Barcelona is famously stuffed with wonderful locations to go to. Why drag your self away from the historic middle 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 middle could also be stuffed with unbelievable cultural actions, whether or not it’s your first journey or fiftieth, it is 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 automobile. 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 deal with a few of the greatest mountaineering 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 strains and low-cost practice tickets is great, particularly in case you are visiting Barcelona on a price range. 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 excess of a day to see in its entirety. Costa Brava stretches from simply northeast of Barcelona metropolis middle to the French border, overlaying a few of the prettiest coastal villages and locations. It is one in every 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 historical Greek villages. Or you may take boat journeys to spots just like the Medes archipelago.
If you need an impartial journey, Costa Brava is greatest day-tripped by rental automobile on a street journey from Barcelona. You can drive to the sting of Costa Brava (the resort city of Blanes) in underneath 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 wonderful seashore.
We had so as to add it as a day journey due to how liberating street 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 a number of points of interest alongside the Costa Brava shoreline as day journeys in their very own proper. However, should you battle to squeeze a day journey in, road-tripping Costa Brava is a unbelievable, extra common 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 one in every 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 today journey, you may stroll the village and take in its historic sights earlier than heading to Gran Beach – which has outdated 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 seashore. Tossa de Mar has a number of scuba diving and paddle boarding alternatives should you fancy one thing a 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 may at all times guide a shuttle service or guided tour should you don’t drive. It is without doubt one of the most well-known Barcelona day journeys, so it is best to be capable to discover guided excursions simply.
Distance from Barcelona: 1-hour 15-minute drive from Barcelona
3. Wine Tasting
Going wine tasting is a vastly pleasurable day journey. Barcelona is surrounded by the outskirts with rolling vineyards and greater than only a boutique vineyard. Priorat, Montsant, and Penedès are all significantly 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 sorts should you tour the area. You can merely guide a wine-tasting tour that features transport from Barcelona metropolis middle. There are many choices; some, like this one, even embody conventional meals like tapas.
Wine-tasting excursions are sensible if you’d like 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 range 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 slim ridge of a basalt clifftop overlooking the confluence of two rivers under – surrounded by forest and wildlife. Only round 1,000 residents stay in Castellfollit de la Roca. However, it’s simply some of the photographed locations in Catalonia and one of many high day journeys from Barcelona if you’d like 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 format, you may splurge on a sizzling 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, nonetheless, an extremely scenic drive and bypasses or cuts by quite a few pure parks. It even passes by Vic (a medieval city that can function later in our information) because the midway level. If you might be debating driving to Castellfollit de la Roca, know that renting a automobile is unquestionably nicely value it.
Distance from Barcelona: 1.5 hour drive from Barcelona
5. Montserrat
If you go to Barcelona, you must 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 youngster rumored to have been carved by St.Luke, and this statue provides 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 outdated 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 lodge 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 traditional day journey experiences; don’t miss this one if you’d like 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 wonderful day journey from Barcelona. The mountain vary is gorgeous and stuffed with ski slopes in winter and mountaineering trails in summer time. For both a mountaineering 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 unlimited 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 mentioned, 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 mountaineering trails just like the Ayous Lakes Circuit or Carros de Foc are additionally unbelievable in spring and summer time. For outside fanatics, 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 fort 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, and there have been cracks in the partitions – primarily a spoil of what was beforehand medieval grandeur. Salvador constructed the rooms across the ‘new’ format that the collapsed buildings created. Dali Castle was reworked right into a romantic, baroque-style architectural masterpiece. And, most romantically, Salvador devoted your complete mission to his spouse, Gala.
Now you may go to this fort on a day tour from Barcelona. The fort is now a museum devoted to preserving the Dali historical past and story, in addition to showcasing the fort’s architectural magnificence. Admiring the furnishings and decor, you may independently stroll by the fort 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 automobile
8. Girona
Girona is an unlimited medieval metropolis. Set apart the River Onyar, it’s overflowing with medieval structure and historical Roman fortifications. Girona’s community of manicured gardens and slim streets date again to the center ages, and its Jewish Quarter is filled with attribute arches. Even simply from photos of the town, it’s straightforward 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 relating to 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 apart from its beauty, together with Europe’s smallest sq., outdated volcanoes on its outskirts, and cultural venues like cinemas.
Girona is simply 40 minutes from Barcelona by practice. It is unbelievable that you’ve a special metropolis expertise lower than one hour away. Girona is a unbelievable candidate for day journeys from Barcelona should you don’t drive. Game of Thrones followers, particularly, think about including Girona to your Barca itinerary.
Distance from Barcelona: 40 minutes by practice
9. Mallorca
Ready for some of the bold day journeys from Barcelona you possibly can 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 right for these wanting to maximise their time in Spain. And it requires minimal effort in phrases of transportation – you may 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 personal cabins to guide. On the return ferry, you may preserve your eyes out for dolphins, whales, and seabirds. And you’ll catch the sundown at sea at the very least 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 attempt it is going to be rewarded by a wholly completely different environment in Mallorca. Palma has an enormous round fort that dates again to the 14th century, an historical 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 masses to supply, and atmosphere-wise, it’s rather 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 seashore day journey with the oomph to make wandering across the city worthwhile when visiting. For seashore lovers seeking to enterprise right into a little bit of sightseeing, go to Calella de Palafrugell. You can try the Cami de Ronda Calella-Golfet statement deck, Torre de Calella, and hike the Cami de Ronda de Calella a Llafranc. Or simply decide a restaurant and check out some native delicacies earlier than kicking it on the seashore.
