Day trip from Barcelona Girona
A walled medieval city on the Onyar river with a cathedral and a well-kept Jewish quarter, 40 minutes from Barcelona Sants by Avant train.
Is Girona worth a day trip from Barcelona?
Go. The easiest full day out.
Go. This is the easiest full day out of Barcelona. Avant trains from Sants take 40 minutes and cost € 17.40 each way, with weekday departures at 08:05, 08:14 and 09:32. The old town, the Jewish quarter and the walls fill five to six hours without rushing. The cathedral ticket is € 7.50 and includes the Sant Feliu basilica and an audioguide. The catch is the seat reservation: Avant seats are numbered and can sell out, so buy both legs in advance. The slower MD trains take 1 hour 19 minutes for € 12.00 and do not need that planning.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 40 minone way · Renfe
- Transport
- High-speed train
- Self-guided cost
- € 25.40–42.30Train return (Regional € 8.95 or Avant € 17.40 each way) + cathedral and Sant Feliu ticket € 7.50 · Renfe
- Tour price
- From € 49.68Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 5–7 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- None (cathedral closed 25 Dec, 1 Jan, Good Friday)
- Best time
- Year-round; Sundays the cathedral opens at 12:00Daytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Girona
- 01
Cathedral
You reach it up a baroque staircase of about 90 steps. Inside is the widest Gothic nave in the world, almost 23 m across, and the 11th-century Tapestry of Creation. Allow one hour.
- 02
The Call, the Jewish quarter
A knot of stepped lanes around Carrer de la Força, home to a Jewish community until 1492. The Museum of Jewish History is here. Wandering it takes 45 minutes.
- 03
Walls walk
The Passeig de la Muralla runs along the top of the medieval walls on the east side of the old town. It is free, takes about 45 minutes and has towers you can climb.
- 04
Onyar houses and bridges
Painted houses hang over the river. The red iron footbridge, Pont de les Peixateries Velles, was built by Gustave Eiffel's company in 1877. The best view is from the stone bridge next to it.
- 05
Sant Feliu basilica
Included in the cathedral ticket. It holds eight Roman and early Christian sarcophagi set into the walls of the presbytery. Twenty minutes is enough.
How to spend the day
Take the 08:05 Avant from Sants and arrive at 08:45. Walk to the river, cross one of the footbridges and climb to the cathedral for its 10:00 opening (12:00 on Sundays). Then Sant Feliu, the Jewish quarter and a stretch of the walls. Have a long lunch. Avant trains back leave at 16:58, 17:20 and 17:51. The last one is at 19:52 and the last MD at 21:19.
Girona in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustFrom June to August Girona is hotter than Barcelona in the afternoon and lacks the sea breeze, so do the walls walk before 11:00 and the cathedral and museums at midday. The stone lanes of the Call stay shaded. Tour groups from the Costa Brava arrive from 10:30. Evenings are long, and the last Avant at 19:52 leaves time for an early dinner.
Winter
December to FebruaryGirona works well from December to February, because most of the visit is churches, lanes and long lunches. Mornings can be near freezing and the tramuntana wind makes the walls walk cold. The cathedral keeps shorter hours, so check its closing time. The old town is at its emptiest in January, and train seats are easy to get.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- Mid May flower festival, Easter, Jul-Aug 11:00-15:00
- Quietest
- Nov-Mar; any weekday before 10:30
Coach groups concentrate on the cathedral steps and Carrer de la Força around midday. Take the 08:05 train, see the cathedral at its 10:00 opening and you stay ahead of them. During the flower festival, come on a weekday.
How do you get to Girona from Barcelona?
Avant
- Travel time
- 40 min
- Frequency
- 15 Avant trains a day
- Cost
- € 17.40 each way
- Departs from
- Barcelona Sants
Avant and AVE trains share the same track and the same 40 minutes, but the AVE fare is € 36.50, so choose Avant on the Renfe site. Arrive early at Sants: high-speed platforms have a luggage scan. Girona station is a short walk from the old town.
MD / Regional
- Travel time
- 1 h 19 min to 1 h 31 min
- Frequency
- About every 30-60 min
- Cost
- € 8.95-12.00 each way
- Departs from
- Barcelona Sants or Passeig de Gràcia
Line R11. MD trains take 1 hour 19 minutes for € 12.00, Regional trains 1 hour 31 minutes for € 8.95. No seat reservation, so you can buy at the machine and board the next one. Good fallback when Avant is sold out.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 9 to 11 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 49
- Departs from
- Estació del Nord
The coach tours combine Girona with Figueres, and some with Cadaqués, so you get about 1.5 hours in Girona. Worth it only if you want the Dalí museum the same day. For Girona alone the train is faster and gives you more time.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Flat shoes with grip. The old town is cobbled and steep, and the walls have uneven steps. Shoulders covered in the cathedral. In winter bring a scarf and a windproof layer.
What to eat
Try a xuixo, a fried pastry filled with custard, with your morning coffee. For lunch, look around Plaça de la Independència, the Rambla de la Llibertat and the lanes of the old town. Weekday set menus offer the best value. Many kitchens close on Sunday evening and Monday.
What you will spend
The train is the main cost: € 17.40 each way on the Avant, or € 8.95 on the Regional. The cathedral and Sant Feliu ticket is € 7.50 with an audioguide. The walls, the Call, the bridges and the riverfront are free.
How to get the most out of the day
- Game of Thrones filmed on the cathedral steps and in the Arab Baths. Expect photo queues there, mostly between 11:00 and 13:00.
- The walls have several access points. Start behind the cathedral and walk south, so you finish near Plaça de Catalunya and the station.
- The Arab Baths and the Museum of Jewish History charge their own small fees. Neither is part of the cathedral ticket.
- During the Sant Narcís fair in late October the city is busy and festive. Book Avant seats earlier than usual that week.
How long do you need in Girona?
Plan 5–7 h on site, plus 40 min of travel each way from Barcelona.
When is Girona closed?
None (cathedral closed 25 Dec, 1 Jan, Good Friday). Best time: Year-round; Sundays the cathedral opens at 12:00.