A Penedès wine tour from Barcelona works best when nobody has to think about the road. The region sits about 54 km southwest of the city, it is the home of Spanish cava, and the cellars are spread across small towns that public transport reaches awkwardly. This page explains how a private day works, what it costs and how I plan it with you.
Penedès wine tour from Barcelona: how the day works
I hire the car out by the hour, with a driver at your disposal. Drive from your hotel or apartment in Barcelona, spend the day moving between cellars at the pace you choose, and return to the same door. There is no fixed itinerary and no group to wait for.
From Plaça de Catalunya to Vilafranca del Penedès it is 54 km, about 45 minutes without traffic (route on Google Maps). That is the free-flow time. On a Friday afternoon or at the start of a holiday weekend I plan more margin.
A typical shape for the day:
- Morning pick-up in Barcelona, usually early enough to arrive at the first cellar at its opening time.
- A visit and tasting at the first winery, then a lunch stop in a town nearby.
- A second tasting in the afternoon, and the return drive.
You choose the cellars and book the tastings, because most wineries ask for reservations. Send me the confirmed times and I fit the route around them. If you have no preference yet, tell me what you like (cava, still wines, a family estate, a large cellar) and I describe the options in general terms so you can book.
What a private Penedès tour costs
The estimate for this trip is 45 minutes each way plus about 4.5 hours on site, rounded up to the half hour. That falls under the 6-hour daily minimum, so the day is priced as 6 hours of hire.
| Vehicle | Passengers | 6 hours (minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes E-Class | up to 3 | €470 |
| Mercedes V-Class | up to 7 | €470 |
| Mercedes Sprinter | up to 16 | €610 |
| Minibus | up to 33 | €685 |
| Coach | up to 60 | €685 |
Prices are per vehicle, in euros, and include VAT. The S-Class is booked by the hour only; the 6-hour figure is €745. If the day runs longer, the 8-hour rate is €630 in the E-Class or V-Class and €785 in the Sprinter, and each additional hour is charged at the hourly rate (€80 in the E-Class or V-Class, €90 in the Sprinter). The prices page has the whole table, and chauffeur by the hour explains how hourly hire is organised.
Because the price belongs to the vehicle, a V-Class of six friends costs the same as a couple in the E-Class. For a group of four to seven, the V-Class is usually the simplest answer, and the Mercedes V-Class page shows what it offers.
Choosing the car for a wine day
- Couples and small groups (up to 3): the E-Class is the quiet, comfortable option. Boxes of bottles fit in the boot, so mention it if you plan to buy.
- Friends and families (up to 7): the V-Class has the seats and the luggage space.
- Larger parties (up to 16): the Sprinter works for corporate days and birthday groups.
- Big groups (33 or 60): a minibus or coach keeps everyone together, though some smaller cellars have limited parking, so tell me the vehicle early.
If you are shopping for the whole group, buy last. Bottles bought at the first cellar travel in the car all day, so I suggest saving the purchases for the final stop.
The cava route and the Penedès wine region
The Penedès is a wine-growing area between Barcelona and Tarragona, and its best-known product is cava, Spain’s traditional-method sparkling wine. Many of the producers are around Sant Sadurní d’Anoia and Vilafranca del Penedès, and still white and red wines are made there too. The Catalan government’s tourism portal is a good starting point for the region and its wine routes.
Some tastings include a tour of the underground cellars, others are a quick pour at the shop. Others combine a vineyard walk with a 4WD ride between the vines. Visits last anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours, so ask each winery how long it takes. I use those durations to decide how many stops fit in the day.
If you want the Penedès as part of a wider wine day, my vineyard and wine tour page compares the wine areas around Barcelona. If you prefer to see them on your own list first, the wineries near Barcelona page collects them.
Adding Sitges or another stop
Sitges lies on the coast, not far from the cava towns, and many guests end the wine day with a walk by the sea. The longer day just means extra hours at the hourly rate. The Sitges day trip page describes the town, and the official Sitges tourism site has its events.
Other combinations, such as Montserrat in the morning and a winery in the afternoon, are possible. I quote them on request, because the order of stops changes the hours.
How to book
- Decide your date and the number of passengers, and whether you would like the Penedès on its own or combined with another stop.
- Pick the wineries you would like, or tell me what you are after, and reserve the tastings if the cellars require it.
- Use the form below to send the date, pick-up address, group size and tasting times.
- I confirm the vehicle and the price by e-mail or WhatsApp. If the plan changes before the day, send me the new details and I adjust.
For a first look at the wider range of excursions, the day trips from Barcelona hub lists every route I run, and the fleet page shows each vehicle.
Last updated 1 November 2026.
