Montserrat is a beautiful mountain 60 km (37 miles) from Barcelona. The gorgeous Montserrat Monastery is on top of it.
Tourists visit Montserrat for multiple reasons:
– To see the beautiful multi-peaked rock formations
– To visit the Monastery & Museum
– To seek the blessings of Our Lady of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia
– To hike on the mountain
– To listen to L’Escolania, the boys’ choir at Montserrat
This article covers everything you must know before booking tickets for Montserrat Monastery.
Top Montserrat Monastery Tickets
# Montserrat tickets
# Monastery with hike
# Monastery with lunch and wine
Table of contents
- Things to know before booking tickets
- Montserrat tickets
- Frequently asked questions about tickets
- Montserrat Monastery’s hours
- How long does the tour take
- What to expect
- Map of Montserrat Monastery
- Hiking in Montserrat
- Montserrat Cable Car
- Montserrat Rack Railway
- Restaurants at Montserrat
- How to reach Montserrat
Things to know before booking tickets
You can buy the tickets to Montserrat Monastery online or offline at the attraction.
Online tickets tend to be cheaper than tickets at the venue.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the attraction’s ticket counters.
Because the attraction’s tickets tend to sell out, booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointments.
Go to the ticket booking page, select your preferred date and the number of tickets, and buy the tickets right away.
Once you purchase the attraction’s tickets, they get delivered to your email address.
There is no need to get printouts of the ticket.
You can show the e-ticket on your smartphone at the entrance and walk in.
Montserrat tickets
Below, we list our handpicked tours, which are the most popular with tourists.
You can also check out all the available Montserrat tours.
Cheapest tour from Barcelona
This is the most value-for-money Montserrat tour ticket from Barcelona.
In addition to access to the Monastery, this tour ticket includes a roundtrip metro ticket to Plaza España, a roundtrip train ticket to Monistrol de Montserrat o Montserrat-Aeri, and a roundtrip with rack railway or cable car.
You will be able to walk into the glory of the Monastery, Basilica, and Museum and access Moreneta.
The ticket also gives you admission to the Museum with an engaging audio-visual guide.
You can use the Santa Cova funicular for unlimited.
Wind up the trip with the liqueur tasting at the Montserrat shop.
Cost of tickets
Adult (13+ years): €47
Child (4 to 12 years): €27
Infant (up to 3 years): Free
Montserrat Monastery with hike
This ticket allows you a 5.5-hour guided visit to Montserrat.
Explore the richness of nature cradled in the lap of needle-peaked mountain ranges as you climb your way to the destination.
With the ticket, you will be allowed to enter the Monastery and a train ride on the Sant Joan Railway to observe the fascinating flora and fauna.
You will then continue with a soft hike through the greenery of Montserrat Natural Park’s scenic landscape.
Make a pitstop to taste the typical Catalan pastry, “coca de Montserrat”.
Finally, you can visit the farmers market, the cafe, and the souvenir stores before meeting your guide again and getting on the bus to return to Barcelona.
Cost of tickets
Adult (9+ years): €65
Child (up to 8 years): €55
Monastery with lunch and wine
This ticket gives you access to the picturesque train ride to the Montserrat Monastery.
Enter the grandiosity of the Monastery, where your guide will take you through the rich history of the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey.
Your ticket allows you to spend some time at the museum and, if you have chosen the full-day tour option, the beautiful boutique winery with mountain views.
You can book a 3-course meal with wine or a tapas lunch and cheese platter.
Culminate the tour with a stroll through the vineyards, where you can learn about the wine-making process and enjoy a wine-tasting session before traveling back to Barcelona.
Cost of tickets
Adult (13 to 64 years): €90
Child (4 to 12 years): €80
Infant (up to 3 years): Free
If you don’t want it to be a full-day affair, we recommend this half-day Montserrat tour from Barcelona.
Save time & money! Buy Barcelona Pass and see Barcelona’s top local landmarks and attractions. Explore spectacular Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, and Plaça de Catalunya, and enjoy the city tour from the top deck of the hop-on, hop-off bus.
