Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Catalonia: Barcelona, Girona, the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees foothills
8 days from Barcelona: the Sagrada Família at first entry, Montserrat, two nights in Girona with Dalí's Figueres, two on the Costa Brava and a night among the Garrotxa volcanoes.
8 days · Round trip from Barcelona · up to 12 guests
Calella de Palafrugell, our base on the Costa Brava Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calella_de_Palafrugell_-_53619347398.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Barcelona
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Most days are 6 to 8 km on foot over city cobbles, steps and coastal paths. The Camí de Ronda day is about 6 km with short steep climbs and rocky sections, and the Garrotxa day about 7 km on forest tracks with one climb of about 150 m. Every longer walk has an easier version and a van nearby.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 650 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Sagrada Família at the first entry of the day, with a licensed guide
- An evening food walk through the Gothic Quarter and El Born that counts as dinner
- Montserrat by rack railway, timed for the Escolania choir on the days it sings
- Girona's walls first thing, then the cathedral and the Call
- The Dalí Theatre-Museum at opening, then a seafood lunch in Cadaqués
- The Camí de Ronda from Calella de Palafrugell to Tamariu, two nights on the coast
- Besalú's Romanesque bridge, a volcano crater walk and a long farm lunch in the Garrotxa
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 650 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Barcelona
Barcelona Airport to your hotel in the centre of Barcelona
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Barcelona
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Barcelona El Prat (BCN), about 15 km from the centre, and our driver meets you in arrivals for the half-hour ride to the hotel.
Evening
Plan to land by about 4 pm if you want time to settle in before the evening; earlier is better, because Barcelona rewards a first afternoon on foot. From a central hotel you can walk to the Rambla, the Plaça de Catalunya or the seafront at Barceloneta. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing: how the week runs, which entries are already booked for you, where the free time falls and what to pack for the coastal path. Then we walk a few streets to a welcome dinner of Catalan dishes, pa amb tomàquet, grilled vegetables, a rice or a fideuà, at a long table for the whole group.
Included
- Pick-up at Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
The Sagrada Família at opening and a Gothic Quarter food walk
Barcelona: the Eixample by morning, the old city by evening
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Barcelona
We are at the Sagrada Família for the first entry of the day, around 9 am (later on Sundays), on timed tickets bought as soon as sales open for your date. Gaudí took over the basilica in 1883, a year after it was begun, and worked on it until he died in 1926; it is still being built.
Morning
A licensed guide reads the Nativity facade with you, the part listed by UNESCO in 2005, then leads you inside, where the columns branch like trees and the morning sun comes through the eastern windows in blues and greens. Afterwards we walk the Passeig de Gràcia past Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free: the beach, the Picasso Museum or a nap.
Evening
At dusk the group meets a local food guide for a walk through the Gothic Quarter and El Born, tasting jamón, cheese, anchovies, croquetes and a glass of cava or vermut in small bars, enough to count as dinner.
Included
- The Sagrada Família at first entry with a licensed guide
- Passeig de Gràcia walk: Casa Batlló and Casa Milà from outside
- Evening food walk in the Gothic Quarter and El Born with tastings and drinks
- Metro tickets for the day
Optional experiences
- Casa Batlló or Casa Milà inside (timed tickets; your guide helps you book)
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 6 to 8 km on foot over the day, all on city pavements.
Montserrat, then north to Girona
Barcelona to Montserrat by van and rack railway, then on to Girona
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Girona
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave Barcelona after breakfast for Montserrat, the jagged massif an hour north-west of the city, and ride the rack railway up from Monistrol to the Benedictine monastery, founded in 1025 and rebuilt after the Napoleonic wars. Inside the basilica the line forms for the Moreneta, the dark Romanesque statue of the Virgin that is the patron of Catalonia; early in the day it moves quickly. On most weekdays in term time, though not on Saturdays, the Escolania, one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe, sings a short service around 1 pm, and we plan the visit to hear it when it runs.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the mountain. In the afternoon we drive about an hour and three quarters to Girona and check in for two nights.
Evening
Before dinner your guide walks you down to the river Onyar, where the painted houses hang over the water, so you know your way around.
