La Sagrada Familia - which tour to take

We plan to purchase La Sagrada Familia tickets for the earliest tour on our ship departure day. I do not want to go up in the towers.

For 24 euro there is a guided tour. As long as we can hear and understand the guide. I am leaning towards this tour.

From their website.

• This guided tour lasts approximately 50 minutes.
  
• Guided tours are available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian and German (summer).
  
• There will not be more than 30 people per group.
  
• The group entrance is on Carrer Marina.
  

They offer an audio guide tour for 22 euro. Tour details.

• The Sagrada Família audioguide is only available for children over 11 years of age.
  
• The audioguide is available in the following languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Hungarian.
  
• This audioguide lasts approximately 45 minutes.
  
• The entrance is on the Nativity façade, Carrer de la Marina.
  
• The audioguide doesn’t include a visit to the towers. To visit one of the towers, choose the “Top Views” option.
  

There are pros/cons to both tours. I like to linger at spots of special interests which you can't do on a guided tour. But I like to ask questions to the guide too. Plus sometimes the guide adds valuable insight not found on the audio guide.

Any comments on these options is appreciated. Our cruise is in October and tickets are purchased no more than 90 days in advance. Thanks in advance.

I think it really depends on how independent you like to be and how much you like to linger.

We used the audio guide and it was excellent. One of the best we have ever used. There was a lot of basic detail and after the initial information you had an option to punch in a number for more detail. We were there for over three hours and actually had to cut short our visit because we had to meet friends.

I hope to go again soon to see what may have changed over the intervening five years and get to finish what we missed. We did a Tower last time and though we enjoyed it, I can happily skip it next time.

My sister was there last year she really enjoyed going with a guide, but she likes to ask lots of questions.

Julie

We have been there twice and on the most recent tour used the audio guide. I liked the ability to stop and linger. Plan at least a couple of hours. Make sure to walk around the outside as well. A fascinating building as conceived and built even if not yet finished.

Great comments. We plan to arrive at the church around 8 am. That should allow us sufficient time to take in the outside of the church.

Is it best to get an audio guide for each person? I have done audioguides both ways. In the Treasury in Vienna, my wife and I shared a guide and it was perfect. It was fairly quiet and we could hear it well.

Another tour we each got seperate audioguides and we spent way too much time syncing up each stop. It was noisy so it would of been difficult to hear one unit.

Two more questions.

On the guided tour, does the guide use any electronic equipment to conduct the tour ( like a whisper system)? Or are you expected to close ranks so every group member can hear the guide?

On the audioguide tour, do you hold the audioguide up to one ear to hear, or does it use headphones? I take my iPod headphones on trips as those headphones are better than those one ear piece headphones.

Thank you so much. I have many questions in attempts to have the best vacation possible.

Great comments. We plan to arrive at the church around 8 am. That should allow us sufficient time to take in the outside of the church.

 

Is it best to get an audio guide for each person? I have done audioguides both ways. In the Treasury in Vienna, my wife and I shared a guide and it was perfect. It was fairly quiet and we could hear it well.

 

Another tour we each got seperate audioguides and we spent way too much time syncing up each stop. It was noisy so it would of been difficult to hear one unit.

 

Two more questions.

 

On the guided tour, does the guide use any electronic equipment to conduct the tour ( like a whisper system)? Or are you expected to close ranks so every group member can hear the guide?

 

On the audioguide tour, do you hold the audioguide up to one ear to hear, or does it use headphones? I take my iPod headphones on trips as those headphones are better than those one ear piece headphones.

 

Thank you so much. I have many questions in attempts to have the best vacation possible.

Interesting ? you've posted. I've been fortunate to have experienced both methods of guided tours at La Sagrada Familia. the first time we went was with audioguide. It hung from your neck and had earphones. The second time was a guided tour and we were provided with headphones to hear the tour guide. I liked both tours for different reasons. The audioguide allowed you to go at your own pace. The guided tour we had a wonderful guide who led us on a leisurely pace and was willing and able to answer any and all questions regarding inside and outside of the Basilica. Whichever one you decide to do, I don't believe you'll be disappointed. Enjoy the tour!

For my husband and I we preferred to have our own audio guides. We travel well together :),but have slightly different interests, so this allowed us to immerse ourselves in the experience based on our own wants.

I can see how it could also work sharing an audio guide as you are doing the same thing at the same time.

As has been mentioned, whatever you choose, the building is so amazing that I don't think you will be disappointed with audio or personal guide.

