Sagrada Familia is the most famous landmark in one of the most visited cities in Europe. Visiting Sagrada Familia is definitely worth it and it is no wonder that thousands of people choose to do so daily! It is truly one of the best Antoni Gaudí works out there, together with Park Güell!
However, I have also noticed that many tourists happen to make one or more of these 6 simple mistakes which can turn their visit into a less enjoyable one!
In order to help you out, I have noted all the common mistakes that people make while visiting Sagrada Família so that when you go, you will not repeat those mistakes. At the end of the article I also have a very useful bonus!
Contents
Here we go, these are the 6 main mistakes to avoid before visiting Sagrada Família:
1. Not booking in advance
As I said, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona by Gaudí is by far the most visited Spanish attraction and maybe in all of Europe! Thousands of people line up there every day to see the masterpiece by Gaudí from the inside. Does that sound terrifying to you?
You just need to book your Sagrada Familia ticket in advance online!
While the tickets to Sagrada Família can be bought online up to 2 months in advance, in high season, I would recommend booking your visit at least 5-7 days in advance in order to make sure your desired day and hour are available.
NOTE: The Go Barcelona Pass will NOT give you a skip-the-line access to the basilica and this is a common misconception. You will need to stay in the queue with everyone else before you enter.
2. Not taking a guided tour
La Sagrada Família is full of secret meanings, tiny significant details thought by Gaudí, pieces of architecture inspired by nature – all reasons why it is really worth taking an English guided experience with a skip-the-line ticket here!
Another good option is to tour La Sagrada Familia using this guided experience with tower access that will show you everything you need to know!
If your budget does not allow you to do one of the guided visits and tours, I recommend at least getting an audio guide experience.
PRO TIP: Take your own headphones with you and you will be able to share it with somebody else! 😉
NOTE: Make sure you come at least 15 minutes in advance if you get a guided experience! Keep in mind that the place is crowded so you will need time to find your guide. Usually, the tickets are not refundable if you are late.
3. Not visiting during sunset
While the interior of the cathedral is mesmerizing anytime, the best time to visit Sagrada Familia is during sunset and I think you would regret it if you missed the beautiful golden light reflecting from the countless stained glass windows!
This is actually the best feature of the Basilica and seeing it during Golden Hour when the sun reflects directly onto the stained glass is Antoni Gaudi’s exact reason for creating La Sagrada Familia as he did.
4. Not leaving enough time for the visit
This is a very common mistake that travelers make when they are in a rush to see as much as possible!
I strongly recommend you leave at least one hour and a half for your Sagrada Familia tour if you want to discover the cathedral without rushing. You can add 30 more minutes if you want to go up to the Gaudí towers to take in the view.
Related read: Barcelona with kids – 25 awesome things to do.
Why should you visit Sagrada Familia Towers too?
If you have more time for your Sagrada Familia church tour, I definitely recommend buying a complete ticket with Tower access included, I think it is really worth it!
NOTE: If you have a fear of heights, you might get really anxious while you are up there, especially if you go up the Nativity façade. Basilica Sagrada Familia is 172m high so it will be easy to get scared if you are afraid of heights! Please also note that if you are claustrophobic, there is no elevator going down, your only option will be to take the narrow “spiral” stairs.
Nativity Tower or Passion Tower?
Sagrada Familia has two facades with towers that you can go up to: the Nativity Towers and the Passion Towers. The Nativity Towers are the oldest ones and the only ones Gaudi himself helped with the construction; the Passion Towers are the new ones, completed after his sketches. The Sagrada Familia top view is mesmerizing regardless of your choice!
5. Not taking your camera
I mean, who forgets a camera when going to the main sight of Barcelona?
You would be surprised! I strongly recommend you make sure to take your camera with you and charge your phone. You do not want to leave this majestic place by Gaudí without taking some shots of it or maybe even stop for some selfies, right? 😉
6. Not wearing appropriate clothes
Finally, yet still important, even if the rules are not as strict as at the Vatican, Sagrada Familia is a church after all and you should dress modestly when you decide to go there. When you actually go there you will see many people dressed in shorts or skirts, but I suggest you avoid showing cleavage or wearing mini-skirts, even if it is just to pay respect to this holy place!
There is an exception, though: the crypt of Sagrada Familia can only be visited during Mass and only if you are dressed appropriately.
