Girona & Costa Brava Day Trip from Barcelona with Paella

Medieval Girona, Coastal Coves & Paella: A Day Beyond Barcelona

You leave Barcelona at 8:30am and spend the day in three distinct places: a medieval hilltop village with cobbled streets and artisan shops, a Costa Brava fishing village where you can swim or walk coastal paths, and the historic city of Girona with its cathedral and Roman walls. A local guide handles the route and history. You handle the pace once you arrive. Optional paella lunch by the sea, hotel pickup available, and you're back in Barcelona by 7pm.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Palace of Catalan Music15m
2. Plaça de Catalunyapass by

Girona and Costa Brava day tour

• Check-in at Explore Catalunya Office
• Depart Barcelona through Eixample district
• Walk historic centre of Pals village
• Explore artisan shops and cafés in Pals
• Visit Calella de Palafrugell seaside village
• Swim or walk coastal footpaths
• Optional seafood paella lunch by sea
• Arrive in Girona for free exploration
• Visit Cathedral, Jewish Quarter, or Roman walls
• End day at Plaça Catalunya

The experience

The church bells in Pals ring across the hilltop at midday, and you're already three hours into a day that started in Barcelona's city noise. Your guide meets you at 8:15am opposite the Palau de la Música, and by 8:30 the minibus heads north through the Eixample district and into the Catalan countryside. The kind of landscape that makes you understand why people leave the city on purpose. The group stays under 20, which means you're not herding through stops like a school trip. It's more like a friend who knows the region taking you around.

Pals sits on a ridge with views that stretch to the coast, and the walk through its medieval centre takes maybe 45 minutes with your guide pointing out the old tower and stone archways before you get free time to wander the artisan shops and grab a coffee. Then it's down to Calella de Palafrugell, a whitewashed fishing village where the streets are narrow enough that cars barely fit. You can swim in the cove if you brought a costume (the water is clear and the beach is small enough that it doesn't feel crowded), or walk the coastal footpaths instead. If you've added the paella upgrade, you sit at a seafront restaurant and eat traditional seafood paella while looking at the Mediterranean. If not, you grab lunch on your own and pocket the savings. Either way, you've got time to breathe here, which matters.

Girona comes in the afternoon, and it's the kind of city that rewards wandering. Your guide gives you the lay of the land (the Gothic Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter, the Arab Baths, the Roman walls that still ring the old town), and then you're loose to spend three hours however you want. Some people climb the walls. Some sit in a café in the Plaça de Catalunya and watch the light change. Some go into the Cathedral. The point is you're not being rushed through a checklist. You finish at Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona around 7pm, close enough to the metro that getting back to your hotel is straightforward, or your guide can point you toward dinner.

The air-conditioned vehicle means you're not sweating through the drive, and the fact that it's English-only keeps the group coherent: no translation lag, no splitting attention. Bring sunscreen, good walking shoes, and a swimming costume if you think you'll use the cove. The tour is long but not punishing. You're sitting in a bus for chunks of it, and the walking is at your own pace once you're in each place.

What’s included

• Your day includes a local English-speaking guide, an air-conditioned minibus with a small group of no more than 20 people, and optional hotel pickup from your Barcelona accommodation.
• Entry to attractions is not included, but you have free time to visit Girona's Cathedral, Jewish Quarter, Arab Baths, and Roman walls at your own pace.
• The optional seafood paella lunch upgrade is served at a seafront restaurant in Calella de Palafrugell.
• You'll also have time to swim in a coastal cove, walk village streets, and explore artisan shops in Pals.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tour with pickup at 7.45am includedGuide in English · 08:30Standard tour that includes pickup. The pickup time is 7.45am, and the actual tour begins at 8.30am. Have you remembered to select your hotel for pickup? Pickup is included.

Traditional Seafood PaellaGuide in English · 08:30Upgrade to seafood paella: Treat yourself to a traditional seafood paella right beside the sea with this exclusive upgrade.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Explore Catalunya

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see medieval villages and the Costa Brava in one day without arranging your own transport or timing between stops: the fixed schedule and small group size mean you get three distinct places without the logistics of driving yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What time does the tour start and where do I meet the guide?

Check-in is at 8:15am at the Explore Catalunya Office opposite the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. The bus departs at 8:30am.

Is the paella lunch included or is it extra?

The paella is an optional upgrade. If you don't add it, you have free time to eat on your own in Calella de Palafrugell.

Can I swim during the tour?

Yes, there's time to swim in a secluded cove at Calella de Palafrugell. Bring a swimming costume and beach towel if you want to use it.

How long is the tour and what time does it end?

The tour runs approximately 11 hours, departing at 8:30am and returning to Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona around 7pm.

What's the maximum group size?

Groups are capped at 20 people, keeping the experience more intimate than larger tours.

Is hotel pickup included?

Hotel pickup is optional. You can arrange it when booking, or meet the guide at the office opposite the Palau de la Música.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The tour is in English only.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. You'll have free time at each stop to walk at your own pace, and much of the day is spent on the bus or in cafés.