Sagrada Família

The Sagrada Família is the symbol of Barcelona. The construction of this modernist, monumental church began in 1882, but Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece is still unfinished. If you want to visit the Sagrada Família, it is important to order your tickets in advance due to its enormous popularity.

Sagrada Família	Tickets, opening hours & public transportation
Tickets	Tickets €33,80 Book online now Children and adults aged 11 – 29 years €31.20 Book online now Children under 10 get in for free (just make sure you order a ticket) Book online now Gaudí Bundle (Sagrada Família + Park Güell) Book online now Barcelona Pass (Sagrada Família + Park Güell + Hop-on Hop-off bus) Book online now BCN Essentials Pass (Sagrada Família + Park Güell + unlimited public transport) Book online now
Address	Carrer de Mallorca 401 (Eixample Dreta)
Public transportation / subway	Metro: Sagrada Familia (L2/L5) Hop-on Hop-off bus
Opening hours	Nov-Feb: Mon-Sat: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun: 10:30am-6:00pm March & Oct: Mon-Sat: 9am-7pm, Sun: 10:30am-7:00pm April-Sept: Mon-Sat: 9am-8pm, Sun: 10:30-20:00 a.m. 25 & 26 Dec, 1 & 6 Jan: 9.00-14.00.

Contents

• What is the Sagrada Família?
• Tickets and guided tours Sagrada Família
• Practical information
• How to get to the Sagrada Família?
• When to visit the Sagrada Família
• What can you see and do during your visit to the Sagrada Família?
• Attending a mass at the Sagrada Família
• Visit the Sagrada Família for free
• History and architecture of the Sagrada Família
• Visit the Sagrada Família and Park Güell in one day
• Restaurants near the Sagrada Família
• Want to read more? Address & map

What is the Sagrada Família?

The Sagrada Família (literally: “The Holy Family”) is a world famous church in the Eixample neighborhood in Barcelona and the most visited monument in this Spanish city. People from all over the world come to Barcelona to admire the basilica, some because of its architecture, others for religious reasons.

The Sagrada Família is also the masterpiece of architect Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona’s most famous architect. Both outside and inside, this basilica with its unique shapes and structures is completely different from any other church in the world.

The Sagrada Família is to Barcelona what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris: the symbol of the city, as well as the symbol of Catalan modernism. If there is one must-see in Barcelona that should be on your list, it is the Sagrada Família! In fact, Gaudí’s masterpiece is the most visited monument in all of Spain.

If you have the time, be sure to visit the inside of the basilica, the interior is spectacular. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half for the church itself, and if you want to go into one of the towers, about two hours.

Buy your tickets in advance, because a spontaneous visit is unfortunately no longer possible nowadays, it is simply too crowded. In addition, keep in mind that you cannot order tickets for more than 9 people.

Tickets Sagrada Família

Scroll further down if you are interested in a guided tour.

Tickets for the Sagrada Família are only sold online. I advise you to book on time because popular time slots are often not available anymore and depending on the time of the year last minute you may not be able to see the famous church from the inside at all. And do you want to cancel? No worries: you can cancel for free up to 48 hours before your visit.

1. Standard ticket with audioguide
The standard ticket allows you to see the outside of the church much closer, and it is precisely the details of the church that are so interesting. But of course it’s all about the amazing inside: very different from any other church you’ve ever seen. The vaults, the pillars, the statues and the fantastic light through the stained glass windows. The ticket includes an audio guide.

• Secure payment
• Change or cancel up to 48 hours before your visit
• Booking and customer service in English

2. Standard ticket with audio guide and towers
Optionally, you can also book tickets including a visit to the towers. The towers are definitely an architectural masterpiece and of course you get a great view as well. This ticket also includes the audio guide. Please note: for safety reasons, children under the age of six, pregnant women, the disabled and the visually impaired are not allowed to visit the towers.

• Secure payment
• Change or cancel up to 48 hours before your visit
• Booking and customer service in English

3. Combination ticket: Sagrada Família with audio guide + Hop-on Hop-off bus
Another possibility is to book a combination ticket to visit the Sagrada Família and the Hop-on Hop-off bus. If you were planning to do both anyway, this way you will save money. With this ticket the audio guide is also included, but you don’t have access to the towers.

