1 day

Popular

Small Group

Instant confirmation

About this activity

Departure is from Barcelona at 8:30am, and from Barcelona we will head straight to Montserrat, just over an hour and a half away. On arrival, you have various options. A visit to the Sanctuary where the Moreneta is housed is a must. The sanctuary has been in use for almost 1000 years for those pilgrims and other visitors who have climbed this spectacular mountain. At 1pm on weekdays there is the opportunity to hear one of Europe's oldest children's choirs, La Escolania de Montserrat. There is also the opportunity to visit the fascinating Museum of Montserrat, with its five collections ranging from Archaeology from the Biblical East to Modern Painting and Sculpture.

Besides these cultural possibilities, the paths of the Montserrat parkland lead you around a number of different walks, each offering a different perspective on the stunning views over the surrounding landscape, and many of which are peppered with small chapels and hermitages. There are routes to suit all tastes and energy levels, from fairly strenuous treks to gentle strolls around the park area, all of which allow you to marvel at the views and to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of this protected natural park. Another option is to take one of the two rack railways, or the cable car, offering different views of the area. Alternatively, the views can simply be savored from the cafe, which offers panoramic views of the valleys.

At 2.30pm, the tour will leave Montserrat, to drive down to Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, the Cava Capital, via Gelida, to visit some of the biggest underground wine cellars in Europe. Sant Sadurni d'Anoia is situated in the Penedes wine-growing region, which boasts one of the widest varieties of grape of any wine-growing region in the world. The region received a major boost in the late 19th-century when French vineyards succumbed to parasite, although Penedes itself was later struck by the same problem. Production has since recovered, and Cava is now a major rival to French champagne; in fact, the main difference between Cava and champagne is simply the region in which they are produced.

The tour will continue with a visit to one winery, where they will demonstrate exactly how the famous sparkling wine is produced, from the first pressing of the grapes to the second fermentation in the vast expanse of cellars. This will of course be accompanied by the chance to sample the product, to see exactly why it has acquired such international fame. From here, the tour returns to Barcelona, arriving at 7:00pm.

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Included

Professional guide
Wine tasting
Air-conditioned vehicle
Small group tour
Entry/Admission - Montserrat Museum

Not included

Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop off
Montserrat cable car (approx. 8 euros)
Montserrat Museum entrance fee

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for child aged 4 and under
There will be time off the bus at your leisure, so please bring suitable clothing, footwear, and sun protection. Remember that temperatures at high altitudes will be much lower than in the city, so although it may be warm in Barcelona, please remember that it will be much cooler in the mountains.
On certain weekends and during July and August it will not be possible to hear the boys choir sing.
This tour is in English only.

Features

Tourism

80%

Cultural

75%

Food

35%

Aquatic

15%

Reviews

4.7

973

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Hagitlevinson

5 | 2019-08-12

Alex was amazing. Knowledgeable and professional. Highly recommended. The kids rated it at the highlight of the trip. Hagit ( Israel and USA)

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Dawn H

5 | 2019-07-18

Absolutely wonderful tour of the monastery and the Pares Balta winery, plus an extra stop at a picturesque church. Marta was our excellent guide who spoke very good English. There were five people on the trip as three cancelled at the last minute. Marta provided very interesting information about the history of Spain and Montserrat. Upon arriving at Montserrat, she gave us a walking tour around the monastery explaining what all there was to see, then let us venture on our own to give everyone an opportunity to explore. We were able to see the choir play, take amazing photos, explore the museum, eat delicious baquette sandwiches at the cafe and purchase cheese to take home to the States. We then stopped at an old church built in the 9th century to take pictures. The winery was the last stop and we met up with a couple of other small groups to get a tour and wine tasting. Learned some fascinating information about biodynamic techniques used in wine making. I can't thank Marta enough. She is very competent and so friendly, willing to share information about Spain, even while driving through Barcelona and outside the city. This exceeded my expectations and we are glad to have chosen this tour.

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David L

5 | 2018-09-26

The trip to Montserrat was excellent. The time allotted was perfect. Bring your walking shoes - it’s eorth it. And the wine tour was fun!

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Mervin J

5 | 2018-08-07

This tour was not on my radar but turned out being one of my favorite things while away on vacation! The story of the monks who lived, protected, and died on the holy grounds was just amazing! Taking the train from the actual monastery to the very top of the city where the old monks of ancient times once went to die is breath-taking! I have to admit I was so scared during the van drive up due to the narrow roads and extremely deep drop-offs still having nightmares about it. Visiting Barcelona? Then Montserrat is a must see if youre this close to it:

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Meryl T

5 | 2018-07-22

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic time on this tour! Visiting the Montserrat Monastery up in the mountains was breathtaking we got to hike, visit the old chapel where the famous choir boys sang, and see the black madonna. The hiking was our favorite part because the geography is so beautiful and unique. Our guide was fantastic: funny, informative, and sweet. The second part of the day was the Cava Winery tour and that was fantastic as well! We loved visiting the vast and gorgeous grounds and hearing about the history there. We had a different tour guide there because he specialized in the history of the winery Pepe was so funny and delightful, he honestly made the whole experience even better. We go to taste great Cava and meet nice people. Overall, this was our favorite tour of the trip we had zero regrets at the end of the long day because it was filled with this great new experience.

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Greg Barr

5 | 2018-07-17

Plenty of free time to hike and explore Montserrat! The Cava tour was very fun as well.

r

robert r

5 | 2018-04-10

Excellent trip with a knowledgeable guide.

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miss.genevieve84

5 | 2018-04-07

This tour was amazing!