Last Updated on August 14, 2026 by Maggie McKneely

Spain’s Catalonia region isn’t just home to Barcelona, but also the beautiful Costa Brava seaside, numerous wineries and farms, and fascinating medieval towns to explore. Here’s how to spend the perfect 7 days in Spain.

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7 Days in Spain: Perfect Catalonia Itinerary

Tips for Visiting Spain

Best Times to Visit

The best times to visit Barcelona and the broader Catalonia region are during the shoulder seasons (April-May and September-October). This is when the weather is warm but not overbearingly hot and it’s not peak tourist season.

Peak tourist season happens during July and August, when Barcelona reaches its highest temperatures but all of Europe and North America are on summer vacation. If you can, avoid the summer.

Winter is the mildest time of year weather-wise, and it’s great if you’re traveling on a budget, as most hotels are much cheaper. But, many attractions and shops in Spain close during the winter months.

Transportation

My mom and I used a rental car for the bulk of our trip, and this itinerary is built around having access to a car. If you plan on visiting more than just Spain’s cities, a rental car is the easiest way to get around by far. Plus, driving in Spain is very easy – they have well maintained roads and highways and not many tolls to worry about. My favorite site for finding affordable rental cars all over the world is discovercars.com.

However, if you don’t want to drive, you can use a combination of trains and buses for this itinerary. Spain has a great rail system that connects most towns to the big cities. For buses, there is no national bus line. Rather there are smaller companies that operate within particular regions. For the Costa Brava towns on here, like Cadaques, you can use the regional Sarfa bus line.

Language

The main language in Spain is, obviously, Spanish. However, this 7 days in Spain itinerary is spent in Spain’s Catalonia region, where Spanish is not the primary language. While most people do speak it, they prefer to use Catalan, and most of the signs will be in Catalan. If a sign has multiple languages, it will list the words in Catalan, then English, and Spanish last.

But regardless of what language the locals prefer, Spanish vs. Catalan, most people speak English. You’ll be able to get around just fine.

Itinerary

Days 1-2: Barcelona

Day 1

The main international airport in this part of Spain is Barcelona, so you might as well kick off your 7 days in Spain in the country’s most vibrant city. While Barcelona is the reason many people visit this part of Spain, it’s not a place you need to spend a lot of time (in my opinion, anyway). A two-day dose of Barcelona’s chaotic energy is the perfect amount before exploring quieter parts of Catalonia.

Because you’ll probably be arriving in the early or mid-afternoon, I suggest taking a walking tour on day 1 in Barcelona. Free Walking Tours offers a twice daily tour of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, the most historic part of the city. One of those tours is at 3PM, which allows you to arrive at the airport and check in to your hotel before heading into the city.

Free Walking Tours is one of the best tour companies in Europe, and this particular tour teaches you all about Barcelona’s history, the unique culture and politics of Catalonia, and the best restaurants and sites to check out while you’re in the city. And best of all – it’s completely free.

*Even though it’s free, it is important to reserve a spot in advance as the tours do fill up.

Barcelona Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter

Afterwards, enjoy dinner at one of Barcelona’s many incredible restaurants. If you want to try authentic Catalonian tapas, I recommend La Vinateria del Call, located in the Jewish Quarter – it ended up being one of our favorite meals in Barcelona!

Day 2

La Sagrada Familia

To avoid the worst of the crowds, start day 2 in Barcelona with the city’s most incredible site – the unparalleled La Sagrada Familia.

Construction first began on La Sagrada in 1882 and almost 150 years later, it still isn’t completed. But all you have to do is look at what has been completed and you’ll understand why. Antonio Gaudi, La Sagrada’s architect, designed all of his buildings with the goal of them reflecting God’s natural design of the world, rather than anything created by man. The result is a basilica with no straight lines, stained glass for color instead of paintings, and facades made of leaves and vines. I love visiting cathedrals, but this is the first one I’ve ever visited that managed to point more to God than the man who designed it. It’s truly awe-inspiring and well worth a visit.

La Sagrada Familia is an absolute must. It is, however, Spain’s most visited tourist attraction. So that means you HAVE to get tickets ahead of time, especially if you only have one day in Barcelona and are not flexible with your dates. I also highly recommend purchasing tickets that come with a guided tour, like these ones that I got. La Sagrada’s design is so intricate and so full of symbolism that you will certainly want someone with you who knows about it.