Frequently asked questions about tickets
Here are some questions tourists ask before purchasing their tickets for the Montserrat Monastery in Barcelona.
Entry to the attraction is free for children aged up to eight years.
Yes, the tickets are available at the venue’s ticket office. However, the popular timeslots may sell out due to high demand, so it’s better to get them online in advance.
Visitors can present their tickets on mobile devices, but printed tickets are also accepted on-site.
When you book the attraction’s tickets, you must select a preferred visit time. Considering the security check time, we recommend arriving at least 10 minutes before your visit time. The visit to Moreneta is timed so, the entry will be only at the time you select. You can complete the rest of the visit before or after this time.
The slots of the late arrivals will be passed on to other people. Your entry will be moved be to the next available slot, which can be long and subject to availability.
The attraction offers discounted admission to students, retirees, and children aged between eight and 16 years.
Yes, the attraction offers a student discount on their admission tickets upon presentation of a valid student ID.
The attraction does not offer a military discount on its admission tickets.
Yes, the Barcelona City Card is a cost-effective option to explore the best attractions in Barcelona with one single pass over 2, 3, 4, or 5 days – your choice! Enjoy discounts up to 50%* compared to buying individual attraction tickets, a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city, and a sightseeing cruise. Make the most of the guided tours, museums, landmarks, and other iconic sites, like Sagrada Familia, Casa Battló, and Park Guell, with this pass.
This attraction in Barcelona has a flexible cancellation policy. You can cancel your ticket until 11.59 pm the day before your visit for a full refund by selecting a refundable ticket at checkout.
The attraction does not allow you to change the date and time of your visit under any circumstances.
The attraction is an all-weather experience, so all tickets are final.
No, the complex is not wheelchair accessible due to its location on the top of the hills and the irregular path leading up to it.
Yes, photography is generally allowed inside the venue, but there might be restrictions in certain areas. It’s a good idea to check for any specific guidelines during your visit.
Yes, there is a shop at the attraction from where you can purchase souvenirs.
Yes, the attraction rents out its halls for individuals and groups, family celebrations, weddings, and other events like anniversaries, banquets, conventions, etc.
Montserrat Monastery’s hours
The Montserrat Basilica, the centerpiece of the Monastery, is open from 7.30 am to 8 pm.
Mass timings at Montserrat Basilica
Every day, the Basilica has a mass.
11 am: Conventual mass
On a Saturday, a third Mass is scheduled at 7.30 pm.
On Sundays and holidays, the church has two masses –
11 am: Conventual mass
1 pm: Mass
Boys’ Choir times
Monday to Friday: 1 pm, Salve Regina and Virolai
Monday to Thursday: 6.45 pm Vespers, Salve Montserratina and Polyphonic Motet
Saturdays: Rest day
Sundays and religious holidays: 12 pm, Salve Regina and Virolai and at 6.45 pm Vespers, Salve Montserratina and Polyphonic Motet
Choir performance times can sometimes change.
Museum hours
The Montserrat Museum opens at 10 am all through the year.
During the peak season of June 11 to September 15, the museum closes at 6.45 pm; during the rest of the year, it closes at 5.45 pm.
Christmas Day is an exception, as the museum closes early – at 2 pm.
Throne of Our Lady timings
The Patron Saint of Catalonia can be seen at Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery from 8 am to 10.30 am and from 12 pm to 6.25 pm.
From 15 July to 30 September, the peak tourist season, tourists can see her from 7.15 pm to 8 pm.
How long does the tour take
If you are traveling from Barcelona, visiting Montserrat takes a whole day.
If you travel by train, you need 90 minutes one way – an hour for the train part of the journey and approximately 30 minutes for the cable car or rack railway.
Even if you travel by road (private car or coach tour), you will need approximately 90 minutes to reach Santa Maria de Monastery Abbey.
Once on Montserrat mountain, there is a lot to see, and you will need at least three hours to explore everything.
If you plan to hike up the mountain and have lunch or dinner, you may need around 5 hours.
What to expect
There is so much to see and do in Montserrat, including cable cars, rack railways, hiking, stunning views from the mountaintop, and more.
