Highlights
- Small-group tour from central Barcelona to Montserrat
- Take a guided tour of Santa Maria de Montserrat basilica, home to the Virgin of Montserrat
- Ride the Montserrat cable car if you wish, and enjoy fantastic views from the top of the mountain
- Upgrade to include skip-the-line entry at Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia basilica
- Small-group tour ensures a personalized experience with your guide
Recent Photos of this Tour
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MonserratView from the top.Photo by: Debra LUSA, 07 2009 -
Montserrat BasilicaThe basilica from the top, Montserrat.Photo by: Anonymous05 2008 -
Montserrat MonasteryMontserrat Monastery built into the rocks.Photo by: Paris4meUSA, 04 2013 -
Montserrat vista!The view from Montserrat is fantastic!Photo by: Paris4meUSA, 04 2013 -
From the topAt the top of MontserratPhoto by: Justin I05 2011 -
MonserratView from the topPhoto by: Debra LUSA, 07 2009 -
MonserratWe reached the top!Photo by: Debra LUSA, 07 2009 -
MonserratMontserratPhoto by: Debra LUSA, 07 2009 -
MonserratMontserratPhoto by: Debra LUSA, 07 2009 -
Montserrat4Basilica at MonserratPhoto by: Anonymous05 2008 -
Montserrat2The cog railway going to the top of MonserratPhoto by: Anonymous05 2008 -
Montserrat5Basilica at MonserratPhoto by: Anonymous05 2008 -
Montserrat3Basilica at MonserratPhoto by: Anonymous05 2008 -
Useful Information
Montserrat Half-Day Small-Group Tour with Optional Cable Car Ride and Skip-the-Line Ticket to La Sagrada Familia
At the top of Montserrat, visit the 1,000-year-old Santa Maria de Montserrat Basilica to see its claim to fame: La Moreneta, the Black Virgin of Montserrat. Then tour the Museum of Montserrat’s five collections of archaeology, religious art and sculpture, or follow trails winding across the mountaintop for wonderful views over the whole of Catalonia. For equally stunning but less strenuous views, take a ride around the mountaintop by rack railway (own expense).
Upgrade
Make the most of your time in Barcelona by combining your Montserrat tour with skip-the-line entry to Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia church -- the snaking queues here are almost as legendary as the building’s fantastical architecture, but you can avoid them! Before you go inside, admire the sculpted portals, spires and chapels of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, under construction since 1882 and not due for completion until 2026, and take a guided walk around the basilica’s exterior. Your guide will point out the building’s Nativity and Passion facades, with their groups of four spires, and explain the symbolism and images from nature hidden in the sculptures’ intricate details.
Then skip the line to spend 45 minutes inside the church, with its forest of treelike columns, stained-glass windows, vivid ornamentation and rich carvings.
Reviewed by Paris4me, USA, April 2013
Fracesco was my guide and there were only the 2 of us. During the drive to Montserrat, he gave me lots of the ancient and current history of Barcelona and Catalunya. The approach to Montserrat was breathtaking and I now see why one really needs a full day to truly enjoy and appreciate it. The weather was a bit too cold and windy for me to do the walks or enjoy the tram to the top plus there wasn't enough time. We went down the opposite side of Montserrat and stopped at a charming little church from the 1400's. As we approached Barcelona and La Sagrada Familia he gave me more history and made sure I knew where to go to enter,etc. Like another reviewer, I was confused that we went to Montserrat first, then to La Sagrada, without any explanation. I found my way back to my hotel, which ironically is just a few blocks from the Explore Catalunya office.
Reviewed by Margaret S, March 2013
The highlight of our trip in Barcelona area! The tour guide was so knowledgeable and did not "watch the clock" of a half day tour! She wanted to give us the full experience of Montserrat! Beautiful!
