Barcelona has two cable cars that offer visitors fantastic aerial views of the city and provide easy access to the castle and other attractions on Montjuïc.
Barcelona Port Cable Car
The Transbordador Aeri del Port (Port Cable Car) was built for the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition and links the Barceloneta beach to Montjuïc. The red and white cabins can accommodate 20 people and take 8 minutes to complete the journey, crossing the port at a height of between 70 and 90 metres.
Tip: If you plan to take photographs, ensure that you are amongst the first aboard and secure a place at the front or back of the cabin since the side windows don’t open.
Timetable
Departures every 10 to 15 minutes.
November to February: from 11 am to 5:30 pm
March to May: from 11 am to 7 pm
June to August: from 11 am to 8 pm
September to October from 11 am to 7 pm
Closed Christmas day and for a few weeks during the winter for annual maintenance.
Important: The Port Cable Car doesn’t run if it’s windy; once you’ve been on it, you’ll understand why!
Fare
Single €11
Return €16.50
Tip:
The Port Cable Car is very popular, and during the summer there are often long queues to buy tickets. You can save time and skip the line by purchasing your tickets online here (e-ticket).
How to get there
Assuming you are taking the cable car from the beach to Montjuïc, the nearest metro station is Barceloneta on the yellow line – L4. It’s a 5-minute walk from the metro to the Torre de Sant Sebastià cable car tower along Pg. Joan de Borbó.
The terminal on Montjuïc is just in front of the Miramar Hotel (See map below)
Montjuïc Cable Car
The newer of Barcelona’s cable cars, the Telefèric de Montjuïc, was built in 2007 and carries visitors from Av. Miramar (near the station where the Port Cable Car drops you) to Montjuïc Castle.
On a clear day, the view from the top is superb. Once you’ve visited the castle, you can choose between taking the cable car back down to the funicular railway, walking down through the attractive parks and gardens or visiting some of the other attractions on Montjuïc.
Timetable
January to February: from 10 am to 6 pm
March to May: from 10 am to 7 pm
June to September: from 10 am to 9 pm
October: from 10 am to 7 pm
November to December: from 10 am to 6 pm
Fare
Adult single €9
Adult return ticket €13.50 (Online price €12.78)
Child single €6.90
Child return ticket €9.70 (Online price €9.18)
Children under 4years go free
Get a 10% discount on the Montjuïc Cable Car when you buy your tickets online here
How to get there
The most convenient way to get to the cable car is the funicular railway from the Paral.lel metro station (L3 and L2).
Bus lines 55 and 150 also stop nearby.
Tip: It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the Port Cable Car to the Montjuic Cable Car. Turn right in front of the Miramar Hotel, then follow the road (Avinguda Miramar) uphill past the Olympic Dive Pool to the Montjuïc Cable Car. See the map below for more details.
Annual Maintenance Schedule
Both cable cars are typically closed for several days each spring for essential maintenance and safety inspections. This year’s maintenance schedule is as follows:
Barcelona Port Cable Car
The port cable car will be closed for annual maintenance from March 8th to March 10th 2022.
Montjuïc Cable Car
The Montjuic cable car will be closed for annual maintenance from February 28th to April 3rd 2022.
Other attractions nearby
Montjuíc Castle
The Olympic Dive Pool
Joan Miró Foudation
Laribal Gardens
MNAC
Hello, is the cable car wheel chair accessable?
Hi Molly,
The modern Montjuïc Cable Car up to the castle is wheelchair accessible.
The older Port Cable Car is not wheelchair accessible because there are stairs at both stations.
I know that the Port cable car has a mid-station; I can only find prices for the ride all the way. Can you ride only half way, say from St. Sebastia to Jaume?
Hi Derek,
At the moment you can only take the port cable car from the Torre de Sant Sebastià to Montjuïc or vice versa, it’s not possible to get on or off at the Torre de Jaume I.
I have been trying to establish a simple ‘lets take both cable cars’ trip and for the life of me can only find on your blog any information as to the location of the Montjuic end of the Port cable car. Thanks. The information on all other sites including the official ones do not give precise locations.
Hi Graham,
Glad you found my blog useful. Enjoy your stay in Barcelona.