12 Wine Country Day Trips in Spain the Drive Pays For

1.Montserrat Half-Day Tour with Tapas and Gourmet Wines

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7,359 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $55Our pick

This 6 to 7 hour trip takes you by air-conditioned bus from Barcelona Nord to Montserrat, then to a family-run winery, often Oller del Mas. Guides such as Thais, Vince, Yerai, and Mayi lead the day in English. Check your booking option carefully: wine, tapas, and the winery visit may cost extra.

“Given the cold and intermittent rain, Carlos did a remarkable job of keeping the tour upbeat and organized, despite several persistent stragglers. He knows his job and his voice is clear and articulate. What could have been a disappointing day was quite enjoyable.”

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2.Montserrat Full Day Tour with Farmhouse Lunch and Winery Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,068 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $131

Leave Barcelona for Montserrat’s cliff-top monastery, home of the Black Madonna. You’ll get a guided introduction, free time for views, walks, liquor tasting, or the museum, then ride the cogwheel train down to a 12th-century farmhouse winery in Bages for lunch, wine, and local stories. Guides such as Brian, Oriol, Francesco, and Xavi are known for lively commentary.

“Vincenzo was such an amazing guide and was very friendly and knowledgeable about Monsterrat and Barcelona in general. The transportation was very comfortable and the alone time at Montserrat was perfect to get to see the whole area with my girlfriend before taking the train down to get have lunch and wine at the winery. The food was great and wine even better. Amazing value, would highly recommend.”

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3.Full-Day Montserrat & Wine Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 841 reviews · 9 hours · from $122

Spend nine hours with an English-speaking guide such as Ivan, Sofia, or Xavi, visiting Montserrat’s monastery and Black Madonna before lunch and wine tasting at Oller del Mas, a family-run winery in a 10th-century castle.

“This was my first time traveling with a tour group. I prefer to travel independently and avoid crowds 🤷‍♀️ Despite my bias, I was very pleased with the trip and, especially, with the guide. Michela is a wonderful storyteller, and she also gave recommendations for interesting locations and a ton of practical information about visiting museums. I was impressed with the trip and can definitely recommend the tour company and the wonderful guide. Thank you for a wonderful experience, Michela.”

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4.Premium Montserrat & Wine Full Day Tour from Barcelona

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 531 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $127

Travel from Barcelona to Montserrat for a guided monastery visit, mountain views, and free time, then continue to Oller del Mas or another family-run winery for Catalan lunch and wine tasting. Choose an 8:30 or 9:45 departure, add the cogwheel train, or upgrade to a private cellar tasting.

“This may have been one of the best tours I have ever taken in our many trips over the years. The tour was well-organized, left plenty of time to explore each stop, the scenery was spectacular, and the food and wine were delicious. I can’t say enough about our tour guide, Yerai. I think I learned more about the country from him in 30 minutes than days worth of visits to museums. His commentary was funny and interesting on top of it. It was an amazing day that I will not soon forget.”

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5.Montserrat & Cava Wineries Day Trip from Barcelona w/ Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 218 reviews · 10 hours · from $112

Travel from Barcelona in an air-conditioned minivan with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, visit Montserrat Monastery and its mountain park, then tour Vins El Cep or another family-run Penedès cellar. Expect a small group of up to eight, hotel pickup, free time at Montserrat, and three cava tastings with tapas for an added fee.

“This was a great trip. We were 6 in a maximum 8 group tour which was nice. Marcel was a terrific guide, very informative and helpful. There were quite a few options for things to do at Montserrat, many at extra cost. We did a couple of tram rides and had a great time. A full day tour would be better if you want to take your time and check out the several walk/hike opportunities. It is a beautiful place. The afternoon wine tour was informative and a lot of fun.”

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6.Rías Baixas Galicia Seafood & Wine Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 209 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $50Best value

Spend 9.5 hours touring Galicia’s Rías Baixas from Santiago. Visit an Albariño cellar, see La Lanzada and Illa da Toxa, cruise among mussel farms with unlimited mussels and local wine, then explore O Grove and Combarro with a guide.