Founded in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 20th century, this Monastery, also known as Santa Maria de Montserrat, still houses about 70 Monks.
You can’t miss the Basilica, of which was destroyed in the Peninsular War but rebuilt entirely in 1811.
Pay respects to the statue of the Black Madonna, the patron saint of Catalonia.
Witness the 12th-century figure of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus elevated above the high altar in the Basilica.
Located below the Monastery square, the Museum houses outstanding art pieces by artists such as Claude, Monet, Caravaggio, El Greco, Picasso, Degas, etc.
Don’t miss out on the special exhibition dedicated to images of La Moreneta.
Listen to the boys’ choir sing.
Walk to Santa Cova de Montserrat, where the shepherds are believed to have discovered the figure of the Virgin of Montserrat.
En route to the Holy Cave at Santa Cova, you will find many sculptures of religious symbols—all these, together, are known as the Monumental Rosary of Montserrat.
Map of Montserrat Monastery
There are lots of things to see and activities to do at this attraction.
Visitors regularly tend to get lost or miss a must-see item while exploring the Monastery.
We recommend you understand the map before your visit, especially if you are traveling with kids.
Besides the things to see in and around the Monastery, this map also marks visitor services such as restaurants, washrooms, ATMs, picnic areas, etc.
Do not miss the walking trails marked on the map.
If you want to refer to this layout again, bookmark this page or download the map to your mobile.
Hiking in Montserrat
Many visitors to Montserrat end up hiking – if not a long trail, at least a short one.
There are many walking & hiking trails around the Monastery that suit all kinds of hikers.
Map of hiking routes
Before you step out in any direction, visit one of the tourist information stands (three in the Monastery!) and get a free map of the mountain.
These maps show the most popular hiking routes, and on the reverse, you will find details about each trail, such as directions, walking difficulty, length of the walk, etc.
Preparing for the hike
There are both easy and challenging walk/hike trails at Montserrat.
Whichever path you choose, you must stick to a few basic rules of hiking –
1. Wear sturdy footwear
2. Carry water because most of the walking routes are exposed, and it can get hot
3. Keep a printed copy of the map with you (if possible, download the offline version of the Google map for this region)
To the Monastery on foot
One of the best pilgrimage walks in Spain is to start from the foothills of Montserrat and walk to the Monastery, which houses the Black Madonna.
All these pilgrimage walks start from the small town called Monistrol de Montserrat, at the foothills.
The objective is to reach the Monastery as people would have done in the olden age.
Best Montserrat hikes
Numerous walking routes start from the Montserrat Monastery.
However, some of the hiking trails start some distance from the Monastery.
You must take one of the Funiculars to reach the hiking trail’s starting point in such a case.
Here is a list of the best walking routes in Montserrat:
1. Monastery to The Degotalls
Distance: 3.2 kms (2 miles)
Time taken: 50 minutes
Slope: 20 meters (66 feet)
This path is an easy hike and is relatively peaceful.
To reach this hiking trail, you must first park at the Monastery car park and then take the road to the left of the Mirador dels Apostals.
The objective is to see the Degotalls rock formation and turn back.
This course is also referred to as the Cami dels Degotalls hiking route.
2. Montserrat to Santa Cova
Distance: 2.7 kms (1.7 miles)
Time taken: 1 hour 20 minutes
Slope: 120 meters (394 feet)
This path is one of the most popular hikes, especially with religious hikers, because an image of the Virgin Mary is believed to have been seen at Santa Cova.
To find this Catalonian hike trail, you must take the paved path between the Montserrat cable car and the rack railway stations.
A steep 20-minute hike gets you to Santa Cova Funicular’s lower station.
If you continue walking along the ‘The Path of the Rosary,’ in approximately 20 minutes, you’ll reach the base of St Paul’s Needle.
From St Paul’s Needle, Santa Cova is only a 25-minute hike.
While returning, you have two options – take the steep incline back or hop onto the Santa Cova funicular.
