Barcelona to Girona City Break: 3 Days in Girona

Plan a city break from Barcelona to Girona. Spend 3 days in Girona and explore this well-preserved old town. Maybe take a day trip or two to nearby Costa Brava destinations.

Looking for a quick getaway from Barcelona? Girona is just an hour away.

After a week on a Western Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Epic, we disembarked in Barcelona. An extended stay in Barcelona is a must, whether you do it pre-cruise or post-cruise, don’t miss spending at least a couple of days in this cosmopolitan city.

With a little over a week left of vacation time, we decided to split our time and explore the Catalonian countryside. At first, we thought we’d take a few day trips via train to a few key destinations in Spain.

We quickly learned that the country of Spain is massive. You can’t spend a few days in Barcelona and jump on a train to Madrid, Seville, and Granada all in one week. Also, it’s rushed.

That said, you can’t plan your trip thinking you’re going to jump around the entire country of Spain in a week. You can’t do all of Catalonia in a week, either.

There is so much to see and do in this beautiful country that you have to point at a map and say, this is where we are going. Stay within a radius and explore what’s nearby. That’s sort of how we ended up in Girona. 

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This post was originally written in 2019.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we earn a commission at no extra cost. Please refer to our full disclosure for details.

Upon our research, we came across Girona several times. Someone describing it as the Florence of Spain was what caught our attention.

If you have been following us on our site for a while, you probably know how much we love Florence, Italy. You can say you were instantly sold. We started planning immediately.

So from Barcelona to Girona, we spent three days in Girona, Spain.

In this article, we share how to get from Barcelona to Girona and how to spend three days in Girona, Spain.

Why Visit Girona, Spain?

The question should be, why not Girona, Spain? 

Girona, Spain, is a charming city located in Northern Catalonia. The Catalan city is rich in history, dating back over 2,000 years. It’s a beautiful mix influence of Gothic, Renaissance, and Romanesque-style architecture that will have you swooning throughout your stay.

The medieval old town will give you a sense of how the city once was. Walking through the narrow streets, it feels like you have been transported back in time. The ancient feel of Girona will amaze you.

Not only is it a historic district, but Girona is also well known for being featured in the HBO series, Game of Thrones.

view of colorful homes and river in Girona, SpainPin
View of Onyar River and colorful homes in Girona, Spain, from the Eiffel Bridge.

Walk across the Onyar River over the Eiffel Bridge (the same engineer that designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris). The colorful buildings along will have you snapping away. So don’t forget your camera!

Simply enjoy the quiet atmosphere of this lovely Spanish city. Read all about the best things to do in Girona, Spain.

Girona is also an excellent starting point to visit Costa Brava. From Girona, it’s about a 1-hour drive to Costa Brava.

Fun fact: Did you know that the Catalan language is a mix of Spanish and French?

Barcelona to Girona

How far is Barcelona to Girona?

Barcelona to Girona is 100 kilometers, about an hour and fifteen min drive or a forty-minute train ride.

Is it possible to do a Barcelona to Girona day trip?

Absolutely. You don’t have to stay a full 3 days in Girona. Whether in Barcelona port for the day or passing through Catalonia on vacation, Girona makes for a great day trip.

You can drive or take the train in the morning, explore this quaint European town for the day, and then return to Barcelona.

The drive to the countryside and away from the city is a treat. It’s a great off-the-beaten-path adventure to take from Barcelona.

Is there a high-speed train from Barcelona to Girona?

Yes! The Avanta train from Barcelona is a high-speed train that takes you to Girona in 40 minutes.

How to get from Barcelona to Girona?

Option 1: Take the Train or Bus

The train is the cheapest and fastest way to get to Girona. We highly recommend it if you plan a quick day trip or a weekend getaway to Girona.

Take the high-speed AVANT train from Barcelona-Sants station and get to Girona in less than 40 minutes.

A bus option is available from Barcelona to Girona, but it’s 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Book your tickets in advance. Click here for train schedules and info; it will come up if a bus transfer option is available.

Option 2: Rent a Car

The drive from Barcelona to Girona is only 1 hour and 15 mins.