4. Combination ticket: Sagrada Família with audio guide + Park Güell
Many people also visit Park Güell. With this combination ticket, the Gaudí Bundle, you have access to Park Güell and the Sagrada Família (including audio guide, without the towers). You also get a special Barcelona audio guide for free.

5. Combination ticket: Sagrada Família with audio guide + Park Güell + Hop-on Hop-off bus
Planning to also visit Park Güell and use the Hop-on Hop-off bus? Then save money and buy this combination ticket: the Barcelona City Pass.

6. Combination ticket: Sagrada Família with audio guide + Park Güell + free public transportation
Visiting the Sagrada Família & Park Güell and unlimited use of public transport? Then buy this super handy combination ticket: the BCN Essentials Pass.

7 Combination ticket: Sagrada Família with audio guide + Park Güell + free public transport + free entrance to more than 20 museums
This combination ticket, the Barcelona Card combined with the Gaudí Bundle, is super convenient if you plan to visit the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and some museums, and if you want to get around by public transport. You get access to the Sagrada Família and Park Güell, you can take all public transport for free (excluding the Hop-on Hop-off bus) and you get free access to more than 20 museums such as the Picasso Museum and the contemporary art museum MACBA.

Guided tour in the Sagrada Família

You can also choose to visit the Sagrada Família accompanied by a guide. This way you will learn even more about the history and, of course, the architecture of this structure and the life of Gaudí. With a Sagrada Família Tour, the entrance ticket is included in the price. You don’t have to stand in line because you enter through the special group entrance.

1. Tour with an English-speaking guide
Tours in English can be booked at Tiqets (€49,50, this includes entrance ticket). Again, you see the church from the outside as well as the inside.

Practical information

Address

Carrer de Mallorca 401 (Eixample)

Prices

• Adults from 30 years of age: €33.80
• Up to 30 years of age: €31.20
• Over-65s: €27.30
• Children up to 10 years of age: free. Children do need a ticket.
• Disabled people and those with a disability of more than 65% can also visit the Sagrada Familia for free on presentation of their medical documentation.
• Unemployed people can visit the Sagrada Familia for free on Wednesday evenings. Please note that these are people who are unemployed in Spain and can show proof of this.

Opening hours

Nov-Feb: Mon-Fri: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun: 10:30am-6:00pm
March & Oct: Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm, Sun: 10:30am-7:00pm
April-Sept: Mon-Fri: 09.00-20.00, Sun: 10:30-20:00 a.m.

Adjusted opening hours
On December 25 & 26: and January 1 & 6: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Always check the website of the Sagrada Família site before you go. Opening hours may be changed due to special events at the basilica, for example.

Time slot

Please note that the Sagrada Família works with fixed visiting hours (time slot). That means you need to decide in advance (when you book your tickets) what time you want to visit the church. Then make sure to be at the entrance on time as well. You can print your tickets or save them on your smartphone.

To consider

Wheelchair accessibility
The Sagrada Família is wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, wheelchair users cannot visit the towers. Visitors with disabilities of more than 65% can visit the church for free and do not have to queue. The Sagrada Família is also perfectly accessible by public transportation for wheelchair users. All buses and metros have access plates and special seats for wheelchair users. In addition, the drivers are happy to help you. Also, the metro stations near the Sagrada Família are equipped with elevators, just like almost all other metro stations in Barcelona. If you scroll down, it explains how to reach the Sagrada Família by public transportation.

Children
Children under the age of 10 can enter the Sagrada Família for free but please note they do need a ticket. Children under 6 are not allowed into the towers and children under 18 can only go up the towers when accompanied by an adult. I recommend booking tickets in advance.

Clothing when visiting the Sagrada Família

Keep in mind if you want to visit the Sagrada Família, there are several dress codes. Headgear, hats and caps are not allowed, with the exception of headgear worn for health reasons or religious beliefs.

