Andorra la Vella 7-Day Itinerary: Valleys, Spa, La Seu

How should you spend 7 days in Andorra la Vella?

Use the capital as a base and give each day a different valley: Escaldes and Caldea on arrival, Engolasters and the old quarter, La Massana and Arinsal, Ordino and the Sorteny valley, a slow shopping and spa day, Canillo’s Vall d’Incles with Encamp, and finally La Seu d’Urgell in Spain or the Madriu valley.

Andorra is small, 468 square kilometres according to Andorra Turisme (Andorra Turisme), but its valleys are steep, so a week works best with one hotel and day trips by bus rather than a moving tour. The national bus network starts in the capital, and almost every stop in this plan is on a line that runs at least every 30 minutes (Govern d’Andorra timetable).

The Andorra la Vella 3-day itinerary covers Santa Coloma, Meritxell, Canillo’s Tibetan bridge and Ordino’s manor house; this week goes further, to Casa Rull and the Comapedrosa park, the Sorteny nature park, the glacial Vall d’Incles, Engolasters and a Spanish cathedral town, with a rest day in the middle.

Every hour, price and timetable below comes from official pages checked on 16 and 17 October 2026. For hotels, see where to stay in Andorra la Vella; for seasons, best time to visit Andorra la Vella.

What does a week in Andorra look like day by day?

Days one, two and five stay around the capital and Escaldes-Engordany; days three, four and six take the L7, L6 and L4 buses into La Massana, Ordino and Canillo; day seven crosses into Spain or walks the Madriu valley. The table shows the bus for each day, the closures to watch and a bad-weather swap.

Museum days decide the order. Andorra’s national museums, including Casa de la Vall, Casa Rull and Casa d’Areny-Plandolit, close on Mondays all year and on Sundays from October to May (Casa de la Vall, Casa Rull). Shops close on only four days a year: 1 January, 14 March, 8 September and 25 December (Andorra Turisme).

From October to May, a Monday or Tuesday arrival works best: the museum visits on days two to four then fall between Tuesday and Friday, the L4 to Canillo runs every day for day six, and day seven needs no museum. Use the slow day five to absorb any Sunday or Monday that lands on a museum day.

Which season suits a week in Andorra, and how do buses, museums and taxes work?

For this valley plan, come from late June to mid-September, when the high trails are clear, or in May and October for quiet. In ski season, swap two valley days for Grandvalira. Buses cost from €1.90 a ride, national museums €5 to €7, and the stay tax €1 to €3 per person per night.

Meteo.ad’s September 2026 bulletin gives July and August 1991–2020 normals of 19.4°C and 19.1°C in the central valley (meteo.ad), and its bulletins describe intense summer storms, such as 24.4mm of rain in 30 minutes at La Comella on 8 August 2026 (meteo.ad). Grandvalira plans its 2026–27 season from 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, weather permitting (Grandvalira).

Single bus fares start at €1.90 within one zone, and the operator’s office on Carrer de la Cúria opens from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm (bus.ad). Casa de la Vall and Casa Rull charge €5 (Casa de la Vall, Casa Rull) and Casa d’Areny-Plandolit €7 (Casa d’Areny-Plandolit). The national museums open from 10am to 2pm and 3pm to 6pm from October to May, with longer Saturday and summer hours (Casa de la Vall).

Andorra’s stay tax, set by Law 19/2022, applies to the first seven nights only: €3 per person per night in five-star hotels, €2 in four-star hotels and tourist flats, €1.50 in two- and three-star hotels and €1 elsewhere, with under-16s exempt. On a seven-night stay, that covers the whole trip.

Days 1 and 2: how do you start with Escaldes, Engolasters and the old quarter?

Arrive by coach and spend the first evening at Caldea, the thermal centre in Escaldes-Engordany. On day two, walk up to Engolasters lake and the Romanesque church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters in the morning, then visit Casa de la Vall, the old parliament house, and the capital’s old quarter in the afternoon.