Included
- Rack railway up to Montserrat and back down
- Montserrat basilica and the Moreneta
- The Escolania choir on days it sings
- Sit-down lunch on Montserrat
- Short evening orientation walk in Girona
Easier option: Stay at the monastery level for the basilica, the museum and the viewpoints, with a coffee on the terrace.
More active option: Take the Sant Joan funicular up and walk the trail towards the Sant Jeroni summit, 1,236 m, with the guide, about 2.5 hours there and back, before lunch.
Free time: Evening free in Girona
Activity: The longest drive of the trip, broken by the morning on Montserrat.
Girona: the walls, the cathedral and the Call
A day on foot in Girona
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Girona
We start on the medieval walls first thing, before the sun is high: the Passeig de la Muralla is a walkway of about 3 km along the top, of which we walk the best stretch, with towers to climb and views over the roofs to the cathedral and the hills. Down in the old town, the cathedral of Santa Maria sits at the top of a long Baroque stairway; inside, its single Gothic nave, about 23 m across, is among the widest in the world. Your guide then takes you into the Call, the old Jewish quarter, a maze of stepped lanes, and the Museum of Jewish History, which tells the story of the community until the expulsion of 1492.
Afternoon
After a visit to the Arab Baths, a 12th-century Romanesque bathhouse, we sit down to lunch in the old town. The afternoon is yours: the Eiffel iron bridge, the Rambla, an ice cream, or a walk along the river.
Included
- Walk along the medieval walls (Passeig de la Muralla) with your guide
- Girona Cathedral and the Basilica of Sant Feliu
- The Call and the Museum of Jewish History
- The Arab Baths
- Sit-down lunch in the old town
Optional experiences
- A Game of Thrones locations walk (season 6 was filmed in Girona's old town)
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 6 km on foot with many steps and cobbles; the walls have uneven stairs.
Dalí in Figueres, lunch in Cadaqués, sunset in Begur
Girona to Figueres and Cadaqués, then south along the coast to Begur and Calella de Palafrugell
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Calella de Palafrugell
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Girona about 45 minutes before the Dalí Theatre-Museum opens (between about 9:30 and 10:30, depending on the month, so never before 8 am) and drive north to Figueres to be there at opening. Salvador Dalí built it in the shell of his hometown's old municipal theatre, opened it in 1974 and is buried in its crypt; the glass dome, the Rainy Taxi and the Mae West room are best seen before the coaches arrive. From Figueres the road climbs over the last ridge of the Pyrenees to Cadaqués, a white fishing village on a bay at the end of the Cap de Creus peninsula, where Dalí spent his childhood summers.
Afternoon
Lunch is fish and rice at a table near the water. In the afternoon we drive south through the Empordà plain to Begur, and climb to the ruined castle on its hill for the view over the coast at golden hour, before the short last stretch to our base at Calella de Palafrugell, where we stay two nights.
Included
- The Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres at opening
- Cadaqués with your guide
- Sit-down seafood lunch in Cadaqués
- Begur castle hill at golden hour
Optional experiences
- Dalí's house at Portlligat, next to Cadaqués, when small-group slots are available (booked at cost)
Free time: Evening free in Calella
Activity: The road to Cadaqués is narrow and winding; tell us if you are prone to car sickness and we will seat you in front. If the day runs late, the Begur castle climb is dropped first and we go straight to Calella.
The Camí de Ronda: Calella, Llafranc and Tamariu
On foot along the coast from Calella de Palafrugell to Tamariu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Calella de Palafrugell
- Drive about 15 min
The Camí de Ronda is the old coast guards' path that threads the coves of the Costa Brava, and its best stretch starts at our door.
Morning
We set off after breakfast, while the light is soft and the path is quiet, through a tunnel in the rocks above the little Golfet beach and around the headland to Llafranc, about half an hour away. From Llafranc we climb to the lighthouse of Sant Sebastià for the long view up and down the coast, then follow the path on to Tamariu, a small bay of fishing boats and pines, about six kilometres from Calella in all.