Moreover, since this is a Catholic Church, your attire must be appropriate to the Catholic faith. That means shoulders must be covered, short tops and see-through clothing are out of the question, as well as too-short pants, shorts and bare backs or bare bellies and flip-flops. Be sure to bring or put on these clothes yourself, as no clothing will be handed out to cover yourself.

Finally, it is not permissible to wear clothing intended to attract attention or that attracts attention, such as those intended for the celebration of certain festivities, whether religious in nature or not.

Are you allowed to bring a bag/backpack inside?

If you visit the towers of the Sagrada Família, you are required to store your backpack in a locker. You will need coins to do this, so make sure you have some loose coins in your pocket.

How to get to the Sagrada Família?

Metro: The easiest way is to take the metro to the Sagrada Família metro stop. The blue metro line L5 and the purple metro line L2 stop here. Want to travel by metro from La Rambla to the Sagrada Família? Then you can get on at Drassanes, Liceu of Plaça Catalunya metro station and take line L3 to Diagonal. Here you take line L5 to the Sagrada Família. There are more travel options than just this one, so I always recommend looking on Google Maps beforehand.

Parking: the Sagrada Família does not have a parking, so those who come by car will have to park it elsewhere in the neighborhood in a parking garage. Parking in Barcelona is relatively easy, but of course, depending on where you park, this will cost you a bit.

The Hop-on Hop-off bus (both providers) also stops at the Sagrada Família.

From the center, you can cycle to the Sagrada Família easily. It will take you about 20-25 minutes. Around the church you can find several bike racks. A bike path runs along the Carrer de Provença.

You can even walk from the center to the Sagrada Família. From Plaça Catalunya you are about half an hour or 45 minutes away. The way there is beautiful, along the beautiful Passeig de Gràcia. There are not many other major attractions in the immediate vicinity of the Sagrada Família, but the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló are in the neighborhood.

The entrance for those who already have tickets and those who want to attend Mass at the Sagrada Familia is on the side of the Nativity façade, along Carrer de la Marina. For groups and those who have booked a tour, there are special entrances on the same side of the monument.

My personal tips
1. The immediate area with international chains such as Starbucks is not much special for coffee and a bite afterwards. I do enjoy going to the little parks on either side of the Sagrada Familia to see the church from a distance, though.
2. A visit to the Sagrada Família can be very well combined with other attractions such as the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista or de Passeig de Gràcia with Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Casa Batlló and, Casa Amatller. Also the Casa de les Punxes is located near.
3. Take in Hotel Majestic the elevator too to the roof terrace. Here you will have a nice view of the Sagrada Família. Or go to the terrace of hotel Ayre Roselló. Also from here you have a great view of the basilica, even more beautiful than at Majestic.

When to visit the Sagrada Família?

Also read: 20X things to do on a first visit to Barcelona

The best time or day to visit the Sagrada Família depends on your plans and available times and dates, as tickets for some time slots are sold out long in advance, especially in high season.

The light depends on the time of day and the season, which makes the experience different every time. The colors are cooler in the morning (blue, green) and a lot warmer in the afternoon (yellow, orange). Later in the day, towards closing time in winter, it can be dark in the church and you see little of the light through the stained-glass windows. By the way, the basilica does get beautifully lit at night, which makes for a romantic picture.

Sagrada Família in spring

Spring is a wonderful time to travel to Barcelona, including to visit the Sagrada Família. There are fewer tourists during this period (except at Easter and in the month of May). Even so, it is still convenient to order a ticket online before you go, especially around Easter.

Sagrada Família in the summer

In the summer months, the Sagrada Família is open 2 hours longer. Keep in mind that most tourists come in the summer, and so these will be the busiest months with a long wait. Therefore, it is convenient to buy a ticket in advance.

Sagrada Família in autumn

A good time to visit Barcelona is autumn. The average temperature is between 15°C and between 20°C. The perfect temperature to visit the Sagrada Familia and other sights.

Sagrada Família in winter

I recommend visiting the basilica early in the day in winter. This is because in winter it gets dark quickly and then you can see quite little of the stained glass windows. At night, however, the church is beautifully lit, which makes for a very pretty picture. A big advantage is that it is usually less crowded in winter. After visiting the Sagrada Família, you can go straight to the Christmas market Fira de Nadal, where you will have a great view of the nativity scene of the basilica.