Official tours last about 1 hour, but allow for extra time to wander through the grounds and the museum.

Park Guell

Just 30 minutes via metro from La Sagrada, another can’t miss site in Barcelona is another Gaudi creation, albeit completely different from La Sagrada. This time, it’s the whimsical yet peaceful Park Guell.

Although it’s Barcelona’s most famous public park nowadays, Gaudi was originally commissioned to design a housing project in the area. The original model home is still there today, and plaza with Gaudi’s trademark mosaics, the fountains, and the earthen walkway were all meant to be part of that neighborhood. But due to a variety of reasons, the project failed and the city bought the land in 1926. It’s been a public park ever since, lucky for all the residents of Barcelona and it’s many tourists!

It addition to the art, Park Guëll is located on a hilltop that offers amazing views of the entire city. It’s also home to wooden pathways and gardens that provide a quiet escape from the busy streets of Barcelona.

Like most places in Barcelona, you need to get your tickets ahead of time for this too. Get your skip-the-line tickets here!

Wine and Tapas Tour

To finish up the Barcelona part of your 7 days in Spain, why not do it by enjoying Spanish tapas and excellent Spanish wine?

I love a good food tour, but when in the country that invented the bar snack, you can’t take just any ol’ food tour. My mom and I took this Tapas and Wine Tour that specifically focuses on Barcelona’s unique food culture. I can’t recommend it enough if you want to learn more about different traditional tapas foods, the history of tapas, and the best tapas restaurants in the city.  We got to try food and drink from a wide variety of places, from a hole-in-the-wall frequented by locals, to a popular Michelin-rated restaurant. It’s the perfect way to soak up your last few hours in beautiful Barcelona.

Mom learning how to drink wine the traditional Spanish way!

Where to Stay in Barcelona

We stayed in the beautiful Hotel Balmoral, which was just a 15-minute walk from both the Gothic Quarter and La Sagrada. For a quiet part of the city closer to La Sagrada, L’Eixample is a great neighborhood to stay in. Sercotel has incredible views of the basilica. Or if you want to be in the heart of the old city, the Gothic Quarter is a good option – perhaps check out H10 Madison and its amazing rooftop bar.

Day 3: Montserrat

After two days in Barcelona, it’s time to escape the city for somewhere a little more peaceful. And what better place for that than a monastery?

If you plan on getting a rental car, I suggest waiting until today to pick it because you can get around Barcelona without one. We took a cab from our hotel to the rental car pickup up at Barcelona’s main train station (though there are several throughout the city, of course). From there, drive about an hour north to Montserrat.

Montserrat is the name of both a mountain range and a monastery perched on the slopes of said mountains. The monastery itself dates back to the 9th century when, according to legend, a group of shepherds discovered an image of the Virgin of Montserrat. Since then, it has become home to a prolific publishing house and the oldest boys’ choir in all of Europe. People from all over the world journey here, whether for a religious pilgrimage, for a few days spent hiking the incredible landscape, or just to get out of the chaos of Barcelona. Whatever your motivation, it’s well worth spending part of your 7 days in Spain here.

Things to do at Montserrat

• Montserrat Monastery
  • The main attraction is the monastery itself. Spend time visiting the cloister, the library, and the basilica.
  • If you are staying here overnight, I highly recommend the evening vesper service, which gives you the opportunity to hear the world-famous boys’ choir perform, no tickets needed.
  • If you are here on a pilgrimage and want to see the wood carving of the Virgin of Montserrat, you need to purchase timed tickets here.
• Museum of Montserrat
  • This is a shockingly impressive art museum. I’m not really into art museums myself but even I could recognize how impressive the collection here is. There are originals by Monet, Dali, and El Greco. It even has an Egyptian sarcophagus dating back to the 22nd century BC. I recommend getting discounted tickets ahead of time here.
• Funiculars
  • There are two funiculars – one down to Santa Cova, and the Sant Joan one goes to the top of the mountain for panoramic views and some hiking trails. Santa Cova has a chapel and is a historic pilgrimage site..
• Hikes
  • Since Montserrat is perched on the side of a mountain range, there are plenty of hiking opportunities to appreciate the area’s natural beauty.
  • On the easier side is Cami de la Santa Cova, which is a scenic leading to the chapel at Santa Cova (rather than taking the funicular). There are several other chapels and plenty of scenic views along the way.
  • For a longer, more moderate hike, you can take the trail to the summit of Sant Jeroni, the highest peak of Montserrat.