“I would give more stars if I could! We had so much fun! Fantastic trip!”

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7.Full-Day Gastronomy and Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 196 reviews · 8 hours · from $97

Spend eight hours exploring Tenerife’s old capital, tasting local cheese and wine at Casa del Vino, then enjoying a four-course Canarian lunch at Bodegas Monje. South-island pickup, transfers, and a live English or Spanish guide are included. Guides such as Christopher, Iskra, and Noemí have helped make this a lively, informative day.

“What a great trip - there was 14 of us and it was a nice group of people. The travel vs food tasting/wine tasting was a good ratio and drives were scenic too. The guide was very nice and easy to understand - clearly passionate.”

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8.Toledo Day Trip with Winery Visit and Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 177 reviews · 8 hours · from $81

Travel from central Madrid to Toledo with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, walk past the cathedral and Plaza de Zocodover, enter Santa María la Blanca, and visit Finca Loranque near Toledo. You will taste three wines with cured meats and cheese. Guides such as Jesus, Raquel, and Daniela have led parts of this route.

“The trip was amazingly fun, starting with our guiding tours and the winery, we had so much fun, we also took in a lot of knowledge. I recommend it to anyone who wants to do a Toledo tour.”

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9.Full-Day Trip Barcelona to Montserrat Monastery & Cava Winery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 158 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $216

Leave Barcelona at 7:50 a.m. in a small group of 15 or fewer for Montserrat Basilica and free time among its mountain paths, market, and museum. Then visit a family-run cava winery, ride a 4x4 through the vines, taste local wines, and enjoy a late farm-to-table lunch. Guides may include Alexandra, Alex, Jordi, or Feliciano.

“This entire tour was exceptional. Feliciano was the perfect guide. The trip to Monserrat was both beautiful and spiritual. Feliciano provided great information and recommendations but also allowed time to explore on our own. I especially liked that we had an early start so we missed the crowds coming later in the morning. The second part of the tour at a local family is Ed winery was everything you would imagine a family owned winery in Spain to be. The wines were exceptional, the interaction with the owner provided a very intimate experience and the lunch out in the middle of the vineyard was not only delicious but also like…”

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10.From Bilbao: La Rioja Wineries Day Trip with Wine Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 118 reviews · 9 hours · from $100

Travel from Bilbao to Rioja with an English or Spanish-speaking guide such as Stéphane, Stephan, Aitor, or Miriam. Tour CVNE in Haro, taste wine, walk through Haro and medieval Laguardia, then visit a small cellar in old underground tunnels. Lunch is free time in Laguardia, and the return route passes Marqués de Riscal in Elciego.

“We had a wonderful day on this wine tour. Stephan is a great tour guide who provides a lot of information in a fun way. The towns of Haro and Laguardia were also worth exploring.”

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11.Full day at the winery, visit, tasting, aperitif and lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 60 reviews · from $74

Spend about three hours at Bodegas Durón near La Horra, touring the winery, tasting three wines, and sampling Castilian specialties. Your aperitif includes churra sheep cheese, grape jam, confit peppers, blood sausage, and oil cake bread. Finish with soup, roast lamb, dessert, coffee, and Crianza in the dining room viewpoint.

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12.Montserrat Private Day Trip with Codorniu Cava Cellar Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $343

Travel by private car from Barcelona to Montserrat and the Penedès Valley with an English-speaking guide. Visit the Benedictine abbey, see La Moreneta with skip-the-line tickets, hike to the Creu de Sant Miquel, and tour Codorníu’s Art Nouveau cava cellars by underground train. Guides such as Pau, Fred, Pedro, and Andy are available depending on the date.

“Full day of great activities! It was such a fun and unique experience and our tour guide was amazing. His knowledge throughout the whole day was perfect.”

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