3. Sant Joan Funicular station to Monastery
Distance: 5.2 Kms (3.2 Miles)
Time taken: 1 hour 30 minutes
Slope: 150 meters (492 feet)
To reach the starting point of this hiking trail, take the Sant Joan Funicular from the Monastery to Sant Joan.
Sant Joan is also known as the upper station.
Once you get out of the station, you will spot the entire trail going left on your left – stick to it till you reach the Holy cave in Santa Cova.
This walk is nice and even. During a good stretch of the hike, you can see fantastic views of the Llobregat Valley and the River Llobregat.
4. Sant Joan Funicular station to the top of Montserrat
Distance: 7.5 kms (4.7 miles)
Time taken: 2 hours
Slope: 320 meters (1050 feet)
This course is the most difficult of all hiking trails in here and starts from Sant Joan station.
This hiking route takes you via Sant Jeroni and Flat of Els Ocells and eventually to the highest point on the mountain.
You get some of the most beautiful views of the Natural Park and Catalonia from the top.
However, this hike’s difficulty level is high, so set out only if you have hiked before.
For the keen hiker, it offers a lot more options.
Montserrat climbing
Instead of hiking, if you are interested in climbing Montserrat, you must visit the nearby town called El Bruc.
It is 13 kms (8 miles) from the Abbey of Montserrat and is home to La Sargantana, a company specializing in the outdoor experience.
You can rent out climbing equipment and book sessions with them.
Guided group tours
While the 90-minute journey from Barcelona to Montserrat is exciting, it can be intimidating as well.
Many tourists don’t want the hassle of managing their transport to and from this destination because there are so many decisions to make.
As a result, group tours from Barcelona to Montserrat are popular.
These tours start anywhere from 8 am to 10 am and usually last 7 to 9 hours.
Montserrat Cable Car
To take the cable car to the Monastery, you must get down at Montserrat de Aeri, the first of the two Montserrat train stops.
Once you get down from your train, you can’t miss the cable car station right there.
Since each trip can only seat 35 visitors, there are long waiting times to get into the cable car during peak seasons.
The journey from the cable car station to the Monastery is 5 minutes of visual treat over the Llobregat Valley and its river.
The cable car travels at a speed of 5 meters/second at a 45% gradient.
If you have mobility issues, we don’t recommend the cable car because once you get down, you must walk up a slope and some stairs to reach the Monastery.
Montserrat cable car timings
The cable car operates from 9.40 am to 7 pm during the peak season of March to October.
During the lean season of November to February, the service starts at 10.10 am and ends at 5.45 pm on weekdays, and on weekends, it begins at 9.40 am and ends at 6.15 pm.
The cable car is frequently available – one every 15 minutes.
Montserrat Rack Railway
The rack railway is also often referred to as the Cremallera mountain train.
To take the rack railway from the bottom of the mountain to the Monastery, you must get down from your Barcelona train at Monistrol de Montserrat station.
This station is in a small town of the same name.
There are three stops on the rack railway – Monistrol de Montserrat, Monistrol Vila, and Montserrat.
To reach the Monastery, you get on to the rack railway at the first stop and get off at the third stop.
Gitanna / Getty Images
The trip from Monistrol de Montserrat to the Monastery takes approximately 20 minutes.
Important: We strongly recommend the Montserrat rack railway if you have limited mobility.
Montserrat Rack Railway timings
The rack railway operates from 8.35 am to 8.15 pm during the peak season of March to October.
During the lean season of November to February, the service starts at 8.35 am and ends at 6.15 pm daily.
Restaurants at Montserrat
When it comes to food, there are two options at Montserrat.
1. Bar de la Placa
Bar de la Plaça is a bar cum cafe right in the middle of Montserrat.
It is a perfect place for a quick coffee or a sandwich. You can choose to sit inside or hang around the tables outdoors.
Bar de la Plaça is open only during the summer months of March to November.
Monday to Friday: 10 am to 5.30 pm
Weekend: 9 am to 6.30 pm
2. La Cafeteria
La Cafeteria has two zones: the self-service zone called ‘Servei Express’ and the ‘Canteen,’ where warm food is served.
While the self-service area serves sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc., the Canteen serves full meals.