Also check out the 10 best hotels near Sagrada Família

Seeing and doing at the Sagrada Família?

If you don’t have tickets to the Sagrada Família, you can still tour the outside. On either side of the church there are green areas (park) from which you can get a good view of the basilica. You can see the three facades from these gardens and from the street side as well as the towers already built.

Façades

The Sagrada Família is shaped like a Latin cross: a main nave and a three-aisled transept. The three facades each symbolize a part of Christ’s life and can be admired from the outside, although if you buy an entrance ticket to go inside, you will see more details.

Façade of the Nativity (Fachada del Naixement)

The facade of the Nativity was the work of Gaudí himself, this part of the Sagrada Família is also known as the part of Gaudí and is located along the Carrer de la Marina, which is also the entrance to if you already have a ticket. You will recognize the facade immediately, it is a lot darker in color and lavishly decorated.

The Nativity façade depicts the birth of Christ. You will discover numerous Biblical figures in it. In addition, nature plays a major role, as in other works by Gaudí. This facade is also on Unesco’s World Heritage List.

Japanese designer Etsuro Sotoo, who is now the chief sculptor, continued working on the sculptures of this façade after Gaudí’s death.

The facade of the Nativity, completed by Gaudí, is dotted with figures from the Bible.

Façade of the Passion

In the years following Gaudí’s death in 1926, no one cared about the progress of the Sagrada Família. During a fire in the crypt in 1936, almost all the designs were lost. The result? When they decided in the 1950s to revive the project, no one knew exactly what Gaudí had envisioned. New architects came up with a modern interpretation of Gaudí’s ideas, leading to angry reactions from Gaudí enthusiasts.

In 1987, the first statue was placed on the controversial façade of Christ’s Passion (Passion) and from then on more and more statues were added. You can see immediately that the style of this façade is quite different, from the style used by Gaudí for the Nativity façade. This facade was the work of architect Josep María Subirachs who was also responsible for the portal. Unlike Gaudí, on the contrary, he used hardly any decorative elements, making the Passion façade a lot more austere. In this way, he wanted to emphasize the suffering of Jesus Christ.

Façade of Glory

The façade of the Glory on the Carrer de Mallorca side is still under construction. This is the most important facade in Gaudí’s idea. The Glory facade refers to death, heaven and the glory of God. Eventually, this facade was to be the main entrance to the church.

For this facade, Gaudí’s plans call for the removal of two blocks of houses. For local residents, of course, this has major consequences.

Sagrada Família from the inside

If you have a ticket to the Sagrada Família, you can go see the interior. The interior was finished in 2010, making a visit to the church so worth it. You really want to see this.

Depending on the time of day, the light is blue, yellow, greenish, red-orange et cetera because of the stained-glass windows. But the light is not the only special element. The magnificent columns, which seem to stretch further and further toward the sky, are also impressive. Together they seem to form a jungle. This “forest” conceived by Gaudí was extraordinarily innovative and unique at the time.

Furthermore, everywhere you look you will encounter natural elements, animals, flowers and plants, as well as other forms. Also, look especially upward.

The impressive organ has 1492 pipes.

The impressive interior of the Sagrada Família.

On the Façade of Glory side, inside you can admire a five-meter-high bronze door on which the Our Father player is written out in Catalan and on which the phrase “Give us this day our daily bread” can be read in dozens of languages.

Sagrada Familia Museum

Under the basilica, in the basement, is the Sagrada Família Museum. Here, through old images and documents, you will learn all about Gaudí’s history, progress, ideas and you can take a look at the workshop where decorative elements are made. With your entrance ticket you can also tour the museum.

Crypt

The crypt is also located in the basement of the church. This is where Gaudí lived during his last years of life. He slept there and had a model of his Sagrada Família there. Gaudí is also buried in the crypt.

You cannot visit the crypt, but you can take a look at it. The crypt, like the Nativity Facade, is on Unesco’s World Heritage List.

