Home > Barcelona > Montserrat Monastery Tour from Barcelona Including Cogwheel Train Ride
USD $63.00
Montserrat Monastery Tour from Barcelona Including Cogwheel Train Ride
Barcelona, Spain
Visit Santa Maria de Montserrat, one of Spain’s most important pilgrimage sites, on this 4.5-hour tour from Barcelona. With a guide, enjoy a panoramic cogwheel train ride up the majestic Montserrat mountain, and take in gorgeous views of Barcelona and Catalonia, as well as the mountain’s rock formations. Then, explore the Benedictine Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey and visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat to see the famous 12th-century carving Our Lady of Montserrat, also known as La Moreneta (the Dark One).
Board an air-conditioned coach from the prearranged meeting point in central Barcelona and relax as you pass through Catalonia’s countryside on the journey to Montserrat. As you travel, listen to your guide share details about the region and its history, and discover why the craggy Montserrat mountain and its monastery have been among Spain’s most important pilgrimage sites since the 12th century.
On arrival at the foot of the multi-peaked mountain, board a cogwheel train and take in the natural vistas as you ride up the mountain. Learn how over the centuries wind and rain have shaped Montserrat’s striking pink rock face, and have your camera ready to capture the peculiar rock formations along with panoramas of Barcelona, Catalonia, and beyond.
After around 15 minutes, arrive at Santa Maria de Montserrat, the mountain’s Benedictine abbey. Explore the site with your guide, and discover how it plays an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of Catalonia during an audiovisual presentation.
Visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, which is nestled next to the monastery, and see up close the sacred, 12th-century polychrome wooden carving of Our Lady of Montserrat, commonly known as La Moreneta (the Dark One).
After your tour, sightsee independently and visit the monastery’s shop to sample four local liquors.
When the time comes, return to your air-conditioned vehicle and journey back to Barcelona, where your tour concludes at the original departure point.
This tour was fabulous! The tour guides were knowledgable, easy to understand, and the scenery was gorgeous! Very worthwhile trip. bus driver was also great considering the twisty turning roads!
Review by: Ray D, January 2018
I was disappointed in the tour guide. The monastery is a wonderful place to visit, but nothing was done to help us take the Cogwheel Train Ride. They also were hard to hear and understand when talking. They need some type of broadcast system._br/_ Ray Debnham
Review by: Carol Q, January 2018
Beautiful scenery!
Review by: jrhyper2, January 2018
this tour should be given a bit earlier in the day. by the time we leave its pitch dark, and you still have an hour drive. we took a train ride down the mountain, and the fluorescent lights inside the train made looking outside a non view....what a shame. the tour lady gave great insight about the history of the place. very informative. wish we could explore more, but no time.
Review by: Sally S, January 2018
This was outstanding---a high quality experience well worth the money!
Review by: Jennifer C, January 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Don S, December 2017
This was an enjoyable half day trip, but we were a little disappointed to learn that the monastery is not tne original building...it was rebuilt in the 19th cwntury after Napoleon's men burned the place to the ground. The cog-wheel train up the mountain is fun but the drive back down is a little precarious.
Review by: jane, December 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Anna Maria NYC, December 2017
We were during the referendum in Barcelona so we had to skirt the protests which were near the travel office. Our tour guide, Sari, was great and started the tour as we started to roll. She pointed out the sites in the city such as the Royal Palace, Olympic village and various architectural buildings. We decided to head up the trek to San Miguel for the view. If you go allow enough time at least 1/2 each way. We waited in line for the black Madonna. Well worth the tour.
Review by: lgilford, December 2017
Monserrat was beautiful, but the tour guide was very difficult to understand.
Review by: Jhoni-Rae M, December 2017
This trip was absolutely amazing! The view was just breathtaking and there is so much history to be learnt here. The ride up to Montserrat was comfortable and our guide Naidimsp was great! He was so knowledgeable and quite patient! The liquor tasting was the topping to such a great adventure! This is a must do if in Barcelona!
Review by: Ross P, December 2017
We chose this tour because it was the easiest way to get there and back. The guide gave us a narrative on the way there on what we would see when we got there. She led us to the different places and gave us time on our own to explore. I found we didn't have enough time to take any of the hikes around the place because we were on a time schedule. That was not the fault of the tour but our planning. Information on the outlying areas, walks and hikes could have been more informative.
