Montserrat & Cava Winery Small Group Day Tour
Highlights
- Full-day small group tour by minivan to Montserrat and Codorniu winery (please note that the winery can be changed during weekends and bank holidays)
- Personalized small group and commentary
- Free time to explore Montserrat Monastery's basilica and scenic parklands
- Tour of Freixenet winery's vast cellars and wine tasting
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Illuminating commentary from your expert guide
- Transport by comfortable air-conditioned minivan
- 3-hour evening Barcelona tapas and flamenco tour
- Visit places where the locals eat and shop: a tapas bar in Eixample and a
ham shop in Born - Sample Catalan classics like pa amb tomàquet, Manchego cheese and
locally cured serrano ham - Walk past Barcelona Cathedral and explore the Gothic Quarter
- Watch a fiery flamenco show starring the very best rising stars of the
genre - Small-group tour with a maximum of 20 ensures a more intimate
experience
Tour Summary -
Capture the heart of Catalunya on this day tour to the iconic Montserrat and it's Royal Basilica and enjoy some sparkle in the rural cava cellars of world famous cava producer, Codorniu. End the day with an unforgettable Tapas & Flamenco Tour
The day starts with a morning visit to Montserrat where you’ll explore the monastic centre of Catalonia, home to the famous black virgin & la Escolania (children’s boy choir). You’ll also have time to explore the magnificent natural park & mountains with spectacular views over the plains of Catalonia.
After lunch, you’ll be transported through the back roads to the wine country, where you’ll visit the renowned local winery, Codorniu for a tour in their vast underground cellars followed by a tasting of the famous Cava 'champagne'.
At the end of the day you can join our Tapas tour or come on another day of your choice. Just remember to call the office and book your date.
Full Tour Description
A day tour from Barcelona to Montserrat is a must for the majority of visitors to Barcelona. It's probably the one place that they have heard all about before they arrive.
The advantage of taking one of our small group day tours from Barcelona is that we can avoid the crowds and stay well clear of the other larger tour operators.
Our day starts at 8.30am from our office opposite the Palau de la Musica building. From here, the journey to Montserrat takes us about an hour or so.
One of the main reasons people book with us is that they want the intimacy of a small group, but like to have somebody there to explain things.
Keeping to our philosophy of giving you plenty of free time to explore on your own, but guiding you in the right direction, the first thing we do on arrival is explain the 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.
You’ll also have 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.
A highlight of visiting Montserrat is listening to one of Europe’s oldest children’s choirs, La Escolania de Montserrat. They usually sing at 1pm on weekdays and noon at the weekend.
Besides these cultural possibilities, there are numerous walks around Montserrat, ranging from easy strolls to serious hikes. Each trail offers a different perspective on the stunning views over the surrounding landscape, many of which are peppered with small chapels and hermitages.
You'll easily find a route to suit your taste and energy levels. But whether they're fairly strenuous treks or gentle walks, they all give you fantastic views to marvel at the unspoiled beauty of this protected natural park.
If you'd rather not walk at all, then another option is to take one of the two rack railways, or the cable car, offering yet more views of the area.
After a morning in Montserrat, we leave the mountain at around 2:30pm, heading for Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, home to the famous Cava champagne and, in particularly, home to Codorniu where we'll visit their vast underground wine cellars.
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia is situated in the Penedès wine-growing region, which boasts one of the widest varieties of grape of any wine-growing region in the world.
The tour at Codorniu is a great chance to see 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.
Of course, no winery visit would be complete without a taste of the stuff! At the den of the tour you'll get the chance to try some of the best Cava the region produces.
We leave the winery at around 5:30pm, returning to Barcelona for around 6:30pm.
After your Montserrat tour, or on another evening you can enjoy our other tour. You'll visit a Modernist-style tapas bar in the heart of Barcelona’s Eixample neighborhood, and then finish the night in an emblematic flamenco bar in the heart of the Gothic Quarter in famous Plaça Reial.
This exciting 3-hour evening experience includes a stroll around Eixample to sample authentic Catalan tapas such as ‘pa amb tomàquet,’ and a visit to a ham delicatessen in Born. Finish your evening with a 45-minute authentic flamenco show featuring some of the genre's newest rising stars performing this dance to traditional Spanish music! Numbers are limited to 10 on this small-group tour, ensuring you’ll enjoy personalised attention from your guide.
After meeting your guide in central Barcelona, near Palau de la Musica, take a leisurely stroll to the edge of the Eixample district to discover a tapas gem and one of Barcelona’s best Modernist-style bars.
The bar serves up delicious small plates of Catalan favorites such as pa amb tomàquet (bread with olive oil and tomatoes) and patates braves (potatoes with oil, red pepper and chili, served with aioli). Watch the chef prepare the food, and then sit down to savor a plate and a drink while hearing tales about Catalan cuisine.
Walk off your snack with a stroll to Born, listening to your guide talking about Barcelona’s history, food and culture as you go. Your destination is the neighborhood's locally loved ham shop, where huge legs of serrano ham hang in the windows. Head inside and sample some of the best meats, made from acorn-fed pigs, and sample popular cheeses such as Manchego.
Continuing your stroll through Born, pass Barcelona Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia) and the old Roman city walls, and then wind your way to the heart of the Gothic Quarter to Plaça Reial, a bustling nighttime square near La Rambla, where the highlight of your evening awaits -- a flamenco performance inside one of the oldest flamenco bars in Barcelona!