The central altar contains an altarpiece by sculptor Josep Llimona. There are also four chapels dedicated to the Virgin of El Carmen (here is Gaudí’s tomb), Christ, the Virgin of Montserrat and Christ on the Cross (here is the tomb of Josep María Bocabella, who conceived the idea for the Sagrada Familia in the late 19th century). The floor of the crypt is circled by a Roman mosaic depicting wheat and vines.

Towers

The towers symbolize the twelve apostles. At each façade there are four bell towers. In addition to the 12 apostles, there are also four towers for the evangelists. A tower they are building at the moment in the center of the basilica should represent Christ among the evangelists. Finally, there is another tower dedicated to Mary.

The lowest tower is 90 meters high. The highest should eventually rise 172.5 meters above the city. When the time comes, the Sagrada Família will be the highest religious structure in all of Europe. In addition, it will be the highest building in Barcelona.

Funny detail: the reason the highest tower does not exceed 172.5 meters is the hill Montjuïc. This hill was not allowed to be surpassed in height, according to Gaudí, because he considered the Montjuïc to be the work of God. At the time, Montjuïc was thought to be about 173 meters high. In reality, the highest point is 180 meters.

You can also visit one of the towers during your visit to the Sagrada Família. Note that going up can be done by elevator. Descending does requiere taking the stairs. To visit the towers, you have to pay a little extra. Be sure to book the towers at the time you reserve your ticket.

Which towers to visit?

You have a choice between the towers at the birth façade and the towers at the Passion façade. From the first you look out on the east of the city and from the last you look towards the center. I think both towers are worth seeing. At the Passion façade, the highest point you can reach is just a bit higher. The façade of birth has a longer bridge. Unfortunately, it is not possible to visit both towers with the same entrance ticket.

For safety reasons, people with limited mobility or limited vision and children under the age of 6 are not allowed on the towers, and up to and including 18, children must be accompanied by an adult.

When weather conditions are adverse due to strong winds and/or rain, the elevators providing access to the towers may remain closed. You will then receive a refund.

Spiral

There are no interior walls in the Sagrada Família. If you look down from the tower, you will see the staircase spiraling down. This is a very beautiful sight, but hold on tight!

The Schools of the Sagrada Família

Gaudí wanted the church to become the center of a community of workshops and schools, so a school building (Escoles de la Sagrada Família) was also built on the site in 1908-1909. Here children of workers who worked on the church were taught. It was Gaudí’s idea to demolish this building again the moment the space was needed.

Well-known architects such as Le Corbusier and Santiago Calatrava have also used the undulating forms of the school building in their works.

With your entrance ticket, you can visit this annex as well. By the way, you can also see the building from the outside: if you face the Façade of the Passion, it is on the right.

Sagrada Família gift shop

Looking for a souvenir or gift? Near the Sagrada Família there are two souvenir stores. The first one is behind the elevator of the Façade of Passion and the second one is at street level along Carrer de la Marina on the side of the Nativity Façade. The latter is also accessible to those without an entrance ticket. Here you will also find the largest selection of objects related to Gaudí.

Photography

You can take as many photos as you want during your visit to Gaudí’s temple. Photography is allowed basically everywhere. Do not take photos during ceremonies or during a mass.

Attending a mass at the Sagrada Família

Religious and those interested in attending a Eucharist at the Sagrada Família have several options. Holy Masses are held in either the crypt under the church or at the main altar inside the church.

Crypt
Mon-Fri: at 9 a.m. (Spanish) and 8:15 p.m.
All days prior to a holiday: at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday and holidays: 9:00 (Spanish), 10:30, 11:45 (Spanish), 13:00, 18:30 (winter only) and 20:15 (Spanish) hours.
Unless otherwise noted, Mass takes place in Catalan.

Great Altar
On Sundays, special international Eucharistic services take place at the Sagrada Família at the Great Altar. You can attend this service for free and also take place partly in French, English and Italian. After the service you have the opportunity to see the Sagrada Familia for free.

For the international Mass, there are 700 seats and 2,000 standing. Be on time, because full is full. The earlier, the better the chance of getting a good seat.