Andorra has no airport, so most visitors arrive by coach from Barcelona or Toulouse (Andorra Turisme); Andorra Direct Bus lists departures from Barcelona Airport Terminal 1 at 7.30am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5.30pm, 8pm and 11pm (Andorra Direct Bus). Caldea, which opened in 1994, covers more than 30,000 square metres of thermal spa (Andorra Turisme, interesting facts); check its session times before you book.

Andorra Turisme describes Engolasters lake as a quiet spot for a walk and Sant Miquel d’Engolasters as a Romanesque church overlooking the valley (Andorra Turisme). Casa de la Vall, built in the late 16th century, was the seat of the Consell General from 1702 to 2011; entry costs €5, and guided tours must be booked in advance for a €1.50 supplement (Casa de la Vall).

Before leaving the capital, stop at the Portal del Valle, the Madriu valley’s visitor reception centre at Carrer Prat de la Creu 74–76, if you plan to walk the valley on day seven (Andorra Turisme).

Day 3: how do you explore La Massana, Sispony and Arinsal?

Take the L7 to La Massana and visit Casa Rull in Sispony, a manor house that shows how a well-to-do peasant family lived until the early 20th century. In the afternoon, continue on the L5 to Arinsal for the Comapedrosa nature park’s interpretation centre and a valley walk below Andorra’s highest peak.

Casa Rull opened as a house-museum on 9 June 2000, after its last owner agreed with the government to preserve it; tickets cost €5, and it keeps the national museum hours, closing on Sundays and Mondays from October to May (Casa Rull). The L7 runs from the capital through La Massana to Ordino every 15 minutes on weekdays until about 8pm, and the L5 serves Arinsal (Govern d’Andorra timetable).

Andorra Turisme puts the Comapedrosa nature park at 15.42 square kilometres, around the country’s highest summit (Andorra Turisme), and lists its interpretation centre in Arinsal (Andorra Turisme). In winter, the same valley serves the Pal Arinsal ski area, with 63km of slopes (Andorra Turisme).

There is no night bus to La Massana, so come back to the capital for dinner. The country’s only night bus links Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany and Sant Julià de Lòria (bus.ad).

Day 4: how do you spend a day in Ordino and the Sorteny valley?

Ride the L6 to Ordino and continue up the valley to the Sorteny nature park, Andorra’s largest protected natural area, with more than 700 species of flowers and plants and its own botanic garden. Return to Ordino village in the afternoon, and visit Casa d’Areny-Plandolit if you skipped it on a shorter trip.

Andorra Turisme describes the Sorteny valley as more than 1,000 hectares on both sides of the Sorteny river, with a botanic garden that includes plants found only in the Pyrenees and an information point at the car park, open in summer and winter (Andorra Turisme). It calls Sorteny the largest protected natural area in Andorra and notes the Tristaina solar viewpoint, a sundial at 2,701 metres above the Tristaina lakes (Andorra Turisme).

The L6 runs from Andorra la Vella to Ordino and La Cortinada every 30 minutes, every day (Govern d’Andorra timetable); check how far up the valley services run in your season before you set out. Casa d’Areny-Plandolit, a 17th-century noble family’s house in Ordino, costs €7 and keeps the national museum hours (Casa d’Areny-Plandolit).

Start walks early in summer: meteo.ad’s bulletins describe afternoon storms and a September 2026 heatwave, with a record 35.9°C at Borda Vidal on 4 September (meteo.ad).

Days 5 and 6: how do you combine a rest day with Canillo and Encamp?

Make day five slow: shop the capital’s pedestrian Shopping Mile and spend the afternoon at Caldea. On day six, take the L4 to Canillo for the Vall d’Incles, a glacial valley with trails for all levels, then stop in Encamp for Santa Eulàlia’s 23-metre bell tower, Andorra’s tallest Romanesque tower, and the Cortals d’Encamp.

Andorra Turisme describes the Shopping Mile as a pedestrian zone linking Avinguda Meritxell, Vivand and Fener Boulevard (Andorra Turisme), and says customs allowances apply to goods taken back into the EU (Andorra Turisme). The UK government warns that France and Spain are strict about tobacco bought in Andorra (FCDO).