We chose this route because our three days in Girona included other spots in Costa Brava that could be explored by vehicle. Depending on your itinerary, you may want to consider driving there.

Book a Car on RentalCars.com

Option 3: Book a Tour of Girona

A guided tour sometimes is the most convenient and safest way to explore a new city if you want to get from Barcelona to Girona.

Here are a couple of tour options to consider:

  • City Discovery: Girona Day Trip [book here]
  • Excursion to the Medieval city of Girona from Barcelona [book here]
  • Girona and Costa Brava Small-Group Tour from Barcelona [book here]
  • Girona and Costa Brava Private Tour from Barcelona [book here]

3 Days in Girona Itinerary

How to spend 3 days in Girona, Spain?

We share how we spent our time in Girona, including a couple day trips. Hopefully, you get a few ideas from this itinerary to plan your time in Girona.

Tour Ideas:
Half-Day Game Of Thrones Walking Tour in Girona [book here]
Girona Walking Tour Small Group from Girona [book here]

Girona Private History Tour [book here]

Day 1: Barcelona to Girona

After disembarking our cruise, we picked up a rental car reserved in advance and started driving from Barcelona to Girona. The drive is about an hour and a half, all on the highway.

Driving outside of Barcelona is nothing to be afraid of. Hubby drove the car the entire time, but we thought the traffic and navigation were pretty easy compared to our experience here in Los Angeles

Pit-stop in Besalú, Spain

medieval town of besalu in catalonia spainPin

Besalú is a small medieval town that resides in the district of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It’s located in the province of Girona and is known for its well-preserved medieval center. It is a great stop from Barcelona to Girona or vice versa.

You can also plan a day trip from Barcelona to Besalú by car. There are no train routes from Barcelona to Besalú.

It felt like we were on a movie set as we walked under the main gate and over the Romanesque bridge which crosses the Fluvià river. You’ll enter the main town square.

The only part we did not enjoy was the number of flies attacking us on our way in. It was a rainy day. A moat surrounded Besalu. The combination probably draws in the flies. So not sure if it is always like that. Nevertheless, sans flies, it was quite a charming place.

Lunch: Can Cintet

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Carrer Major, 7, 17850 Besalu
Girona, Spain
Google Map It | Website

Our stop was short; not long after we arrived, it rained buckets, and we had to jump into the closet cafe we found in the center of Besalu. Without the rain, we wouldn’t have had a wonderful lunch at Can Cintet.

We had a full pre-fixed 3-course meal that included dessert. If flan is on the menu, you must have it.

Catalans have full meals during what usually is their lunchtime in the mid-afternoon. You’ll find pre-fixed menus in some dining establishments mid-day that includes 3-4 courses. It makes it relatively cost-effective for locals. Tapas are typically done late at night for dinner.

Eventually, by the time we ate, it stopped raining. We tried to explore for a while, but it started to rain again. So we decided to continue our journey to Girona. 

We are happy to have made a stop in Besalu. We walked around as much as the rain let us, enjoyed the views and architecture, and had a delicious lunch.

Arriving in Girona

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We booked an Airbnb in the old town of Girona. To my surprise, it was located down the street from the Girona Cathedral, another spectacular sight that is a must-see.

The moment we entered the old town, we were speechless at the sight of this massive Cathedral, “Wow, wow, wow,” was all I said, losing the rest of my vocabulary.

With our luggage, we stopped with everyone else at the bottom of the steps of Girona Cathedral to gawk. Photos and not even the scenes from Game of Thrones do not do this cathedral justice.

The Girona Cathedral is a Romanesque-Gothic-style cathedral located in the old city of Girona. The cathedral’s exterior is striking, with its long stairs ascending to the facade of Romanesque and Gothic influences.

After we got over the initial shock of the cathedral, we continued to check in to our Airbnb. We settled into a lovely apartment exactly as described on the site. (Please contact us if you’d like a link to the Airbnb we stayed in).

After dropping off our luggage, we ventured to the Girona Cathedral again. We spent a little time there before it started to downpour again.

Dinner: Volver Empanadas

window display of empanadasPin

Carrer de la Cort Reial, 13, 17004
Girona, Spain

Google Map It | Website

It had been a long day, so we decided to get takeout and stay in for the night. We found some delicious empanadas from a local spot called Volver.

