Leave Barcelona and travel back to ancient times on this small-group tour of Catalonia’s medieval villages. Visit the beautifully preserved villages of Besalú and Tavertet and learn interesting facts about these historical locations from your guide. Have free time in Rupit village to see the Baroque-era Church of Sant Miquel and have a traditional Catalan lunch (own expense) at a local restaurant. Take in views of the remains of the Castle of Rupit, Castellfollit de la Roca and the Cingles de Tavertet sandstone cliffs. This small-group tour ensures you’ll receive personalized attention from your guide.
What's Included
Air-conditioned vehicle
Local guide
What's Not Included
Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Traveler Information
CHILD: Age: 0 - 11
ADULT: Age: 12 - 99
Additional Info
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regular temperature checks for staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
This tour operates only in English
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
At Explore Catalunya we take the Coronavirus outbreak very seriously. In addition to our safety procedures, we have adapted our tours to avoid periods where there might be large crowds, and we have carefully ensured that any places we visit follow the sam
Face masks provided for travellers
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
What To Expect
Palace of Catalan Music
8.15am - You will start your day at our main office, which is right next to the famous Palau de la Musica. You will meet your guide, have time to use the restrooms, and perhaps even grab a quick coffee before the tour begin. Your guide will explain all about the day ahead and what to expect as you wait for you tour to leave.
15 minutes
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Admission Ticket Free
8.30am - You will leave Barcelona though the Example district of town. As you head out of the city, your guide will give you a brief history of Barcelona, before letting you sit back and relax on the 90 minute drive to Besalu.
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Admission Ticket Free
Besalu
10.00am - The charming medieval village of Besalú is our first stop of the day.
You will begin with a walking tour of this ancient town, stopping to admire its streets lined with medieval-era architecture. You will have free time to wander around the narrow streets or to find a secluded café and sit back to watch people pass by.
Some of the highlights to visit are the 12th Century Romanesque Medieval bridge, the 11th Century Monastery of St. Pere, and the Jewish Baths, otherwise known as the Mikveh, dating back to the 12 Century.
2 hours
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Admission Ticket Free
Castellfollit de la Roca
12.30pm - From Besalú, we will head to Rupit. On the way, we will pass by Castellfollit de la Roca, located high up on the edge of a basalt precipice. It's one of the smallest towns in Catalonia with just 1,000 habitants living in just 3,280 square feet (1,000 square meters)
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Admission Ticket Free
Rupit
1.00pm - Once in Rupit, you’ll have around two hours to wander around this beautiful hamlet at your leisure.
You will be able to stroll the cobblestone roads lined with 16th-century houses, cross the city’s hanging wooden bridge, and make a visit Rupit’s baroque-era Church of Sant Miquel.
This is also where you will have lunch. There are a number of traditional restaurants to choose from. Your guide will be happy to help you, or even make a reservation for you. After lunch, you can visit the ruins of the Castle of Rupit set on a picturesque rocky peak, or you could even take a picnic and eat outside there.
From Rupit, we take a scenic drive towards the sandstone cliffs at Cingles de Tavertet.
2 hours
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Admission Ticket Free
Tavertet
4.00pm - In Tavertet, the final medieval village we visit, enjoy a short walk to the stunning cliffs overlooking Pantà de Sau lake. Hear a few details about the village from your guide before checking out the 11th-century romanesque Church of Sant Cristòfol.
30 minutes
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Admission Ticket Free
Montseny
5.30pm - Finish your trip with a ride back to Barcelona, during which you’ll enjoy vistas of verdant-green forests like Magatalls, along with the UNESCO Man and Biosphere-listed El Montseny natural park.
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Admission Ticket Free
Plaza de Catalunya
6.45pm - After a day stepping back in time we will arrive in Barcelona around 6.45pm. You guide will help you find a taxi or the way to the metro to return to your hotel, or recommend some restaurants where to have dinner.
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Admission Ticket Free
Reviews
Medieval Tour is a win!
P5299EUkimk, 28-09-2022
This Medieval tour took us out of Barcelona to places we would not have seen otherwise. Our guide, Judith, was personable and wanted to ensure everyone had a great experience. I would definitely book a tour through Explore Catalunya again!
Back in time journey
vtxal, 15-09-2022
Excellent itinerary that visits 3 charming and ancient towns. Our guide Enrique was enthusiastic and knowledgeable . The driver was very professional and skilled since it does cover a lot of miles and challenging mountain roads.