Julie

Deciding if we should do the audio or the guided tour. If we do the tour with a guide can we buy the audio guide after the tour if we would like more information? I'm wondering if we would have to go back outside to the ticket booth or if the audio guide would be available inside to purchase. Thirty people for the guided tour does seems like too many. Also, will the audio guide be adaptable to our iPhone earbuds?

Carole

Having never visited Sagrada Familia before I am confused about the best way to buy tickets. We will be there on Sat April 29th. We wanted to get there and go in as early as possible but when we went to their website the earliest tickets still available were for admittance at 10:30am. I guess the ones for 9am must be sold out. I am also seeing a lot of reference to skip the line tickets which are in the nearly 50 euro per ticket range or over twice what tickets cost if you buy them directly from SF. Lets say I buy the 22 euro tickets directly from SF online as opposed to the higher priced skip the line tickets. How long of a line time wise should we expect to wait in considering the time of day, 10:30am since earlier evidently is not available, and the date we will be there?

Having never visited Sagrada Familia before I am confused about the best way to buy tickets. We will be there on Sat April 29th. We wanted to get there and go in as early as possible but when we went to their website the earliest tickets still available were for admittance at 10:30am. I guess the ones for 9am must be sold out. I am also seeing a lot of reference to skip the line tickets which are in the nearly 50 euro per ticket range or over twice what tickets cost if you buy them directly from SF. Lets say I buy the 22 euro tickets directly from SF online as opposed to the higher priced skip the line tickets. How long of a line time wise should we expect to wait in considering the time of day, 10:30am since earlier evidently is not available, and the date we will be there?

Buy your tickets from La Sagrada Familia's website. When you arrive at the Basilica at your designated time you will not have to stand in a long line. Are you buying tickets with audioguide or regular guide? Either one will help you understand what you're seeing. Enjoy the experience!

Buy your tickets from La Sagrada Familia's website. When you arrive at the Basilica at your designated time you will not have to stand in a long line. Are you buying tickets with audioguide or regular guide? Either one will help you understand what you're seeing. Enjoy the experience!

We are looking to buy with audioguide as we can get a 10:30 entry whereas with a guide it would be 11:30 before we could get in. If we are there at 10:30 even if we don't do the skip the line that is available do you think we will have to wait in line?

We are looking to buy with audioguide as we can get a 10:30 entry whereas with a guide it would be 11:30 before we could get in. If we are there at 10:30 even if we don't do the skip the line that is available do you think we will have to wait in line?

When you arrive a little bit before your time slot you will notice a line. Don't get in it as it will be the line for people to buy tickets. Go toward the head of the line and show the staff at the entrance your ticket and they will direct you to the correct place.

If you look at the link Eric posted in the HoHo thread for the official website you will see the most expensive ticket is €29 euro per person which includes audioguide, entrance and tower ticket. I think if you are looking at a site for €50 euro per person I would suspect it is a reseller not the official website.

The ticket you get from the official website is a "skip the line" ticket to use the resellers terminology.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Julie

When you arrive a little bit before your time slot you will notice a line. Don't get in it as it will be the line for people to buy tickets. Go toward the head of the line and show the staff at the entrance your ticket and they will direct you to the correct place.

 

If you look at the link Eric posted in the HoHo thread for the official website you will see the most expensive ticket is €29 euro per person which includes audioguide, entrance and tower ticket. I think if you are looking at a site for €50 euro per person I would suspect it is a reseller not the official website.

The ticket you get from the official website is a "skip the line" ticket to use the resellers terminology.

 

I hope you enjoy your visit.

 

Julie

Thank you. it is very confusing not having done this before. Much of the advertising makes it sound like you have to pay a lot more to avoid waiting in line even if you have already bought tickets from SF online.

I was at the Sagrada Familia less than 2 weeks ago. It was our 2nd visit with the first being 10 years ago. The place has changed so much in 10 years that the interior is not at all that I remembered. You can’t go below to the crypt and rooms anymore.

We took a tour 10 years ago and because everything was under construction, we found it informative.

As the interior looks almost complete, the personal audio guides worked well. They provided ear buds but you can use your own.

We booked the 1pm entrance, nativity tower, and audio guide for $29eu each in advance on their website. They allowed us entry about 10 minutes before our assigned time. There was about a 2 hour wait for those who bought tickets onsite. This was March 5th not even close to peak season.��

I booked about 3 weeks in advance but I suggest asap if you’re committed to a date.

Advance purchased tickets line up at the entrance on the navity side of the cathedral.

We booked our Sagrada Familia ticket 3/3/18 for 29Euros the entrance,, Nativity Facade Tower and Audioguide

we have 9am entrance and 9;15 tower entrance 4/27/18