Calella de Palafrugell is good as a result of it has points of interest to entertain you should you get bored sunbathing and the potential for a calming seashore day. It is right for these planning day journeys from Barcelona with a gaggle 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 automobile
11. Sitges
Sitges is a enjoyable seaside city and some of the LGBTQ+-friendly day journeys from Barcelona. The city is famend for its LGBTQ group and has an outgoing nightlife and occasion scene. And even higher, it’s simply accessible by practice, simply 35 minutes from Barcelona’s metropolis middle. Since the final practice is simply earlier than 11pm, you may benefit from the seashore after which indulge in some nightlife earlier than returning to Barcelona – making Sitges a full-day journey to think about.
Sitges is excess of simply the seashore 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 gives a special vibe. Small however mighty Sitges is a inventive hub of tradition and group value 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 historical Roman metropolis with ruins scattered all through its streets – making it one in every of Barcelona’s most attention-grabbing archeological day journeys. Once known as Tarraco, should you love Roman historical past, this metropolis is taken into account top-of-the-line locations to study concerning the Romans in Spain. Its most well-known (and arguably spectacular) ruins are the big 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 missed when planning day journeys from Barcelona. Vic is a major metropolis set one hour inland from Barcelona by automobile. While it could not look ‘major’ in measurement, it’s the capital of the comarca of Osona and an actual cultural hotspot. We vote that you simply add it to your checklist instantly. It has a formidable 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 automobile in lower than an hour, however you possibly can additionally take a bus in 1 hour and 20 minutes if driving isn’t an choice. It is a reasonably scenic route, slicing by agricultural landscapes and countryside that drastically contrasts the scenes in busy Barcelona. It can be only a brief quantity of journey time – good for maximizing your time in Vic or squeezing the day journey into half a day if obligatory.
Distance from Barcelona: 1 hour by automobile
14. Cadaques
Cadaques is probably the most inaccessible place on the Costa Brava – or at the very least that’s what folks 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 thus far northeast. Cadaques is someplace we’d recommend renting a automobile to go to, however belief us, it is going to be value it. You’ll drive up in direction of the French border, cross Girona (a superb midway relaxation level), and end on the shoreline.
It is right for combining a go to to Girona with a go to to a quieter, less-visited coastal city – some of the 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 loosen up on a seashore day. It is a glimpse into a completely completely different life-style in Catalonia.
For us, the out-of-the-way aspect is what provides Cadaques its attract. And the truth that it combines so nicely with Girona is one other big bonus, which means that regardless of its ‘inaccessibility,’ it truly makes sensible sense. Cadaques is nicely value the additional effort should you really feel assured with a barely longer drive.
Distance from Barcelona: 2 hours by automobile 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 should you like atmospheric, movie-set-style locations. Tiny in comparison with the bigger Vic, Cardona is a bit village consisting primarily of a medieval walled fortress and medieval fort. The buildings in Cardona date again to the eighth century and embody Romanesque and Gothic buildings. While Cardona itself is ready 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 also can enterprise out to the close by salt mines to tour the underground stays of a once-thriving trade.
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 outstanding village that takes delight in its historical past and heritage. Cardona has been splendidly sorted, and strolling by its slim streets and alongside its fortress partitions appears like stepping again in time as a result of these preservation efforts.
Distance from Barcelona: 1 hour quarter-hour by automobile and a couple of hours quarter-hour by public transport
16. Andorra
Fancy including one other nation to your checklist whereas visiting Barcelona? Andorra is without doubt one of the high day journeys from Barcelona. Despite being positioned 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 mountaineering vacation spot and nice for purchasing.
You can attain Andorra from Barcelona in 3 hours and quarter-hour by direct bus. Alternatively, you may hire a automobile and drive there in 2.5 hours. Driving to Andorra has its personal advantages, with the choice of driving by way of Vic and immediately by Parc Natural del Cadi-Moixero. By automobile, it isn’t even one of many longest day journeys from Barcelona.
Distance from Barcelona: 2.5 hours by automobile and three hours quarter-hour by bus
17. Castelldefels
Castelldefels is a wonderful spot on the Mediterranean Sea – heavenly-looking and ideal for a fast day journey from Barcelona. The city has a surprising shoreline with an extended sandy seashore. But it isn’t only a seashore 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 middle in the morning, heading to the seashore after for a relaxed afternoon. You received’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 beauty as a seashore vacation spot. However, its proximity to Barcelona is one other big plus. Castelldefels is tremendous handy. You can rapidly bounce on the practice from Barcelona Sants Station should you fancy a fast seashore journey. While if you’d like one thing extra substantial, Castelldefels is an equally good choice, with loads of historical past because of its fort and archaeological mines.
Distance from Barcelona: 25 minutes by automobile 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 some of the enjoyable seashore day journeys from Barcelona. There are few sightseeing alternatives, however should you crave high quality seashore time, you may’t go mistaken 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 loosen up and escape Barcelona’s crowds.
Another big bonus of visiting Premia de Mar is that it’s accessible by practice and automobile. You can hop on a practice straight from central Barcelona and be on the seashore in lower than an hour. Or you may drive if you have already got a rental automobile. 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 automobile
19. Colonia Guell
Forget heaving Park Guell; Colonia Guell is a Gaudi-built neighborhood with nearly similar 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 easy 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 stay in a modernist-designed group. Colonia Guell, in specific, was for use by industrial staff.
Gaudi was commissioned by Eusebi Guell so as to add homes, a college, retailers, and even a church to the neighborhood. Gaudi’s church crypt has even been awarded UNESCO World Heritage standing. It is a surprising 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 value engaging your self away from the town middle for a single day. Barcelona day journeys are a should addition to any itinerary, and we’d recommend scheduling at the very least a pair.
Note that in case you are flying into the (extra budget-friendly) Girona International Airport, it is 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 an excellent strategy 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 middle of the Gothic Quarter. Take your time selecting an space.