Girona: Local Wineries Tour with Breakfast and Wine Tasting

The best part of this five-hour outing is the contrast between two small wineries in the Empordà region. At Empordalia, you’ll start with a generous taste of local food and about six wines. At Terra Remota, you’ll see a more modern approach, taste around nine wines, and get a look at the estate’s art collection. The two stops feel genuinely different, not like the same cellar visit repeated twice.

I like the small group of six and the chance to ride through vineyard country rather than arranging separate taxis or a rental car. I also like the food: Catalan sausage, cheese, anchovies, and olive oil give the first tasting a local backbone. The main caution is price. At $175 per person, this makes sense if you value transport, guiding, and a broad tasting, but the second stop may feel less focused on wine for some people.

Key points to know before booking

• About 15 wines: Expect a mix of reds, rosés, and whites, with roughly six at the first winery and nine at the second.
• A proper Catalan breakfast: Local cheese, sausages, anchovies, and olive oil make the first stop more than a quick nibble.
• Two very different wineries: Empordalia leans into food, local products, and traditional cellar culture, while Terra Remota brings in newer methods and a strong art element.
• Small-group transport: The air-conditioned minivan holds no more than six participants, keeping the morning personal and simple.
• Five hours door to door: Most of the day is spent at the wineries, but expect about two and a half hours in the van overall.
• Adults only: The tour is not suitable for children under 18 or people with mobility impairments.

Girona to Empordà by minivan

You meet your guide at Plaça Sant Feliu, beside The River Caffe, on Carrer dels Calderers. There is no hotel pickup, so you’ll need to reach this central meeting point yourself.

The first drive lasts about 70 minutes. That is a fair stretch of road for a five-hour tour, but it also gets you out of Girona and into the Empordà, where vineyards spread across the foothills and slopes of the Albera mountains. The countryside is part of the point here. You are not simply being delivered to a tasting room, then returned to town.

The air-conditioned minivan matters on a half-day outing. You can taste without worrying about driving, and the small group keeps the ride more relaxed than a large coach. With no more than six participants, you have a better chance to ask about grape growing, local food, and the differences between the wineries.

The timing is fairly tight. You have 75 minutes at Empordalia, 90 minutes at Terra Remota, and a total of roughly two and a half hours on the road. If you want a long, slow vineyard lunch or several hours to wander, this is not that kind of tour. It is a focused introduction to the area.

Empordalia: breakfast, local products, and six wines

Empordalia, also called Celler de Vilajuïga, is the first major stop. The visit lasts about 75 minutes and combines a cellar visit, breakfast, regional food, and wine tasting.

This is where the tour feels most rooted in everyday Catalan food culture. You can taste sausages, cheese, anchovies, and olive oil alongside the wine. That combination gives you useful context. A wine tasting on its own can become a parade of glasses. Add salty anchovies, firm cheese, and local sausages, and you get a better sense of how the wines work with the foods people in the region actually eat.

You will taste about six wines here, likely drawn from red, rosé, and white selections. The exact wines can vary, but the scale is manageable. Six wines is enough to compare styles without turning the first stop into a blur of names and tasting notes.

The owners are present to explain how the wine is made, which gives this stop a personal feel. You’ll learn how the cellar combines older methods with newer technology, and you may have the chance to walk among the vines and see the grapes growing. That connection between the vineyard, the cellar, and the breakfast table is one of the strongest reasons to book this tour.

Allow yourself to eat. This is described as a typical Catalan breakfast, not just a token pastry and coffee. If you arrive expecting a full restaurant meal, keep your expectations in check, but the regional food is a meaningful part of the visit.

Terra Remota: modern wine and a different atmosphere

After a roughly 20-minute ride, you reach Terra Remota. The guided visit lasts about an hour and a half, making it the longer of the two winery stops.

Here the emphasis shifts toward a newer generation of wine production. You’ll see how modern technology is used alongside traditional cellar practices, and you’ll taste around nine wines. That is a substantial number for one stop, especially after the first six. Pace yourself, take notes if you care about comparing bottles, and use the provided water between tastes.

Terra Remota also has a notable art collection. That can add interest, particularly if you like the way architecture, art, and wine come together in a winery setting. Still, you should know that the art may receive a fair amount of attention during the visit. If your idea of a perfect wine tour is a laser focus on vines, fermentation, and barrels, this stop may feel slightly off center.

The wine tasting itself remains a major part of the visit. You’ll have nine wines on offer, and the range should help you compare the two producers. The value question is more complicated here. Some of the wines may feel expensive, and the estate’s environmental awards do not automatically make every bottle worth its price to you. Treat the tasting as a chance to understand the producer, not as pressure to buy.

If you do purchase wine, check the bill carefully before leaving. One person had a problem with being charged twice for a bottle. That may have been an isolated mistake, but it is a sensible habit at any winery, especially after several tastings.