After being on the go for a week, we enjoyed some TV time with awesome empanadas from Volver. All the empanadas are delicious. The roasted eggplant stood out to me.

We ate at Volver twice during our stay in Girona.

Day 2: Exploring Girona

We packed in most of the highlights on our first full day in Girona. If you want to plan a Barcelona to Girona day trip, it’s possible to do most of this in a day.

Food & Walking Tour with Girona Food Tours

Whenever we are in a city for more than a few days, we always try to book a food tour. It is a great introduction and a way to learn about the local culture through food.

When we came across Girona Food Tours, we knew we had to book a tour for our first full day there—that day ended up being a Monday. I mention this because they normally do not do tours on Mondays, but they graciously accommodated our request.

Our food tour was the highlight of our time in Girona. It took up half of our day, and we were fed well.

Our guide, Patricia, was FANTASTIC. We say this with the same enthusiasm she had, introducing us to her city and the traditional foods she grew up with. As a foodie and a local, she was the perfect guide for the job.

One of the things we loved about this tour was all the legends told and associated with many of the places we visited and some of the foods we ate.

view of onyar rier and colorful homes from eiffel bridgePin
View from Eiffel Bridge

The walking tour took us around all the highlights, like Eiffel Bridge, the Jewish Quarter, and Mercado del Lleó, and we made stops along the way to learn about the local foods and treats. She also gave us the Game of Thrones scoop.

Yes, that’s right, some episodes of Games of Thrones Season 6 were filmed in Girona. However, we didn’t find this out until after the fact. And at the time of this trip, we had yet to watch Game of Thrones. The locals were very proud to tell us all about it.

The most exciting part for me was the introduction of local Girona pastry, Xuixo — so good!

Hubby had a lot of fun eating jamón and learning about its culture. We even got lessons on how to slice jamón – it’s not as easy as it looks! It is a skill that requires lots of practice.

They recommended some great places to eat at the end of the tour.

We highly recommend Girona Food Tours. And we stand behind anyone with this motto on their business card: “WTF (Where’s the food).”

Tour Ideas:
Walking Tour in Girona History and Gastronomy with Tasting [book here]

The Original Girona Food & Market Tour [book here]

Visit the Cathedral of Girona

inside the cathedral of gironaPin

Later that day, we visited the Cathedral again and explored its interior. Something we almost skipped. Sometimes in Europe, we are overwhelmed by all the churches, which become a blur after a while.

If you love gothic cathedrals, this one will impress you as soon as you walk in. It’s not to be missed, especially after you make up the 100 steps (not an exact number) leading up to this magnificent cathedral.

It’s worth the hike and the small cost.

Walk the City Wall

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Part of the Old City Wall of Girona

When we were done gawking inside, we walked the city wall, which offers stupendous views of Girona. You can find one of the entrances behind the Cathedral of Girona, where we started.

Day 3: Day Trips from Girona

Cafe Con Leche at Casamoner

cafe con leche and a girona pastry Pin

Carrer Migdia, 13, 17002
Girona, Spain

Google Map It | Website

On the third morning in Girona, we returned to the cafe introduced to us on the food tour. Casamoner is where we met el xuixo de Girona and fell in love.

What is a xuixo? A xuixo is the pastry of Girona. This flaky pastry is fried, stuffed with Catalan cream (like a custard), and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. Yum, right?

We ordered a cafe con leche and a xuixo to start our day.

This is a great cafe for a coffee, pastry, or sandwich.

Day Trip to Tossa del Mar

Our plan was a day trip to Tossa del Mar in Costa Brava. It was raining, and we feared heading to the coast only for it to rain, but we got lucky.

We wanted to see the beauty of the Costa Brava coast.

As soon as we drove to Tossa del Mar, it stopped raining, and the sun came out. Ahhh… such a blessing!

Okay, in my mind, that’s how it happened, but we were grateful for the weather change.

The shore to the left and sand to the right with foot prints leading up to castle ruines perched on a hill in Tossa del MarPin
View of the Medieval Castle Hill from Tossa Beach

If you’re looking for a beautiful day trip from Girona, We highly recommend Tossa del Mar. It’s about an hour away and a pretty town with great beaches.

