Beyond Duty-Free Shopping – 21 Best Things to Do in Andorra

So yes, you can shop in Andorra, but there’s so much more! Here’s the things I found to do on my solo short break to this little country, high in the Pyrenees, I’ve included a map and a list of things to do in Andorra, (the things I did and the things I ran out of time for). Plus all the ways you can get to Andorra. If you visit for more than a daytrip, you’re in for a treat!

Planning a Trip To Andorra? Here’s Where You’ll Find Things

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Is Andorra Worth Visiting

Perfect for … 🏔️ Mountain lovers • 💸 Duty-free shoppers • 🏛️ Micro-nation collectors • ⛷️ Skiers & hikers • 🍷 Food & wine explorers • 🏞️ Scenic road-trippers

Tucked high in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, Andorra is a tiny, landlocked principality that surprises most first-time visitors. Known for its dramatic mountain scenery, low taxes, and ski resorts, it’s also home to Romanesque churches, art museums, and a thriving café culture.

The official language is Catalan, but you’ll also hear French and Spanish everywhere – and plenty of English too. The currency is the Euro, even though Andorra isn’t part of the EU.

It’s one of the few countries in the world with two co-princes: the President of France (currently Emmanuel Macron) and the Bishop of Urgell from Spain. Their role today is largely ceremonial, but it’s one of those quirky facts that makes Andorra feel like a real-life curiosity.

Despite its small size (just 468 km²), Andorra has one of the highest numbers of museums per capita anywhere in the world – around 25 in total. Combine that with a year-round outdoor lifestyle, modern spas, and its reputation for excellent food and wine, and you’ll quickly see why it’s worth more than a quick duty-free stop.

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Map of Andorra La Vella with Things to Do

I have created a map to reference the places referred to in this blog.

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Top Things to Do in Andorra

1 See Salvador Dalí’s ‘La Noblesse du Temps’ Sculpture

Salvador Dali made the piece in 1984 and it was installed in this prominent position in the city square next to the river in 2010.

2 Cross the Paris Bridge (Pont de Paris)

I guess this is the place, for the picture to say you have been to Andorra. The Puento de Paris, also known as Ponte de Paris, spans the fast flowing Gran Valira river going through the centre of the city. It’s a noisy place as there is so much fast running water in rivers and waterfalls!

3 Spot ‘The 7 Poets’ – A Quirky Modern Sculpture Installation

Just in front of Andorra la Vella’s new council building, in the Lidia Armengol Square, you can see the 7 poets, the work of Jaume Plensa inaugurated on January 21, 2014.. You can also view them from above from the Plaça del Poble which is a viewpoint near the old town. The

7 poets represent the seven parishes of Andorra. At night they are lit up in different colours.

4 Wander the Winding Streets of Barri Antic (Old Town)

One of the things I most enjoyed in Andorra was wandering the streets in the older part of town where you can find traditional restaurants, shops and buildings.

I particularly liked the mural you can see on the side of the house below. The picture is meant to line up with the mountaineous background, but it looks like I was standing in the wrong place when I took this picture!

The most prominent landmarks in the old town are the old parliament building Casa de la Vall and the Esglesia de Sant Esteve.

5 Visit Casa de la Vall – Andorra’s Former Parliament

Casa de la Vall was the seat of Andorra’s parliament up until 2011. It is now preserved as a museum and is one of the most visited spots in Andorra La Vella. It costs 5EUR to visit. It’s not open every day, so if you are only on a short visit to Andorra, you may want to make sure you visit on a day when it is open. Full details are on the official website.

6 Step Inside Església de Sant Esteve – A Romanesque Gem

This church is in Príncep Benlloch square, in the centre of the old town and you will not miss it. The church is particularly striking with the stunning backdrop of the Pyrenees behind it. While it dates back to the 12th century and has some lovely stained glass windows, much of it has been modernised in the 20th century. Some of the original frescoes are displayed in Barcelona’s Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.

7 Indulge in Duty-Free Shopping in the City Centre

Andorra’s tax free status makes it one of the cheapest places to shop in Europe for luxury goods. There are no shortage of brand stores selling designer clothing, watches, jewellery, electronics. perfume, cosmetics, alcohol and cigarettes and so on. There are a lot of specialist shops too. While Andorra La Vella is stunning, set amid the mountains, it does still feel a little like a city which is one big shopping street!

A trip into the supermarket, reveals prices there are not particularly cheap for every day goods for people living in Andorra. In fact, they can actually be more expensive, due to the country’s mountainous geography. Its inaccessibility and the unsuitability of much of the land for arable food production, This does mean every day goods, including food are often imported.

8 Relax in Parc Central or Find the Hanging Robot at Plaça Casadet

Parc Central or Central Park of Andorra la Vella is a popular green space in the middle of the city. The Parc Central also runs alongside La Valira River. It has well-maintained walking paths, lots of trees, sculptures, a children’s playground, a rock garden, public toilets and also a cafe.

