9 of the Best Day Trips from Barcelona

Located about an hour northwest of Barcelona, Montserrat takes its name from the Catalan for “serrated mountain,” and the silhouette makes clear exactly why that is. Inside the monastery basilica at the top of the mountain, you’ll find La Moreneta, the venerated Black Madonna, one of Catalonia’s most important religious symbols.

However, beyond the impressive monastery, a network of trails offers panoramic views across the countryside, meaning that a Barcelona to Montserrat tour with hotel pickup is one of the easiest ways to visit—as you can save your strength for all that hiking! Plus, many tours include the option to add a winery lunch in the Penedès foothills for a full day out.

Insider tip: Time your visit for 1pm on weekdays and you may catch the Escolania, one of Europe’s oldest boys’ choirs, performing in the basilica.

Two hours north of Barcelona, Girona’s medieval Old Town is one of the best-preserved in Europe, built around a cathedral (its Gothic nave is the widest in the world) and a beautifully intact Jewish Quarter. Nearby, the red-iron Pont de les Peixateries Velles Bridge—also known as the Eiffel Bridge, after its designer, Gustave Eiffel—crosses the Onyar River, and the row of colorful houses reflected in the water below is one of Catalonia's most photographed views.

To combine a trip to Girona with the nearby coastal scenery, you can even opt for a combination Girona and Costa Brava small-group tour, which continues from the Old Town to medieval villages such as Pals and Calella de Palafrugell.

Catalonia has many wine appellations and more than 2,000 years of winemaking history. Just outside of Barcelona, the Penedès region produces around 95 percent of all Spanish cava—the celebrated sparkling wine.

Experience the area for yourself on a Barcelona wine country tour day trip, which head out into the countryside for vineyard visits and tastings, with options for tapas and lunch often included.

Insider tip: Big-name producers such as Freixenet and Codorníú are based here, but many small-group wine tours skip them in favor of family-run cellars that can’t be visited independently.

Sitges has been drawing artists, bohemians, and plenty of locals for Barcelona weekend getaways since the 19th century, when painter Santiago Rusiñol established it as a Modernist hot spot and attracted Picasso and his contemporaries south along the coast. Today, it’s a charming mix of whitewashed old town, seafront restaurants, and one of the more lively LGBTQ+ social scenes in southern Europe.

It’s also a reliably lovely (and convenient) place to spend a day at the beach, especially given that Sitges is easy to reach by train from Passeig de Gràcia in around 35 minutes. Alternatively, combine a trip here with a visit to the Roman ruins of Tarragona on a guided small-group day tour that takes in both historic towns near Barcelona.

Salvador Dalí didn’t just design a museum in his hometown of Figueres; instead, he created what he called the largest surrealist object in the world, the Dalí Theatre-Museum. The building is unmissable from the street, topped as it is with a geodesic glass dome and decorated with giant eggs and golden statues—it’s truly a sight to behold, one that you can visit on a day trip from Barcelona.

Inside, the collection spans paintings, sculptures, holograms, and immersive installations—and Dalí himself is buried in a crypt beneath the stage. To make a full day of it, you can take a small-group tour of the Dalí Museum, house and Cadaqués, which combines the Theatre-Museum with a visit to Salvador Dali House in Portlligat, where he threw lavish parties and completed a lot of his work.

The Romans called Tarragona "Tarraco," and it was one of the empire’s most important provincial capitals outside of Rome itself. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its remarkably intact Roman ruins—including an amphitheater, circus, and forum—making this one of the most interesting historic towns near Barcelona to visit in a single day.

Walking from Tarragona's seafront amphitheater up to the hilltop cathedral is one of the more rewarding afternoons on any Barcelona day trip, one that you can experience on an organized excursion or independently. (And if you choose to head there yourself, know that Tarragona is around one hour from Barcelona Sants by high-speed train.)

Did you know?: Tarragona’s Tarraco Viva festival sees actors in Roman costume bring the ruins to life with reenactments, markets, and gladiatorial contests—it typically takes place in late May.

Costa Brava day trips cover the stretch of coast northeast of Barcelona, an area of gnarled cliffs, secret coves, and some of Catalonia’s most stunning beaches. The coast is also punctuated with stylish seaside villages, all of which are worth a visit. However, to narrow it down, the most popular spots are Palafrugell, Tossa de Mar, or Cadaqués (see below) near the French border.

Leave your car in a town and follow the paths that trace the coastline in either direction, because the best sections of the Costa Brava are barely accessible by vehicle anyway. With that in mind, you can even try a kayaking tour to get farther away from the crowds.

Did you know?: The historic paths were once patrolled by the Guardia Civil in an attempt to stop goods being smuggled into Spain during Franco’s dictatorship.

Cadaqués sits at the end of a winding mountain road on the Cap de Creus peninsula—the most easterly point in mainland Spain—which is a rugged and protected zone. The village is all whitewashed walls, narrow cobblestone alleys, and a small harbor where fishing boats bob below the blue dome of the hilltop church.

And as a bonus for art lovers, keep in mind that Dalí lived here for much of his life—you can even visit his house at Portlligat, now the Salvador Dalí House-Museum (though advance booking is essential).

Sandwiched between France and Spain, high in the Pyrenees (one of Europe's most dramatic mountain ranges), Andorra is also one of Europe's smallest and most overlooked countries—a tiny principality of steep valleys, ski resorts, and duty-free shopping that combine to make a visit here one of the best excursions from Barcelona.

The mountain scenery alone makes the journey worthwhile: The Pyrenees rise sharply north of Catalonia, and the road up through the high passes delivers dramatic landscapes. To see even more in one day, you can even jump on a three countries in one day tour, which adds a stop in France as well.