Montserrat Afternoon Tour & Black Madonna Priority Access
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Barcelona, Spain
- 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make a pilgrimage to Montserrat Monastery, one of Spain's key religious sites, during this guided visit. Scale Montserrat Mountain by your choice of cogwheel train or cable car, enjoying striking vistas of the mountain's surreal rock formations. Then visit the Benedictine abbey and the Basilica de Montserrat, to view La Moreneta (the Black Madonna). Your tour includes coach transport and free time to sample the monastery’s liqueurs.
- Guided tour of Montserrat Monastery (Abadia de Montserrat) from Barcelona
- Take the cogwheel train or the cable car for panoramic views of Catalonia
- See the Black Madonna, one of Spain’s most important religious icons
- Taste four different liqueurs produced by the Benedictine monks
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This combines a tour of Montserrat with a ride on the mountain cogwheel train or cable car, all in just a half a day.
What's Included
- Transportation on an air-conditioned coach
- Local Guide
- Radio guide system
- Access to the Basilica and the Black Madonna
- Taste of 4 typical liquors of the area
- Entrance to the audio-visual exhibition “Espai Audio visual Montserrat”
- Cog-wheel train down from Montserrat
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Julià TravelCarrer d'Alí-Bei, 80 Local nº 180 - Planta baja Delante del andén 19 / In front of the Platform 19, Eixample, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
Please find the Julia Travel Office in Ground floor, Carrer d'Alí Bei, 80, 08018 Barcelona, Spain. It is mandatory to check-in in the counter and after we will go to platform 19
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.2:00 pm
Itinerary
Explore one of Spain's most important religious sites at Montserrat Monastery (Abadia de Montserrat). The spot offers sublime views, a variety of religious artifacts, and insight into the history and spiritual traditions of this region of Spain.
Begin your excursion by boarding an air-conditioned coach in central Barcelona, continuing on a ride through the scenic landscapes of Catalonia on your way to Montserrat. Your guide provides details about the region's history as you go, offering details about Montserrat Mountain and the monastery that lies near its peak.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, climb aboard your choice of a cogwheel train or the Aeri de Montserrat cable car, enjoying panoramic views along the way. Keep your camera handy for great shots of the mountain's unique rock formations with Catalonia spread out below you.
Arrive at Santa Maria de Montserrat, the Benedictine abbey that occupies the mountaintop. You’ll check out the Basilica de Montserrat and get priority access to a wooden carving of Our Lady of Montserrat, a sacred object also known as La Moreneta or the Black Madonna.
Spend some free time exploring the grounds at your leisure, stopping at the monastery gift shop for a tasting of four monastic liqueurs. Then board your coach for the return trip.
Begin your excursion by boarding an air-conditioned coach in central Barcelona, continuing on a ride through the scenic landscapes of Catalonia on your way to Montserrat. Your guide provides details about the region's history as you go, offering details about Montserrat Mountain and the monastery that lies near its peak.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, climb aboard your choice of a cogwheel train or the Aeri de Montserrat cable car, enjoying panoramic views along the way. Keep your camera handy for great shots of the mountain's unique rock formations with Catalonia spread out below you.
Arrive at Santa Maria de Montserrat, the Benedictine abbey that occupies the mountaintop. You’ll check out the Basilica de Montserrat and get priority access to a wooden carving of Our Lady of Montserrat, a sacred object also known as La Moreneta or the Black Madonna.
Spend some free time exploring the grounds at your leisure, stopping at the monastery gift shop for a tasting of four monastic liqueurs. Then board your coach for the return trip.
1
Julià Travel
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Abadia De Montserrat
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
3
Montserrat Mountains
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Cremallera de Montserrat
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Note that the La Escolania children's choir does not perform in the afternoon
- Correct dress code is requested to enter the Basilica at Montserrat. It is not permitted to enter with tank tops, strapless shirts, short shorts or sandals
- Queues to see the Black Madonna may occur depending on season
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 1,958 reviews
Hayley_W, Mar 2026
Ivan was a great tour guide and very knowledgeable,he was friendly and engaging
The only negative was we didn’t have a lot of free time, it states over 3 hours in the advert but this includes all the things included so you actually only had about hour to yourself to explore which if you want to do any extras not included on the tour you might struggle to fit it all in, overall it is value for money though and I would go again as I did enjoy it and the views were amazing!
Tram_H, Mar 2026
This trip was a nice experience. The mountains were very cool to see. The Basilica was beautiful and we got to touch the Black Madonna sphere for good luck which was cool. The tour guide, Laria, was very nice and gave us a lot of information. The bus was comfortable. I recommend this tour.
Raeva_D, Mar 2026
Miriana was our tour guide and she was absolutely phenomenal! It was a smooth bus ride with some fun facts and also time to rest. Once we got to Monserrat we took the cable car up and toured the area. Miriana was very knowledgeable and also allowed us a decent amount of free time to explore on our own. It was absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend this tour! Request Miriana for your tour💖
Amy_W, Mar 2026
The experience was great despite the weather being rainy and foggy. Lorena was a great narrator giving us insight and the history. I recommend the tour. We chose to take train up because some in our group are afraid of heights, so no cable car for us.
