Girona was one of the very first day trips I ever took from Barcelona, almost ten years ago now. And while I’ve spent the last decade wandering through just about every town and city in Catalunya, Girona is still the one I love taking visitors to, even just for the day or an overnight trip.
What I love most about Girona is that it’s one of those rare places that’s somehow both wildly photogenic and genuinely lived-in. It hasn’t been polished into a theme park. People actually live in those colorful houses stacked along the water. The cafés are full of locals catching up over a coffee, not just tourists hunting for the perfect iced latte.
So whether you’re after an easy day trip from Barcelona or you’re looking to spend a few unhurried nights somewhere new, Girona is the perfect little city escape, beautiful and lived-in in equal measure. Here are some of the best things to do in Girona for your next trip.
Key Takeaways
- Girona is compact and walkable. You can hit most of the highlights on foot in a day, though I’d argue it deserves an overnight if you can swing it.
- The Barri Vell (old town) is the heart of everything. Medieval walls, narrow streets, the cathedral, and El Call all cluster here.
- It’s an easy day trip from Barcelona. The high-speed train takes just 38 minutes from Barcelona Sants, making it the perfect day trip from Barcelona.
- Game of Thrones fans, take note. Girona doubled as King’s Landing and Braavos, and the filming spots are scattered through the old city.
- Spring and early autumn are the best time to visit, especially during the Temps de Flors flower festival in May.
How to Get to Girona, Spain
So, how do you get from Barcelona to Girona exactly? Before we dive into what to see and do in Girona Spain, let’s sort out the logistics, because they’re surprisingly quite simple. Most people come on a day trip from Barcelona, and honestly, the journey is so easy. The fast train from Barcelona Sants gets you to Girona city in under 40 minutes, which is genuinely less time than it takes me to get across Barcelona when I have to change lines.
If you’re flying in, Girona Airport sits about 12 kilometers out of town and is a hub for the budget carriers, so plenty of folks use it as a sneaky-cheap gateway to the whole region. Either way, once you arrive, you can easily walk all around town.
15 Things to See in Girona, Spain
1. Get Lost in the Barri Vell (Old Town)
Start where everyone should start. The Barri Vell, Girona’s old town, is a beautiful tangle of medieval streets that climb and twist up the hillside, and the single best thing you can do is simply explore it.
This is the oldest part of the old city, and it shows in the best way. Worn stone, hidden courtyards, weathered facades that have stood the test of time. Every time I think I know this part of town, I always seem to stumble upon something new. The medieval architecture here is worth coming for, and it feels as though the layers of history press in on you from every side.
2. Climb to Girona Cathedral
The Girona Cathedral stands over the old town from the top of a never-ending flight of steps, creating a dramatic entrance as you make your way to the top. While it might look like a lot of work, the views from the top are absolutely worth it.
Girona’s cathedral has the widest Gothic nave in the world, a single soaring space that’s genuinely impressive. The mix of Romanesque and Gothic tells you the whole story of how long this building took to finish, centuries of stops and starts and shifting tastes.
3. Wander El Call, Girona’s Jewish Quarter
Tucked into the old town is El Call, one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in all of Europe. Walking through Girona’s Jewish quarter feels like stepping straight into the Middle Ages, all shadowy lanes and steep stone staircases barely wide enough for your shoulders.
4. Walk the Medieval Walls
One of my favorite free things to do in Girona is to walk the medieval walls that wrap around the eastern edge of the old town. The Passeig de la Muralla lets you stroll along the ramparts, and the views from up top are incredible, red rooftops tumbling down toward the river, the cathedral towers poking up, the green hills of La Garrotxa rolling off into the distance.
It’s a proper walk, with towers you can climb and surprisingly few people considering how good it is. I never miss coming up here when visiting Girona as I feel it shows the best views in the entire city.
