Girona
Painted houses stacked over the River Onyar, a cathedral with the widest Gothic nave on earth, and a Jewish quarter of stairways and dead ends built for wandering hand in hand.
- Best forCouples · Foodies · Culture seekers
- In April19°C · 11 rainy days
- Ideal stay2–3 nights
- Approx. flying time~12h 05m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyEUREuro
- LanguageSpanish
- Local time11:281h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+34
Why go
Catalonia's fourth city stacks painted houses directly above the River Onyar, with a medieval core behind them of stairways, arcades and ramparts you can walk end to end. The cathedral has the widest Gothic nave ever built, and the Call, the old Jewish quarter, is among the best preserved in Europe. It is compact, moneyed and unusually well fed for a city of its size.
Barcelona is under forty minutes away by high-speed train, which makes this both an easy day trip and a calmer alternative base. The Costa Brava's coves are an hour east by road and the Pyrenees an hour north. Spring and autumn are the best months for walking the old town, and the Temps de Flors festival fills the courtyards with flowers each May.
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
- The vibe
- Stone, water, quietly sophisticated
From our guides
Girona takes Barcelona's crowds and simply declines them. Walk the medieval walls at golden hour for rooftop views to the Pyrenees, then eat seriously well — the city has a startling density of ambitious kitchens for its size.
Featured in Ten candlelit old towns made for slow evenings
Things to do
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The medieval walls
A raised walkway runs along the Carolingian and later ramparts on the city's eastern edge, past towers, gardens and rooftop views.
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Cathedral steps
Ninety baroque steps climb to a cathedral holding the widest Gothic nave anywhere, with a Romanesque cloister tucked behind it.
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The Call
The old Jewish quarter, a knot of stepped alleys and dead ends built around a museum of Catalan Jewish history.
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Houses on the Onyar
Ochre and red façades hanging over the river, best seen from the Pont de Pedra or the red iron footbridge downstream.
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Arab Baths
A twelfth-century Romanesque bathhouse built around a domed, columned changing chamber. It is small, but unusually intact for something of its age.
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Costa Brava coves
The rocky coast around Begur and Calella de Palafrugell, with a coastal footpath linking beaches, an hour east by road.
Getting there
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Fly to
Girona (GRO)
Nearest airport to Girona, about 10km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Girona
About 20 minutes by car or airport bus from Girona-Costa Brava (GRO) into the city. Barcelona airport is the bigger gateway, roughly an hour and a half by car or 40 minutes on the high-speed train from Barcelona Sants.
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On the ground
Getting around
The old town, the walls, the cathedral and the Onyar houses are all within an easy walk of one another. City buses cover the newer districts, and the Costa Brava coves are 45 minutes away by road.
Public transport: Very good for the city itself, with high-speed and regional trains to Barcelona and Figueres. A car helps only for the Costa Brava beaches and Pyrenean villages.
Flights
Los Angeles Girona, Spain
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Roughly 12h 05m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 13°C in January to 31°C in July. Driest in January and February and October; wettest in June, with rain on about 15 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
April19° · rain 11 daysMild with rain most weeks.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Small boutique hotels in restored stone houses, plenty of apartments, and a few business hotels near the station. Little in the way of large chains.
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Best base overall
Barri Vell
The old town packs the cathedral, the walls and the good restaurants into a few stepped streets. Rooms are characterful, often up stairs, and cars cannot reach most doors.
Find stays in Barri Vell -
Best for couples
The Call
The Jewish quarter's stone alleys and courtyards hold the city's prettiest small hotels. Wonderfully quiet at night, though you will climb steps every time you go out.
Find stays in The Call -
Best with children
Parc de la Devesa
Flat streets, the shade of the plane tree park and easier parking, with the old town over the bridge in five minutes. Less atmospheric, considerably more practical.
Find stays in Parc de la Devesa -
Best value
Mercadal
The nineteenth-century grid across the Onyar has ordinary hotels at ordinary prices, plus the market and the everyday city. Ten minutes' walk from everything you came for.
Find stays in Mercadal
Worth knowing before you book: The Temps de Flors flower festival in May fills the old town completely, and cycling groups take many rooms in spring. Book ahead or stay across the river.
Search everything else in Girona by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Getting there
- High-speed trains from Barcelona take under forty minutes, and the city's own airport is served by low-cost airlines from across Europe.
- Timing
- Lunch runs from about two and dinner rarely starts before nine. Many kitchens close entirely on Sunday evening and Monday.
- Pack this
- Comfortable shoes. The old town is steps, ramps and cobbles, and the wall walk involves several tower climbs.
- Book ahead
- The city's better-known kitchens take reservations months out. Book before you travel if eating well is the point of the trip.
- Crowds
- Filming locations from a well-known television series draw tour groups to the cathedral steps in the middle of the day. Early morning is empty.
Similar places
Nearby destinations
Costa Brava
Spain · 32km away →
Cadaqués
Catalonia, Spain · 51km away →
Collioure
France · 64km away →
Barcelona
Spain · 85km away →
PortAventura
Spain · 170km away →
Flamingos in the Camargue
France · 210km away →Elsewhere in Spain
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Girona?
Daytime highs run from about 13°C in January to 31°C in July. Driest in January and February and October; wettest in June, with rain on about 15 days.
How long should I spend in Girona?
Our suggestion: 2–3 nights.
How do I get to Girona?
About 20 minutes by car or airport bus from Girona-Costa Brava (GRO) into the city. Barcelona airport is the bigger gateway, roughly an hour and a half by car or 40 minutes on the high-speed train from Barcelona Sants.
Do I need a car in Girona?
No. Very good for the city itself, with high-speed and regional trains to Barcelona and Figueres. A car helps only for the Costa Brava beaches and Pyrenean villages.
What currency and language are used in Girona?
Currency: Euro (EUR). Language: Spanish. Plugs: type C and F.
Who is Girona best for?
Best for couples, foodies and culture seekers. In a phrase: stone, water, quietly sophisticated.