Spain
Girona is Catalonia's best-preserved medieval city and the natural base for the whole northeast corner of Spain.
Its old quarter climbs from the Onyar river in a stack of ochre and rust-coloured houses, past a cathedral with the widest Gothic nave in the world, a Jewish quarter of stone alleys, Arab-style baths, and a Roman and medieval wall you can walk end to end. Forty minutes up the road, Figueres holds Salvador Dali's Theatre-Museum, and the Costa Brava's coves, fishing villages and vineyards sit within an hour: Cadaques and Portlligat, Tossa de Mar, Pals, Peratallada, Besalu and the volcanic hills of La Garrotxa. The walkable city pairs with day trips that make it worth three or four nights, plus a shortlist of hotels in the old quarter and on the coast.
Girona Cathedral, Sant Feliu and Art Museum Pass
One ticket for the Gothic cathedral with the widest single nave in the world, the Romanesque cloister and the Tapestry of the Creation, plus the Sant Feliu church and the Girona Art Museum in the same old-town cluster.
Dali Theatre-Museum and Girona City Small Group Tour
The surreal masterpiece Salvador Dali built in his hometown of Figueres, combined with a visit to Girona, in a small-group day trip that handles the logistics from Girona.
Cadaques and Dali House-Museum Day Trip from Girona
A whitewashed fishing village on a wild coast, the easternmost cape of mainland Spain and the house where Dali lived and worked, with tickets included on a day trip from Girona.
Medieval Besalu: History, Wine and Local Flavors
A fortified Romanesque bridge, a rare medieval Jewish bath and a golden-stone village on the Fluvia river, explored on a guided visit with local wine and flavours.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
One ticket for the Gothic cathedral with the widest single nave in the world, the Romanesque cloister and the Tapestry of the Creation, plus the Sant Feliu church and the Girona Art Museum in the same old-town cluster.
A small-group walk through El Call, the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarter in Spain, with its stone alleys, the Nahmanides story and the Bonastruc ça Porta centre.
A guided tour of the Barri Vell that gets you inside the cathedral, the twelfth-century Arab Baths and the Sant Feliu basilica, with a local guide to connect the dots.
A guided walk along the Passeig de la Muralla, the Roman and medieval ramparts that ring the old town, with hidden corners and the best views over the red-roofed Barri Vell.
Walk the lanes and stairways where season six was filmed, from the cathedral steps that played the Great Sept of Baelor to the alleys of Braavos, with a guide who knows every shooting angle.
A guided walking tour of the postcard Girona: the pastel houses lining the Onyar river, the red iron Eiffel bridge, the Rambla and the squares that connect the old and new towns.
A compact, rewarding museum in the former bishop's palace beside the cathedral, with Romanesque and Gothic altarpieces, medieval sculpture and a thousand years of Catalan art in one building.
A hands-on museum of the pre-history and history of cinema, built around the Tomas Mallol collection of optical toys, magic lanterns and early cameras. A real family favourite in the old quarter.
A guided tasting walk that explores the market, the pastry shops and the old-town bars, with a local explaining Catalan ingredients, xuixo, cured meats, cheese and the Roca brothers' hometown reputation.
After dark Girona turns into a bar-hopping town of tapas, vermouth and Catalan wines. This guided evening tour visits several of the old quarter's best-loved bars, with food and drink at each stop.
The surreal masterpiece Salvador Dali built in his hometown of Figueres, combined with a visit to Girona, in a small-group day trip that handles the logistics from Girona.
The three places that shaped Dali's life and work: the Figueres museum, the castle of Pubol and the seaside house at Portlligat. A guided day trip from Girona linking all the Dali sites.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$Old Town (Barri Vell)
A themed boutique hotel in Girona's old quarter, where the decor and the name nod to the city's legends and the cathedral, the Jewish Quarter and the Onyar are all within a short stroll.
Check rates →Old Town (Barri Vell)
A hotel set in a historic building in Girona's old quarter, favoured by travellers who want character, a central position and a short walk to every major sight.
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$$City Centre / Mercadal
A city-centre hotel on the edge of the old town, practical for rail travellers, with the cathedral and the river a few minutes away and restaurants and shops all around.
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$$$Old Town (Barri Vell)
A small hotel in a centuries-old house in the Barri Vell, a few steps from the cathedral and the Jewish Quarter. Stone walls, quiet lanes and a very short walk to the best of Girona.
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$$Tossa de Mar Town Centre
A characterful hotel in Tossa de Mar's town centre, in a building with a modernist heritage and a short walk to the beach and the walled Vila Vella.
Check rates →Tossa de Mar
A larger, resort-style hotel in Tossa de Mar, popular with families and couples who want facilities, space and an easy walk to the town and the sea.
Check rates →Tossa de Mar
A spa-focused hotel in Tossa de Mar, good for travellers who want relaxation between days on the coast, with the beach and the old town within reach.
Check rates →Cadaques Bay
A hotel on the bay of Cadaques, the whitewashed village beloved by Dali, with sea views, a short walk to the old town and the Dali sights nearby.
Check rates →Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
Girona Cathedral, Sant Feliu and Art Museum PassStay
Hotel Museu Llegendes de GironaOld Town (Barri Vell)
Do
Dali Theatre-Museum and Girona City Small Group TourStay
Hotel HistoricOld Town (Barri Vell)
Do
Cadaques and Dali House-Museum Day Trip from GironaStay
Hotel Playa Sol CadaquesCadaques Bay
A three-day plan that gives the old town a full day, saves one for Dali and the villages, and adds a coastal afternoon, with the order that avoids crowds and the bookings that matter.
Old town or city centre, Girona or the coast, one base or two: how to choose the right neighbourhood and town, and how to split a stay between the city and the sea.
What to eat in Girona and the Emporda, from xuixo and cured meats to rice dishes and local wines, with how to order, when to eat and where to learn it all on a guided tasting.
The best excursions from Girona, from the Dali museum in Figueres to Besalu, the Garrotxa volcanoes, Pals and the coast, with how long each takes and which to combine.
How the seasons shape a trip: festivals and flowers in spring, beach heat in summer, harvest and calm in autumn, and quiet mild days in winter, with crowds, prices and closures by month.
How Girona became Braavos and King's Landing, the stairs, alleys and baths to find, how to walk them in order, and what the city offers beyond the show, including its film museum.