The L4 runs every 30 minutes daily from 6.25am to 9.25pm through Canillo towards Pas de la Casa (Govern d’Andorra timetable). Andorra Turisme calls the Vall d’Incles one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in Andorra, and lists Encamp’s Santa Eulàlia church, with the tallest Romanesque bell tower in the country at 23 metres, the walkers’ paradise of the Cortals d’Encamp and the National Automobile Museum (Andorra Turisme).

Encamp’s Funicamp, which reaches Grandvalira’s Solanelles area in about 25 minutes, ran a summer season from 11 July to 8 September 2026 (Grandvalira); outside those dates, it runs for skiers only.

Day 7: should you visit La Seu d’Urgell or walk the Madriu valley?

Choose La Seu d’Urgell, just across the Spanish border, for its cathedral, which the Catalan heritage service calls the only Romanesque cathedral to survive, with its cloister, the church of Sant Miquel and the Diocesan Museum. Choose the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004, for a long mountain walk in summer.

The cathedral of Santa Maria was rebuilt from 1090 under Bishop Ot and finished at the end of the 12th century; visitors can see the cathedral, the cloister, the church of Sant Miquel and the Diocesan Museum, which holds a copy of the Beatus of Urgell (Patrimoni Cultural). Altaveu reported in July 2026 that the Andorra–La Seu bus, run by Hife, would rise to 40 trips per direction on weekdays from 1 September (Altaveu); check the current timetable at the bus station.

Crossing into Spain means a border: the UK government notes that Andorra is not in the Schengen area but can only be reached through France or Spain, so your passport must meet Schengen rules (FCDO).

For the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley, declared a World Heritage Site in 2004 and covering about 10% of the country, expect old cobbled paths, bordes and no modern roads (Andorra Turisme). Andorra Turisme lists guided tours in summer and four car parks at the main entrances (Andorra Turisme). Check the forecast and carry water and layers.

How does the week change in ski season or bad weather?

From 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, swap days three and six for skiing at Pal Arinsal and Grandvalira, and keep the museums and Caldea for storm days. Drivers need winter tyres or chains from 1 November to 15 May. In summer, start hikes early, because afternoon thunderstorms are common.

Grandvalira’s slopes are planned to open from 9am to 5pm, weather permitting (Grandvalira), and Andorra Turisme lists Pal Arinsal with 63km of slopes and Ordino Arcalís with 30.5km (Andorra Turisme). French Christmas holidays run from 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 and winter holidays are staggered from 6 February to 8 March 2027, franceinfo reports, so expect the busiest slopes then.

The UK government says winter tyres or snow chains are compulsory from 1 November to 15 May, that drink-driving can bring fines of up to €600 and a two-month ban, and advises checking avalanche safety before skiing (FCDO). Meteo.ad publishes forecasts, warnings and an avalanche bulletin (meteo.ad); see its monthly bulletins for recent conditions, and our ski trip planning guide for beginners.

Which tours fit a week in Andorra, and who should change the plan?

A guided Madriu walk, offered in summer, suits hikers who want company on day seven, and a Romanesque or Pyrenees tour suits travellers without the patience for bus timetables. Shoppers can extend day five, families can add Naturland’s Tobotronc toboggan in Sant Julià, and skiers should rebuild the week around the slopes.

Andorra Turisme describes Naturland, in Sant Julià de Lòria, as an 800-hectare adventure park with the Tobotronc, which it calls the longest alpine toboggan run in the world (Andorra Turisme); check its season before you go. Before booking any tour, check what is included, the pick-up point and the cancellation terms. Our GetYourGuide vs Viator vs Klook comparison explains the platforms’ rules.

On safety, the UK government describes street crime as rare but advises keeping drinks in sight, and notes that drinking alcohol in the street is illegal (FCDO). For more ideas, see things to do in Andorra la Vella, Andorra la Vella hotels and the Andorra la Vella destination guide; travellers coming from Barcelona can compare day trips from Barcelona.