums; in any other case, simply calm down on a seaside day. It is a glimpse into a very completely different life-style in Catalonia.
For us, the out-of-the-way component is what offers Cadaques its attract. And the truth that it combines so effectively with Girona is one other big bonus, that means that regardless of its ‘inaccessibility,’ it really makes sensible sense. Cadaques is effectively price the additional effort if you happen to really feel assured with a barely longer drive.
Distance from Barcelona: 2 hours by automotive and three.5 by public transport
15. Cardona
Cardona is without doubt one of the most lovely medieval villages in Catalonia. This day journey would be the most memorable if you happen to like atmospheric, movie-set-style locations. Tiny in comparison with the bigger Vic, Cardona is a little bit village consisting primarily of a medieval walled fortress and medieval citadel. The buildings in Cardona date again to the eighth century and embrace Romanesque and Gothic constructions. While Cardona itself is about historically on a hill subsequent to the Cardoner River – a conventional tactical location.
In Cardona, permit time to go to the Museu de la Sal de Cardona, its church, and (in fact) the Castell de Cardona, which is especially lovely and dawn and sundown. You may also enterprise out to the close by salt mines to tour the underground stays of a once-thriving business.
Sustainability lovers word that Cardona was formally acknowledged for its sustainability efforts as a part of the European Commission’s EDEN program, the European Destinations of Excellence. It is a exceptional village that takes pleasure in its historical past and heritage. Cardona has been splendidly taken care of, and strolling by means of its slender streets and alongside its fortress partitions appears like stepping again in time attributable to these preservation efforts.
Distance from Barcelona: 1 hour quarter-hour by automotive and a pair of hours quarter-hour by public transport
16. Andorra
Fancy including one other nation to your record whereas visiting Barcelona? Andorra is without doubt one of the high day journeys from Barcelona. Despite being situated smack bang between France and Spain, Andorra is a tiny impartial nation surrounded by the Pyrenees mountains. It is a unbelievable day journey. Andorra is all ski slopes and pure parks – plus, it has a considerably incongruous duty-free purchasing scene. In ski season, we’d advocate it for hitting the slopes. At the identical time, in late spring and summer time, Andorra is a high climbing vacation spot and nice for purchasing.
You can attain Andorra from Barcelona in 3 hours and quarter-hour by direct bus. Alternatively, you possibly can lease a automotive and drive there in 2.5 hours. Driving to Andorra has its personal advantages, with the choice of driving through Vic and straight by means of Parc Natural del Cadi-Moixero. By automotive, it isn’t even one of many longest day journeys from Barcelona.
Distance from Barcelona: 2.5 hours by automotive and three hours quarter-hour by bus
17. Castelldefels
Castelldefels is a fantastic spot on the Mediterranean Sea – heavenly-looking and ideal for a fast day journey from Barcelona. The city has a shocking shoreline with a protracted sandy seaside. But it isn’t only a seaside getaway; Castelldefels has historical past and tradition with its Castell de Fels and Gava Mines. Pick a few its prime points of interest and hop across the metropolis heart in the morning, heading to the seaside after for a relaxed afternoon. You gained’t have any points squeezing a full-day tour of Castelldefels in, as it’s only a 25-minute practice journey away.
Castelldefels caught our eye for its attractiveness as a seaside vacation spot. However, its proximity to Barcelona is one other big plus. Castelldefels is tremendous handy. You can shortly leap on the practice from Barcelona Sants Station if you happen to fancy a fast seaside journey. While if you need one thing extra substantial, Castelldefels is an equally good choice, with loads of historical past because of its citadel and archaeological mines.
Distance from Barcelona: 25 minutes by automotive or practice
18. Premia de Mar
Premia de Mar is so small that calling it a seaside city is probably going an overstatement. However, its small measurement makes it one of the crucial enjoyable seaside day journeys from Barcelona. There are few sightseeing alternatives, however if you happen to crave high quality seaside time, you possibly can’t go fallacious with Premia de Mar’s sandy seashores. You can swim, sunbathe, after which seize meals from an area cafe or restaurant. Premia de Mar is the place to go to maintain issues easy and have a healthful day on the sands. It isn’t intense like a full-day tour of historic monuments or UNESCO websites. It is simply someplace to calm down and escape Barcelona’s crowds.
Another big bonus of visiting Premia de Mar is that it’s accessible by practice and automotive. You can hop on a practice straight from central Barcelona and be on the seaside in lower than an hour. Or you possibly can drive if you have already got a rental automotive. Not everybody appears like venturing as much as Costa Brava in search of quiet sandy seashores, and Premia de Mar is a a lot nearer compromise.
Distance from Barcelona: 40 minutes by practice and 20 minutes by automotive
19. Colonia Guell
Forget heaving Park Guell; Colonia Guell is a Gaudi-built neighborhood with nearly an identical tales, minus all of the crowds. It is without doubt one of the lesser-chosen day journeys from Barcelona as a result of it’s so much like the a lot nearer Park Guell. But for these wanting a quieter expertise, it’s a no-brainer. Add it to your itinerary and journey the straightforward 45 minutes by public transport or seize a 20-minute Uber.
Gaudi constructed Colonia Guell in the city of Santa Coloma de Cervello. As many individuals know, Gaudi’s unique concept was to create unique neighborhoods the place Barcelona locals might buy properties and reside in a modernist-designed group. Colonia Guell, in explicit, was for use by industrial employees.
Gaudi was commissioned by Eusebi Guell so as to add homes, a faculty, retailers, and even a church to the neighborhood. Gaudi’s church crypt has even been awarded UNESCO World Heritage standing. It is a shocking place to wander round. And it’s extensively whispered about as Gaudi’s best-kept secret, so we had so as to add it as one of many off-the-beaten-track day journeys from Barcelona.
Distance from Barcelona: 45 minutes by public transport or 20-minute drive
To Conclude
Barcelona’s ‘day trip radius’ has cultural and pure points of interest. Any of those day journeys from Barcelona are price attractive your self away from the town heart for a single day. Barcelona day journeys are a should addition to any itinerary, and we’d recommend scheduling a minimum of a pair.
Note that if you’re flying into the (extra budget-friendly) Girona International Airport, it’s best to mix this with a go to to the Game of Thrones filming location and medieval metropolis, Girona. Adding Girona as a day journey from the airport is a superb technique to maximize your Barcelona day journeys.
Looking for extra inspiration about visiting Barcelona? We recommend contemplating the place to remain in the town. Each neighborhood has a particular feel- trendy El Born or the historic heart of the Gothic Quarter. Take your time selecting an space.