Charnsilp_S, Feb 2026
Tour is nice and I love the cable car experience. The guide is knowledges and sweet. It’s off season, so not much to do on your free time. The thing that the tour guides need is the new microphone in the car… it’s unclear and very loud!!!
Alan_D, Feb 2026
All happened exactly as arranged, no delays, easy to get to starting point. Ivan an excellent guide. Fabulous views. Wonderful place to visit and appreciate. Liquor tasting a bit hit'n' miss. All else was excellent and very good value.
Alfred_U, Feb 2026
We booked an English Tour to Monserrat. But our Tour Guide keeps on speaking Spanish. And when she talks in English. It still sounds like Spanish
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Alfred_U,
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding the Montserrat Afternoon Tour & Black Madonna Priority Access. We are sorry to learn that the language of the tour did not meet your expectations and that this affected your overall enjoyment of the experience.
We would like to clarify that the regular Montserrat tour is operated in a bilingual format. It is not offered or published as an English-only or Spanish-only tour. Our guides provide explanations in both languages to accommodate all participants in the group.
It saddens us to know that you were not able to fully enjoy the visit due to the guide’s accent when speaking English. Please note that all our guides are officially accredited by the local government and are regularly assessed to ensure they meet the required language standards and professional qualifications.
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your comments, as they help us continue improving our services.
Sincerely,
Reena_P, Feb 2026
Lovely experience and safe....
Good service...........................................................
Matthew_T, Jan 2026
This was a very fun, informative, and enjoyable tour; made even moreso by our guide Emma. From start to finish, it was very well organized, efficient, and had plenty of time for self paced touring of Montserrat.
Prasanthi_T, Dec 2025
I could not take the tour because I was 2 minutes late. Due to heavy rains at Barcelona and roads been closed my taxi took extra 2 minutes to reach the meeting point at Julia travels. Julia travels ( 2 ladies) were inside the office and would not open the door for my family to verify tickets. The bus was right there in front of me and as my tickets were not verified , the bus left without us. Most important fact- I called Julia travels 7 minutes before the tour time and they still would not wait. They were very mean to us. This is totally unacceptable.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Prasanthi_T
I regret to learn that you missed the tour by arriving late.
Please note that we request customers to arrive 15 minutes before the tour to try to avoid this type of situation. The tour can not be delayed, even if the lateness is advised by phone call, out of respect for customers arriving on time.
On the website where you booked it is indicated that arriving late means losing the tour.
Sincerely,
Francisca_H, Nov 2025
It was a last minute booking but everything was smooth sailing. We went to the meeting point at the bus station below and has a smooth check in. The tour guide Ivan and the conductor was awesome very friendly and had a clear presentation about the black madonna. At the end we all got a gift from the tour guide! How sweet was Ivan!
Debra_J, Nov 2025
It’s a lot of information to take in but really worth it. The mountains are beautiful and the chapel is a wonderful surprise. The Black Madonna is breathtaking.
MartaRosa_B, Nov 2025
We had a great experience on our tour, beautiful place very interesting history and excellent tour guide. Love this place just short of time to explore more
Henry_C, Nov 2025
while the office was a little difficult to get to, the bus ride, tour guide and bus driver were professional, courteous and accommodating. the tour was a moving experience and the view of the moutain was awesome
EDILBERTO_A, Nov 2025
It was an excellent experience, beautiful place with knowledgeable tour guides, very organized noting that we were a group of over 30.
Alex_g, Nov 2025
4 hours of travel and about 50 minutes at the site. The guide was very good and knowledgeable, but the tour itself was poor. We had really no time at the site, which is the whole purpose for going there.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Alex_g
I regret to learn that the Montserrat tour felt short ,
Please note that the duration and complete details for each of our tours are informed to all agencies. Best regards
cybersuezee, Nov 2025
We had a great guide. He gave us lots of information on the coach trip to the train station at Montserrat, and then kept us updated with the audio guide/headphones up until the priority access to the Black Madonna, and then we had plenty of time to explore the Monastery and the shops below before catching the coach back to Barcelona. Unfortunately the funicula to the monastery was not operating this day, so we travelled to the Monastery by the rack railway, which was still spectacular. The tour did not include the funicular to Sant Joan higher up the mountain, and we would not have had time as our 2pm tour ended back at Barcelona after 7pm and it was dark.
Jessica_C, Nov 2025
Tour guide (John?) did a great job for such a big group! Getting to touch the Black Madonna was special.
Agnes_B, Nov 2025
Miliana's guide was incredibly detailed, making everything easy to understand. She displayed remarkable patience and deep knowledge, truly enriching the learning experience.
Katherine_C, Oct 2025
Scam Tour – Rushed, Misleading, and Unprofessional
This tour was an absolute scam from start to finish. First, they cram as many people as possible into the tour. We were supposed to depart at 3:00 pm, but left late at 3:10 pm — and that was just the beginning of the disappointment.
