Montjuïc Cable Car Round-Trip Ticket Barcelona

The Montjuïc cable car ride

The cable car runs for about 750 metres from the Parc de Montjuïc station, close to the upper stop of the Montjuïc funicular, to the Castell station beside the fortress at the top of the hill. The modern cabins hold up to eight people and have large windows on every side, so everyone has a view. The ride takes only a few minutes each way, but the scenery changes constantly as you rise over pine trees and gardens.

Halfway up there is an intermediate station called Mirador, named after the viewpoint beside it. As the cabin climbs, the harbour, the cruise terminals and the long line of the coast appear below, with the grid of the city stretching inland. Is the Montjuïc cable car worth it? For the views alone, many travellers say it is one of the most rewarding short rides in Barcelona.

Montjuïc Castle and the summit viewpoints

At the top, the cable car stops next to Montjuïc Castle, a star-shaped military fortress rebuilt in the 18th century on a hill that has guarded Barcelona for centuries. Its thick walls, moat and bastions overlook the sea on one side and the city on the other. Entry to the castle is not included in this ticket, but the area around the top station and the castle walls offers wide terraces and viewpoints.

From here you can pick out the harbour and its breakwaters, the beaches of Barceloneta, the towers of the Sagrada Família in the distance and the hill of Tibidabo behind the city. On clear days the view reaches far along the coast. Late afternoon, when the low sun lights up the city and the sea, is the best time for photos.

The gardens and sights of Montjuïc hill

Montjuïc hill, about 173 metres high, is Barcelona's largest green space, full of gardens, museums and monuments. Below the cable car you see the terraced cactus garden on the seaward slope, one of the most unusual gardens in Europe, and further inland lie the botanical garden, the Olympic Ring with the stadium built for the 1992 Games, and the grand National Palace housing the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

At the foot of the palace, the Magic Fountain puts on evening shows of water, light and music on selected days. With a round-trip cable car ticket, you can ride up, explore some of these sights on foot or by bus, and return to the top station for the ride down. A Montjuïc visit fills a relaxed half day or more.

How to get to the Montjuïc cable car

If you are wondering how to get to the Montjuïc cable car, the easiest way is to take metro line 2 or 3 to Paral·lel and change to the Montjuïc funicular, which climbs through a tunnel to the Parc de Montjuïc station on Avinguda Miramar, right beside the cable car. City buses also reach the area from Plaça d'Espanya. Many visitors also walk up through the gardens.

Montjuïc cable car opening hours start at 10:00 every day, with closing times in the early evening in winter and later in summer. The best time to ride is in the morning, when queues are shorter, or in the late afternoon for golden light. Strong winds can pause the service for safety, in which case it reopens once conditions improve.