The Sagrada Família, meaning the Holy Family in Spanish, is considered to be one of the most spectacular churches in the world. With its stunning details and grandeur, the Sagrada Família has become a symbol of Barcelona, reflecting the splendor of Catalonia.
The Sagrada Família is one of the most iconic sights in the whole of Barcelona, and despite the fact that it is still unfinished, construction continues to this very day. From humble beginnings over a hundred years ago, the imposing church has grown to impressive heights seen today by millions of visitors every single year.
<p>The Sagrada Família, meaning the Holy Family in Spanish, is considered to be one of the most spectacular churches in the world. With its stunning details and grandeur, the Sagrada Família has become a symbol of Barcelona, reflecting the splendor of Catalonia.</p> <p>The Sagrada Família is one of the most iconic sights in the whole of Barcelona, and despite the fact that it is still unfinished, construction continues to this very day. From humble beginnings over a hundred years ago, the imposing church has grown to impressive heights seen today by millions of visitors every single year.</p>
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The Sagrada Família, meaning the Holy Family in Spanish, is considered to be one of the most spectacular churches in the world. With its stunning details and grandeur, the Sagrada Família has become a symbol of Barcelona, reflecting the splendor of Catalonia.
The Sagrada Família is one of the most iconic sights in the whole of Barcelona, and despite the fact that it is still unfinished, construction continues to this very day. From humble beginnings over a hundred years ago, the imposing church has grown to impressive heights seen today by millions of visitors every single year.
Book your Sagrada Família tickets and get straight into Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece — one of the most ambitious and eccentric architectural projects of the past century.
Check out what you need to know about Sagrada Família, one of the most exciting attractions in Barcelona.
There are several ways to experience the basilica, whether you want to explore alone, on a guided tour or access the towers. You can buy your Sagrada Família tickets online, as well as by using QR codes located around the basilica. Revenue from tickets goes toward the construction of Sagrada Família.
Visitors with disabilities and children under 11 years old are entitled to free access to the Sagrada Família, the towers and guided tours. Companions of visitors with disabilities are eligible to free standard tickets and discounts for access to the towers and guided tours.
Standard Sagrada Família tickets include a 25-45 minute audioguide, which is available in 17 different languages.
These Sagrada Família tickets include a 50-minute guided tour in 6 different languages, depending on the season, as well as the audioguide.
This ticket includes an audioguide and access to one of the towers in Sagrada Família, either the Passion facade or Nativity facade. Please note that children under the age of 6 years old are not allowed in the towers.
Enjoy a 50-minute guided visit to the Sagrada Família and one of its towers with these ticket and guided tour combos.
Yes. Students and young visitors (under 30) are entitled to a €2 discount on all Sagrada Família tickets, while senior visitors enjoy discounted rates for all tickets and guided tours. Single-parent or large families are also eligible for a 50% discount on their tickets.
The companions of visitors with disabilities are entitled to free standard Sagrada Família tickets and discounts on all other ticket and tour options.
It is possible to visit the Sagrada Família for free by attending the Sunday mass at 9 AM. Make sure to arrive early in order to claim your seats, since it can get very busy.
People who are registered as unemployed in Spain can visit for free on Wednesdays, between 9 AM and noon, but will have to pay €4 for a guided tour and €10 to access the towers.
Members of religious orders are able to visit Sagrada Família for free and may access additional services for free too.
Make sure you have the relevant documentation ready and on hand to prove your eligibility for a discounted ticket.
It is highly recommended that you book your Sagrada Família tickets in advance. The basilica receives about four million of visitors every year, so tickets sell out very quickly – especially during the peak tourist season.
By booking your tickets in advance, you are able to secure a set time to visit the Sagrada Família and will not have to wait in queues to enter. You’ll also have more options regarding time slots for the Sagrada Família or your guided tour.
You can book your Sagrada Família tickets online approximately two months ahead of your desired visit date. Booking in advance is your best chance of visiting on the date and time that suits you the best!
There are several reasons to book a Sagrada Família guided tour, as you get fast access. On a guided tour, visitors receive rare treats like access to places in the basilica that may not be open to the general public, such as the towers.
You’ll also benefit from the knowledge of your guide, giving you a comprehensive experience of the basilica. Here are some of the best tours available and what is included.
Discover the details, stories and secrets of Sagrada Familia on a guided group tour. Your expert guide will be able to give you an insider understanding of the design and construction of the Sagrada Família, from Antoni Gaudí’s vision to the hidden symbolism.
With so many details and symbols imbued in Sagrada Família, it’s easy to miss out on many of the intricacies of the basilica. Your guide will bring your attention to how the Sagrada Família represents periods of Jesus’ life and scenes from the bible, and the intention and thinking behind Gaudí’s design. They will also provide you with the historical context of the construction of the Sagrada Família, and explain the influence of nature in Gaudí’s work.
After your guided tour, you will be able to visit the Sagrada Família museum located in the basilica. Here, you will see models and drawings of the basilica that illustrate its construction over the past century. You’ll also have free time to continue exploring on your own, and may even take the opportunity to reflect or meditate in this spiritual sanctuary.
Depending on your tour option, you may also have access to one of the iconic towers on either the Nativity facade or Passion facade. You can take a lift up to the top for breathtaking views of Barcelona before walking back down again.
If you’d like to enjoy a more personal experience, you can opt to join a private tour to visit Sagrada Família. With just your select group, you can enjoy a more intimate guided tour of Sagrada Família and benefit from your guide’s wealth of knowledge and personalized attention.
