Sagrada Familia & Montserrat Skip the Line Guided tour

Embark on a journey to Montserrat early in the morning in an air-conditioned bus from Barcelona. Put the bustle of the city behind you as you climb the hills outside Barcelona and make your way to the ‘serrated mountain’. After a one-hour’s ride, you’ll find yourself in the rugged and majestic landscape of this Catalonian region, a treat for nature lovers of all ages. What’s more, since the tour leaves early from Barcelona, you will reach the monastery a little before most other visitors, thus avoiding the long lines that form daily in front of the Benedictine Monastery and the Black Madonna.

You will have a brief orientation with your guide upon your arrival, after which the guide will lead your small group into the Gothic Basilica nestled in between the rock spires and sheer cliffs. Here you can see the famous Black Madonna, believed to be carved out of wood in Jerusalem in the late 12th Century. The Benedictine monks, purportedly, built the monastery around the statue because it was too heavy to be moved, thus turning this remote outpost into a pilgrimage spot.

Once you’re done with the tour, you will have some free time in Montserrat, in which you can either take a cable car ride through the stark and beautiful mountains or spend some time at the interactive historical exhibition which tells you about the impressive history of this region. Alternatively, you can also go to the museum of contemporary art, where masterpieces from Monet, Picasso, and Dali are on display. Finally, you can also enjoy the local culinary specialties, from herbal liquors to cheeses, cured meats, and honey, at the stalls set up by the local artisans to let visitors sample and purchase their wares. These delicacies will give you an authentic taste of the regional Catalan cuisine.

After the Montserrat part of the tour, you’ll board your bus to Sagrada Familia, where you will have some time to grab lunch before the next leg of the tour begins. With skip-the-line access, you can head past the long entrance lines and straight into the heart of this ever-popular edifice. Gaudí, the architect, considered the Sagrada project his personal holy mission and he made great personal sacrifices in a bid to see its completion, Your guide will explain more about this World Heritage Site, while also giving you a background on Gaudi and his times and works, spicing it all up with stories, anecdotes, and local tales. With this information, you can begin to appreciate the beauty of the pillars and gravity-defying spires designed by God’s own architect.

At the end of the tour, you will be conducted back to Barcelona in the coach, thus wrapping up a fantastic day of discovery and sightseeing.