Review by: mombomb, December 2017
I was disappointed in this tour compared to the others we expected a tour and not to be dropped off to watch_br/_ A video or walk around alone. I also expect to be educated on 6 samples and received 3 tastes of the worse laquior I've ever tasted. The tour guide was running around like crazy to do 2 languages and give out all the infor Then cog train was a metro train. Again not what was expected. I wouldn't do this tour again. Viator did well untill this one.
Review by: hoytfuller, November 2017
tour was great, gide was great, the only thing I would change is to take the train down when it is still light, I don't know if it is possible but would have been nice
Review by: Diana T, November 2017
Well worth the trip, however disappointed with PA system in the bus could hardly understand the guide because of poor sound and her accent.
Review by: aaverbukh, November 2017
it was dark during the ride there for it was a simple train ride and we cannot enjoy the view from the train window._br/_ The tour should start no later than noon in November.
Review by: Swastika J, November 2017
Amazing atmosphere
Review by: ang0928, November 2017
I give the sight of Montserrat itself a 5Star rating. The tour guide wasn't very engaging. She was very nice, but we were left to tour on our own for the most part. For example, I would've liked to have visited the caves if I had known. A fifteen minute hike each way supposedly. She didn't tell us about this until we were on our way back. The basilica is amazingly beautiful and worth a visit. It was extremely windy and cold in the mountains that afternoon. If visiting expect it to be about 20-30 degrees colder than in Barcelona. The Cogwheel Train Ride was uneventful. I would've liked to have taken it when we got there, up the mountain as opposed to at the end of our tour down the mountain.
Review by: jennyairs, November 2017
Great tour all day, worth going on.
Review by: Gopal S, November 2017
Unique experience once in life time, must see spot!_br/_ Half day is actually not enough, so plan for full day.
Review by: ronnie, November 2017
This was supposed to be English tour. A few Spanish people on the bus. That meant she had to rush thru descriptions. It her fault. Think the should take train up and down. Not just down
Review by: RANJITH N, November 2017
Nice place worth a visit
Review by: Marylee N, November 2017
Very interesting and beautiful views from the Train and the Monastery
Review by: Yahoo, November 2017
Ok. Maybe depart 45 minutes earlier so you can fit a walk in without feeling rushed.
Review by: Ross H, June 2017
An interesting half day excursion to the Monastery with some marvellous scenery and a fascinating hi-tech cogwheel train ride. The wine tasting could have been better organised but overall well worth the effort. Again an very knowledgeable local guide.
Review by: suzetteemizell, June 2017
This was a good tour. Worth the effort. Beautiful Monastery. The cogwheel train ride is just a basic train ride so wouldn't pay extra for it.
Review by: Kirk S, June 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Parualben D, June 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Gerdi C, June 2017
Wonderful drive to the Monastery which is surrounded by strange shaped mountains. The cathedral and Madonna worth the visit. If you have time the Art gallery had some unique art. We had four liquors which ended our visit on a high!!
Review by: Bessie M, June 2017
Highly recommend, a must see, very knowledgeable tour guide, efficient tour, great experience
Review by: LindaL, June 2017
Spectacular mountain scenery and monastery. Cog wheel train was fun too.
Review by: Cheryl H, June 2017
The Cogwheel Train Ride and the Monastery were fantastic. However, the Julia Travel folks not so helpful and once you arrive at the Monastery you are on your own and meet at the bus at a given time to return to Barcelona. Our departure time on your confirmation was noted as 7:00 PM and we were sure that was incorrect but it took us many, many, many attempts to reach the Julia Travel office to find out what time we needed to be at their office to make the bus. We took a cab to the office as by the time we connected with them, it was too late to walk to their office. The didn't seem to give a care that the confirmation that had been sent to us was for a time that was not even close to when we were scheduled and they don't seem to have enough folks to answer the phones and take calls. Montserrat was beautiful and well worth the trip but I'd find another company to book with other than Julia Travel.
Review by: Colette M, June 2017
The view was great up there and the guide was nice and efficient. This is a very nice getaway from the big city for a few hours.
Review by: Marcia C, June 2017
Very good experience.
Review by: nwhyte, June 2017
This tour was a perfect activity for my final day in Barcelona with a chance to see the countryside by coach and to visit the Monastery site. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the views from the cogwheel train as well as the opportunity to walk around the area even though we were there on a rainy afternoon.
Review by: Sunit J, June 2017
We took the afternoon tour to Montserrat. Our tour guide Nadeem, I believe was awesome. Tour was great but I think it was too short. I wish we had more time to explore some of the hikes around the monastery. Overall, the great trip!