Tossa del Mar is known for its medieval castle on a hill overlooking the beach. The beach and views there were more beautiful than we expected.

Stroll along the beach and old town, then hike up Castle Hill. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes lining the shore.

La Mar Menuda in Tossa del Mar, Costa BravaPin

If you walk behind the castle, on the other side of the bay, you will find exceptional vistas of La Mar Menuda.

Rain fell from the sky when we came down from Castle Hill, so we decided to get in the car and try to drive away from the rain. At some point, it stopped raining again. Do you see the pattern?

A Quick Stop in Pal

We checked our GPS to see the closest town nearby and quickly stopped in Pal.

Pal is a small town in the province of Girona. It’s a beautiful town, the people are friendly and welcoming, and the scenery is picturesque. Pal is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a quiet town to relax in, with cobblestone streets and archways that make you soon, with plenty of pretty doors.

We stopped at a cafe here to have a couple of tapas and drinks before returning to Girona.

Last Night in Girona

Golden hour over the Onyard river in GironaPin
Onyar River in Girona | Did you know this river used to be the main road for transport during Roman times?

We were back in Girona before nightfall because we had to pack and get ready to leave the next morning. That was not the end for us. We wandered the streets of the old town at night, one of our favorite activities during our stay.

It’s quiet at night. The tourists come earlier in the day only to see the cathedral and where Game of Thrones filming locations are gone by nightfall. Stores are closed down. Restaurants and bars are open for late-night diners.

After the sunset, the streets are dimly lit for a romantic stroll about town.

Consider booking the Girona night tour with Girona Food Tours on one of your nights in Girona.

Tour Ideas:
Half-Day Game Of Thrones Walking Tour in Girona [book here]
Girona Walking Tour Small Group from Girona [book here]

Not a fan of Airbnb? See what hotels and B&Bs are available in the area on Booking.com

Three days in Girona is enough time to enjoy what this historic city offers at a leisurely pace. Make sure to read our top things to do in Girona, Spain.

With Barcelona to Girona only an hour away, it also makes for an easy day trip.

Here are some other related articles you may enjoy:

Where to Eat in Barcelona & What Site Not to Miss

An Adventurous Day in Palma de Mallorca

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Kathy Ava

Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.

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12 Comments

  1. Girona seems like such a great place and now I want to spend even more time in Spain. It’s such a gorgeous country. Love your photos too! ? I also have to get back & catch up on things… I enjoy my break a bit too much. The medieval castle on Tossa beach looks magical. Do you know if it’s also a hotel or just for day tours?

    1. Hi Jella! I loved Girona! It was so nice being away from the city and yet, when you walked around, it sort of had that feeling like I was walking around Florence. You’re going to have to visit and tell me if I was imagining it.

      I am SO behind on blogging, so I’m happy you’re still following along my past fall adventures.

      So that castle in Tossa is just ruined you can explore. You can climb up to get some amazing views and there is also a bar there. There are plenty of beachside hotels nearby, I did not do much research on accommodations, but I”m sure there is an interesting place for you to stay if you visit.

      If I ever make it back to Northern Spain, I’d love to explore more of Costa Brava and the countryside. Absolutely just loved it. Honestly, enjoyed it more than Barcelona. Hope you get to make it there soon but first enjoy Asia!

  2. What an incredible and magical place! You’ve seen so many beautiful spots. Looks breathtaking.
    I want to go to the game of thrones cathedral but I might die after walking up all those steps! If I had one of those flakey fried custardy yumminess pastries waiting for me at the top, I could do it. I’d love it if Jon Snow was there to hand it to me. Not really where he’d be hanging but a girl can dream. I know, you don’t know who I’m talking about.??‍♀️
    Seriously that pastry sounds amazing. I’m going to have to write the name down and hope that there’s a chef from Girona in NYC who makes them. I’m going to search!
    Love your post! Glad it wasn’t raining when you got to Costa Brava. Can I please go there tomorrow?
    And I love that you used just your gps to determine what town you’ll stop in. It looked like a sweet spot!
    Thank you for always giving me some great trip ideas!