Incredible visit into the past of Barcelona.
mercierpierre, 12-09-2022
Besalu, Rupit and Tavertet were excellent sites to visit. Our guide Sergio was very interesting and he was always ready to answer questions. He did more than his job on this trip.
Lovely day out
robertwA8307JN, 08-09-2022
Xavier was an excellent knowledgeable guide on this well paced tour. Out of the tours control however is that you cannot access the mikvah at Besalu. Gorgeous scenery in a comfortable minivan.
Step back in time!
Mira_D, 16-12-2022
Enchanting tour to Besalu, Rupit and Tavertet. Rodrigo, our guide was fantastic. His talent for presenting the history of each destination really made things come to life. Especially funny was his explanation of the Catalonian tradition of Tio the Christmas log - he even sang the song that the kids would sing to Tio. Our lunch stop was in Rupit and I had a delicious quick bite and glass of wine at a Michelin Star restaurant. The Christmas decorations in the villages was magical. Gorgeous roadside mountainous views from Rupit to Tavertet with leaves still in full color was a bonus. This tour is very organized and covers a lot of ground. This tour is a must!
Highly recommend
wsrsophie, 15-12-2022
Very well organised trip and our tour guide (14 Dec 22, Wed) is super nice, kind, and knowledgeable! Had an amazing experience.
A great tour with a great guide!
ekhyatt, 08-12-2022
Wow, this was a great day! A perfect way to see parts of Spain that are away from the main tourist areas. It was amazing seeing and learning about the history of this part of the world, while also experiencing some of the most incredible scenery I've ever seen. Sergi was a great guide; friendly, knowledgeable, outgoing and personable. He even made us reservations for our group at a restaurant in one of the villages. Definitely recommend this trip!
Great tour
sc000000, 29-11-2022
We took two tours with Explore Catalunya, Medieval Three Villages and Girona and Costa Brava. Both were great. The places we visited were amazing. Our guide for both tours, Sergio, was very nice, enthusiastic and caring. We are highly satisfied.
Besalu, Rupit and Cingles de Tavertet
NJJacobd, 23-11-2022
Our tour guide Xavier was knowledgeable in the history of the region. We were a group of 8. He answered all the questions posed by us. He exceeded our expectations.
Breathe in the countryside
Dottie_B, 05-01-2023
It was a wonderful day out in the countryside. The three towns we visited were interesting and beautiful in their own distinct way. The town of Rupit, built on rock, is gorgeous and fascinating. The views from the third town are spectacular. There’s a great little place for lunch right by the parking lot in Rupit. Delicious flatbreads and outdoor seating.
Amazing view of small towns with great history!
David_C, 04-01-2023
Camelo was a great driver and an even better guide. We were in the road for just a few minutes and he was sharing history about Barcelona and Catalonya. In each village we visited he walked us around sharing information and then provided just the right amount of free time. He even shared some places to visit in Andorra, which we were traveling to on our own. Can’t recommend this tour enough, especially if Camelo is your guide!
We had a very nice tour....
trudy_H, 03-01-2023
We had a very nice tour. The bus was very comfortable. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Medieval Spain
danielsA6665VG, 02-01-2023
Enjoyed the history and seeing the differences in the 3 towns. I also enjoyed viewing the churches. Time at each town was very limited, but I appreciated that our guide made an effort to get the most out of it.
Great village tour
Todd_D, 29-12-2022
This tour was incredible. The villages were all different and unique. The guide (Jordi) was very knowledgeable, helpful, and delivered the right amount of information. Additionally, we had a good amount of free time to explore at each village. The transportation was great. It was a modern and clean 19-person bus (with seats in a 2x1 configuration), and great driver (Pedro). There were a total of 17 people on our tour.
Three cities tour
bhawkdpm, 11-01-2023
Great tour of some amazing places. The tour guide was well informed and the cities were something you won’t see on a regular tour
scenic and interesting day trip
859geneg, 29-09-2022
What a nice break from the hectic touring in Barcelona proper! We were in a small group o only 7. Carlos, our guide, was fun and informative. The villages we visited were interesting and scenic. The drive out from BCN was a bit long, as was, of course, the return., but obviously that was necessary. We had lunch together, also a bit long but again a necessary arrangement as there are few options. Overall, a worthwhile experience. Price was borderline acceptable.
