10 Hour day tours from Barcelona to the Costa Brava

1 day is enough in Barcelona.. if you want to fall in love and spend money on many more trips here in the future! We'd reccomend at least 2-3 days in any city, especially in Barcelona. There is so much on offer, to visit and to see, that 1 day will leave you wanting more. Understandably, it's often the case that people are coming here for work, or simply to catch a flight out of the city after being elsewhere in Spain. If that's true for you, then yes, you can have a blast in 1 day, but if you're asking this particular question.. we hope you have the choice to stay a little longer.

Barcelona can be a day trip yes! If you're staying in one of the surrounding villages, Girona, or another close province and don't have much time to visit the city, there are many options for day trips from most of the surrounding areas. As we recommend above, ideally, you'd want to spend around 2-3 days exploring the city and visiting some of the main sites. However, if that's not an option then yes of course you can. We'd reccomend only booking in a couple of things to not over exert yourselves, or be in a rush.. Everything will be here the next time you visit!

Pick 1 monument / building to visit
Have a walk along the beach
Explore El Born or the Gothic quarter (either solo or on a 'Free' walking tour for some history and context
Have a bite to eat or lots of bites to eat in a local market
Find a bar to try some Sangria / Vermouth and local tapas

There is a lot to do in Barcelona in 4 hours! We have this question a lot from people coming on shore leave, from Cruise Ships. Although we are not able to provide any 4 hour tours from Barcelona to the Costa Brava, we can safely say that you will have a fun choice of activities to choose from. We'd recommend choosing 1 activity and then finding a lovely little terrace (bar / restaurant), for some drinks and tapas. The 3 best short activies we think you could try within 4 hours are:

A Paella cooking class or a cooking school in Barcelona city centre. Learning to cook Paella in a small group is fun, interactive, inclusive and memorable. Available for all ages and all diatry needs the whole class will be about 2.5-3 hours long. That includes meeting a chef at a market to collect your ingredients, cooking (together) your delicious paella, drinking lots of Sangria and of course, eating your professionally made dish. Luckily, we can reccomend a claas (with confidence), for you to try: https://www.gastronomicartsbarcelona.com/
A Free walking tour. Free walking tours are all around the world and Barcelona is no different! The word 'Free' means, it's free to sign up however the guides have to make money somehow so there is always time at the end of the tour to leave a contribution or tip as a thank you. There are many free guided tours in Barcelona so have a quick google and see which one takes your fancy. Normally they are between 1-2 hours long and cover various points in history, architecture, and even the supernatural.
Choosing 1 building / monument to visit. We'd always recommend visiting La Sagrada Familia as it is truly magestic inside. Literally, it will take your breath away, and even if you're not a religious person, there is something incredibly spiritual about the way the sun light transforms into the main room. It's very impressive from the outside but if you can book a guided tour and visit the inside, you will not be disappointed.

The best day trips in Barcelona? Well.. I mean.. obviously a Barcelona Day Trip to the Costa Brava is the best Day Trip! But seriously, we are so happy to provide amazing trips to the Costa Brava, it's a privilege, and while we aspire to give and maintain 5* experiences to all our customers we couldn't say that we're the best day trip... One of the best maybe 😉

There are many day trips to choose from and it totally depends on what you're intrests are (of course). Also, age, group size, occasion and budget. However we are happy to give an idea of some spectacular day trips you can try from Barcelona. (As long as you promise to check out our kayak day trip to the Costa Brava).

Kayaking and snorkelling on the Costa Brava from Barcelona Day Trip! haha ok, ok, you know this one..
Girona city - Girona is a super beautiful small town, also the set location for a few scenes in Game of Thrones! You can reach Girona (the province that homes the Costa Brava, the city of Girona is in land), by fast train from Barcelona. The journey by train is just shy of 40 minutes and you can walk easily into the centre from the station. A river divides the city and the old city walls surround it. There is a fantasic tourist information office that can help you discover many hidden treasures.
Sitges - Just down the coast from Barcelona is coastal town of Sitges. It's a lovely little spot and if you're lucky enough to be here during a festival, it's well worth a visit to see the parade and enjoy a super fun street party! There are loads of beautiful little streets, old buildings and of course, the beach so you can swim. Bare in mind, there are parts that are nudest so maybe check beforehand if you have Grandma along on the holiday..
Montserrat Monastery - A short train ride away or a wide choice of guided tours from Barcelona, Montserrat is the huge mountian visible from planes flying into the city. It's home to an incredible Monastery built into the rocks of the mountian. You can choose a few different ways up, either hiking, a cable car (not on windy days), or a Funicular train from the bottom of the mountain. We'd reccomend giving yourself time for a little hike around the top if you choose an 'easy' way up the mountain.
Vineyard tour - There are many vineyards on the other side of Montserrat, which is only possible because of the mountain itself. Montserrat blocks much of the cold air from the Pyrenees mountain range (that separates Spain and France), making the other side of Montserrat a perfect area for growing grapes. There are many vineyards to choose from so we recommend a little digging into the type of wine you like and the vibe from the vineyard itself before you book.