Close to Parc Central, I found a delightful little little courtyard surrounded by flats and offices, with sculptures in Placa Casadet. I was particularly taken with the robot sculpture!

9 Walk the Scenic Rec del Solà Trail Overlooking the City

I started this route and I was rained on, so abandoned it, but, it is a relatively easy and short route starting fairly close to the centre. It takes you above the city to view points for the city and Pyrenees. Find more details here Hiking route: Rec del Solà (visitandorra.com)

10 Cross Pont d’Engordany – A Bridge with a View

Heading East out of Andorra La Vella you come to Escaldes-Engordany town which is more a continuation of Andorra La Vella than a separate town. While you appear to be in quite a built up area, there are bridges and rushing water through the town and you cannot escape the dramatic backdrop of the Pyrenees .

11 Visit Saint Peter the Martyr Church

The Church of Sant Pere Màrtir dates from 1956. It’s a pretty church with a neo-romanesque style and a bell tower.. It’s made in granite, which is In keeping with other buildings in Andorra La Vella. It was definitely worth a look inside.

12 Visit the Carmen Thyssen Museum – Unexpected Art in the Pyrenees

Opposite the bridge, is the Carmen Thysson Andorra Museym. This displays art works from the world renowned  Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Mainly featuring paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Carmen Thysson Museum has quickly become one of the visited museums in Andorra since its inauguration in 2017.

The museum’s exhibitions are temporary and reviewed every year. The collection on display is small, less than 100 pieces, but the display changes annually, the idea being tourists will see different displays each visit. If you are planning on visiting, do make sure it is open when you are there and not closed for a changeover..

The display I saw when I visited was called Sons. In addition to the artwork, there was an immersive music experience. Each picture was accompanied by music as well as an oral description, which you could listen to as you went round on the headphones provided by the museum. There was 9 EUR charge for a full price adult.

The Carmen Thyssen Museum Andorra is located on the ground floor of the former Hotel Valira, a historic listed building that is one of the best examples of granite architecture in Andorra. When I visited in May 2024, there were building works around it and it took a while to find the entrance! Andorra struck me as a suprisingly noisy place, not just the water thundering through from the mountains, but the sound of building works too!

13 Soak at Caldea – Europe’s Largest Thermal Spa Complex

There’s a hugely popular spa on the edge of Andorra la Vella with a large swimming pool complex fed from thermal spring water and extensive treatment rooms. If you are a spa fan it should be an essential on your trip.

Here you can find out more and buy Spa Entrance tickets

14 Eat Like a Local: Traditional Andorran Food to Try

These are some of the things to look out for on Andorran menus

• Escudella – Stew made from white beans and meat with further ingredients which could include cabbage, potatoes, rice, noodles and chickpeas
• Trinxat – Chopped cabbage and mashed potatoes flavoured with ingredients including mushrooms, garlic and bacon
• Embotits, – Andorran sausage
• Truites de carreroles Mushroom omelette
• cargols a la llauna – Slow roasted snails
• Crema catalana – A baked custard pudding, not dissimilar to Creme Brulee
• Torrijas – Slices of bread in milk or wine with honey and spices. This is dipped in eggs and pan-fried
• Trucha a la Andorrana – grilled trout
• Cheese – Andorra is known for its local high quality cheese, made from milk from sheep and goats who live up in the mountains

Check here for full restaurant options in Andorra La Vella.

I arrived over a bank holiday and many of the traditional Andorran restaurants were closed, although there was far more open than I expected. After spending my time in the evening wandering around the old town, I opted for Mama Maria which was opposite my hotel. Lured in by various animals including a teddy on skis covered in flowers and because it had people in it!

I was hoping for Andorran dishes, but the focus was on international fare including burgers and pizza. I opted for a Catalan dish, Botifaarra amb Mongetes, which translates to catalan sausage with white beans. The sausage was excellent, but it got a ‘bit much’ after a while and I failed to finish! I picked one of the cheaper items on the menu and a pint of beer and a coffee which came in at 24EUR. If I had found a more traditional restaurant, I think I may have ended up paying quite a bit more. Restaurants are not ‘budget’, but probably on a par with many Northern European countries.

Those who know me, know I like craft beer and real ale. Andorra is a bit of a dessert in terms of local beer. My pint of Leffe was excellent, if not local.

15 Discover Museums and Modern Culture

Andorra has a lot of museums, infact it claims to have the second most museums per capita in the world. There are around 25, dotted about the principality. If you are looking for a museum in the centre, then there’s a lot to see in the parliament building and in the Bicycle Museum. I visisted Carmen Thysson Art Gallery in Escaldes-Engordany in the adjacent neighbourhood.

Check the Andorra Tourism website for a long list. These are the ones which caught my eye:

• The World Champions Museum
• The Tobacco Museum
• The National Automobile Museum
• The Perfume Museum
• The House Museum of Areny Plandolit
• The Museum of Miniatures Nicolai Siadristy
• The Ethnographic Museum Casa Cristo

I’m saving these and the following items for my next trip to Andorra. I’m listing them here, so you can see how much there really is to do.

