roman ruins tour

3-day tour

Tarragona, known as Tarraco in Roman times, was the first and most important city established by the Romans when they expanded into the Iberian Peninsula. It grew into a major administrative and commercial hub in Roman Spain. Today, you can still see well-preserved aqueducts, amphitheaters, ancient roads, protective walls, and other physical remnants that offer a glimpse into how Roman citizens lived over 2,000 years ago.

Our journey begins in Barcelona (once Barcino), where traces of Roman history still remain, before heading down to Tarragona and its surrounding areas. As we ride the region’s best backroads, you'll not only enjoy stunning scenery but also dive into the history of how the Romans expanded their empire to the far reaches of the Mediterranean.

Along the way, we'll visit key historical sites from the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. The Goths, followed by the Muslim Moors, and later the Christian Reconquista, all left their mark on the region. We’ll explore important medieval towns and monasteries, uncovering the layers of history that followed Rome's departure.

“The tour never strays far from its core of riding the best roads in Spain. But it’s nice to have a touch of history sprinkled within to contextualise the route and region. ”
— Lawson Taylor
“I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to the Roman Empire, combinng two things I love, history and riding motorcycles”
— Fraser Gillies

Itinerary

 

day 1

We start in Barcelona, exploring it’s Roman roots and the sites that provide the evidence. Then we make our way to Tarragona, by way of ‘via Augustus’, the roadway established by Roman Emporer Augustus who resided in Tarraco, as it was called in those times.

Morning ___________ Roman walls, Barcelona
__________________ Montjuic, Barcelona
__________________ Mediterranean coastal route
__________________ Coffee/drink break: Aiguaviva
__________________ Via Augusta
_____________________ Roman Arch
__________________ ___Scipio's Tower
Afternoon__________ Lunch: Tarragona
__________________ Check in hotel
__________________ Prades Mountains

day 2

We’ll highlight some of the Roman sites in Tarragona prior to exploring the Serra de Montsant mountain range.

Morning ___________ Roman Circus
__________________ Amphitheater
__________________ Serra de Montsant

Afternoon__________ Lunch: Siurana
__________________ Siurana River and Plains
__________________ Les Ferreres Aqueduct

day 3

Otherside of the Prades Mountains, monastaries of Romaneque archietcture and Monserrat

Morning ___________ Roman Walls
__________________ Prades Mountains
__________________ Santa María de Poblet Monastery


Afternoon__________ Montblanc Medieval Town
__________________ Monserrat
__________________ Monastery of Sant Cugat
__________________ return to Barcelona

Basecamp: tarragona

Tarragona, once known as Tarraco, was the first Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula and a key administrative center of Roman Spain. Founded in 218 BC, Tarraco quickly became a thriving hub for trade and governance. Today, the city offers a glimpse into its ancient past with some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Spain that include the grand amphitheater overlooking the Mediterranean, the impressive aqueduct known as the "Devil’s Bridge," the Roman circus where chariot races once took place, and sections of the original city walls—all offering a vivid picture of life in Roman times.

dining options

El Cup Vell. Started by a group of friends who, individually, worked in top restaurants around the world, has returned to their hometown of Tarragona to create a restaurant experience they themselves would want to dine at. They focus on celebrating the flavors of the region, using locally sourced ingredients and crafting a menu that constantly evolves with the seasons and availability of fresh produce.

Restaurant Siurana. This renowned family-run restaurant has been celebrating Catalonia’s culinary heritage for over fifty years. With a commitment to tradition and quality, they raise their own lamb and goat, produce wine from their own vineyards, and craft organic sausages on-site.

Restaurant La Llosa. At La Llosa, you’ll enjoy dishes crafted with care, blending traditional recipes with creative twists using local, seasonal ingredients from the Prades region. Savor specialties like volcanic stone-grilled meats and "caracoles a la llauna," paired with DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant wines, all under the warmth of a cozy wood ceiling and open fire.

This tour includes lunch for each riding day. For breakfast and dinner, you’ll have the freedom to explore Tarragona’s multiple dinning options.

Accommodation Options

Apartment

Our friends at Catalan Adventures have a wonderful four-bedroom apartment in a lovely town situated on the Ebro River, which once marked the dividing line between the Roman and Carthaginian territories and later served as the backdrop for a key battle during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

Each bedroom of this luxury apartment is equiped with double beds and the flat has three full-sized balconies that provide sweeping views of the surrounding mountain range.

Hotel

We provide two hotel options, both are 4-star hotels with modern luxuries, however, one is just outside the city centre (less than 3 km out) and the other in the heart of Tarragona. The difference being parking, inside the city centre will be street parking while the other option has a dedicated parking lot.

Available Tours

April Tour

May Tour: First Ride

May Tour: Second Ride

10.04.25 - 13.04.25

02.05.25 - 05.05.25

08.05.25 - 11.05.25

Find the available dates on the calendar to reserve or click button below

pricing

€570/rider

what’s included, what’s not

Included

  • Accommodations

  • Breakfast and lunch

  • Tour fee

  • Riding equipment (if necessary)

Not included

  • Motorcycle rental

  • Dinners

  • Alcohol

  • Fuel costs

  • Tolls (we generally avoid tolls)

  • No, it won't be a problem. In many cases, people who you interact with have basic understanding of English. And your guide is a native English speaker with fluency in Spanish.

  • Yes, we can make tweaks to the tour schedule. If you are booking with a group of 4+ people, it gives us greater flexibility in creating a custom tour schedule for you. Send us a message requesting changes to the tour.

  • All tours are created to accommodate riders of all abilities and the pace is moderate so that we fully experience the ride and surroundings

  • If you cancel......

    • 120 days out: full refund of the deposit

    • 60 days out: loss of deposit and 50% deposit of tour cost

    • 30 days out or less: loss of deposit and 100% of your cost

  • Yes of course. There is additional fees to cover accommodations, food and any required gear

  • It is not require, but we recommend doing so

  • Most rental agencies will require that you have an international driver's license (IDL). It's a very easy process, you can complete the process within 20 mintues on the IDL website.

  • We cap our tours to 6 riders, not including potential passengers. We typically try to book groups of 4-6 riders, offers a better, more unique, experience rather than larger groups that require cookie cutter experiences to handle the logistics.

  • Please bring clothing appropriate for the temperature for the season. If you require riding gear (ie. helmets, gloves, summer jacket, sunglasses, etc) we can supply at no extra cost

  • We partner with several trusted motorcycle rental agencies in Barcelona, Girona and Bilbao that supply the bikes. We can help securing the rentals.

  • Upon booking, we require a non-refundable deposit, 10% of the tour cost