Why Empordà wine country is worth the drive

The Empordà region gives this outing its sense of place. Vineyards take advantage of the slopes near the Albera mountains, so the drive is not just empty transfer time. You are seeing the setting that shapes the local wine.

The tour also shows two ways of presenting wine. Empordalia connects the bottle to local food and the people who make it. Terra Remota presents a more polished, modern setting, with technology and art sharing space with the cellar. Neither approach is automatically better. Together, they give you a more useful picture than visiting two similar producers.

I especially like that the owners are involved in explaining the wine. A small winery visit can answer questions that a large commercial tasting often skips. You can ask about cellar methods, the grapes, and how tradition fits with present-day production. The guide adds local context during the drives and between visits.

The tour is conducted in English or Spanish. The guide is described as an expert local wine guide, and previous guests have praised the friendliness, clear explanations, and local knowledge of the guiding team. No individual guide names are provided, so you should not expect a named host when booking.

Is $175 a fair price?

At $175 per person, this is not a cheap tasting. The value comes from the package rather than the wine alone.

You are paying for:

• Transportation in an air-conditioned minivan
• A five-hour guided outing from central Girona
• Entrance to two wineries
• About 15 wine samples
• A Catalan breakfast and regional foods
• A local guide who handles the route and explanations
• A small group capped at six people

If you rented a car, you would still need to plan a safe route, designate a driver, arrange two winery visits, and find a breakfast stop. The tour removes that work and lets everyone taste. For a short visit to Girona, that convenience has real value.

The price feels stronger if you are interested in both wine and food. It feels weaker if you mainly want to sample a few bottles cheaply. You should also remember that the tasting includes many wines. Quantity is not everything, but this is a broad introduction rather than a single-producer tasting.

The second winery may affect your judgment. Some people will enjoy the modern setting and art collection. Others may feel that the visit spends too much time away from the wine, particularly at this price. The first winery is likely to be the clearest value for anyone who cares most about local breakfast and direct contact with the wine makers.

Who will enjoy this half-day outing?

This tour suits adults who want a guided introduction to Catalan wine without renting a car. It is particularly useful if you are staying in Girona and want to see the surrounding countryside in a compact morning or afternoon.

Food lovers should pay attention to the breakfast stop. The combination of sausages, cheese, anchovies, olive oil, and wine gives you more local flavor than a standard cellar tour. You’ll also get a chance to walk around vineyard areas and see how the grapes grow.

The small group is a strong fit for anyone who prefers questions and conversation over a large bus group. It also works well for couples or friends who want transport arranged but do not want a private tour.

This is not a good choice for children under 18, and it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. The day includes van travel, winery visits, and possible vineyard walking, so you should be comfortable with that format.

It may not suit you if you want a long lunch, extensive free time, or a highly technical wine seminar. The schedule moves from Girona to the first winery, then to Terra Remota, then back to Girona. You get variety, but not much spare time.

Practical details that can shape your day

The meeting point is beside The River Caffe at Plaça Sant Feliu. Since hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, plan your route to the square before the start time.

The full outing lasts five hours. The first transfer is about 70 minutes, the ride between wineries is about 20 minutes, and the return drive is about one hour. The rest of the time is split between breakfast, tastings, and guided visits.

A bottle of water is included, but it is still wise to pace yourself. Around 15 wines is a lot for one morning or afternoon, even with food. You do not need to finish every pour to get value from the tasting.

The tour accepts reservations with payment later, and you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Starting times vary, so check the available departure when choosing your date.

The tour carries a 4.7 rating from three published ratings. The strongest praise centers on friendly guides, clear local commentary, and the contrast between the two wineries. The main reservations concern Terra Remota’s art focus, the perceived cost of some wines, and a billing error involving one bottle.

Should you book this Girona wine tour?

Book it if you want a convenient, small-group route into Empordà wine country, with a genuine Catalan breakfast and a wide tasting of about 15 wines. The combination of food, countryside, local hosts, and two contrasting wineries gives you more range than a single cellar visit.

Think twice if $175 feels high for a tasting, or if you want every minute centered on wine production. Terra Remota may not match your idea of a classic family cellar, and the second stop includes a strong art element.

My practical call: wine-and-food fans should consider booking, especially without a car. If you mainly want the most local and personal part of the day, pay special attention to Empordalia, the breakfast, and the first six wines. That is where the tour’s strongest sense of Catalonia comes through.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

Meet your guide at Plaça Sant Feliu, beside The River Caffe.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts five hours.

How many wineries do you visit?

You visit two wineries, Empordalia, also known as Celler de Vilajuïga, and Terra Remota.

How many wines will I taste?

You will taste approximately 15 wines, including a choice of red, rosé, and white wines.

Is food included?

Yes. A typical Catalan breakfast is included, with regional products such as cheese and sausages. The experience also includes local foods such as anchovies and olive oil.

Is the tour suitable for children or people with mobility impairments?

No. The tour is not suitable for children under 18 or people with mobility impairments.