BONUS 1 – 4 painless ways to get into Sagrada Familia fast
Here is some valuable advice on how to get into Sagrada Familia with no stress or waiting involved:
1. Buy your tickets online in advance
The easiest and safest way is to buy your Sagrada Familia tickets in advance online and to make sure you aren’t late. The tickets are reserved for a specific hour with a 15-minute window.
Even if you have the online pre-booked tickets, you will still need to stay in a short line of travelers who have the same admission hour as yours (2 to 15 minutes).
UPDATE: Starting in January 2019, the general admission tickets can only be used after 2 PM. If you want to visit Sagrada Familia earlier, I recommend taking a guided experience (see Solution 2 below).
NOTE: Do not be late; if you miss your slot you won’t be able to enter anymore!
PRO TIP: if you are younger than 30 years old or if you have a student ID, you will be entitled to a small discount (around 2€).
PRO TIP 2: If the online tickets for Sagrada Familia for your dates are sold out on the official site, I suggest you try this Skip-The-Line Tour! 🙂
PRICE: The price for the basic ticket is 20€. With the audioguide it will be 26€.
2. Book a guided tour
Taking a guided experience means that you will have to meet your guide at a different gate than the standard one and you will also benefit from skip-the-line access. The best part? You will be accompanied by certified live guides who will tell you everything about La Sagrada Familia Cathedral!
NOTE: The Go Barcelona Pass entitles you to free entry, but it does not, however, give you a skip-the-line privilege, so you will need to wait in the line with everyone else.
Price: 47€ and 75€ if you want access to the towers
3. Take a private tour of Sagrada Familia
A private tour means you will not be rushed, you will not be part of large groups of tourists and you will be able to ask all the questions and receive all the information you want.
PRICE: 110€ per person for a 1-hour and 15 minutes tour, or 400€ per person for a full day tour of Barcelona highlights.
4. Get a Barcelona City Pass
Barcelona City Pass combines all the most popular attractions of the city in one pass. You will still need to choose your desired date and hour, but they will book everything for you. If you decide to buy this city pass, you can choose from different Sagrada Familia tickets: Basic, with audio guidance, with tower + audio guide or a guided excursion.
By the way, you can check out our article about the best Barcelona passes available on the market and a comparison of each of them in this article.
You will save at least 15€ per person if you go to all of the activities offered and as many 20% discounts to other attractions as possible. Plus, the pass is fully mobile!
5. Buy your ticket on-site (not recommended)
This option is obvious and that is why I am mentioning it, but I have to warn you that it is a far from painless choice.
If you really did not plan your visit in advance and you want to see Sagrada Família, you can buy tickets at the cash register there. But you might find out that the only available slot for your entry is a few hours later or even the next day. Do you want to waste your hours coming back twice? I don’t think so!
PRO TIP: On Mondays it might be a bit less crowded since some people will assume it is closed.
PRICE: 20€
BONUS 2 – How to get in Sagrada Familia for free!
Sagrada Família is an extraordinary masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí architect (together with Park Güell) that is definitely worth visiting while you are in Barcelona, but I must admit that the entrance price is not that “friendly”.
Your chance to get in the basilica for free is to attend one of the weekly masses that are held there. There is a 1-hour public Mass every Sunday at 9 AM, in different languages. Sagrada Família also holds Extraordinary Masses on certain days: Palm Sunday Mass (in March), Closing mass of the International Congress of Pueri Cantores (in July) and the Thanksgiving Mass (in October). You can check the up-to-date calendar on their website here.
Of course, you cannot take pictures – be careful to be respectful of the people that are attending, as this is a religious occasion.
NOTE: Being a worship service open to the public (similar to a temple), the spaces are limited and the first people in line have priority. Make sure to be at the Nativity Façade entrance at 8:30 AM. If you are a group of 25 people or more, you must fill in a special form beforehand.
Visiting Paris soon? Here are 6 places in Paris with the longest queues and how to skip the lines!
Conclusion
I hope this info has helped you save a couple of hours of your valuable vacation time as well as saved you from the stress and disappointment of getting to the Sagrada Familia entrance and not being let in!
In this post I have told you how to avoid 6 most common mistakes that travelers make before visiting Sagrada Família by Gaudí, as well as given you some helpful tips on how to avoid the long lines and a secret way of getting in the Catalan Cathedral for free!
P.S.: I also have another article where I explain how to get around the lines for the 5 most crowded places in Barcelona!
