One day, two Catalan towns: Girona’s medieval lanes in the morning, Dalí’s surreal museum by afternoon

Girona and Figueres sit on the same railway line north of Barcelona, close enough to see both in a single day: a morning in Girona’s medieval old town and its cathedral, then an afternoon in Figueres with Salvador Dalí. Here’s how I spent my day, with a plan you can follow, train times and tips.

Girona and Figueres are two of the most popular day trips from Barcelona, and most people pick one. But they’re only half an hour apart, so with an early start you can see both: Girona’s old town, the Jewish quarter and the cathedral in the morning, then lunch and the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres in the afternoon.

That’s exactly what I did on a day out from Barcelona. I was on the bridges over the Onyar not long after half past eight, spent the morning in Girona and was sitting down to lunch in Figueres by half past twelve. It’s a full day, but it works.

This guide covers how I spent the day, a plan you can follow, how to get between the three cities and where to stay if you’d rather slow down.

Girona and Figueres in one day at a glance

• Distance: Girona is about 100 kilometres north of Barcelona, and Figueres another 35 or so beyond it, near the French border.
• Getting there: high-speed trains from Barcelona Sants reach Girona in about 40 minutes and Figueres-Vilafant in under an hour. Slower regional trains take around an hour and 20 minutes to Girona and just under two hours to Figueres.
• Time needed: a full day. Leave Barcelona by about 8am and plan to be back in the evening.
• Book ahead: a timed ticket for the Dalí Theatre-Museum, which sells out on busy days.
• Avoid: Mondays outside July and August, when the Dalí museum is closed.

My day in Girona and Figueres

Morning: Girona’s old town

I started by the river, where the painted houses of the Onyar line the water and the bell tower of the cathedral pokes up behind them. From there I walked up into the Barri Vell, the old town, past the Basilica of Sant Feliu, with its tall Gothic spire, and the foot of the cathedral steps.

Next came the Call, the old Jewish quarter, a tangle of narrow lanes, stone stairways and arched passages that’s one of the best preserved in Spain. It’s at its quietest first thing, before the tour groups arrive. If you’d like to hear the history of the community that lived here, this Jewish heritage tour of Girona with a museum visit covers it in a couple of hours.

From the Call I headed back down to the river, across to the red Eiffel bridge and the arcades of Plaça de la Independència, and along the Rambla, where the bakery windows are full of xuixos, Girona’s own sugar-coated pastry filled with crema catalana. On the way back up I passed the lioness of Girona on her column outside Sant Feliu.

Late morning: Girona Cathedral

The last stop in Girona was the cathedral, at the top of its grand Baroque stairway. I went inside to see the nave, the widest Gothic nave in the world, the Romanesque cloister and the treasury, where I saw the Tapestry of Creation.

The scale is what struck me most. As with any medieval cathedral, I’m always blown away by the idea that they did it by hand, without computers or AI, and that the people who laid the first brick could never hope to live to see the project complete. For the history, tickets and everything to see inside, read my full guide to Girona Cathedral.

On the way out, the view from the top of the steps takes in the rooftops of the old town. Then it was back down to the river, and on to Figueres.

Lunch: tapas on the Rambla in Figueres

Figueres is the town where Salvador Dalí was born, and where he built his own museum. I started with lunch at Sentits Gastrobar, on the Rambla, the leafy promenade at the heart of town: pa amb tomàquet, patatas bravas, little fried fish, cured meats and Manchego.

Afternoon: the Dalí Theatre-Museum

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is a few minutes’ walk from the Rambla, and it’s the reason most people come to Figueres. Dalí turned the town’s burnt-out theatre into a vast surrealist work of art, with giant eggs on the roof, the Rainy Taxi in the courtyard, the Mae West room and, in the crypt beneath the stage, his tomb.

I spent two hours here and personally thought it wasn’t enough. It was quite busy, and if I was to do it again, I’d stay in Figueres and go first thing in the morning. I loved the contrast between the huge pieces and the smaller artworks. It’s true multimedia as well, and very engaging. For tickets, opening hours and everything to see inside, read my full guide to the Dalí Theatre-Museum.

Late afternoon: a walk around Figueres

After the museum, I took a long walk around the town, which was nice. Figueres is small and easy to explore on foot, with old squares, shopping streets and a few quirky surprises. I finished back at the museum to see the red Galatea Tower, with its giant eggs and rows of bread-roll studs, before heading back to Barcelona.

For more of the town, see my Figueres travel guide, and for the rest of Girona, my guide to the best things to do in Girona.

A plan for your own day

This is the order that worked for me, with a few tweaks to make the most of opening hours.

• 8am: take an early high-speed train from Barcelona Sants to Girona (about 40 minutes).
• 9am: walk from the station to the Onyar (about 15 minutes), cross the bridges and climb into the old town.
• 9am to 10am: visit the cathedral early, when it’s free to enter from 8.45am to 9.45am, Monday to Saturday. Otherwise it opens to paying visitors at 10am.
• 10am to 11.30am: explore the Call, Sant Feliu, the Eiffel bridge and the Rambla, and stop for a xuixo.
• About 11.45am: take the train on to Figueres.
• 12.30pm: lunch on or near the Rambla.
• 2pm to 4pm: the Dalí Theatre-Museum, on a timed ticket booked in advance.
• 4pm onwards: walk around the town, then take the train back to Barcelona.

Getting there and around

The two cities are on the main railway line from Barcelona to the French border, so you can travel by train all day. There are two kinds.

High-speed trains (AVE, Avant, Avlo and others) leave from Barcelona Sants and stop at Girona, about 40 minutes away, and at Figueres-Vilafant, under an hour away. Girona to Figueres-Vilafant takes about 15 minutes. Book ahead online for the best fares. Figueres-Vilafant is on the edge of town, about a 20-minute walk or a short taxi ride from the Dalí museum.

Regional trains (the R11 line) leave from Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gràcia and take about an hour and 20 minutes to Girona and just under two hours to Figueres, with Girona to Figueres about half an hour. They arrive at Figueres station, in the centre, about 15 minutes’ walk from the museum. You buy tickets at the station, and there’s no need to book.

You can also drive. Girona is about an hour and a quarter from Barcelona on the AP-7, and Figueres about half an hour further on, but parking in both old towns is limited.

Where to stay

You can see both in a day, but if you have more time, I’d stay over. In Figueres, you can be at the Dalí museum for opening time, before the day-trippers arrive, which is what I’d do next time. Browse places to stay in Figueres, or places to stay in Girona if you’d rather have a quiet evening by the river in the old town.

Tips for your day

• Start early: the old town of Girona and the Call are at their best before the tour groups arrive.
• Book the Dalí museum: timed tickets sell out on busy days, and it’s closed on Mondays outside July and August.
• Check the cathedral’s hours: it opens at 12pm on Sundays, and can close to visitors for services.
• Wear comfortable shoes: both old towns are hilly and cobbled, and Girona has a lot of steps.
• Don’t try to do more: Girona and Figueres both have far more to see, from Girona’s city walls to the castle in Figueres. Save them for another trip.

For more ideas, see my guide to the best day trips from Barcelona.

Map

Read next

• 14 things to do in Girona
• A guide to Girona Cathedral
• A guide to the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres
• Figueres travel guide
• 25 brilliant day trips from Barcelona
• Priorat wine day trip from Barcelona
• 13 things to do in Tarragona

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