16 Tour Formatgeria Casa Raubert – A Local Cheese Factory

On the road out of Andorra La Vella, there is a cheese making factory and shop where you can see the production from raw milk, taste and shop for cheese. Located here.

17 Hike to Llac d’Engolasters – A Scenic Lakeside Trail

This is a glacial lake not far from Andorra la Vella. There is a relatively short hike to get to it, the full walking route is here.

18 Trek Across the Tibetan Bridge – Not for the Faint-Hearted

Buses from Canillo take you to the Tibetan bridge which is a metre wide bridge suspended high above the pyranees. For information about how to get there and walk the bridge please check here

19 Admire the Views at Mirador Roc del Quer

This is also out on the road from Canillo. It is a high viewing platform suspended out of the hillside making you feel like you are suspended in mid air and although it is a relatively new attraction, it is already becoming very popular. It’s open to all and an unbeatable spot to take in the grandeur of the Pyrennees. More details can be found here

If Adrenalin and heights are your thing then a trip to Canillo looks like a great idea. I’m sorry I didn’t make it! Full details here.

These pictures are not my own and taken from the Tibetan Bridge and Roc del Quer website.

20 Visit the Basilica Sanctuary of Meritxell – A Modernist Masterpiece

This is the most important religious temple in Andorra and there’s a festival every year held there on 8th September., It’s to celebrate the feast day of the ‘marededéus trobades’. Full details found here, it looks well worth a visit.

21. Ski the Slopes at Grandvalira – Andorra’s Top Ski Resort

Three large ski resorts in Andorra have combined forces to become Grandvalira Resorts, the largest ski resort in the Pyrenees. With more than 300 km of slopes, it’s one of the largest and most complete in Europe. They are open all year. If you are visiting in the summer, there are plenty of hiking and bike trails in the area. It’s easy to hire bikes too rather than bringing your own.

Andorra is known for being good value for skiing and is considerably cheaper than Switzerland. Everybody living in Andorra learns how to ski from an early age.

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Where to Stay in Andorra la Vella

The standard of Accommodation in Andorra tends to be high and I didn’t find it as expensive as in France or in Barcelona. I booked Hotel L’Isard. A double room for 48EUR per night. There was an optional charge for breakfast, but I paid room only. The location was very central, the hotel was exceptional and I’d stay there again. I’d picked it as it had an excellent restaurant for Andorran food, sadly closed when I visited over the Bank Holiday. Here’s a map of places to stay near the centre.

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Andorra Tours

A guide can be a good idea when you are in Andorra. Here are some of the popular options.

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How to Get to Andorra on the Bus

There are no planes or trains going into Andorra. Visitors arrive by road either from France or Spain.

France to Andorra on the Bus

I took the Andbus service from Toulouse.Gare Matabiau-Toulouse Bus Station, next to the main rail station. The journey took just under 4 hours. The coaches were very new, clean and comfortable. The service was punctual and well organised.

The final destination for the buses from Andorra is the Estació Nacional d’Autobusos del Principat d’Andorra, although there were a number of request stops and booked pick ups from different places in Andorra including Canillo.

Spain to Andorra on the Bus

Andbus, Alsa and DirectBus operate from Barcelona, These take around 3 hours and are a little quicker and cheaper than the service from Toulouse. Buses from Spain also have a final stop at Estació Nacional d’Autobusos del Principat d’Andorra.

Here you can book bus tickets to/from Andorra from both Barcelona and Toulouse.in advance.

Andbus also stops off at Barcelona and Toulouse airports, check Andbus direct for details.

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Tours to Andorra from Barcelona

One of the most popular ways to visit Andorra, is to take a day trip from Barcelona. If you only have a day, this may be the best way to see as much as you can in a day. These are popular tours from Barcelona. Day Tours do not usually operate from Toulouse as it’s a little bit further so less practical for a day trip.

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Driving and Hiring a Car to Andorra

You can drive to Andorra from France or Spain. If you are hiring a car you must seek permission from the hire company, in advance, as you are crossing an International borders and leaving the EU. You will also need to follow the driving laws for driving in Andorra, which include winter tyres and snow chains between 1st November and 15th May. An International Driving Licence is also advisable.

You can search below (Discover Cars) to find the best deal across hire car providers. .

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Getting Around in Andorra

Andorra La Vella is very walkable. There are local buses in Andorra, check here for full details. There are also services operated by Uber and Bolt. Hire car, which can be picked up in France and Spain is also popular, although beware of the mountainous roads, especially in the snowy months and some crazy driving!

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If you’ve got this far and you’re intrigued by Europe’s other tiny countries, you might also enjoy my posts on Liechtenstein and San Marino. I’ve also included details of a day trip to Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) – known as Transnistria, nestled between Moldova and Ukraine – another take on the ‘tiny country’ theme.

Have you visited Andorra? Are you thinking of visiting any of the other micronations? Let me know in the comments.

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