Girona, Spain: A One-Day Old Town Itinerary, Ticket Prices and Where to Stay
The city walls at 8 a.m., the cathedral with the widest Gothic nave, the Arab Baths and the Jewish Quarter, in an order that fits their opening hours.
- 75 ft wide: the cathedral’s Gothic nave
- 62 mi from Barcelona
- €7.50 cathedral and Sant Feliu ticket
- 86°F average July high
Girona sits 62 miles northeast of Barcelona and 40 miles from the French border, and most first-time visitors come for its compact old town: a Roman fortress from the 1st century BC, a cathedral, a 12th-century bathhouse and what the city’s tourist office calls one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in the world.
Everything is walkable, but the sites keep different hours, and that is what decides your route. Hours and prices below come from the City of Girona, the cathedral and the Museum of Jewish History, checked on October 21, 2026.
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- One day in Girona
- Tickets and hours
- Guided tours
- Getting there from Barcelona
- Where to stay
- Weather and Temps de Flors
- Insurance, data, emergencies
- FAQ
- Sources
How to see Girona’s Old Town in one day
Start on the walls, which open hours before anything else, then work downhill through the cathedral and Sant Feliu before the Arab Baths and the Call close early on Sundays. Add a second day if you want the museums or the Sant Daniel valley.
8 a.m.: the city walls
The Passeig de la Muralla opens at 8 a.m. year-round and stays open until 9 p.m. (11 p.m. from June through August). The path follows sections of the 9th-century Carolingian walls, which the city bills as the longest in Europe, and its towers double as lookouts over the rooftops.
10 a.m.: Girona Cathedral and Sant Feliu
Climb the grand Baroque staircase to a building that took from the 11th to the 18th century to finish. Inside, the Gothic vault of the nave spans 23 meters (about 75 feet), which the tourist office describes as the widest in the world. The Romanesque cloister and the Charlemagne Tower are the oldest parts.
The same ticket covers the Basilica of Sant Feliu just below, the city’s first cathedral until the 10th century. Look for its eight pagan and early Christian sarcophagi from the 4th century and Aloi de Montbrai’s 14th-century Recumbent Christ.
Late morning: the Arab Baths
Despite the name, the Banys Àrabs are a 12th-century Romanesque building modeled on Roman baths, with a dome on slender columns over the central pool. Lines get long during Temps de Flors in May.
Afternoon: the Call, Girona’s Jewish Quarter
A tangle of narrow lanes and courtyards inside the old Roman enclosure, the Força Vella. The Museum of Jewish History has its entrance at Carrer de la Força 8; on Mondays and Sundays it closes at 2 p.m., so plan a weekday afternoon if you can. If you would rather have context, a guided Jewish heritage tour with museum visit covers both.
Evening: the Onyar River houses
End on the bridges facing the painted riverfront houses, between the light Gómez footbridge and the Palanques Vermelles bridge of 1827. One of the houses, Casa Masó, is open to visitors.
Girona ticket prices and opening hours
Budget about €16.50 per adult for the cathedral, the Arab Baths and the Jewish museum. The walls walk has no published fee.
| Site | Adult ticket | Hours, Sept 16 to Oct 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Cathedral + Sant Feliu | €7.50 | Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 10–7, Sun 12–6 |
| Arab Baths | €3 | Mon–Sat 10–6, Sun 10–2 |
| Jewish History Museum | €6 | Tue–Sat 10–6, Sun–Mon 10–2 |
Ways to pay less: the Jewish History Museum is free on the first Sunday of every month and for kids up to 16. The cathedral is free under age 7, and a €12 combined ticket adds the Art Museum. The city’s GironaMuseus M6 pass gives 50% off at six museums.
From November 1 to March 14, the cathedral closes at 5 p.m.; from June 15 to September 15 it stays open until 7 p.m. on weekdays. It is closed December 25, January 1 and Good Friday.
Guided tours and activities in Girona
Below are options from our partner GetYourGuide. If you want the monuments without a guide, the cathedral, Art Museum and Sant Feliu pass bundles the same three sites as the official combined ticket, so compare the price with the €12 sold on site before booking.
See all Girona tours and activities on GetYourGuide
How do you get to Girona from Barcelona?
By high-speed train. Girona is a stop on the Madrid–Barcelona–French border line, and its Adif station sits in the city center on Plaça d’Espanya. Renfe sells the tickets and publishes the schedules.
- Flying into Barcelona-El Prat (about 68 miles away): Sagalés runs a coach from the airport to Girona.
- Flying into Girona-Costa Brava (about 7 miles away): Sagalés and FrogBus coaches go to Girona’s bus station, and there is an official taxi stand.
- Driving a rental car: a low emission zone covers 1.94 km² (about 0.75 sq mi) of the city, weekdays 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. since September 15, 2025. Foreign-plated cars entering on more than 24 days a year must register at zbe.cat; ask your rental company and hotel how this applies.
Where to stay in Girona
Stay in the Barri Vell (Old Town) to walk out your door onto the walls, or near the train station if Girona is your base for day trips to Figueres and the Costa Brava.
Barri Vell (Old Town)
Between the cathedral, the Rambla de la Llibertat and Plaça del Vi, home to the tourist office. Best for early starts on the walls and evenings by the river.
Near the train station
Around Plaça d’Espanya, with high-speed trains and a 24-hour staffed parking garage at the station. Practical if you arrive by car or plan to day-trip.
Check current prices and reviews for Girona hotels
When is the best time to visit Girona?
May, June, September and October bring average highs between 71°F and 80°F, according to Spain’s weather agency, AEMET. July and August average 86°F. October is the wettest month at 3.5 inches, July the driest at 1.3 inches.
- Jan 34 / 56°F
- Feb 35 / 57°F
- Mar 39 / 62°F
- Apr 43 / 66°F
- May 50 / 72°F
- Jun 58 / 80°F
- Jul 63 / 86°F
- Aug 63 / 86°F
- Sep 57 / 79°F
- Oct 51 / 71°F
- Nov 41 / 62°F
- Dec 36 / 56°F
Average monthly low and high, Girona Airport station, AEMET 1981-2010 normals. Dark blue: high below 50°F. Light blue: 50 to 67°F. Yellow: 68 to 81°F. Orange: 82°F and above.
| Month | Low / high | Rain (days) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 / 56°F | 2.4 in (4.9) |
| Feb | 35 / 57°F | 2.0 in (4.9) |
| Mar | 39 / 62°F | 2.0 in (5.1) |
| Apr | 43 / 66°F | 2.6 in (7.1) |
| May | 50 / 72°F | 2.8 in (7.3) |
| Jun | 58 / 80°F | 2.4 in (5.1) |
| Jul | 63 / 86°F | 1.3 in (3.2) |
| Aug | 63 / 86°F | 1.8 in (5.1) |
| Sep | 57 / 79°F | 2.8 in (6.5) |
| Oct | 51 / 71°F | 3.5 in (6.4) |
| Nov | 41 / 62°F | 2.8 in (5.2) |
| Dec | 36 / 56°F | 2.2 in (4.7) |
Temps de Flors in May: Girona’s flower festival filled 113 spaces with 141 installations for its 71st edition, May 9 to 17, 2026. Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat reported more than 400,000 visitors the year before. Book early if your dates overlap.
Travel insurance, phone data and emergencies
Medical emergencies: dial 061. The main public hospital is the Hospital Universitari Doctor Josep Trueta on Avinguda de França. Pharmacies typically open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 to 8 p.m. on weekdays, with an after-hours rota posted on their doors.
Check what your own health plan covers in Spain before you go. Our partner SafetyWing sells Nomad Insurance Essential; confirm eligibility on its quote page. With code ADVISEDTRAVELER, first-time customers get 8 weeks of the Electronics Theft add-on free on 4-week subscription or annual Essential plans: click the pink camera on the Nomad Insurance page and enter the code before creating your account. The add-on then renews as a paid option. Readers living in Europe can look at Chapka’s Cap Assistance 24/7.
EU “roam like at home” rules only cover SIM cards from EU carriers, so compare your US carrier’s international plan with an eSIM from Yesim, our partner; check Spain coverage before you buy. Entry rules and other Spanish cities are in our Spain travel guide.
Girona FAQ
Is one day enough for Girona?
Yes for the walls, cathedral, Sant Feliu, Arab Baths, Jewish Quarter and Onyar houses. Plan two days to add the museums, Sant Pere de Galligants and the Sant Daniel valley.
How much does Girona Cathedral cost?
€7.50 for an adult, including the Basilica of Sant Feliu and an audio guide, or €12 with the Art Museum. Children under 7 get in free.
Can you do a day trip to Girona from Barcelona?
Yes. High-speed trains stop at Girona’s central station, about 62 miles from Barcelona, and the Old Town is walkable from there.
Are Girona’s city walls free?
The city lists opening hours (8 a.m. to 9 p.m., or 11 p.m. in summer) but no admission fee for the walls walk.
Sources
All pages checked on October 21, 2026.
- City of Girona Tourist Office, Historic City, The Força Vella, The Walls and Houses on the River Onyar.
- City of Girona Tourist Office, The Cathedral, Basilica of Sant Feliu, The Arab Baths and The Jewish Quarter (hours, prices).
- Museum of Jewish History, Girona, Information (hours, admission).
- City of Girona Tourist Office, How to get here, By train and By air.
- City of Girona, Low Emission Zone.
- City of Girona Tourist Office, Practical information (health, emergencies, pharmacies).
- AEMET (Spanish State Meteorological Agency), climate normals, Girona Aeropuerto (1981-2010).
- 3Cat, Temps de flors 2026 a Girona (in Catalan, April 30, 2026, updated May 14, 2026).
- Your Europe (European Union), Roaming.
Maintained by The Advised Traveler Team. Hours change with the seasons, and the cathedral can close for services; check the official pages before you go. Spot an error? Let us know.