Let me know if you have any questions and I wish you an amazing holiday!
Yulia
RELATED ARTICLES:
- 5 Places in Barcelona with the longest queue and how to skip the line
- 5 Best neighborhoods to stay in Barcelona
- 6 places in Paris with the longest queues and how to skip the lines!
- 6 Most crowded attractions in Rome and how to avoid the long line
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Great article about the Sagrada Familia. I have been multiple times and agree with you. 🙂 Just a heads up though – the Sagrada Familia is NOT “by far the most visited Spanish attraction and maybe in all of Europe”. The Alhambra in Granada often competes very closely (and often beats) the Sagrada Familia.
Thank you!
Haha, you’re right, maybe I’ve been a bit subjective with that statement!
I am glad that I went as it is a very unique structure. If you have a fear of heights, skip the towers. The first set of steps are not so bad but have no hand rails and the second type of steps have hand rails but if you fear heights, you can see all the way down via the open center. We visited in the afternoon. the sun coming thru the windows was a bit blinding at times. Sometimes the elevator person may let you come back down if you are claustrophobic or have health issues. Ask before you go to the top.
Definitely agree! It can get quite scary for claustrophobic people or people who are afraid of heights, thank you for pointing this out!
Hi Yulia,
Thanks for the great info in your post. We are planning to visit in early Feb.. Sunset is a little after 6:00 then. What time would you recommend since the only options available are 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, and 4:45 for the tours with tower access.
Hello,
Thank you! I would choose 4.30 or even 4.45, since a tour usually takes about 90 minutes, so that way you’ll also manage to catch the sunset at 6:00!
Could you please tell me if tourists are allowed to attend one of the regular masses throughout the week, or are we limited to only the 9AM Sunday one?
As far as I know, the masses only take place on Sunday, Saturday (when an international mass takes place) and on some special occasions, such as the holy days of obligation. They are all free for the public, but the church has a limited capacity. You can check their website for more informations on the customs and schedules here and here to see the exact timetable of the masses!
We are planning on attending Sunday mass 9am. Question, once mass is over are we allowed to stay inside and then take pictures . I realize that we’re required to purchase tickets should we want audio to listen to history and info.
Two questions1. In mid January, do I even need to worry about lines at Sagrada Familia?
Is GAUDI’S NEST APARTMENTS a safe and well -located place to stay?
Hello,
Although January is definitely less crowded, I would still book skip-the-line tickets, just to be sure I don’t find myself waisting precious time in the line!
I haven’t personally stayed at Gaudi’s Nest Apartments, but I see it’s located in Eixample, which is, in my opinion, a great neighborhood, especially if you want to be close to all the main attractions! It also has many good reviews, so I’d say it’s a nice option to stay!
You can also check my full list of hotel recommendations for Barcelona, as well as my favourite areas to stay, here!
Hello Ofelia,
After the mass you will be required to leave and have a ticket if you wish to visit it again later.
Have fun on your holiday!
Which should I pick, the guided tour or the audio guide with towers? It’s my first time at Barcelona and I’m a solo female traveler. Both has its own merits and I can’t decide. Is there any best day of the week to visit? What other attractions would you recommend that I visit on the same day as Sagrada Familia?
Hello,
I would definitely go for the one that has the skip-the-line option! Other than that, it’s up to you if you feel like spending more time with an experienced guide or you’d rather walk at your own pace and listen to the audio guide (which, from my experience, will not be as informative, though).
I would suggest Monday (during sunset, of course!), because many people think it’s closed on that day, so they avoid visiting it.
There are many other places to visit such as Casa Vicens (which is located in the city center) or Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and you can also check out my article with my suggestions of 8 Cool Things to Do in Barcelona, Spain You’ve Probably Never Heard Of!
Have fun on your trip!
Can you provide some insight as to the difference between booking on “getyourguide.com” vs. Sagrada Famiglia site direct? I am having trouble understanding which is better. It appears the only way to get a full guided tour of both the basilica AND go up one tower is to book on the get your guide site as sagrada tower option is 45 minutes only but it does allow you to pick the passion side tower or the nativity facade. Please help distinguish as the link you provide says tour is 90 minutes for basilica and tower, but we cannot choose which tower?
Hello Lori,
The getyourguide tour is a skip-the-line ticket and offers you a live tour with an experienced guide, which will be more detailed than the audioguide offered by Sagrada Familia. The tower for the getyourguide one will be choosen depending on the day and the construction works.
