Planning an Epic Barcelona to Montserrat Day Trip in 10 Minutes

Call me a wimp for fearing the grand heights of the cable car or a homebody for not leaving my city safe space but it’s taken me 62 months of living in Barcelona to finally do it.

I’m finally ready to help you plan your day trip from Barcelona to Montserrat.

Here you’ll find what to see when you visit Montserrat, some cool tips and tricks, and how to save time with my list of the top all-inclusive Montserrat tickets.

Already eager to get started? Buy your basic Montserrat ticket package clicking the button:

What is Montserrat and Why Should You Visit?

It’s a jagged multi-peaked mountain.

The great thing is it’s only about 50 km (30 miles) from Barcelona to Montserrat.

The name Montserrat literally means ‘serrated mountain’ in Catalan, a reference to the defining saw-like features of the mountain and its many peaks including Sant Jeroni and Montgrós.

At 4055 feet (1236 metres) above sea level it’s the highest point in the Catalan Lowlands.

For both scenic and historic purposes it is arguably the most important mountain in Catalonia: Montserrat is actually Spain’s first National Park.

The views from Montserrat are incredible and you can even see the Balearic Islands on a clear day.

The mountain is made up of pink conglomerate sedimentary rock.

Montserrat Barcelona Spain Attractions

The Abbey + Montserrat Monastery

Going up the mountain to see the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey is one of the top day trip options for tourists visiting Barcelona.

Here you find a Benedictine monastery and a basilica famous for the Virgin of Montserrat aka the Black Madonna (La Moreneta, patron saint of Catalonia).

Montserrat monastery dates all the way back to the 10th century and is still home to 150 monks.

One great thing as well: entrance to the monastery is free.

The long line to the right of the monastery is for the basilica and the Black Madonna statue, which is the main attraction for many of the pilgrims.

While this is certainly worth visiting (visitors always kiss the Virgin’s hand) if you’re looking just to go to the monastery don’t get caught up in this huge line! You should be able to walk straight in.

During the war the Abbey was a sanctuary for scholars, artists, and politicians and in fact the Museu de Montserrat now houses works from Picasso, Salvador Dali, and more.

Entrance to the museum costs €7.00 (students/retired €6.00, children 8-16 €4.00).

The basilica is also home to the legendary Montserrat Boys Choir (La Escolonia), one of the oldest choirs in Europe. Visiting without seeing one of these powerful counterpoint and Gregorian Chant performances is a sin.

There are two daily performances at the basilica at 1:00 pm and 6:45 pm. It’s advised to arrive 30 minutes early for the performances.

Hiking at Montserrat

Once you’ve arrived at Montserrat monastery with the cable car or funicular you can start your hiking adventure. Just get yourself to the tourist information booth, grab a map with a list of trails, and head for Barcelona nature!

It’s also the best place for hiking because of the sheer variety of trails. With 5 different options ranging from 2.7 km to 7.5 km you’ll find the hike for your level of difficulty.

The Santa Cova and Sant Joan Funiculars

Once you’ve gone from Barcelona to Montserrat monastery you have two options to continue your ascent.

The Santa Cova funicular actually brings you a bit back down the mountain and drops you off at a path to Santa Cova Cave – the cave where local shepherds saw the image of the Virgin Mary.

Expect about 20 minutes walking to the chapel.

The Sant Joan funicular takes you to the very peak of the mountain. The steep climb is as gorgeous as it is frightful. The glass ceiling really puts the climb into perspective. It’s said that on a clear day you can see all of Catalunya.

It’s from here that you can take the most gorgeous walks of the entire mountain.

Tickets for these funiculars can be bought on site but are also included in some of the tickets I’ll be mentioning below.

Getting Barcelona to Montserrat Tickets Online

As mentioned you’ll save a lot of hassle booking Montserrat tickets from the comfort of your own home rather than juggling multiple ticket machines or practicing your Spanish at ticket windows.

Here are the top Montserrat from Barcelona tours to choose from:

Easy Montserrat (Basic Tour with Guide)

For those looking for a basic Montserrat tour then Barcelona Turisme has a great offer including:

• Return train transport to Montserrat from Barcelona
• Return rack railway transport up the mountain
• An English speaking guide on hand

These tickets are €46.80 making it the cheapest Barcelona to Montserrat tour going.

For more information on the tickets with Barcelona Turisme click the button below:

Tot Montserrat (All-Inclusive Travel Package)

For the typical visit looking for more historical context there’s a great basic all-inclusive ticket offered by Barcelona Turisme.

It includes:

• Round trip metro ticket to Placa Catalunya to catch the bus
• Return bus transport from Barcelona to the Montserrat foothills
• Return trip on the funicular or Aeri up to the top
• Entrance to the Montserrat Behind Closed Doors audiovisual exhibit
• Admission to the Montserrat Museum
• A meal in the Montserrat coffee shop
• Access to the Mare de Deu without having to book in advance

At €64.30 this is a great option for people not wanting to lift a finger.

