From Barcelona, it takes about an hour by road to reach Montserrat, according to the tour listings. There, a Benedictine monastery clings to a mountain with jagged peaks, which gave it its name. The five tours presented here are all rated between 4.8 and 4.9 out of 5, with several thousand reviews each (checked on 17 October 2026). They differ in duration, departure point and what they really include.
Montserrat in a few words
The massif was declared a natural park in 1987. The monastery houses La Moreneta, the Black Madonna, a 12th-century statue venerated in the basilica and now a symbol of Catalonia. Legend, which guides love to tell, has it that the monks were unable to move the statue and built the monastery around it.
During free time, several listings mention the Montserrat museum, which displays works by Picasso, Dalí, Caravaggio and El Greco, the walk to the Saint Michael's Cross viewpoint and the Sant Joan funicular, which climbs towards the summit.
Half day or full day?
The starting question is simple: do you want to be back in Barcelona for the afternoon, or make Montserrat a full day, with lunch and a wine tasting?
The half days
The small-group tour from Estación de Francia lasts 5 hours 15. It arrives early to enter the monastery before the crowds, allows 45 minutes of guided visit of the basilica and monastery, then 2 hours of free time. The return is in the early afternoon.
If you would rather be picked up at your hotel, the 5-hour small-group tour of at most 8 people collects you and brings you back. The guide adapts the programme to the group's wishes: a walk of about thirty minutes to a viewpoint, the funicular, the museum. It also exists as a private version.
The full days with wine and tapas
Two tours by the same operator leave from the Barcelona Nord bus station and add, depending on the option, a winery set in a 10th-century castle, Oller del Mas, which the listing says received the "Best Wine of Catalonia" award in 2018. The listings warn that, for logistical reasons, the winery visited may be another family estate.
The first includes the rack railway up to the monastery and comes in versions of 6 to 10 hours depending on the option: without wine, with tapas, with a three-course lunch or in a VIP version.
The second lasts 6 to 7 hours and includes skip-the-line tickets for the basilica. The rack railway is not included, except in the "Full package" option.
The grand circuit
Want to see more in a single outing? The 11-hour-30 circuit links Montserrat (2 hours, abbey entry included), the old town of Girona and its Jewish quarter, then a Costa Brava village and the castle of Tossa de Mar. The downside: less time at Montserrat, and groups of at most 25 people per guide.
The five tours compared
| Duration | Departure | Group | Guide language | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-group half day | 5 h 15 | Estación de Francia | At most 22 people | English |
| Small group with hotel pickup | 5 h | Your hotel | At most 8 people | English, Spanish |
| Rack railway, wine and tapas | 6 to 10 h | Barcelona Nord bus station | 20 people per guide | English, Spanish |
| Half day with tapas and wine | 6 to 7 h | Barcelona Nord bus station | 20 people per guide | English, Spanish |
| Montserrat, Girona and Costa Brava | 11 h 30 | Barcelona | 25 people per guide on site | English, Spanish |
Black Madonna, choir, rack railway: read the option carefully
This is the Montserrat trap: two tours that look alike do not open the same doors. Before booking, check three points on the listing.
- The Black Madonna: approaching La Moreneta depends on the option. In the 5-hour-15 tour, only the 8:30 am and 1:30 pm visits include the tickets; in the rack railway and wine tour, they are only included in the packages that say so.
- The Escolania: this children's choir, presented as one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe, sings at ceremonies. In the 5-hour-15 tour, the "Tour, Basilica & Boys' Choir" option lets you hear it: departure at 9:30 am, Monday to Friday. The "tapas and wine" half day does not include it.
- The climb: the rack railway is included in the "rack railway, wine and tapas" tour, not in the "tapas and wine" half day outside the full package. The Sant Joan funicular is at your own expense during free time.
Tips for the day
Which tour for you?
- Little time, a wish for calm: the 5-hour-15 half day, which arrives before the crowds.
- No desire to cross the city in the morning: the tour with hotel pickup, in a group of 8.
- Wine lovers: the tour with rack railway, tapas or lunch.
- A single day to see Catalonia: the Montserrat, Girona and Costa Brava circuit.
Staying several days? All the city's tours are gathered on the page Things to do in Barcelona.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Montserrat from Barcelona?
The tours presented leave Barcelona by coach or air-conditioned vehicle: from Estación de Francia, from the Barcelona Nord bus station or directly from your hotel depending on the option. The listings allow about an hour's journey.
How long does a Montserrat tour from Barcelona last?
From 5 hours for a half day to 10 hours with lunch and a wine tasting, according to the listings. The circuit that adds Girona and the Costa Brava lasts 11 hours 30.
Is the Montserrat rack railway or funicular included?
It depends on the tour. The rack railway is included in the "rack railway, wine and tapas" tour, in the full package of the "tapas and wine" half day and in the "Montserrat, Lunch & Winery" option (9 hours) of the tour from Estación de Francia. The Sant Joan funicular, which climbs towards the summit, is not included in any of the listings compared.
Are the Montserrat tours in English?
Yes. The five tours compared are all run in English, and some also in Spanish. None announces a guide in another language.
What is there to see at the Montserrat monastery?
The basilica and La Moreneta, the 12th-century Black Madonna, the Montserrat museum and its paintings, and the viewpoints over the massif, such as Saint Michael's Cross. Depending on the time and day, you can also hear the Escolania, the children's choir.
Activities mentioned in this guide
Half-Day Montserrat Small Group Guided Tour from Barcelona4.9(6,858 reviews)From €54From€54View activity
Montserrat Monastery Small Group or Private Tour Hotel pick-up4.8(6,441 reviews)From €94.47From€94.47View activity
Montserrat & Cogwheel Train, Gourmet Wine Tasting & Tapas/Lunch4.9(8,278 reviews)From €59From€59View activity
From Barcelona: Half-Day Montserrat, Tapas & Wine Tour4.9(8,361 reviews)From €48.60From€48.60View activity
Montserrat, Girona & Costa Brava Guided Day Trip from Barcelona4.9(7,330 reviews)From €94.99From€94.99View activity
All activities in Barcelona, with their prices and reviews: Things to do in Barcelona
