Girona & Costa Brava Day Trip: Small Group Minivan Tour

Walk Girona's medieval streets and Jewish Quarter, then reach the Costa Brava villages without arranging your own transport

A small-group day tour from Barcelona to Girona and the Costa Brava, led by a local guide in a minivan that drops you in the city center instead of at a parking lot. The tour covers Girona's Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, the Cathedral with its 23-meter Gothic nave, the Arab Baths, the medieval village of Pals, and the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell on the coast. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Barcelona are included, and the group stays under 8 people. The tour runs 10 hours, with lunch at your own cost in Calella.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Onyar River10m
2. Girona Jewish Quarter10m
3. Passeig de la Muralla20m
4. Girona Cathedral10m
5. Girona Arab Baths10m
6. Pals30m

Explore Girona and Costa Brava

• Pickup from Barcelona hotel
• Walking tour of Girona Old Town
• See colorful Onyar River houses
• Visit Girona Jewish Quarter
• Walk Girona city walls
• Visit Girona Cathedral
• Explore Museum of Archaeology
• Visit Arab Baths
• Travel to medieval village of Pals
• Walk through Pals cobbled streets
• Tour fishing village Calella de Palafrugell
• Return to Barcelona hotel

The experience

The minivan picks you up from your Barcelona hotel between 8 and 9 a.m. and drives you straight into Girona's Old Town, not to a car park on the edge. That access matters: you start the walking tour already inside the medieval center, where the guide takes you through the narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter (El Call), one of the best-preserved in Europe. You'll see the Onyar River with its colorful house facades reflected in the water, walk the Old City Walls that date back to Roman times, and stand in front of the Cathedral, which holds the widest Gothic nave in the world at 23 meters across. The Arab Baths, a 12th-century Romanesque structure, and the Museum of Archaeology round out the Girona section before the group moves on.

From there, the minivan takes you to Pals, a medieval village built on cobbled streets with stone arches, Moorish doorways, and Gothic windows: the kind of place where an hour of walking feels like stepping backward several centuries. Then you head to Calella de Palafrugell, a fishing village on the Costa Brava that has kept its original character: narrow streets, steep tiled roofs, and traditional two-story fishermen's houses clustered around small coves. This is where you break for lunch (not included), and you'll find several restaurants serving typical Catalan food. The return drive to Barcelona leaves time to reach your hotel by early evening.

The guide is a local who speaks either English or Spanish depending on which tour option you choose. The small-group cap at 8 people means you're not herded through stops on a schedule that doesn't fit anyone. The minivan is air-conditioned, and children can bring a pram or use a specialized infant seat if needed. Gratuities are optional.

What’s included

• Professional local guide in English or Spanish.
• walking tours of Girona's Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, Pals, and Calella de Palafrugell.
• air-conditioned minivan transport.
• hotel or apartment pickup and drop-off in Barcelona (8–9 a.m. departure).
• small group capped at 8 people.

Options for this experience

3 options

Tour in Spanish for a small group08:30Includes pickup

Tour in English for a small group08:30Includes pickup

Private tour starting at 8:30 amGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30Private tour in a mini air-conditioned van: a private tour for your guide's undivided attention. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

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 (10 and older) · Child (under 10)

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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 available

Operated by In Out Barcelona Tours

Is this one for you?Book the English tour if you want to follow the guide's commentary without translation. Book the Spanish tour if you're traveling with Spanish speakers and prefer to keep the group in one language. Either way, the minivan access and small-group size mean you move through Girona and the villages at a pace that lets you actually look around instead of keeping up with a larger group on a fixed schedule.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 10).

How do I get picked up, and what time does the tour start?

Hotel or apartment pickup in Barcelona happens between 8 and 9 a.m., and the driver will meet you at your accommodation. The tour runs 10 hours total, ending with drop-off back at your Barcelona hotel in the early evening.

What is the Girona Cathedral actually famous for?

Girona Cathedral holds the widest Gothic nave in the world, spanning 23 meters across. It's also recognizable to Game of Thrones viewers as the "Great Sept of Baelor" from the show.

Is lunch included, and where do we eat?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. In Calella de Palafrugell, you'll have time to choose from several restaurants in the village and order typical Catalan food at your own cost.

What makes the minivan different from a regular tour bus?

The minivan drops you directly in Girona's city center instead of at a parking lot on the outskirts, so you start the walking tour already inside the medieval Old Town. The small-group limit of 8 people also means a more relaxed pace through each stop.