Montserrat Tour with Optional Cable Car, Hike, Funicular & Farm-to-Table Lunch

We had a splendid day at Montserrat. Adrian, our guide, is a really good guy and a really good guide! He is one of those rare people who love their work and can communicate that love to others. He was enthusiastic, he gave us a wealth of interesting information on the history of the monastery and the mountain range itself (and even Barcelona from where the tour starts). He was eager to answer all our questions and I must also commend him for his patience in taking photographs of the tour participants when they asked him for this! The hiking part of the tour was very enjoyable and easy to do, which is important for those who are not so accustomed to walking on mountains. We took the St. Joan funicular up the rack railway to the top and then walked from there back down to the monastery, effectively encircling the mountain in a direction west to south to east. The hike was not too long and the views of the lands below were truly fantastic. After arriving at the monastery, we had the chance to visit the Basilica and listen to the lovely performance of the Escolania Choir. I would have welcomed the opportunity to spend a little more time at the monastery itself, but unfortunately this was not possible due to the time constraints of the tour. I certainly want to visit Montserrat again in the future. It is worth staying there for a few days and there is a hotel. If you do go on this tour, it is important to wear shoes with rubber soles. If you do it in the summer and you are not from a Mediterranean country, it is a good idea to bring with you a hat for the sun and some sunblock cream. The meeting point for participants in Barcelona is within easy reach of the Diagonal metro station.