Private tours of Sagrada Família can last up to 2 hours, giving you plenty of time to immerse yourself in the basilica and absorb as many details as you can. The added time of a private tour enables you to ask as many questions as you like, and deepens the experience of Sagrada Família.
Some tour options also offer private transportation to and from your hotel, along with additional stops to other buildings by Gaudí, including Casa Milà and Casa Batlló, giving you a comprehensive view of the architect’s work.
You can also add to your exploration of Barcelona with private tours that stop at other notable locations in the city, or even embark on a walking tour of Barcelona’s major highlights, or focus on the Gothic Quarter, which dates back to medieval times and is now a bustling hub.
Yes, there are a few ways to package access to Sagrada Família with other attractions in Barcelona. This is a great way of seeing some of the sights of the city and beyond in a short amount of time and within a small budget. You may find below the most popular combined offers.
The Sagrada Família is without a doubt one of the most impressive and popular places to visit in Barcelona, and it is the building that everyone thinks of when they picture the city. Still unfinished over 100 years later, yet highly impressive, the Sagrada Família has a real fairytale and gothic feel to it, with its huge towers shooting high into the sky and jaw-dropping detail on the outer facades.
Gaudí was very aware that a construction of this scale was going to last years, centuries even, which is why the outer and front sections were the first to be constructed. It was hoped that the sheer wonder of the starting point would encourage people to donate to the building, ensuring construction continued throughout the decades and centuries to come. It worked!
Visiting Sagrada Família gives you an idea of how much the basilica means to the modern splendor of Catalonia. It is among the most visited attractions in Spain for its stunning design, and even the story of its construction. Very few places on earth leave you as awestruck as gazing up at the massive basilica, a true feat of architecture.
The exterior of Sagrada Família is made of three facades — the Nativity facade, Passion facade and Glory facade. Each facade depicts different stages in the life of Jesus Christ, and is imbued with detail and symbolism that you can uncover on a guided tour.
Gaudí oversaw the creation of the Nativity facade when he was still alive, and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to his works. The Nativity facade depicts the early life of Jesus, and is replete with intricate details and natural symbolism, featuring ducks, dragonflies and bees among others.
The Passion facade is another very popular section of the church, but contrasts the Nativity facade in style. Started in 1954 and completed in 2018, the Passion facade depicts the death of Christ and features angular lines and an austere mood. As this facade was created after Gaudí’s death, the building was guided by his detailed drawings and led by the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs.
The final facade, the Glory facade, is still under construction, which only began in 2002. This section is dedicated to the glory of Jesus, and will bring the story of Sagrada Família full circle.
One of the defining features of Sagrada Família is its monumental towers. On completion, the basilica is expected to be the tallest church building in the world. With 18 towers included in the final design, only a few remain to be completed. The towers are divided to represent the 12 apostles, the four evangelists Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.
The final two towers represent the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ respectively. After the completion of the tower of the Virgin Mary, a large star at the top is lit up at night. The tower of Jesus Christ will be the tallest of them all, standing at 172 meters high. With advance tickets, you’ll be able to pick what time you visit the tower and whether you visit either of the two towers.
You can take a lift to the top of the tower, but will have to walk the stairs down. The view from the top of the towers across the city of Barcelona is breathtaking and well worth it! However, keep in mind that the towers are quite high up and the staircase is fairly narrow. If you are afraid of heights or claustrophobic, a tower visit may not be for you.
The interior of the Sagrada Família is truly mind-blowing, with huge religious significance. The arches, the keystones, the main vault, the stained-glass windows, the naves, are all designed to be one of the most opulent of its kind — and it certainly is. With towering columns symbolic of trees and stained glass colors specifically chosen to represent aspects of the life of Jesus Christ, each detail of the interiors has been carefully considered.
Gaudí even designed an entirely new type of column for Sagrada Família, the double-twist column. Four of these at the center of the basilica reference the four Evangelists, with each displaying specific symbols for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The effect is spectacular, creating one of the most awe-inspiring modern churches in the world. As the light streams through the stained-glass windows, you will appreciate the sacred space that Gaudí envisioned as “God’s architect”.
You can immerse yourself inside Sagrada Família during one of the free masses held once a week. It must be noted that as an active church, there is a strict dress code for entering Sagrada Família. You may not wear anything see-through, and your pants must cover your legs up to mid-thigh. If you do not meet the requirements, you may be asked to leave.
Located within the Sagrada Família is a museum dedicated to its construction. Filled with models, papers and images that document its build over the past century, this museum is an excellent add-on to understanding and appreciating the magnitude of building Sagrada Família.
Many guided tours include a stop at the museum in their itineraries, and it’s also possible to see Gaudí’s tomb from here. In 1926, after dedicating the remainder of his life to the construction of Sagrada Família, Gaudí tragically died after a tram accident. He was buried within the walls of his masterpiece, and is remembered today as “God’s architect”.
Sagrada Família is located centrally within the city of Barcelona and is easily accessible. The best way to reach it would be by public transport. You can travel to Sagrada Família by train on the Metro L2 and L5, and the stations are located directly on the streets outside the basilica.
If traveling by bus, you can easily stop at the station outside of Sagrada Família, and take the bus 19, 33, 34, D50, H10 or B24. On arrival, you will enter at Carrer de la Marina.
The Sagrada Família can be visited every day of the week and the opening hours depend on the season.
On Dec. 25, Dec. 26, Jan. 1 and Jan. 6 the Sagrada Família is open from 9 AM to 2 PM.
The best time to visit Sagrada Família is in the early morning or late afternoon or evening, when it is less crowded. However, late afternoon or evening may be preferable as this is when the sunlight streams through the stained-glass windows of the basilica, creating a heavenly scene and an excellent photo opportunity.