Afternoon
Lunch is grilled fish on the beach front at Tamariu, and the van brings anyone who prefers a ride back to Calella. The afternoon is free for a swim in season, a nap, or the Cap Roig gardens on the cliffs just south of the village.
Included
- Guided walk on the Camí de Ronda from Calella to Llafranc, the Sant Sebastià lighthouse and Tamariu
- Sit-down lunch in Tamariu
- Van back to Calella
Optional experiences
- Cap Roig botanical gardens (entry fee)
- Kayak or boat trip along the coves, in season, booked locally
Easier option: Walk only the flat half hour from Calella to Llafranc, have a coffee by the beach, and meet the group for lunch in Tamariu by van.
More active option: Walk back to Calella along the same path after lunch, about two hours more.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 6 km with short steep climbs, steps and rocky sections; good shoes, a hat and water.
Besalú, the Garrotxa volcanoes and a farm lunch
Calella de Palafrugell to Besalú, Santa Pau and the Garrotxa volcanoes, then Olot
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Olot
- Drive about 2 h
We drive inland for about an hour and a quarter to Besalú, a medieval town in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and walk in across its fortified Romanesque bridge, with a gate tower halfway over the river Fluvià. Your guide shows you the Jewish quarter and its mikveh, a ritual bath from the 12th century found in 1964, one of very few surviving in Europe. Then we go on into the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, where some forty extinct volcanic cones rise from farmland and beech woods. We walk through the Fageda d'en Jordà, a beech forest growing on an old lava flow, to the crater of Santa Margarida, which holds a small Romanesque chapel.
Afternoon
Lunch is long and local at a farm restaurant near Santa Pau, with the white beans of the area, sausage and seasonal vegetables.
Evening
We end the day in Olot, the market town of the Garrotxa, with a free evening.
Included
- Besalú with your guide: the Romanesque bridge and the Jewish quarter with the mikveh
- Walk in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park: the Fageda d'en Jordà and the Santa Margarida crater
- Farm lunch near Santa Pau
Easier option: Skip the climb into the crater and walk only the flat paths through the beech wood, about 3 km.
More active option: Add the path to the Croscat volcano, the largest cone in the park, where an old quarry has cut its flank open to show the layers inside.
Free time: Evening free in Olot
Activity: About 7 km of walking on forest tracks, with one climb of about 150 m to the crater.
Castellfollit de la Roca and back to Barcelona
Olot to Castellfollit de la Roca, then Barcelona Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we stop a few minutes out of Olot at Castellfollit de la Roca, a village built along the top of a basalt cliff about 50 m high, where two rivers meet below. From the viewpoint you see the cliff's columns of old lava and the houses stacked along its edge. Then it is about two hours to Barcelona, through the plain of Vic and down the valley, reaching Barcelona El Prat Airport around 1 pm. If you are staying on in Barcelona, we drop you in the city centre instead, at no extra charge. Your guide sees you off and checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm, so there is no rush, or add nights in Barcelona before or after the trip: we can book them for you at the same hotel as the start of the tour.
Included
- Castellfollit de la Roca viewpoint
- Drop-off at Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) or in central Barcelona
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm.
