5h | 8.30 am | English | Free cancellation 24h in advance |
5h | 8.30 am | English | Free cancellation 24h in advance |
Montserrat Tour from Barcelona
Join us for a half-day trip to Montserrat in a small group guided tour. Discover the wonders of the famous mountain, a National Park and place of pilgrimage from millions of people around the world. We will meet in the heart of Barcelona and we will embark on this wonderful journey outside the city with our own private transportation.
Enjoy the views and a 45 minutes guided tour about Montserrat’s Basilica and Monastery, home of La Moreneta (Black Madonna).
Unlike other tours, we offer early access to visit the monastery before the crowds arrive.
Once the guided tour finishes, you will still have 2 hours to enjoy Montserrat on your own. Make the most of your time to visit the museum, taste the monastery’s homemade liquor, go for a walk to the Saint Miguel Cross, take the Sant Joan Funicular and admire the breath-taking views of Montserrat.
The tour ends with a trip back to the meeting point in Barcelona at around 1.30 p.m.
- Guided tour of Montserrat Abbey
- Close-up view of La Moreneta
- An awesome experience with amazing views along the way
- Official tour guide, very passionate and enthusiastic
- Air-conditioned private transportation round trip from Barcelona centre
- Free time to enjoy Montserrat on your own
- Tour available only in English
Enjoy the cultural and natural richness of this fantastic place during our Montserrat tour from Barcelona. The mountain of Montserrat, with the monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat at the top, is one of the great symbols of Catalonia. Located in the province of Barcelona, Montserrat receives about 2.5 million tourists every year. Although the vast majority of visitors concentrate on the abbey, the area is also ideal for hikers and climbers.
The picturesque rock formations of Montserrat are the result of the action of water on different conglomerates millions of years ago, especially during the Cenozoic era. There is evidence of human activity in the massif since the Neolithic and there is abundant evidence of Iberian settlements. The veneration of the Mare de Déu de Montserrat has its origins in the year 880. According to legend, some shepherds witnessed several divine signs that led to the discovery of a cave in which an image of the virgin was found.
The monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat was founded in 1025, with Abbot Oliva (bishop of Vic) as the main promoter. In the following centuries, the monastery alternated between periods of prosperity and abandonment until its definitive consolidation as a place of pilgrimage after the Civil War.
The mere fact of arriving at Montserrat is already an important part of the experience, as it will allow you to enjoy impressive visits and, if you want, you will ride one of its mythical transports: the cable car (Aeri de Montserrat) or the rack railway.
La Plaça de Santa María is the main meeting place for pilgrims and visitors. From there you get magnificent views of the surroundings, the mountain and the monastery, which seems to stick in the rocks.
The original building of the Basilica of Montserrat dates back to the 16th century, but after the French War (1808 – 1814) the whole basilica had to be extensively rebuilt. In fact, both the exterior facade and the atrium are from the 20th century.
The visit to Montserrat cannot be understood without the protocol greeting to the Mare de Déu de Montserrat, better known as the Moreneta. The virgin that we can admire today was made in the 12th century with poplar wood, in Romanesque style. Its name is due to its black color in hands and face, an effect produced by the passage of time on the varnish.
The surroundings of Montserrat are full of hiking trails, most of which have a hermitage as their final destination (there are 15 in the area).
∨ Licensed and passionate tour guide
∨ Guided tour of Montserrat Abbey
∨ Free time to enjoy Montserrat on your own
Departure Point: Placeta de Vicenç Albert Ballester, Barcelona, Spain
Departure Time: 8.30 am
Duration: 5 hours
Return Details: Placeta de Vicenç Albert Ballester, Barcelona, Spain
100% refund if cancelled at least 24 hours before the tour
Tour language: only in English.
How many people are in each group? A maximum of 25 people per tour guide.
Is this tour adapted to wheelchairs? Yes, but please inform us in advance.
Is it possible to book a private tour for me, my friends and family? Yes, it’s possible and it also includes pick-up at your location. You can book this option in our “private tours” section.
WOULD YOU LIKE A PRIVATE TOUR?
Send us a message in case you would like to book an exclusive private tour for you and your friends or family. We will be happy to adapt to your needs!
* Only the bookings that are made directly from our website
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Some tripadvisor reviews
Everything was amazing and very informative, Brian, Andres and Angie were the best tour guides ever! Highly recommend visiting with them. Montserrat with it’s monastery and it’s views is truly a must see.Written July 29, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards.
Great way to escape the city and see some amazing scenery while also learning about the history of the area. Our tour guides MK, Cam, and Edu were amazing.Written July 28, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards
Very fun and informative experience. We were flying in the evening and the morning half-day tour was perfect! Special thanks to our lovely tour guides Edu and Cam! We were given a lot of really interesting (and not excessive) information and were also taken to the Madonna Statue. We were also given almost 2hrs of free time where we rode the cog wheel train up and down (you can also hike down). Wonderful place to visit, brilliant tour guides and very nice modern bus with air conditioner! Highly recommend!!Written July 28, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards.
Tour guides Edu, Camillo, and Mirak were kind and entertaining! The Monastery is beautiful, and we wished we stayed for the 11 AM mass, which you have the option to do if you stay inside and sit before it starts. We walked up to the Cross to look at the viewpoint, which was super nice but the walk up can get quite steep at some points. Amazing experience overall.Written July 28, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards
Very knowledgeable tour guides! Great tour! Nice to get out of the city. Would definitely recommend! Edu was an excellent guide!Written July 28, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards
We had a wonderful time on this tour. Everything was laid out so nicely everything was wide open not a lot of crowds The monastery was beautiful as the black Madonna And all the other statues. We were party of seven adults and 3 year old and everything went so smoothly. Special things to our tour guides, Rocco, and Camilo. They were the best!!Written July 27, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards
Great trip with fantastic information, guidance, and the right allowance of independent time from the tour. Cam and Rock did a great job of making us laugh and feel welcome!Written July 27, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards.
The long journey up is worth it to see those views! Such amazing history. All tour guides were great, but Eduardo was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. It was very obvious that he has so much love for Barcelona, it was wonderful to hear all that he had to say.Written July 27, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards
