Girona, a provincial capital about 60 kilometres from the French border, is one of the oldest cities in Catalonia. The Romans founded it more than two thousand years ago, and that history is still there to read in the walls of every Old Town street.
A city with more than 2,000 years of living history
Tapas, DO Empordà wines, and signature cuisine
Small, walkable, and well connected by train
This tour brings together food and history the way only Girona can. We take you to three of the best local spots to taste what people actually eat here, with a guided walk through the old town in between.
Over these three and a half hours, your guide walks you inside the monuments that best sum up Girona and tells the story of each one on the spot. It is a route led by someone who knows this old Roman and medieval city inside out, and who clearly enjoys sharing it.
In the heart of Girona's old town lies the Jewish Quarter, one of the places to see if you are spending a few days in the city. The Call is as much a part of Girona's identity as any of its monuments, and its medieval lanes have a way of staying with you long after the walk is over.
On this tour we cover both the key monuments and the story of medieval Girona. We follow a route that leaves nothing out, so you can take in every corner of the old town at a good pace.
Girona is best enjoyed on foot and without rushing: you can cross the old town in twenty minutes, though nobody does, because every corner asks you to stop. After years of guiding tours through these streets, we have gathered here what we genuinely recommend to anyone arriving for the first time: monuments, the market, a bridge with a story, and a park to catch your breath.
Documented since the year 888, the Call of Girona is one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe, and you notice it the moment you step in: cobbled alleys, stairs that climb and drop without warning, hidden courtyards. Walk it along the Carrer de la Força, step into the old synagogue, and let yourself get lost in the side lanes; it is small, but nobody finds their way through on the first try.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary crowns the city at the top of a staircase of 90 steps that impresses more than it tires. Inside waits the widest Gothic nave in the world: 22.98 metres with not a single column to break the space. We always ask our groups to stop in the middle and look up; the silence that falls says it all.
Nearly everyone calls the Peixateries Velles bridge the Iron Bridge, and it is the photo of Girona: from its red frame you can see the colourful houses leaning over the Onyar. Crossing it takes a minute; finding a gap between the cameras, a little longer. Our trick is to go first thing in the morning, when the light hits the façades and the calm still holds.
If, after all that stone, you want to put the timeline in order, the History Museum of Girona helps a great deal: it walks you through the city's development room by room, from its origins to recent times, and it sits right in the heart of the old town. For us it is the place that answers the question every tour throws up: "and what period is this from?".
The Lleona Market is where locals buy their food, and you can taste it in the produce: cheeses, cured meats from the area, and seasonal fruit. Try something on the spot or take a good piece of cheese for the road; few souvenirs survive a suitcase better. If you want more detail, we give it a full entry in the shopping section of this guide.
When the group has covered enough stone for one day, we point them towards the Devesa: a large park a few minutes from the old town, with wide paths and plenty of shade. Perfect for a picnic, a discreet nap, or simply for walking a while with no map in hand.
And if you can choose your dates, come in May: during Temps de Flors the courtyards and monuments fill with flowers and the whole city turns into an exhibition. It is the Girona we most love showing off, though every month has its own good version of the city.
Discover Girona with a local guide. Small groups, free cancellation.
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More than two thousand years of history leave a mark, and in Girona you can actually touch it: Roman stone, Romanesque, Gothic, and the Jewish quarter within barely a kilometre of old town. These are the six monuments that never miss from our routes, with what is worth knowing about each one.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary sums up the city: 90 steps of staircase and, inside, a Gothic nave without columns that is the widest in the world in its style. If the staircase looks familiar, that is because it appeared in Game of Thrones. From the top, the view over the rooftops of the Barri Vell justifies the climb on its own.
The walls, Carolingian in origin, ring the old town and can be walked along the top, from tower to tower. It is a stroll we always take when the weather allows: the whole city on one side and, on clear days, the Pyrenees in the distance. Go up at any of the access points and come down wherever you like; the route is an easy one.
The Jewish community of Girona is documented from the year 888, and its quarter has reached our day astonishingly intact. Walk its narrow streets, step into the old synagogue, and notice how the Call climbs up the slope, folded in on itself. Few European cities keep a whole like this one.
Sant Pere de Galligants, documented as far back as the 10th century, is the essential Romanesque visit in the city. You can walk through its church and cloister, which host history and archaeology exhibitions, and since it sits a little off the busiest circuit, you can usually take it in at a calm pace.
Despite the name, the Arab Baths were built in the 12th century, following the model of baths in the Islamic tradition. The route runs through the cold, warm, and hot rooms, and in ten minutes you get a very clear idea of how washing and social life worked in the medieval city. We visit them quickly, but we always come back.
The Plaça de la Independència is where everyday Girona beats: arcades, terraces full at vermouth hour, and locals crossing towards the bridge. It sits just across the Onyar from the Barri Vell, which makes it the natural stop to close the route with something cold in hand while you decide what you liked most.
Six monuments, two thousand years, and less than a kilometre between the first and the last: that is the scale of Girona. You can see them on your own in one long morning, and with someone to tell you what the plaques leave out, they gain a great deal.
Also explore our complete guide to monuments in the province of Girona.
See monuments →You eat very well in Girona, and we do not say that lightly: here one of the best restaurants in the world sits alongside taverns where the set menu costs what a couple of coffees do in other capitals. This is our short list, the same one we hand over when someone asks at the end of the tour.
There is little we can add about El Celler de Can Roca that has not already been said: three Michelin stars and years settled among the best restaurants in the world. The Roca brothers work local produce with cutting-edge technique, and eating there is an event in its own right. The tasting menu with wine pairing runs at around €400 per person and the tables fill up fast, so book well in advance.
The Plaça del Vi gathers terraces and spots for tapas without stepping a metre away from the historic centre. It is a good place to try DO Empordà wines with something to nibble, watch the city go by, and settle the rest of the afternoon without rushing. It fills up at lunchtime, so go with time to spare.
Casa Flora is one of those addresses passed on in a low voice: Catalan cooking with the odd modern twist and prices around €20–30 per person. That value for money explains its good ratings on Tripadvisor and Google, and also why it pays to arrive early or book a table. For a first taste of Girona cooking, there are few safer bets.
Casa Marieta has been feeding Girona for 130 years, and in the restaurant trade that is a track record hard to argue with. Its menu is the one it has always had: traditional Catalan cooking, honest dishes, and serious portions, served in a place with real history. The average bill runs between €25 and €40 per person, and the reviews on Tripadvisor and Google keep up with the reputation. We recommend it to anyone who wants to try the Catalan classics the way they have always been made, with no reinterpretations or gimmicks.
La Taverna del Foment is the address we hand out most often at the end of our tours, and it never lets us down: Catalan cooking with modern touches, fresh produce, and the atmosphere of a proper tavern. You eat very well for around €15–25 per person, which in the middle of Girona is close to a bargain, and its scores on Tripadvisor and Google confirm it visit after visit. If you have only one meal in the city and do not want to gamble on it, this is our short answer.
La Regolta is a classic among locals: Catalan cooking with modern details, a warm welcome, and moderate prices that hold up a value for money hard to beat. The reviews on Google speak well of the service, the atmosphere, and the food, and they match what travellers who follow the tip tell us. It is where we send anyone who has already ticked off the essentials and wants to eat where locals eat.
From the €400 at the Celler to a tavern set menu there is a whole range, and that is the beauty of eating in Girona: there is a table for every day and every budget. Book when you can, order wine from the area and, whatever you do, always leave room for dessert.
Read our full guide with prices, locations and tips for each restaurant.
Full guide: where to eat →Want to discover the hidden food spots only locals know?
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Girona is not a city of big shopping malls: here you shop on foot. Almost everything worth browsing sits on either bank of the Onyar, between the Rambla de la Llibertat and the streets of the Barri Vell, so you can mix shopping and a walk without ever touching the car. In this section we tell you where to find local shops, a fresh-produce market, and, for the practical stuff, one large department store.
The Barri Vell holds the shops with the most character in the city: small boutiques, antique dealers, and old family businesses scattered along the cobbled streets. We have been crossing it with our groups for years, and we still stop at new window displays in alleys where nobody would expect a shop. End the walk at the Plaça de la Independència, where the shops give way to café terraces.
If you want to take a bit of flavour home, head to the Lleona Market. This is where locals do their shopping: seasonal fruit and vegetables, artisan cheeses and cured meats from the area, plus the odd craft stall. We usually suggest going mid-morning, when the stalls are full and the atmosphere is still that of a neighbourhood. A well-wrapped wedge of cheese is one of the best souvenirs that fits in a suitcase.
The Carrer de la Força climbs through the middle of the Call, and small shops selling fashion, design, and crafts have opened between its stone walls. Do not look for big chains here: what makes it interesting are the one-off pieces, the local brands, and the shops that bet on sustainable goods. It is a short street, but you rarely walk up it without ending up inside somewhere.
Not everything has to be a charming little shop. If you need something specific (clothes, electronics, whatever you forgot to pack), the El Corte Inglés in Girona solves it under one roof, just outside the old town. It also has a café and a restaurant if you want a break. Our advice is simple: buy what you need, then head straight back to the streets of the Barri Vell, because that is where the good part is.
At Riu Galligants almost everything is made by hand: ceramics, textiles, and jewellery by Catalan artisans, with pieces you will not find repeated in any other city. This is the shop we point people to when someone is after a Girona souvenir that is not a fridge magnet. Take your time inside, because the pieces ask to be looked at one by one.
Shopping in Girona is, above all, a good excuse to walk it: from the market to the boutiques of the Barri Vell is ten minutes of streets that are worth the walk on their own. Our last tip comes from guides and food lovers at once: if you have only one gap left in your suitcase, fill it with a bottle of DO Empordà wine or something from the market. Those are the souvenirs that age best, even if they rarely make it home in one piece.
Choosing where to stay here is easy: the city is compact, and almost any central option leaves the monuments a short walk away. Even so, sleeping inside the Barri Vell is not the same as staying beside the shopping district. These are the options travellers most often ask us about on our tours, with what is genuinely worth knowing about each.
The Hotel Peninsular is a simple, practical hotel right in the centre, a few minutes on foot from the old town. Its strong point is the location: step out the door and you are already in walking territory, with the Onyar and its bridges close by. If your plan is to spend the day covering the city and go back only to sleep, it is a practical base that delivers what it promises without fuss.
The Nord 1901 is a central boutique hotel, a short walk from the Barri Vell. It occupies a renovated building that pairs up-to-date interiors with details from the original construction, and guests tend to speak well of the welcome. The location does the rest, putting everything within walking distance.
The AC Hotel Palau de Bellavista sits up high, in the Bellavista area, and that is its calling card: good views over Girona from the building. It is a modern chain hotel, with the services you would expect of its category, and the old town is a downhill walk away. The way back, mind you, is uphill: bear that in mind if you are travelling with big suitcases or with kids.
The Hotel Historic is inside the Call itself, among stone walls: step out of the hotel and you are already in medieval Girona. It is a small boutique hotel, and the streets around it are among the prettiest in the city. Do bear in mind that you reach it on foot, so a manageable suitcase is the better choice.
The Hotel Ultònia is a contemporary hotel in the centre of Girona, in the newer part of town but a few minutes on foot from the Barri Vell. Unlike the plainer Peninsular, here the strong point is comfort: up-to-date rooms and service that travellers tend to praise when they come back from the tours. Its position lets you combine both Gironas without a car: the commercial one, with shops and cafés around it, and the monumental one, just across the Onyar. If you are after a middle ground between a functional hotel and a boutique one, it is probably the most balanced option in the centre.
If you would rather have your own kitchen and no fixed mealtimes, there are plenty of well-located tourist apartments in the centre. They are the option we tend to suggest to families and to anyone staying more than two or three nights, because the extra space is welcome and lets you live the city at a different pace. A few of the operators with the biggest presence in Girona are these:
Whatever you choose, remember that Girona is a walking city: prioritise being able to set off on foot towards the Barri Vell and you will have half the visit sorted. And if you are torn between two options, write to us with no obligation; we know the city street by street and are glad to help.
There is life beyond the photo on the bridge: guided routes, history at street level, good food, and corners you only find by going with someone who knows them. In this section we tell you which activities are worth it and how we set them up at Free Walking Tours Girona, since we have spent years walking this city for a reason.
Behind Free Walking Tours Girona are Rosa Maria, Pol, Alexia, Rosa, and Alex, a small team of local guides who have been telling this city's story for years. Our Old Town tour lasts two and a half hours and goes out in groups of no more than 8 people: that way everyone can hear well, ask more, and nobody gets left behind on the climbs.
When we talk about Girona as a medieval capital, we think of four specific stops: the historic centre, Girona Cathedral, the Call (Jewish quarter), and the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants. These are the four treasures that shape our routes, and at each one we try to go beyond the fact sheet: what happened there, who lived within those walls, and why they are still standing after so many centuries.
We run guided tours in Spanish and English almost every day of the year, so it is rare for anyone to miss out on a spot in their own language. From the Cathedral staircase to the alleys of the Jewish quarter, the route carries the same care in both languages: checked history, good anecdotes, and time for questions, which is where the best conversations come from.
Girona is small, but on your own you lose a lot of time hesitating: which way to climb up to the wall, when it is best to go into the Cathedral, which street leads where. Going with a guide sorts that out at the root. We order the route to dodge the busiest hours at the crowded spots, and the two and a half hours give you as much as a full day would on your own.
On our tours the food comes up on its own: it is impossible to talk about Girona without talking about what you eat here. Along the way we tell you which dishes to try, where they nail them, and which wine from the area to order, so that by the end of the visit you already have your dining plan sorted. The city makes more sense on a full stomach.
You do not have to take our word for it: on Tripadvisor, Civitatis, and Google there are thousands of reviews from travellers who have walked Girona with Free Walking Tours Girona, and they lay out in detail what works and why. We read them all: we boast about the good ones and take note of what could be better, because there is plenty to learn there too.
We are putting together our own tourist map of Girona, with the essential monuments, suggested routes, and our tips on where to eat, meant to keep you exploring once the guided tour ends. It will be here very soon; in the meantime, your guide points out by word of mouth whatever you need: where to eat nearby, what to see with the time you have left, and how to get there without going the long way round.
If you are looking for a guided visit in Girona, this is ours: local guides, small groups, and a city we know street by street after years of walking it. Book your spot, come in comfortable shoes, and bring questions; answering them is the part of the job we like most, and the one that makes every tour different from the last.
Book your guided walking tour of Girona. Skip the line, with a local guide, in English or Spanish.
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