Hope this helps!
I went last month to Sagrada Familia and your post helped a lot so thank you!
Wow! This post is a gem! very informative. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, glad you found it useful! 🙂
Dear Yulia
I sincerely appreciate all your time and efforts that you put to provide us with all these valuable experience and information. I really enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks a million.
You’re welcome, Sonia! Always happy to help!
Thank you Yulia for doing all the hard work for me as I did not realise how complex it is to get all this information. Lovely to have your ideas on all these things. We will be travelling from Australia in September to Barcelona. Best Wishes Lyn
PS which is the best site to book the tour?.
Thank you so much, Lyn! You can check my recommendations at the end of the article – I usually recommend the official website, but if you want a guided or a private guided tour, I’d recommend checking on GetYourGuide as well to see the current offers!
Have a great vacation!
Thank you again Yulia! Do you have any recommendations regarding a safe and clean beach in Barcelona?
Hi Yulia, Thank you very much for a lot of valuable information which really helped me to plan out trip to Barcelona!
Thank you so much for your comment, Grace! I’m very glad I could help! 🙂
Thank you, Yulia! I am trying to plan our trip to Barcelona and was a bit overwhelmed by the different options for Sagrada Familia. Your blog is awesome – exactly what I needed to know, and some really great things I wouldn’t have known to look for. I’ll be coming back again and reading your other articles. Glad to find MissTourist!
You are welcome, Linda! I’m glad my article was useful! 🙂
Hi,
I have a few questions. If I want to go to Mass in the crypt at 9am, but don’t have a ticket until later in the morning or afternoon, can I get into the main church before my ticket time, or do I need to leave and then come back? Is it possible to leave the church and come back later in the day using the same entrance ticket? I’m planning to spend many hours there in a single day, but I’m wondering if I can leave and get food, or will I have to pay for a second ticket to get in again? Thanks in advance.
Hi, Andrea,
The mass can be attended for free, without a ticket, although the capacity is limited so you might want to make sure to arrive there early. After that, you must return and visit with your ticket time. If you want to get out to buy food, I’m afraid you will have to buy another ticket for re-entering Sagrada Familia.
You can find more details about the mass here.
Hi, Can walkers be brought into the basilica? What guided tour do you revommend? Thank you. Sandra
Hi, Sandra,
I recommend this small group guided tour or this one in case you want to visit the towers as well!
If I buy a Barcelona City Pass, I see it includes the Sagrada Familia audio tour. Can we upgrade to a guided tour? Also, if we get the city pass can we choose the day we want to use the Hop on Hop off bus? Is it an issue if we only use the airport transfer one way as we are arriving on a cruise ship? Thanks so very much for your help.
Hi!
If you buy Barcelona City Pass you will get Sagrada Familia skip-the-line + audio guide and it cannot be upgraded to a guided tour. Yes, you have to choose the day when you want to use the Hop On Hop Off bus when you buy the pass, as well as the specific days and times for Sagrada Familia and Park Guell.
You can use the airport transfer if you want or not, it is not a problem if you can’t use one of the tickets, but you will have to pay for the roundtrip in anyway.
Hope this helps and have fun in Barcelona!
Yulia
Very nice article!! I agree with all points, Sagrada Familia is one of my favourite places in Europe and it’s very important to book tickets in advance and have a guided tour not to miss anything!!
I visited Barcelona (and Sagrada Familia) for the first time about 15 years ago. The opera about Antoni Gaudí inspired me to go to Sagrada Familia. When I was there the cost was very modest, and there were no lines. I doubt that I’ll live long enough to go back, but the information in your post is incredible and priceless. Everyone, of all religions (or no religion), should try to see it. I consider it to be to be one of the wonders of the world. Mucho gracias.
You are welcome! Yes, things change as Barcelona is becoming more and more touristy
Hi there! Thanks a lot for this informative guide! It will definitely help me a lot to plan my visit. Being a blogger myself, I know how much work went into this piece so I directly pinned it to few boards 🙂
Quick note: prices have gone up in January – entrance is now 17€, 25€ with audio guide, 26€ guided tour and 32€ with tower visit
Thank you for the heads-up, Sarah! I have updated the article with the new prices. Much appreciated! 🙂
Thank you for pinning as well, I hope you’ll have an awesome visit!