- Barcelona2 nights
- Girona2 nights
- Calella de Palafrugell2 nights
- Olot1 night
- Barcelonaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May, June, September and October bring warm days of about 20 to 27 °C and fewer crowds than July and August. The sea is warm enough for most swimmers from late June to early October. The Tramuntana, a strong north wind, can blow for a day or two at Cadaqués and Begur; we swap days if it does.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Catalonia properly, not as a stop on the way to France
- Walkers who like a coastal path and a volcano crater as much as a cathedral
- Art lovers: Gaudí, Dalí and Romanesque churches in one week
- Travellers who want two nights in most places and free afternoons
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: Girona, Montserrat and the coastal path mean steps and cobbles
- A beach holiday: the coast gets two nights, not a week
- Travellers who want nightlife every night
- Anyone who wants to see Madrid, Seville or Granada on the same trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Barcelona2 nights
- Girona2 nights
- Calella de Palafrugell2 nights
- Olot1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Barcelona, 2 in Girona's old town, 2 in Calella de Palafrugell or Begur on the Costa Brava, 1 in Olot
- Every hotel a walk of about 10 to 15 minutes or less from the old town or the seafront
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Catalonia's tourist tax
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN), or drop-off in central Barcelona
- Our van and driver from day 3 to day 8, with your luggage carried door to door
- Montserrat rack railway up and down
- Metro tickets in Barcelona on day 2
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with licensed local guides at the Sagrada Família and a local food guide in Barcelona
Activities
- Barcelona: the Sagrada Família at first entry with a licensed guide, the Passeig de Gràcia walk, an evening food walk in the Gothic Quarter and El Born
- Montserrat: the basilica, the Moreneta and the Escolania choir on days it sings
- Girona: the walls, the cathedral and Sant Feliu, the Call and the Museum of Jewish History, the Arab Baths
- Figueres: the Dalí Theatre-Museum at opening
- Cadaqués and Begur castle hill
- The Camí de Ronda from Calella to Tamariu
- Besalú with the Romanesque bridge and the mikveh
- The Garrotxa Volcanic Zone: the Fageda d'en Jordà and the Santa Margarida crater
- Castellfollit de la Roca
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- Sit-down lunches on days 3 to 7 (5), including seafood in Cadaqués and a farm lunch in the Garrotxa
- Welcome dinner in Barcelona
- The Gothic Quarter food walk with tastings and drinks, as dinner on day 2
Not included
- International flights to and from Barcelona
- Travel insurance
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, if any apply to your passport
- Dinners on days 3 to 7
- Drinks, except on the food walk and at the welcome dinner
- Optional activities: Casa Batlló or Casa Milà inside, Dalí's house at Portlligat, the Cap Roig gardens, boat or kayak trips
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 650 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, five sit-down lunches, a welcome dinner and the Gothic Quarter food walk, airport transfers, our van and driver, the Montserrat rack railway, your See Sight Tours guide throughout and every entry in the day plan: the Sagrada Família, the Dalí Theatre-Museum, Girona Cathedral, the Arab Baths and the Museum of Jewish History.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That is small enough to sit at one table at lunch, fit in one van, walk the coastal path at a sociable pace and hear the guide inside the Sagrada Família.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner to the airport. Licensed local guides join where the site requires them, as at the Sagrada Família, and a local food guide leads the evening walk in Barcelona.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Most days are 6 to 8 km on foot, with steps and cobbles in Girona and Montserrat. The Camí de Ronda is about 6 km with short steep climbs, and the Garrotxa walk about 7 km with one 150 m climb. Each has a shorter option, with the van nearby.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own costs from CAD 650 more for the week, and it is a real single or double room in the same hotel as the group. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we will try to match you with another solo traveller of the same gender.
When is the best time to go?
May, June, September and October. Days are warm, the coast is open but not packed, and Barcelona is quieter than in July and August. The sea is warm enough for most swimmers from late June to early October. Winter closes some coastal restaurants and makes the path less inviting.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book; no payment is taken at that point. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 6,470 per person for two. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, entries and transfers.
Do I need a visa for Spain?
Not for a short holiday on a Canadian, US, UK or Australian passport, which allow up to 90 days in the Schengen area. You register at the border under the EU Entry/Exit System, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to start; we confirm what applies before you fly.
Do we see the inside of the Sagrada Família?
Yes. We go in on the first timed entry of the day, around 9 am (later on Sundays), with a licensed guide, and the ticket is bought for you as soon as your departure is confirmed. On the rare days a special mass closes the basilica, we move the visit to another morning in Barcelona.
Can I swim on this trip?
Yes, from about late June to early October, when the sea off Calella, Llafranc and Tamariu is warm enough for most people. The free afternoon on day 6 and the evening on day 5 are the best times. In May and late October the water is cool, and most guests just paddle.
Can you cater for vegetarians and food allergies?
Yes. Tell us your dietary needs or allergies when you book and we pass them to every restaurant before you arrive. Lunches are ordered from the menu at restaurants chosen for the group, not a fixed set menu, and the Barcelona food guide swaps tastings for vegetarians. Gluten-free is possible in most places; tell us how strict you need it.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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