The tour was advertised as being in English, but in reality, it was conducted in both English and Spanish. Half the time was wasted listening to the guide repeat everything in two languages. Instead of focusing on history or meaningful commentary, the guide, Nuria, spent far too long to entertain and be charming. Yes. She got all of them to like her. But I need a professional guide not just charming one. It was a waste of my time.
When we finally arrived, we were given just around one hour to explore the monastery and the surrounding area n walk to the bus which Nuria told me was minimum 15 minutes . The line to see the Black Madonna was painfully slow, I was last in line, and by the time I exited the church, there was no time left to explore the area, hear the choir, visit the local market, buy souvenirs or to even redeem the liquor tasting promised in the tour. Essentially, this tour was just a rushed trip to see the Madonna — nothing like what was promised in the description.
To make matters worse, the guide Nuria, told us to meet at 6:30 pm at a specific spot. I was there a few minutes early early, but she and the group were nowhere to be seen. It turned out they had all already boarded the bus. While I understand it was cold and people wanted to sit inside, the guide should have kept her word and waited at the agreed meeting point until the appointed time. Instead, I was left anxious and confused, wandering around looking for the bus. I only found them by asking another driver.
Extremely unprofessional, poorly managed, and misleading from start to finish. At the end she refused to give me the QR code for the feedback. Save your money and avoid this company at all costs — pick your tour wisely or you’ll see and experience more by organizing your own trip to Montserrat! But AVOID this company!! I had book it thinking VIATOR tours are reliable.
Angela_M, Oct 2025
This was a Great Tour. Sarah was Very friendly & attentive and was an excellent tour guide. We learnt so much about Montserrat, surrounding area & the Monastery from her. I am happy that we got cookies for our Liquor tickets. The Julia Bus ride & Cog wheel train ride was good. Montserrat was Beautiful. We were happy that we took this tour with Viator. Highly recommend. Just a note that the Julia tour office is in the Bus Station. Take the stairs in the bus station downstairs & walk pass # 11 bus post to the office building on the left. Go inside & look for the green Julia Office sign. We had a difficult time finding the office to sign in. Julia needs to be more specific to find the office in their booking. This was our only issue. Give yourself lots of time to get there.
jodie_e, Oct 2025
The biggest issue with this tour is that it doesn’t start until 3pm, which meant certain parts of Montserrat were already closed by the time we arrived. We completely missed the museum and the video about the monastery and choir, and we had to rush through the liquor tasting and skip the gift shop. Even seeing the Black Madonna felt hurried. We chose the cable car option, which was breathtaking, but keep in mind it’s only about a 4 minute ride. We were lucky enough to hear the choir practice, which was so moving and beautiful that it was one of the highlights of our trip! Montserrat itself is absolutely gorgeous, serene, and magical, so this location deserves more time. I highly recommend booking a full-day tour to really experience everything this special place has to offer.
Eileen_M, Oct 2025
It was spiritual. Excellent tour guide name Valerica. Breath taking view of the mountains. Scenic view.
Jenni_P, Oct 2025
Great tour. We really enjoyed everything-the bus ride, guided tour of the basilica and our free time in this beautiful place. Valeria was a wonderful tour guide.
Janet_B, Oct 2025
Valeria was a fantastic guide, with history and current operations mixed into her presentations. The monastery and basilica are just two elements of Montserrat.
We saw statuary, learned about symbolism, and had ample free time after visiting the Black Madonna.
Valeria’s colleague (I am sorry I did not get her name) took special care of me when I had to sit out part of the tour. She found me a bench with a back, arranged for water, and she and Valeria checked on me again.
The views, the sense of peace, the history, and the remote location brought us another perspective on our visit to bustling Barcelona.
Dorothy_O, Oct 2025
Our guide Jessica was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. Our bus driver was also great. We highly recommend Jessica for the English tours. She kept us on time which was great! Thank you Jessica!
Rup_T, Oct 2025
Excellent tour of Sagrada Familia with Carla as a guide. She was very knowledgeable and answered all questions from the audience.
Paula_B, Sep 2025
Montserrat is fabulous. BUT, the line for the Black Madonna can take up most of your tour time. Maximize what you want to see.
blinden0122, Sep 2025
A waste of time and money. Trying to find the meeting place was a joke by us and others. The tour guide really had nothing to offer and most of his talk was in Spanish. We would urge u to find a different meeting place. We are not sure based on today’s fiasco whether we’ll ever book another tour with Viator
Anu_d, Sep 2025
The time was very limited. We were not able to do anything else. We were told that we will have ample of time on our own, but we were only given 15 mins that too we had to walk to the bus. We barely had time to buy some cheese cake and run to the bus. We wanted to take cable car and go on top
Of the hill but we couldn’t. We had tickets to try liquor but we didn’t have time to
Try that either.
From $72.77
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Montserrat Afternoon Tour & Black Madonna Priority Access
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