Barcelona to Montserrat: Monastery Tour & Horseback Ride

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/9

Duration7h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Montserrat’s wild peaks, guided monastery walk and horseback ride from Barcelona

You’ll start your day leaving Barcelona behind for Montserrat’s dramatic peaks—first on horseback through quiet trails with a local guide, then wandering ancient monastery halls where monks still pass by unnoticed. Taste local cheese at market stalls before heading back to city life with new stories (and maybe a bit of trail dust).

Step-by-step itinerary

Montserrat Monastery and Horse Riding Tour

Meet guide at World Experience office
Drive through Diagonal avenue and countryside
Arrive at ranch and get horse riding briefing
Start 1-hour horseback ride in Natural Park
Finish riding and visit Montserrat Monastery
Explore Basilica and learn monastery history
Enjoy free time at market and souvenir shops
Meet guide and return to Barcelona

The Experience

We’d barely left Barcelona when our guide Marta started pointing out all these little things I’d never have noticed—old farmhouses tucked into the hills, the way the light hit the rocks as we got closer to Montserrat. The mountain itself looked almost unreal, like something out of a storybook, all jagged and pale against the sky. I remember rolling down the window just to catch that first whiff of pine and dust. It’s not far from the city, but it feels like slipping into another world.

The horse ranch was quieter than I expected. A couple of locals were already saddling up—one guy gave me a nod but mostly kept to his own rhythm. Marta handed out helmets and did this quick demo in Spanish and English (she switched between both without missing a beat). My horse was called Lluís. He seemed patient enough for a beginner like me. The ride itself—well, there’s something about moving through that landscape at such a slow pace, hearing only hooves on dirt and distant birds. At one point I caught this sharp scent of wild rosemary when we brushed past some bushes. Didn’t expect that.

Afterwards we drove up to the Montserrat Monastery itself. There were more people around now—families, older couples, even some monks in brown robes weaving through the crowd like it was nothing special. Inside, Marta told us about the Black Madonna (La Moreneta) and how sometimes you can wait hours just to see her up close. We didn’t try our luck; instead we wandered through side chapels and stood quietly in front of stained glass windows while sunlight did its thing on the stone floors.

I spent my last few minutes at one of those little farmers’ stalls near the entrance—tried some local cheese that tasted way saltier than I expected, but honestly pretty good. On the drive back to Barcelona I kept looking out for that first glimpse of Montserrat again in reverse, half-hoping to spot Lluís somewhere in the fields below. Still think about that view sometimes.

What’s included

Your day includes transport from central Barcelona out into Catalonia’s countryside, an hour-long guided horseback ride (with helmet and instructions), entry tickets for Montserrat Monastery plus a guided visit inside its basilica—and time after to explore farmers’ stalls or grab a snack before heading back together.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by World Experience