Where to Stay

There is only one hotel near the monastery – Hotel Abat Cisneros. We spent two nights here and loved it!! Experiencing Monserrat once all the crowds have left and getting to watch both sunset and sunrise from the mountain was a highlight of our entire trip.

If you do choose to stay on the mountain, just a note that you can pull your car up to the hotel in order to load/unload your suitcases, but you will need to park in the main parking lot out by the main gates.

*A note on food: There are only a handful of places to get food on Montserrat, and most of them are not open for dinner. If you’re staying overnight, the hotel does have a restaurant, but candidly it’s very expensive, the menu is a little bit out there, and reviews are very mixed. If that doesn’t interest you, there is a market that is open until 7PM that has a small assortment of groceries. My mom and I ended up picking up food there rather than spend our money at the restaurant.

Sunrise on Montserrat

Day 4: Andorra

Because you don’t need more than a day to explore Montserrat, use your hotel there as a base and spend one of your 7 days in Spain taking a day trip to an entirely different country – Andorra!

Just 2.5 hours north of Barcelona is what I like to dub “Mini Switzerland.” That’s because Andorra’s soaring snow-capped mountain and ski resort paradise looks very much like that famous central European country. Except Andorra is a fraction of the size and sits on the border of France and Spain in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains. It’s very easy to take a rental car there (no special checks at the border and the roads are well-paved and easy to manage, despite the mountains). But you can also take a tour from Barcelona to Andorra if you don’t want to drive yourself.

Most people visit Andorra to go shopping because it has no VAT tax. And sure, if you’re into that sort of thing, Andorra La Vella is the place for you – practically every high-end shop imaginable has a storefront here, but with prices significantly lower than in most other cities. But may I suggest your day trip to Andorra include a few non-shopping activities?

Mom soaking in Andorra’s views

Things to do during a day trip to Andorra:

• Andorra La Vella
  • This is Andorra’s largest city. As mentioned, it’s also the place you want to go if you’re interested in a shopping spree. If you’re not, there’s not much to do here. However, Dali’s La Noblesse du Temps (aka the famous melting clock statue) is in the heart of downtown that you can quickly stop by to see.
• Cascada de Les Moles
  • This is a large waterfall right off of the main highway just outside of Canillo.
• Hiking
  • Being a mountain paradise means that there are plenty of outdoors activities, especially hiking. If you’re only here on a day trip though, you’ll want to opt for something on the shorter side. The Bony de les Neres trail is a popular 2-mile out and back that offers splendid views. My mom and I ran out of time to do it, but it’s on my itinerary if we ever go back!
• Mirador Roc Del Quer Viewpoint
  • This is an observation deck with a gorgeous view of the mountains and valleys beneath them.
  • To actually go out on on the observation deck does cost money, which my mom and I decided was ridiculous and opted not to do. But the walk from the parking lot to the deck offers fabulous views, so driving up to the viewpoint is worth it even if you don’t go out onto the actual observation deck.

On the path to the observation deck – see? Look at that view, no money required!

• Lunch
  • Be sure to get lunch before heading back to Spain! We had the most amazing crepes of my entire life (I’m only slightly exaggerating) at a little cafe called Taverna De L’Iguana. It’s close to the Mirador viewpoint in the cute town of Canillo.

Spend one more night in your Montserrat hotel before heading to Spain’s stunning coast.

Day 5: Bages Wine Region and Girona

On day 5 of your 7 days in Spain, check out of Montserrat and begin the 1.5 hours drive to Girona. But since you’ll be driving through Spain’s wine country, why not make a stop at one of their beautiful and historic wineries?

Because it’s not nearly as famous or as large as Spain’s Rioja and Cava wine regions, the Bages wine region is less touristy and home to some varietals that most people have never heard of, despite being so close to Barcelona.

