Day Trip To Sitges from Barcelona
PRIVATE SITGES TOUR
The Catalan Monaco
Are you looking for a relaxing day by the sea? Somewhere with a bit of history and culture, but also shopping opportunities, nice weather and good food? Sitges is a favorite seaside destination not far from Barcelona where locals head in the weekends and the Summertime for a classy beach day. If you don’t want to navigate the confusing suburban trains on your own, let us take you to Sitges on our air-conditioned Mercedes vehicles.
Sitges is an old fishermen town where gathered the bohemian artists of the first generation of the Catalan Modernist Movement, and where also built their houses the immigrants that came back rich from America. From visiting its art museums, to shopping around its trendy boutiques, from walking around its picturesque whitewashed streets, to enjoying lunch by the beach, your day trip to Sitges can be totally customized to your interests.
THINGS WE CAN DO DURING YOUR PRIVATE SITGES DAY TRIP FROM BARCELONA:
MODERNIST SITGES (Lovely Stroll)
Explore the Old Town of Sitges with us. A walk around the Old Town of Sitges can take as little as 30 minutes upto as long as 2 hours or more. It really depends on you! The oldest part of the village is located on top of a hill by the sea, crowned by the church of St. Tecla, one of the most photographed sites in Sitges. Behind it a balcony over the Mediterranean takes you to a quiet area of whitewashed buildings that were the headquarters of the first modernists of Barcelona, led by Santiago Rusiñol and his friend Casas.
Behind that extends the popular beach of Sant Sebastià, that limits at the North with another hill that houses a tiny cemetery with delicate funerary sculptures. Back to the Old Town, a modest plaza reunites the town hall, the old hospital building, the former market and the entrance to the oldest street of Sitges with its cobble-stone pavement, from where you’ll be able to see the only section that is left out of the medieval city walls.
From there also starts the main street of the old Sitges: Carrer Major, that features plenty of cute shops and café, and is crossed by narrow whitewashed alleys that descend to the marina. If instead you continue down Carrer Major, you’ll reach the town Eixample, where modernist villas were built by the those Sitges men who left their hometown as immigrants and come back as wealthy businessmen after spending their lives in Cuba, back in the 1800’s.
SITGES MUSEUMS (Hidden Gems)
CAU FERRAT & MARICEL
Formerly two separate museums, but now melted into a single one, the visit takes at least one hour, although if you are interested in art you’ll probably need much longer to take everything in. The first part of the visit (Cau Ferrat) goes around the home of the artist Santiago Rusiñol: the street level has been preserved pretty much the way it was during the late 1800’s, with its antique furniture and unique artifacts.
The second floor displays the artist’s wrought iron and glass collections, along with some paintings – two Greco not to be missed. Finally, the last part of the visit takes you to the Maricel mansion, with an impressive art collection including Sitges painters, as well as medieval, baroque and modernist pieces.
ROMANTIC MUSEUM
The mansion of the Llopis family, members of the local high society, is now open to the public as a house museum where you can see the original decoration and antique furniture as it was when the building was still inhabited.
Visitors are not allowed to wander on their own, not even with a private guide, so if you choose to visit it we’ll be joining one of the groups that tour the house every hour. The second floor houses a beautiful collection of antique dolls, originally gathered by Lola Anglada, a popular local author of children books.
SHOPPING (Fun Local Stores)
Shopping in Sitges means heading to Carrer Major, lined up with small stores and boutiques featuring Spanish and European cloth designers. Sitges is a shoppers heaven where you’ll find unique pieces to take home. So different from those city centers and shopping malls where you find the same exact brands all over the world!
SEASIDE LUNCH (Yum!)
Eating in Sitges is a great idea. Add some extra time to your tour to stay in Sitges for lunch. We know the best restaurants in town where to enjoy a paella by the beach or the marina. Or if you are more adventurous, there are also some traditional restaurants tucked away in the village alleys where you’ll be able to try authentic Sitges recipes inspired in what the local fishermen and sailors prepared on board of their ships. Or if you are traveling with teens, they’ll be excited to know that there’s a burger joint famous to have some of the best (and biggest!) burgers in Spain.
MAKE A MOJITO (Workshop)
Did you know that the famous Bacardi rum brand was founded by a Sitges man? Facundo Bacardi was born in Sitges and immigrated to Cuba, where after working on a shop with his brother he eventually enter the textile business to finally get into the wine and liquors trade, what took him to create his own rum brand. The company continues to be family-owned after several generations, and his descendants decided to open a museum in Sitges in honor of Mr. Facundo.
In this museum, located in a brick building that was formerly the local marketplace, you’ll learn the history of the company as well as about the process of rum making, and they’ll teach you how to make a decent mojito. The visit lasts a bit longer than 1 hour and must be booked in advance.