Thanks for posting information on getting tickets if sold out, using an operator. I was frustrated because there were no tickets available but was able to get from the skip the line link you posted.
Hello Jen,
amazing you could find tickets!
I am happy it was helpful as I think it would be a miss if you would not go inside!
Happy holidays!
This is so useful! I’m looking at visiting Barcelona in November, and this place is definitely on my list of things to see.
Have fun and yes, thats a must! 🙂
Hello. My daughter is 10 and can get into sagrada familia for free but would be very sad to miss the audio guide. On the official site it says the audio guide is not for children under 11. Should I just take a spare set of headphones? You indicate a child guide is available…is that just purchased onsite?
Hello Michelle,
not sure where I said about an audio guide for kids?
P.S I think you can take the one for children over 11, and your daughter will be just fine (she is almost there in any way!)
Hope this helps,
have a great time in Barcelona!
Hi
I was thinking of visiting the towers in the morning and then church afterwards. Should I pick up the audio guide upon arrival at the site and then visit the towers and then the church? Do you need the audio guide for the towers?
I used the audio guide and I think it was only talking about the Sagrada Familia itself, not about the towers.
You can pick up the audioguide when you want because it is given after you enter the security (look on your right before entering Sagrada itself)
We completely agree with Yulia’s recommendations.
We visited it last fall and coincidently did everything she mentionned.
It was one of the best site & tour of our trip.
We too highly recommend it. And using those tips.
Great post. Cheers,
Happy you could get in without the hustle and enjoy this amazing sight, cheers!
What a great post Yulia! I stumbled on it on Pinterest and saving it for when our family vacation takes us to Barcelona. Hopefully soon.
Best,
Chika
Thanks for the comment Chika,
I am sure your family will enjoy the vacation! 🙂
can you please explain the city pass?? round trip airport ride? I’m assuming that means to the hotel? Is it possible that we get picked up at the port to return to airport as we are taking a cruise. Also, it appears that we can only choose times to visit Sagrada Familia after we pay. is that the case? Thank you for your help
hello Annie,
thank you for your question, it is indeed not clear from their website!
I addressed the company with the questions and this is what they replied:
1) The bus will take you from the airport to Barcelona City Centre. It makes 2 stops: plaza Espana first and then Plaza Catalunya. When you return to the airport, you can again go from Plaza Espana and Plaza Catalunya. The bus does not take you to your hotel.
If you want to be picked up at the port to go to the airport, you would have to take a taxi or take the aerobus again.
3) This is correct. You first order the Barcelona City Pass and make the payment. After that you will receive an email with a link, to choose your visiting hours for Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. Once you have decided and confirmed your visiting times, you will receive all the tickets by email (aerobus, hop on hop off, sagrada, etc)
Hope that helps,
have an amazing trip!
Hello! I’m going from April 26th to the 29th and from May 6th to May 9th. That’s a Thursday thru Sunday and Sunday Thru Wednesday. At what time should I go to catch the sunset this time of the year? Thanks in advance for your help!
I usually just google “Sunset Barcelona” and it shows me he exact time the sunset is going to happen in that exact day. You can check a couple of days before your trip and that will be more or less the time for each of the days of your vacation.
enjoy your stay!
Amazing place, great experience. We were in January 2018 – there are no big queues at this time – 20 minutes we waited for tickets. we were on a sunny day around 13 o’clock. – amazing light effects inside. The whole Barcelona beautiful 🙂
Thanks Teresa!
Yes, i think Barcelona in January is the most empty tourists-wise! But it does get crazy during the season! I have been there so many times (in the summer) and never managed to visit for this reason.
The light effect is gorgeous!
Thanks for these awesome tips, your post will gonna help many people and I will really gonna follow all these tips while on a visit to this place.
I COMPLETELY agree about the audio tour. Worth every penny! And great tip to book in advance and go during sunset!
I think once you booked your ticket without the audioguide and entered the basilica, you cannot change your mind and pay extra for the audioguide inside, which is a pity!
But yeah, it was great to get more information about this masterpiece!
It really is an amazing place to visit in Barcelona and one of the mistakes I made at the time I visited the place was not to come with a guide to show all the details of the holy family. Very good post 🙂
thanks a lot! 🙂
Its amazing!! I read all your blogs and that all are just fabulous. Although I dont travel much, but I love to read other people experience.