You’ll barely have to give your day trip to Montserrat another thought once you’ve arrived in Spain, and it’ll allow you to focus on the other major Barcelona attractions.

How to Get to Montserrat from Barcelona

Though the trip to Montserrat is fairly simple it involves two parts:

• The trip from Barcelona to the foot of the mountains
• The ride up to the top.

For the second part of the journey there are two options: the cable car and the funicular.

Make sure you read the parts about the cable car/funicular carefully – once you’ve bought tickets for one of the options you won’t be able to redeem them for a trip on the other.

I strongly recommend you buy a day trip ticket package with all your transport included because it’ll save you time and stress – look for the links below.

Car

By far the easiest option to visit Montserrat is to rent a car and leave it at any of the free parking spaces at Monistrol-Vila or Aeri de Montserrat stations.

Plug the stations into Google Maps/GPS and expect about an hour from Barcelona to Montserrat.

Advice: leave your car in the parking lots mentioned above and not in strange places – you may end up going for an extra long walk. You won’t wanna be all tired out on some windy country road before the scenic walk begins!

If you’re looking to go all the way up via car there is a parking lot right next to the monastery, albeit slightly downhill. Elderly visitors or tourists with disabilities may find this challenging.

Make sure you arrive early on weekends, especially in high season – there are only 400 spots and you run the risk of having to go back down!

The best prices for renting a car in Barcelona can be found on Rentalcars.com.

Train

Most tourists visit Montserrat using the train from Barcelona. It’s as easy as heading to the famous Plaça Espanya and grabbing the R5 ‘Ferrocarril’ train to Manresa.

You’ll get off at Aeri de Montserrat or Monistrol de Montserrat station.

You can buy the tickets directly from the automated machines in the station or at ticket windows. It’s here that you’ll also be able to buy tickets for the cable car/funicular that takes you the rest of the way.

If you don’t get cable car/funicular tickets in Barcelona don’t worry! You can get them at Monistrol de Montserrat or Aeri de Montserrat.

Trains depart about once an hour and take 1 hour and 10 minutes – make sure you get to Plaça Espanya early because it can be confusing finding the right track.

You can get the Montserrat train timetable here.

The Cable Car (Aeri de Montserrat)

The fastest and most majestic way to get to the top of the mountain.

Here you’re letting a hanging cable car drag you 1350 meters up the side of a mountain at 5 meters per second. Below you’ll get amazing views of the Llobregat River and Llobregat Valley.

The heart-pounding and ear-popping trip is worth the price of admission alone.

The cable car departs from just outside Aeri de Montserrat station.

Cable cars depart every 15 minutes and in all the trip takes five minutes.

• Adults: €7.50 (€11.50 return)
• 60+: €6.00 (€9.00 return)
• Kids (4-13): €4.00 (€6.00 return)

Advice: this method is not recommended for disabled visitors who visit Montserrat nor those with a fear of heights.

Caution: for the return train to Barcelona Aeri de Montserrat station is the second stop so you may be boarding with tons of tourists coming from the funicular. It’s unavoidable but you can increase seat odds by arriving 20-30 minutes early for the train.

The Funicular (La Cremallera)

The cremallera is a type of mini-train (called a ‘rack train’) that’ll bring you all the way up to Montserrat monastery from the foot of the mountain. Prices vary depending on age and season and can be found here. Expect to pay €6.90 (€7.50 high season).

In all the journey takes 20 minutes.

You’ll wind your way up the mountain in a more relaxed way than the cable car though there are still some great views to take in.

The cremallera departs from Monistrol de Montserrat station (one stop after Aeri de Montserrat) and coincides with train arrivals from Barcelona on the R5.

Advice: do not exit the platform/station once you’ve arrived at Monistrol. The cremellera departs from the same platform you arrive (platform 4). Leaving the station could mean paying another ticket to get back in.

Sit on the left hand side for the best views of the mountain and town.

If you’re looking for disabled access this is the transport for you.

Montserrat Hacks

• Allocate 4-6 hours to visit Montserrat properly
• The earlier you arrive the less chance you’ll be lining up for things
• Avoid your day trip on public holidays due to crowds
• Always check Barcelona weather beforehand to dress accordingly
• Double check the last train departures to Barcelona or you’ll have a long walk back!
• Bring your own lunch to save money
• Just past the funicular station there’s a convenience store to buy snacks and drinks for your hike
• Bring a good pair of shoes and leave the flip-flops at home
• Try the Aromes de Montserrat liquor (a 12 herb liquor invented by the monks)
• Women must have their shoulders covered and dresses below the knee at the basilica
• Believe it or not there are pickpockets in the area so be on your guard

Still Looking to Visit Montserrat from Barcelona?

If you’ve got any more questions about maximizing your Montserrat day trip from Barcelona that haven’t been answered make sure you harass me in the comments below 😉

Also, have I missed anything? Could I do something better? Make sure to write me below and I’ll be sure to put things right.