HAVE A SNACK (Like A Local)
The best bars in Sitges are lined up along Carrer Major and the other streets of the village, and offer plenty of opportunities to seat down for a coffee break, enjoy a beer, or eat a gelato.
SITGES BEACHES (By The Mediterranean Sea)
Sitges is blessed with a micro-climate that provides over 300 sunny days a year. The weather is nice here, even when in Barcelona it’s raining! And that makes it a great destination even in the winter (or should I say, specially in the winter, as it’s not as crowded as it is in the summertime).
There are 13 beaches in Sitges, most of them long with golden sand, although there are a couple of them in the outskirts that are smaller and surrounded by rocky cliffs. The ones closer to the center of the village are adapted to wheelchairs and sunshades and deck chairs are available for rent.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS DAY TRIP TO SITGES
✓ A relaxing day away from Barcelona, but just a short ride from it
✓ Unplug from the city rhythm
✓ Feel like in Monaco… barely 1 hour drive from Barcelona
✓ Learn why Sitges was key to the development of the Barcelona Modernism
✓ Total flexibility to focus on your favorite activities and sites
✓ And much more, in a private Sitges day trip just for you and your party!
TOUR FAQ
- THIS SITGES TOUR RUNS: Every day.
SOME SITES CLOSED:
Monday: the museums are closed on Mondays.
Tue thru Thu: the Bacardi house is closed.
- TOUR LENGHT: 5 to 6 hours.
- STARTING TIME:
- 9AM for a 5-hour day trip, or a 6-hour day trip without lunch.
- 10AM For a 6-hour day trip with lunch in Sitges.
- WHERE DO WE MEET? WHERE DO WE END? Anywhere you want, within the city limits.
- IS THERE A LUNCH STOP? Only on request on 6-hr tours.
- HOW DO WE MOVE AROUND? Rides in Mercedes car or minivan for upto 6 of you + guide & dedicated driver. Walking in Sitges.
- CAN WE TAKE THE TRAIN? There’s a suburban train that takes you there, whoever we don’t love using it for our tours because this line is often too crowded, specially in the Summer, and the trains aren’t too punctual – and missing the train might involve paying for extra hours, thus losing what you saved by not having a driver…
- ISN’T SITGES A GAY DESTINATION? While it’s true that Sitges has long been a favorite vacation destination for the gay community, the truth is that they mix in gracefully with the locals and you are not likely to witness any situation that make anyone feel uncomfortable
- HOW DOES THE NON-GUIDED OPTION WORK? In our non-guided tours you are on your own. Your English-speaking driver might provide light conversation during the rides from Barcelona to Sitges and back, but no detailed explanations of the area. And once in Sitges, you’ll be on your own. You’ll ultimately be responsible for getting back to the car at the agreed time, or you might incur in extra hours if you are late.
REVIEWS FROM TRAVELERS LIKE YOU:
TAILOR THIS SITGES TOUR TO YOUR UNIQUE NEEDS
This Barcelona to Sitges day trip is perfect for people having a morning to go out of town and looking for a leisurely plan.
If you are traveling with kids, Sitges is easy-going but unless you plan for gelato and beach time they can get a bit bored. Alternatively, book a Montserrat half day tour, or combine Montserrat with lunch in Sitges.
If you have walking issues or use a wheelchair, bear in mind that the driver is only used for the rides, but not in Sitges, where you’ll be walking. The marina area is flat and easy to walk, but the old town is somehow uphill and there are some cobble-stone streets.
If you’d rather have a longer day, consider staying for lunch in Sitges (6 to 8 hour day trip, depending on what activities you want to include) or combining Sitges with some other destination such as the monastery of Montserrat, the Roman ruins of Tarragona or a winery in the Penedes.
PRICING
These are a 100% private tours, exclusive for you and your party. There is a base rate total per tour (no matter how many people you are), plus a per person rate to cover the entrance fees.
BASE RATE (paid once per tour):
TOUR STARTS AT
5-HR TOUR-
Full itinerary
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Licensed Tour Guide
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Car or van with driver
EXTENDED TOUR
6-HR TOUR-
Optional lunch
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Licensed Tour Guide
-
Car of van with driver
NON-GUIDED
5-HR TOUR-
Full Itinerary
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On your own in Sitges
-
Car or van with driver
CHANGE YOUR TOUR DATE UNLIMITED TIMES *
*Notifying us at least one week in advance. Click to learn more >>
PER PERSON FEES (additional, per person, and paid on site)
– Cau Ferrat museum: €12.25/person – Romantic museum: CLOSED FOR REPAIRS
LUNCH (not included)
Expect to pay €30-40/person, depending on your order. Learn more about lunch on tours.
* Costs are given as an orientation only, as they can change without notice. Discounts might apply for students and/or seniors.
More questions? Inclusions — Exclusions — FAQ — Contact — Cancellation Policy