Mass lasts about an hour and a half, and during Mass you are expected to behave respectfully. Please consider your choice of clothing and do not take dozens of photos during Mass.

Visit the Sagrada Família for free

Admiring Gaudí’s masterpiece from the outside costs absolutely nothing, but you do pay for the interior (later in this article also explains why). Still, there are opportunities to visit the basilica for free. We list them.

• During and after the international mass on Sunday morning
• Around the city celebrations in honor of La Mercè , often held around Sept. 24, the Sagrada Família usually provides free tickets for several days (keep an eye on our Facebook page)
• Free entrance to the Sagrada Família is also included in the Barcelona City Pass and the BCN Essentials Pass.

History and architecture of the Sagrada Família

The Sagrada Família (full name: Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família), considered the masterpiece of modernist architect Antoni Gaudí, is still under construction after more than 135 years. The church is expected to be completed in 2026.

Timeline

• 1882 The year the construction of the Sagrada Família started. Francisco de Paula del Villar, an old acquaintance from Gaudí’s student days, put the design on paper and the first stone was put in 1882.
• 1886 In 1886, Antoni Gaudí was appointed architect. He thought he would need about 10 years to complete the project.
• 1910 Gaudí worked exclusively on la Sagrada Família from this point on. At one point, the architect was so concerned with progress that he even moved into the construction site studio.
• 1926 Gaudí was hit by a tram. Three days later he died in the hospital, and so with his death also came a (provisional) end to his life’s work.
• 1936 In a fire in the crypt, all existing designs were lost.
• 1954 It is decided to revive the project and construction resumes from 1954.
• 1987 The facade of the Passion (the “modern” side) is finished and the first statue of Subirachs is placed.
• 2010 The interior work is completed. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the Gaudí spot as a basilica that same year. Tens of thousands of people attended.
• 2020-2021 The pandemic hit the Sagrada Família hard. Since the project is paid for by the millions of tourists that visit the church on a yearly basis, there was no money coming in and the building stopped for months.
• 2026 In 2026 the Sagrada Família was supposed be finished, but we know by now this won’t be possible.
• 2032 The new date for the Sagrada Família to be finished is in 2032, 150 years after the first stone was laid.

Why is construction of Sagrada Família taking so long?

The Sagrada Familia is not finished. The fact that the structure is still unfinished is partly due to the size of the project. When the tourist attraction is finished, the Sagrada Família will be the largest church building in the world. Gaudí’s ideas went beyond all dimensions. But his way of working was not exactly swift either. For example, he adapted the design of the characteristic towers, which in an earlier design were even three times higher than they are today, numerous times. He also took his time working on the birth façade. His decorating zeal knew no bounds. Connoisseurs will discover half the Bible cast there, as well as plenty of animal and other forms from nature.

However, funding proved to be the biggest problem in moving forward. According to its creator Bocabella, the Sagrada Família was to be a penitential church and was to be paid for exclusively with alms. It was no easy task to find enough donations for Gaudí’s main work, and during World War I the architect saw only one solution: he personally went door to door collecting money.

Incidentally, when asked why the construction took so long, Gaudí always said that “his God is in no hurry.

Entry fee

In the 1980s the church committee decided to charge an entrance fee, and since then construction has accelerated.

In 2010, the interior of the church was finally finished. However, the exterior and the towers are still under construction. Every day – except Sundays – about a hundred sculptors work on Gaudí’s life’s work.

It had long been planned to finish the Sagrada Família by 2026, when it will be exactly 100 years since Gaudí’s death. That schedule was already narrow, but the Covid-19 pandemic has definitively ensured that 2026 will not be met.

Gaudí had the ancient Gothic and Byzantine cathedrals in mind in his designs for the Sagrada Família, but he decided not to follow the original neo-Gothic design of his predecessor, but he did. His goal was to convey through the structure the message of the four evangelists. He had a model of his temple on his bedside table.

In 1926, Gaudí was hit by a tram by dumb luck. Three days later he died in the hospital, and so with his death also came a (provisional) end to his life’s work. The photo on the left shows Gaudí during his young(er) years.

