Montserrat Cardona and Salt Mountain Private Tour
Description
This fantastic value combined tour offers you the chance to explore the two must-see highlights of the Catalan countryside, all in one day. Your adventure begins with a pick-up from your accommodation in Barcelona in a comfortable private vehicle, exclusively for you. As you travel through the scenic Catalan landscapes, your expert guide will share fascinating stories about the region, including the historic town of Cardona and the stunning Montserrat mountain. With insights into the rich culture, history, and traditions of Catalonia, this engaging tour ensures you experience the heart of the countryside in a fun and informative way. Perfect for those looking to escape the city and discover the natural beauty and heritage of Catalonia!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Get on the road and head to the mystic mountain of Montserrat. This natural park, with its very peculiar peaks, protects the spiritual essence of Catalonia. For almost 1,000 years, a Benedictine community has lived in these mountains located 60 km away from Barcelona. Visit the Basilica of Montserrat, house of the serene image of the Black Virgin of Montserrat (the famous “Moreneta”), the saint patron of Catalonia, a polychrome Romanesque carving of the 12th century. On the way, listen to interesting stories about Catalonia and its bounding to the holy mountain, scene of pilgrims since ancient times and part of the route to Santiago de Compostela. Your guide will share important information to understand the heritage you will discover during the tour.
Once you reach the monastery, you have plenty of options and your guide will always adjust to your interests. We invite you to take an easy walk of around 30 min to enjoy one of the most astonishing views of the natural park, but if you wish you can also decide to enjoy other activities that the mountain offers.
Decide if you want to enjoy a ride in the rack railway that will bring you at the top of the holy mountain. Enjoy astonishing views along the way.
If you skipped the funicular, you can enjoy the cable car, a breathtaking journey over the Llobregat River and Valley, up the mountain and right up to Montserrat Monastery. If you are not afraid of heights, you will be in for a really memorable and rewarding experience.
If you wish, you can also decide to visit the Montserrat museum. It has an important section of early paintings, spanning the 13th to the 18th centuries, with works by El Greco, Caravaggio as well as a large collection of Catalan paintings that includes major names such as Picasso, Dalí and Miró but also of French impressionism such as Chagall, Braque, Le Corbusier, etc...
Visit the medieval town of Cardona, a citadel famous for resisting Napoleon and for its salt mines.
Descend to the salt mines of Cardona and discover its importance to the region
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
- We will pick you up from any hotel or apartment in Barcelona. Please make sure to include the address of your accommodation when booking. - Even if your Hotel is not listed, you can type it down in the field. - We will send a message on the day before departure through the booking system to inform you of the name of your guide and the telephone number.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Private tour
Reviews(31)
Excellent excursion to Montserrat, Cardona, and the Salt Mines. Our guide, Albert, was spectacular: very knowledgeable, kind, and passionate about the history and culture of Catalonia. In addition to the explanations, he gave us excellent local recommendations that made the experience even more special. Everything was very well organized and it was a fantastic way to see some of the most impressive places in Catalonia. Highly recommended!
Marcel was an amazing guide; he made the tour an incredible experience.
Marcel was our driver and tour guide. He was polite, on-time, very kind and accommodating. He explained the sites history and gave us free time. Safe and smooth driver. Vehicle was spacious and air conditioning was good for summer.
The sights were spectacular, especially Montserrat . Had to vary schedule do to Pope visiting same day which meant it was not crowded late afternoon (crowd had emptied out), but less time & opportunities (gondola closed). Salt mine tour was beautiful except only in Spanish ( QR code possible link to English, but need headphones). Guide Xiva was knowledgeable and passionate, but English was not best language. Very polite to repeat as needed. Would recommend this tour, but if Montserrat is your primary goal, opt for only that tour.
Picked up at hotel and had beautiful drive to Cardona, a beautiful castle with attached hotel and restaurant. Next visited salt mine. Fascinating. Had a delicious lunch in nearby village. Then on to Monserrat . Spectacular views and interesting history. Our driver and guide, David, was a fountain of information and catered to our every need.
We had a fantastic day. Our guide, David, was excellent company and very knowledgeable. So many highlights, but seeing the annual Easter festivities in Cardona was very special. We highly recommend this trip and David as a guide.
It was an awesome day with our guide Ramón into the countryside of Spain. He is an amazing person and told us about the history behind each stop on our trip. Very energetic and sympathetic guide! If you like to get in touch with real local history, this is the tour for you. We started the tour going to Montserrat, roughly 1 hour on the road to get there. It is a beautiful place with astonishing views and architecture. It is one of the most important foundational places for Barcelona and Spain. Then we went to the salt mines. Buried below a giant salt mountain, was an important place for past civilizations but also for the industrialization of Catalunya. This part of the tour (when you enter the mines) is made by a local guide, so Spanish is recommended for a better understanding. Right after the mines we had a stop for lunch in a local restaurant. The food is really good! We finished our trip in the Castel of Cardona - another history-rich place and good for sight viewing and photos. This tour took us an entire day but I doubt anyone ever regretted doing it.
It was a pleasure to spend the day with Ramon! He has a real passion for what he does and is a genuine warm and kind person. He took an interest in making sure we were all comfortable and enjoying ourselves as well as acting as our personal photographer. A class act in every way! Do not hesitate to book this tour and make sure to ask for Ramon!
Xavier was a fantastic guide. Incredibly knowledgeable, with a deep passion for the history, culture, & places thay we visited - Cardona, Salt Mountain, and Montserrat. We left with a deep understanding and appreciation for these sites and areas of Catalonia.
We had a GREAT time and mostly it was because of our guide, Xavier! He was very knowledgeable of the sites we visited - Cardona, Salt Mine and Montserrat. These things are magical on their own but when coupled with a guide who can thoroughly explain the history and significance of them, it makes it an unbelievable tour!