While there are a handful of wineries that you can visit, my mom and I opted to check out Abadal Winery – and what an excellent life choice that was! The estate has been growing grapes for nearly 800 years and has been owned by the same family for several generations. When we were there, we had the outside patio all to ourselves and were given a private wine tasting. It was truly one of our favorite winery experiences we’ve ever had and I can’t recommend it enough!

After you’ve finished your wine tasting, continue on to Girona. Girona is an medieval town with many of its ancient structures still intact. Wandering the old city streets feels like stepping back in time. It’s not a large place and it easily walkable, so if you only have an afternoon, you can easily see all of the highlights.

Things to do in Girona:

• Girona Cathedral
  • Girona’s centerpiece is its incredible cathedral. Built in the 1400s, it has the largest Gothic-style nave in the world. The facade was also featured in two episodes of Game of Thrones.

Outside Girona Cathedral

• Arab Baths
  • A short walk from the cathedral are the Arab Baths, one of the best examples of a medieval bathhouse in Spain. They only take a few minutes to walk through but give you an appreciation of just how innovative medieval architects were.
• Walk the Girona Walls
  • Girona is mostly surrounded by a medieval-era wall. If you have some extra time, it takes about 1-2 hours to walk the entire thing. If you don’t have that time, just walk a small portion of them for the panoramic views over Girona.

Where to Stay

We spent two nights of our 7 days in Spain at the Doubletree by Hilton in Girona. It was a gorgeous hotel with an incredible breakfast and rooftop pool and just a 20-minute walk from the old city.

Days 6-7: Costa Brava

Day 6

Girona is known as the Gateway to Costa Brava, so use your hotel as a base to spend the last of your 7 days in Spain exploring Catalonia’s stunning coastal region.

Costa Brava, or “Rough Coast” for its many cliffs and rocky inlets, stretches from the Spanish town of Blanes up to the French border. My suggestion is to start day 6 not in France, but as close as you can get with the town of Cadaques. Cadaques is a tiny coastal village tucked in between coastal mountains. This is the part of the itinerary that you really need a rental car for, as Cadaques is very difficult to get to without one. But it’s well worth the time and effort!

Things to do in Cadaques:

• Cap de Creus National Park
  • Just north of Cadaques is Cap de Creus, a rocky, wild, but stunning peninsula. It’s home to many hiking trails, bike paths, and beaches that are only accessible via boat. Even if you’re not interested in any of those things, it’s worth driving to the lighthouse for the views.

Cap de Creus

• Salvador Dali House
  • Spanish painter Dali spent the years 1930-1982 living in a home in Cadaques. After his wife died in 1982, he moved elsewhere and the Cadaques house was turned into a museum.
  • Candidly, I’m not much of a Dali fan and chose not to spend any time here, but if you’re interested in art and/or Dali, this sounds like a fascinating place.
• City Center
  • Cadaques is extremely charming, with white-washed buildings and colorful doorways (it reminded me so much of Santorini!). It’s fun to spend time just wandering through the alleys and visiting the shops. But NOTE that it’s extremely hilly, which is really *fun* in the summer heat, as we learned the hard way LOL.

Cadaques

After Cadaques, another town worth visiting is Begur. It’s home to a ruined medieval castle perched on top of a hill that has amazing views of the coast. The town itself does not have much to do in the way of tourism, but it’s a great place if you’re looking to visit a Costa Brava town home to truly Catalonian locals.

View from Begur’s castle

Once you’re tired of exploring for the day, head back to your hotel in Girona for one more night.

Day 7

On this last of your 7 days in Spain, you can spend it visiting another Costa Brava town or two before heading back to Barcelona. My mom and I headed to Blanes to visit the Jardi Botanic Marimuta (botanic gardens). I expected this to be more off-the-beaten path but apparently it’s quite popular! And after visiting, I understand why.

The gardens are perched on a clifftop above the ocean and are home to plants from around the world. While the flora and fauna are beautiful, the real draw are the ocean views. There are are number of spots that have (unfortunately) become quite popular with influencers, but it truly is a stunning place. If you want to go, I highly recommend getting there early before it gets too crowded!

My mom and I spent our last night in Barcelona because of our flight schedule, so Blanes was the last Costa Brava town that we visited. But if you have extra time, there are plenty of other Costa Brava towns worth visiting.

And there it is, 7 days in Spain, exploring the beautiful region of Catalonia. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message or leave a comment!

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