    1. I am laughing envisioning Jon Snow at the top of the steps with a pastry for you. This need to be happen!! The pastry is worth it!

      If you find a bakery that makes these, PLEASR share.

      I’d love to go with you to Costa Brava. Let’s click our heels and make it happen. 😉

      Sometimes looking at a map is so inspiring. I love going on Google maps and zooming in at what’s around me or a city I’m visiting and then be spontaneous. It’s a great tool to have.

      Thank you for your lovely comments!

  3. Tossa beach looks absolutely gorgeous! This sounds like a lovely trip, and Spain seems so much more intriguing to me now. I’ve never watched GOT before either, but it’s always cool to be in a place where filming for something major took place!! I can’t wait to visit Greenwich University in England because Les Mis was filmed there, and I adore that musical :’)

    1. While Spain is beautiful, it is going through a bit of political unrest. Where were in Catalonia, locals were protesting for independence from Spain. I don’t really ever get into politics, but did you know that Catalonia was under a dictatorship until 1977? It blew my mind. Catalonians are proud of their cultures and own traditions, which they should be. So it was very interesting to hear about all of this from locals and see it with our own eyes, rather what someone else feeds you on the news. It was definitely educating and super interesting.

      Greenwich university looks amazing and I wouldn’t mind visiting it either! I saw Les Mis but had to look it up to see. I like visiting film locations, it’s kind of like visiting ruins and being amazed what took place in that very spot I’m standing in. Love exploring this world.

  4. Your pictures are just stunning! I am completely sold.

    I agree with you about Spain feeling huge too. We started in Portugal for a 2-week vacation. Eventually, we made our way over to Seville, Spain. I would have loved to see more of Spain, but we barely even saw one-hundredth of Seville. It’s HUGE. I would love to go back and see it ALL. We loved the Andalusian horses nearby, which were about an hour out of Seville. We, of course, wine tasted too.

    “WTF”–where is the food! OMG, you could totally make that your new slogan. It’s awesomely hilarious.

    I am such a sucker for those sole footprints on Medieval Castle Hill. Dreamy!!

    It’s so funny how people flock in just for GOT. I totally missed out on literary travel opportunities there. That and HP. I love when places thin out quickly after the tours have come and gone.

    Thanks for sharing such a beautiful adventure!

    1. I think it would take a month to get around all of Spain, possibly more. It will be a while before we return again too.

      I would LOVE to see Andalusian horses!

      Well it would be stealing if I made the WTF my motto, but it’s great, isn’t it?

      I feel like it’s a whole new experience when tours disperse. Thankfully the biggest draw in Girona for most was the Cathedral and Eiffel bridge. It wasn’t as crazy as other parts we’d been to. I love the peacefulness of Girona. It was never really chaotic.

  5. WOW! Your first line really says it all: “Really, the question should be, why not Girona, Spain?” After reading this, I’m asking myself the same thing! Like you, I always seem to be amazed/surprised by just how large Spain really is. I’ve been to 3 (very different) parts now and I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of this country. Since I seem to keep going back there, you have DEFINITELY opened up my eyes to Girona, which I truly never even considered before reading this. Your pictures are so, so beautiful! Really blown away to be honest.

    1. Did you know that Girona, Spain isn’t even on any of Rick Steves guides? I was honestly in shock. Not sure if that’s changed recently but when I was doing research, I came across comments on how people were surprised it wasn’t in any of his guides and then I noticed they were right. Crazy. So, yes, why not Girona, Spain?

      Girona, Spain was such a great home base for us for the few days we were there. We later returned to Barcelona and wished we were back in Girona. The vibe there was just so different. I have a feeling that exploring different parts of Spain, that we will come to find that some parts may be more our speed than others.

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments. Appreciate them.

  6. Checking out Girona today! Thanks for the great recommendations! Ate several empanadas at Volver, went to the Cathedral and will walk the wall tomorrow.

    1. This made my day! So happy to hear that you’re enjoying your trip and our recommendations. Enjoy the rest of your time in Girona. And, thank you so much for leaving a comment. We appreciate your support.