5. Cross to the Colorful Houses on the Onyar River
You’ve probably already seen the photos. The candy-colored houses lined up along the water are Girona’s signature postcard, and yes, they really do look like that. The Cases de l’Onyar, those famous colorful houses stacked right up against the Onyar River, are incredibly photogenic.
The classic view is from the Pont de Sant Agustí. However, try walking a couple of bridges down and find your own angle. The river Onyar splits the modern town from the old, and crossing back and forth over its little bridges is another fun way to see a different perspective.
6. Pose on the Eiffel Bridge
Speaking of bridges, the bright red Pont de les Peixateries Velles is worth a proper look, because it was built by the workshop of Gustave Eiffel a few years before he got around to a certain tower in Paris. It’s a lovely lattice of iron crossing the Onyar, and standing on it gives you one of the best framed shots of those colorful houses you’ll get anywhere in town.
7. Visit the Girona History Museum
If you want to actually understand the town instead of just photographing it, the Girona History Museum might be a nice stop for you. It walks you through everything from Roman foundations through the medieval village it became, right up to the modern girona city of today.
Pair it with the Girona Art Museum, housed in the old Episcopal Palace right by the cathedral, which holds one of Catalonia’s best collections of Romanesque and Gothic art. Between the two, you’ll get a real feel for the long, layered history of this place.
8. Explore Sant Pere de Galligants
Just below the city walls sits Sant Pere de Galligants, a beautiful 12th-century Romanesque monastery that now houses the region’s Archaeology Museum. The cloister alone is worth the entry fee, all carved capitals and quiet stone arches. It’s one of the more overlooked spots to explore Girona, and you’ll often have it almost to yourself.
Nearby you’ll also find the church of Sant Feliu, with its distinctive truncated spire, one of the most recognizable bits of the Girona skyline and another piece of the town’s deep religious history.
9. Hunt Down the Game of Thrones Locations
This one’s worth a mention even if you’ve never watched a single episode, because it’s genuinely fun. Girona starred as both King’s Landing and Braavos in Season 6, and the locations are scattered all through the old town.
Those cathedral steps? That’s the Great Sept of Baelor. The spot where Jaime Lannister rode up on horseback? Right there. Sant Martí Sacosta and the surrounding streets stood in for various corners of the Seven Kingdoms. Even if you’re not a superfan, doing a little self-guided GoT wander adds a fun layer to your day. Plenty of walking tours and guided tour options will take you around the spots if you’d rather have someone connect the dots for you.
10. Touch La Lleona for Luck
Down near Sant Feliu there’s a small stone column topped with a carved lioness, La Lleona. Local tradition says that to truly become a Gironí, and to guarantee you’ll return to the city, you have to climb up and kiss the lioness’s backside. There’s usually a little ladder there to help you out. Is it silly? Completely. But still something fun to see while traveling to Girona.
11. Eat Your Way Through Catalan Cuisine
Here’s where Girona really won me over. This is a serious food town, and the Catalan cuisine here is some of the best in Spain. This is, after all, the home turf of the Roca brothers, and Jordi Roca’s desserts have a massive reputation. El Celler de Can Roca, just outside the center, has repeatedly been ranked the best restaurant in the world, though you’ll need to book months ahead.
Can’t get a table? No stress. For something more relaxed, Le Bistrot in the old town serves up lovely Catalan dishes on one of the prettiest staircases in the city. Wander the market, grab some local cheese and botifarra, and eat like the locals do.
12. Step Inside Casa Masó
For something a bit different, tour Casa Masó, the only one of those riverside houses open to the public. It was the birthplace of architect Rafael Masó, and inside you’ll find gorgeous early-20th-century Catalan modernisme, all curved lines and stained glass. It’s a lovely, intimate counterpoint to all the medieval stone, and the views back over the river Onyar from its windows are something special.
13. Take a Day Trip into La Garrotxa or to the Coast
Girona makes a brilliant base, so if you’ve got time, use it. There are seriously so many great day trips to take in this area. To the north lies La Garrotxa, a volcanic region full of green craters and ridiculously charming villages like Besalú with its fortified medieval bridge. To the east, the beaches of the Costa Brava beckon, and gorgeous spots like Tossa de Mar, with its walled old town right on the sand, are an easy day trip away.
