Spain · 5 days · 5 days · 20 stops
5 days in Barcelona with Montserrat and Girona
Over five days there is no need to rush Barcelona: instead of ticking off every Gaudí building in one go, you spread the city over three days with the old town, Gràcia and Montjuïc. Then come two train trips – to the Montserrat monastery among the rock towers and to Girona with its colourful riverside houses. Both are a little over an hour away.
In short
- Length
- 5 days, 20 stops
- Highlights
- Barcelona Cathedral, Sagrada Família, Palau Güell, Montserrat Basilica, Girona Cathedral
- Day trips
- Day trip to Montserrat; Day trip to Girona
- Where to stay
- Eixample, El Born
- Getting around
- The old town and El Born are best on foot.
- Best time to go
- May, June and September are ideal: warm enough for the beach, but not as hot and crowded as July and August.
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Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Day 1
Old town and the music palace
Barcelona Cathedral
The day begins in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. A lift takes you up to the roof above the old town.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Barcelona Cathedralabout 5 min on foot
Palau de la Música Catalana
A concert hall with a stained-glass skylight and sculptures that seem to grow out of the walls. Guided tour or concert ticket only.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Palau de la Música Catalanaabout 5 min on foot
Santa Caterina Market
A market hall under a wavy, colourful roof. Have lunch at one of the bars between the stalls.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Santa Caterina Marketabout 5 min on foot
Picasso Museum
The collection shows how Picasso painted as a teenager, up to his variations on Velázquez. Book a time slot ahead.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Picasso Museum
Day 2
Gaudí from Eixample to Gràcia
Sagrada Família
A ticket with one of the towers lets you see the basilica from above too. Book your slot early.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Sagrada FamíliaMetro L5 to Diagonal, then L3 to Fontana, about 20 min.
Casa Vicens
Gaudí's first house, clad in green and white tiles with marigold patterns. Smaller and calmer than his famous buildings.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Casa Vicensabout 10 min on foot
Abaceria market
Gràcia's market hall, where mostly locals shop. Good for a simple lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Abaceria marketabout 20 min on foot
Park Güell
Uphill to the mosaic terrace in the afternoon. After the monumental zone, walk up to the cross on the hilltop.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Park Güell
Day 3
Raval and Montjuïc
Palau Güell
Gaudí's town palace just off La Rambla, with a dark hall under a dome and colourful chimneys on the roof.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Palau Güellabout 15 min on foot
Carrer de Blai
This pedestrian street in Poble-sec is lined with pintxo bars: bites on bread that you pick up at the counter.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Carrer de BlaiFunicular from Paral·lel metro up to Montjuïc, about 10 min including the walk.
Fundació Joan Miró
Miró's bright paintings and sculptures in an airy building among trees. The roof terrace looks out over the city.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Fundació Joan Miróabout 10 min on foot
MNAC – National Art Museum of Catalonia
Even without going in, the steps in front of the palace are worth it: the view runs straight down to Plaça d'Espanya.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): MNAC – National Art Museum of Catalonia
Day 4
Day trip to Montserrat
FGC train R5 from Plaça d'Espanya to Monistrol de Montserrat, then the Cremallera rack railway, about 1.5 hours in total. Alternatively take the Aeri cable car from Aeri de Montserrat station. Combined tickets are sold at the departure station.
Montserrat Basilica
The Benedictine monastery's basilica with the Black Madonna. There is often a queue for the path up to the figure.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Montserrat Basilicaright next door
Museum of Montserrat
A surprisingly large collection with works by Caravaggio, Picasso and Dalí. Then lunch on the monastery square.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Museum of Montserratabout 10 min on foot
Sant Joan Funicular
The steep funicular lifts you above the monastery. At the top, trails lead to viewpoints among the rocks.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Sant Joan Funicularabout 15 min on foot
Holy Cave of Montserrat
A path cut into the rock leads to the chapel at the cave where the Madonna is said to have been found. About an hour there and back.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Holy Cave of Montserrat
Day 5
Day trip to Girona
Regional train from Barcelona Sants or Passeig de Gràcia to Girona, about 1.5 hours; the high-speed train from Sants takes about 40 min. From Girona station it is about 15 min on foot to the old town.
Girona Cathedral
From the station cross the red iron bridge over the Onyar into the old town, then climb the broad Baroque stairs. The Gothic nave is one of the widest in the world.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Girona Cathedralright next door
Arab Baths
A medieval bathhouse with a small ring of columns under a lantern. Then lunch in the old-town lanes.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Arab Bathsright next door
Sant Pere de Galligants
A Romanesque monastery with a quiet cloister, now an archaeology museum. The path up onto the city walls starts right behind it.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Sant Pere de Galligantsabout 10 min on foot
City walls walk
Walk the old wall around the old town, with views over the rooftops and the cathedral. Finish down by the colourful houses on the river.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): City walls walk
Good to know
Lock in time slots
Book the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, the Picasso Museum and Palau de la Música before you travel. Your plan is set and you skip the queues.
Tickets for day trips
A zone 1 T-casual ten-trip card does not reach Montserrat or Girona. Montserrat needs its own ticket, Girona a train ticket – reserve the high-speed train in advance.
Montserrat at weekends
On Saturdays and Sundays the mountain is packed with day-trippers. Weekdays are calmer – swap the days if you can.
For the best time to go, public transport and where to stay, see the 3-day plan for Barcelona.
Your plan
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Copy it into YesTrip, pick your dates and make it yours: move stops, drop them or let the AI add more. On the road the app shows you the next stop and how to get there.
5 days in Barcelona: frequently asked questions
Are 5 days in Barcelona too long?
No, two day trips fill them nicely. If you would rather stay in town, swap Girona for a beach day or the Poblenou district.
Montserrat or Girona – which if only one fits?
Montserrat for mountains, the monastery and hiking; Girona for a medieval old town on a river. With the high-speed train Girona is the shorter trip.
More plans for Barcelona
- One dayOne day in Barcelona: Gaudí, Gothic, beachGaudí in the morning, old-town lanes in the afternoon and the sea by evening – with just one short metro ride.
- WeekendA weekend in Barcelona: Friday to SundayFriday-night tapas in the Born, Saturday Gaudí from the Sagrada Família to Park Güell, Sunday old town and sea.
- 3 days3 days in Barcelona – a ready-made itineraryOld town and market, a day with Gaudí, a day on Montjuïc – and the sea in the evening.
- With kidsBarcelona with kids: 2 easy daysSharks and sand by the port, a zoo in the park, then a day on Montjuïc with cable car, castle and playground.
- On a budgetBarcelona on a budget: 2 days, mostly freeOld-town lanes, the city beach, Gaudí from the outside and the best panorama in town – almost all free.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: essetefano, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
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