Monday to Friday: 8.45 am to 5.30 pm
Weekend: 8.45 am to 6.30 pm
How to reach Montserrat
There are three ways to reach Montserrat in Spain, and we explain all of them in detail below.
Driving from Barcelona to Montserrat
Driving is your best option if you want to get to the destination quickly and conveniently.
While driving from Barcelona, get on B-10 from Via Laietana, and after driving 4 kms (2.5 miles) take A-2 to Carretera Manresa.
After driving 35 kms (28 miles) on A-2, you must get onto C-55 and eventually to BP-1121 to reach the destination.
If you are driving to the attraction, you can park in two places: right at the Monastery or at the bottom of the mountain.
Car parking at Monastery
Since this car park is next to the Monastery, it is convenient for most visitors.
However, we don’t recommend it for the elderly or disabled because it is on the side of a hill, and the walk up to the Abbey of Montserrat is a bit steep.
The Monastery’s car park can hold 400 cars and is open 24 hours.
You must pay €6.50 to park your car for a day and €3.50 for a bike.
Car parking at rack railway station
Tourists who prefer to add excitement to their trip decide to park their cars halfway up Montserrat Mountain at the Cremallera de Monistrol Vila rack railway station.
Parking at this station is free, but you will have to pay for the rack railway journey up to the Monastery.
This parking is an excellent option because you see terrific views of the Monastery from the station (and on your way up).
However, since this is the station’s car park, it closes after the last rack railway service from the Monastery reaches Monistrol de Vila station.
If you park here, you must return before the last rack railway service to take your car out.
To learn the latest times, check the official rack railway website.
Train from Barcelona to Montserrat
Trains are an affordable, fast, and convenient option to get to Montserrat from Barcelona.
If you prefer to travel from Montserrat by train, you must first reach España rail station on the Green and Red metro lines.
At the massive España station, look for Line R5 headed towards Manresa.
It is challenging to find Line R5, but if you follow the ‘Green signs for Manresa’ or the ‘Orange signs for Montserrat’ (image below), you can easily reach Line R5.
The trains which start from Line R5 at Espana Station take you only to the foot of the mountain.
From there, you can either take the cable car or the rack railway Cremallera Funicular to the monastery.
To take the cable car, you must get down at Aeri Montserrat station, and if you prefer to take rack railway, you must get down at Monistrol Montserrat station (which comes four minutes later).
Both of these take approximately 20 minutes to get from the foot of the mountain to the Monastery.
Train timings
The first Barcelona to Montserrat train starts from España rail station at 8.36 am.
After that, there is one train every hour, with the last one leaving the station at 4.36 pm.
The train timing to get back to Barcelona depends on where you board the train – the first station, Monistrol Montserrat, or the second one, Aeri-Montserrat.
On your return, if you take the rack railway Cremallera Funicular to the foot of the mountain, you will board the train to Barcelona at the first station, Monistrol Montserrat.
If you get down from the Monastery to the bottom of the mountain in a cable car, you will board your Barcelona train at the second station Aeri-Montserrat station.
The last train from Monistrol Montserrat is at 6.41 pm.
Before this last train, trains leave for Barcelona every hour – going up to the first one at 9:41 am.
These trains, starting from Monistrol Montserrat, reach Aeri-Montserrat station in 4 minutes.
That means the first train from Aeri-Montserrat station to España rail station is at 9.45 am, followed by one every hour till the last one at 6.45 pm.
Train tickets
Before you buy train tickets for your Montserrat trip, you must decide on the following –
1. Once you reach the foot of Montserrat, do you want to travel by cable car or rack railway (more about this below)
2. Do you want to buy a one-way ticket or a return ticket (we recommend the return ticket)
3. Do you want to buy ‘ToT Montserrat ticket,’ which, besides covering all transport, also gets you free entry into the Museum and includes a buffet lunch at a Restaurant?
Whatever your choice, the tickets are available for purchase at PlaçaEspaña station from ticket booths in front of Line R5 to Manresa.
Sources
# Montserratvisita.com
# Wikipedia.org
# Barcelona.de
# Ticketshop.barcelona
The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy.
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