Girona genuinely sits at the crossroads of everything good in this corner of Catalunya, mountains, coast, and countryside all within reach. So if you want to see other towns and cities in Catalunya, consider using Girona as your home base.
14. Chase Down Salvador Dalí
You can’t talk about this region without mentioning Salvador Dalí, the gloriously bonkers surrealist who was born just up the road in Figueres. The Dalí Museum there is one of the most visited museums in Spain, a riot of melting clocks and bread-covered walls designed by the man himself. It’s about 40 minutes from Girona and makes a fantastic half-day trip if surrealism is your thing.
15. Just Sit and Soak It In
My final, slightly cheating, recommendation. Find a café terrace, order a vermut, and just watch Girona happen. Some of my best hours here have been spent doing absolutely nothing productive, just letting the town’s rhythm wash over me. La Fabrica, run by a couple of former pro cyclists, does a great coffee and is a local favorite for exactly this kind of slow morning.
This is, after all, what travel’s supposed to feel like.
Where to Stay in Girona, Spain
If you do decide to stay overnight, and I really think you should, the old town is where you want to be. Hotel Nord 1901 is a reliable, characterful choice tucked into the heart of the Barri Vell, with a lovely garden and easy walking access to everything on this list. Waking up inside those medieval streets, before the day-trippers arrive, is a completely different Girona.
FAQ: What to Do in Girona, Spain
What are the best things to do in Girona, Spain?
The best things to do center on the old town: visit Girona Cathedral, wander El Call (the Jewish quarter), walk the medieval walls, photograph the colorful houses along the Onyar River, and eat your way through the local Catalan cuisine. Game of Thrones fans should also hunt down the filming locations.
Is Girona worth visiting as a day trip from Barcelona?
Absolutely. With the high-speed train taking just 38 minutes from Barcelona Sants, Girona is one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips you can do. That said, an overnight lets you experience the old city without the midday crowds.
How long do you need in Girona?
A full day is enough to see the main sights, since the town is so compact and walkable. But if you want to slow down, eat well, and use it as a base for day trips to the Costa Brava or La Garrotxa, give yourself two or three days.
What is the best time to visit Girona?
Spring and early autumn are ideal, with comfortable weather and thinner crowds. May is especially special thanks to Temps de Flors, when the city’s courtyards and monuments burst into flower displays.
Are there good walking tours in Girona?
Yes, plenty. You’ll find general history walking tours, food-focused tours through the market and tapas spots, and dedicated Game of Thrones guided tour options, all leaving from the old town. They’re a great way to add context if you don’t want to go fully self-guided.
Can you see Girona and the Dalí Museum in one trip?
You can. The Dalí Museum in Figueres is about 40 minutes away by train, so many visitors pair the two, spending a morning in Girona’s old town and an afternoon among Salvador Dalí’s surrealist masterpieces.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Girona
So there you have it, my slightly biased, deeply fond rundown of the best things to do in Girona. This is a town that rewards curiosity, the kind of place where the magic lives in the wrong turns and the unplanned coffees as much as the headline sights. Whether you come for the medieval architecture, the Game of Thrones nostalgia, the world-class food, or just the simple pleasure of those colorful houses glowing over the water, I think Girona is one of the best trips you can take while visiting Barcelona.
Planning a trip to Spain? Discover more with my related articles:
How to Get From Girona to Barcelona
Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Barcelona
Best Hotels in Barcelona: 18 Incredible Stays (From Boutique to Luxury)
Barcelona Travel Guide: 3 Day Itinerary
Tossa de Mar, Spain: The Complete Guide to Costa Brava’s Most Beautiful Medieval Town
How to Get From Barcelona to Costa Brava: Best Routes & Travel Tips
No Comments