Review by: Fernando H, June 2017
We took an afternoon tour. The departure was a bit late. The ride to Montserrat was pleasant but a morning tour would avoid the sun on your eyes. The tram ride and sightseeing was impressive. The monastery and church are outstanding. We had little free time to explore on our own.
Review by: Gene H, June 2017
We had a great tour of Montserrat. Great tour guide!! Enjoyed the Cogwheel Train ride and once we arrived took the funicular to the top of the mountain with amazing views of the Catalonian countryside. We were still left with lots of time to tour the Monastery including a viewing of the black faced Madonna in the basilica Montserrat monastery.
Review by: Annemarie B, June 2017
The tour guide was excellent in that he spoke fluent English and was knowledgeable. Just wish there was more time allotted for exploring on your own before having to meet back at the bus for the return trip.
Review by: mdavey, June 2017
Wonderful tour. Getting to the starting point was a breeze and everything just got better from there. The bus was comfortable and the tour guide was easily understood and knowledgeable.
Review by: Mark L, June 2017
The Monastery is beautiful and the views were great. By the time we arrived at the Monastery we were give less than an hour to visit which was a bit disappointing. We left from Barcelona about 20 minutes late due to waiting on other tourist who showed up late. When we arrived at the Cogwheel station we could have made the train that was there, but the guide didn't move fast enough and we ended up missing the train, so we had to wait 20 minutes for the next train. When we finally made it to the Monastery it was 5pm. The tour guide then spent the next 10 minutes telling us it was very important to be back at the assembly point and ready to leave at 6pm. We spent the next 50 minutes rushing around trying to see as much of the Monastery as possible. We all met 6pm like we were suppose to and then, spent about 10 minutes to a parking lot to get on the bus. We took a different route back to Barcelona than the way we came to the Monastery. The views of the mountains were fantastic. As we arrived into Barcelona, we got stuck in rush hour traffic for over 50 minutes and arrived back at the drop off point around 7:50pm. It seems to me the company should extend this tour by an hour, let the customers enjoy the tour instead of rushing around to see the sights. By leaving Montserrate at 7pm, customer can enjoy themselves and spending less time stuck in traffic. I guess this would be a good tour for older people and people who just want to say they've been to the Monastery. If I had know this information, I probably would have selected a longer tour.
Review by: Steve C, May 2017
Great half day tour. Enjoyed it greatly. Fantastic scenery and great history.
Review by: Les W, May 2017
This tour is a must do. Once you have reach the Monastery the walk around is great no major steps or slopes to navigate._br/_ Views are spectacular.
Review by: Nicole L, May 2017
This trip was a disappointment. The tour guide was boring. It seemed that he was reading from a text by the way, the trip we took was a bi-lingual English and Spanish trip. We could have done without the tour. To us, this was just a trip up the mountain and back. That's all.
Review by: richard g, May 2017
Not that great.....really didn and #39;t explain much....
Review by: kelseym, May 2017
Not quite what we expected. Thought there would be more to the tour. The tour guide was very hard to hear as there were no headsets, and it wasn't clear how much time we had to do what. There is a really cool very steep train that goes to the very top of the mountain which is what I thought the cogwheel train ride was going to be, but it was actually separate. the cogwheel was just a normal train ride to the monastery but we weren't sure how much time it took or if we'd have time to go and come back before our tour group left. All in all, it was neat, but I might consider a more well-organized tour next time.
Review by: Bill H, May 2017
Incredible place simply for it's location. An easy bus ride to the base just north of the city. The cog wheel train ride is stunning and if that isn't enough, there is a 2nd funicular train that will take you right to the top. Walking trail are also available. This is a 1/2 day tour which in my mind simply isn't adequate. In order to take it all in, plan on spending an entire day here. Some of you may recall that the Beatles recorded an album here in the late '60s.
Review by: Claire C, May 2017
On a trip to Barcelona for 4 days I had spotted details of this trip before but did not book until we were in Barcelona. It was nice to have something like this to contrast to our time in the city, and something totally different including the cogwheel train and tour of the site, plus liqueur tasting and film. It is a bit of an expensive trip, but in terms of value for money there is plenty you get for that. My only down side was that we would have enjoyed having more time there to explore further, go into the museum and other buildings taking more time. Views are stunning, and the information from the tour guide was interesting and easy to follow. Would certainly recommend if you have an afternoon free.
Review by: Mark G, May 2017
I wish we would have had more time there. They do too much talking when you arrive which cuts into your free time. You can leave immediately after you get there to go off on your own and then just be sure to meet them at the bus afterward. It is very pretty. There is a separate line to go see the statue up close. I would head for that first next time.
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