• A famous quote by Gaudí is, “Mis grandes amigos están muertos; no tengo familia, ni clientes, ni fortuna, ni nada. Así puedo entregarme totalmente al Templo.” In English, this means, “My good friends are dead; I have no family, no clients, no fortune, nothing. Thus I can give myself completely to the temple.” (temple = the Sagrada Família)

Fact
In the Sagrada Família you will find the face of architect Gaudí twice: once in the Façade of the Nativity in the face of Joseph and once in the Façade of the Passion, in which Veronica holds the face of Jesus with a piece of cloth.

Other famous buildings by Gaudí in Barcelona :

• Casa Milà
• Casa Batlló
• Palau Güell
• Casa Vicens
• Finca Güell (pavilions)

Magic square

The magic square (or magic square) with 16 squares by Josep María Subirachs, who was responsible for the construction of the Passion façade is one of the many riddles you can encounter in the Sagrada Família. The sum of the numbers on this square is always 33, the age of Christ when he died, as well as the number of degrees of the Order of Freemasons.

Visit the Sagrada Família and Park Güell in one day

Recommended: purchase the Barcelona City Pass (with for the Sagrada Família and Park Güell) and save money. Click here for more information on the Barcelona City Pass.

When you spend a few days in Barcelona, you obviously want to see as much as possible. Architect Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and Park Güell are often high on the wish list, especially if you’re coming to Barcelona for the first time. The good news is, your can visit them both in one day.

How to get from Sagrada Família to Park Güell?

There are several ways to get from one of Gaudí’s highlights to the other. Walking, cycling or public transportation. Useful to know: the height difference between Park Güell and the Sagrada Família is considerable. So while cycling or walking you have to take into account a considerable climb, or descent. Park Güell is a lot further uphill than the Sagrada Família.

Tip: When booking your tickets, leave plenty of time between the two sights so you don’t have to rush.

If you have enough time between visits, you can also walk through the Gràcia neighborhood and have lunch or coffee there. I like to come for tapas at Sol Soler on Plaça del Sol and for a cup of chocolate with lemon cake go to La Nena!

By bus

Take line 92 towards Av.Tibidabo (Sant Antoni Maria Claret-Lepant stop, you walk there in 10 minutes). Get off at Carretera del Carmel Parc Güell.

By metro

Take the blue line L5 stop Sagrada Família towards Vall D’Hebron. Get off at El Coll – La Teixonera stop. From there it’s a 15-minute walk, but the good news is that you get out at the very top, so it’s hardly anywhere uphill. And wonderful views!

By hop-on hop-off bus

With the Hop-on Hop-off bus, you can take the blue route very easily from the Sagrada Família to Park Güell or vice versa. It will take you about 20-30 minutes.

By taxi

There are always plenty of taxi’s waiting at the Sagrada Família and they will take you (depending on traffic) to Park Güell in 10-20 minutes.

Restaurants near the Sagrada Família

• Buenas Migas: focaccias, salads, smoothies and homemade icetea, pastries, super tasty coffee with fresh milk, extensive tea menu and organic yogurt with everything in it
• La Paradeta: for the real fish lovers! Expect about €25 per person for a table full of seafood. Closed on Mondays and between 4pm-8pm.
• Xurrería Sagrada Família: old-fashioned churros with chocolate sauce (they have a tiny terrace, so you have to get a little lucky!).
• Vermutería La Nonna Delia, carrer Padilla 305. This is the place to go for fresh pasta, empanadas and other homemade dishes prepared with fresh ingredients.
• Casa Angela: Mediterranean, European, Spanish and Catalan dishes. With a seat on the terrace, you can enjoy the beautiful view of Gaudi’s masterpiece. Also, sitting here in the evening is very cozy!
• Gaudí Bakery: a place with delicious cakes, sandwiches and coffee. You can go to Gaudí’s bakery for breakfast, lunch or brunch. This bakery is about a 10-minute walk from the Sagrada Familia.

Want to read more?

• Also fun to read is our general article with all the ins & outs about the sights in Barcelona.