The Sagrada Família: how to see it, and whether to go inside
Gaudí's basilica, in the Eixample, is best seen twice: from outside, where both façades and the new 172.5 m central tower make sense with someone explaining them, and from inside, for the light through the stained glass. Allow about an hour and a half inside, with a timed ticket booked online. Our city bike tour stops outside it.
The Sagrada Família at a glance
- What it is
- Antoni Gaudí's basilica, started in 1882 and still being built
- Height
- 172.5 m since February 2026, the tallest church in the world
- Address
- Carrer de Mallorca 401, Eixample
- Metro
- Sagrada Família (L2, L5)
- Inside visit
- Timed ticket, online only, about 1 to 1.5 hours
- Ticket
- €26 adult, €24 students and under 30s, €21 seniors, free under 11
- Open
- November to February 9:00 to 18:00 (Sundays from 10:30); longer hours from March to October
- On our tours
- Barcelona Bike Tour, and the Christmas Bike Tour for its Christmas market
Prices and hours checked on sagradafamilia.org on 9 November 2026. They change, so check again before you book.
What you see with us
The Barcelona Bike Tour reaches the Sagrada Família after Gaudí's houses on Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. We stop at the spot with the best view of the basilica, not just the nearest corner, and always leave time to take photos and look around on your own.
While you look, your guide tells the story of the place: how a church started by a bookseller's society became Gaudí's life's work, how to read the two very different façades, and the facts and anecdotes that guidebooks usually leave out.
We don't go inside: entry isn't part of the tour. Seeing it with a guide first is a good way to decide whether you want to, and to know what you're looking at when you do.
- Casa Batlló
- Casa Milà
- Sagrada Família
- La Monumental
- Arc de Triomf
What our guides tell you here
“My client is not in a hurry”
Gaudí took over the project in 1883 and gave the last 43 years of his life to it, knowing he would never see it finished. Asked about the slow pace, he is said to have pointed upwards with that line. He is buried in the crypt.
Built by visitors, not the state
The basilica has always been paid for by donations and, today, by the tickets of the people who visit it. That is a big part of why it has taken more than 140 years.
A fire that nearly ended it
In 1936, at the start of the Civil War, Gaudí's workshop was set on fire and many of his plans and plaster models were destroyed. Much of what has been built since was worked out again from the fragments.
Two façades, two centuries
The Nativity façade, full of plants and animals, is the part Gaudí saw rise himself. The angular Passion façade on the other side is by the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs, from the late 20th century. Standing between them is the best way to see how differently they tell the story.
Just below Montjuïc
The story goes that Gaudí wanted his church to stop just below the height of Montjuïc, because a human work should not rise above God's. On 20 February 2026 the cross on the central Tower of Jesus Christ was completed at 172.5 m.
Still not finished
The Glory façade, the main entrance, is still being built, and the grand staircase Gaudí planned in front of it depends on a deal over the housing blocks across Carrer de Mallorca. Read more in what's new at the Sagrada Família in 2026.
Visiting the inside
- Buy online, for a time slot. Tickets are sold only online, on the official site or app, up to about two months ahead. Arrive within your slot and bring photo ID: tickets carry your name.
- Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The basic ticket includes the basilica, the museum and an audio guide in the official app. The towers and the crypt are not included.
- Pick your light. In the morning the sun comes through the blue and green windows on the Nativity side, in the afternoon through the warm reds and oranges on the Passion side. A sunny slot makes the biggest difference.
- Dress code. No see-through clothes or swimwear, shorts and skirts at least to mid-thigh, and covered shoulders for the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
- Bags. Bags are checked at the entrance and there are no lockers for suitcases, so come without luggage.
- Accessibility. The whole basilica is step-free except the towers; use entrance B on Carrer de la Marina.
Combining it with the bike tour
Ride first and go in later, and you will know what you are looking at.
- Morning tour at 10:15, back at 13:15: book a Sagrada slot from about 14:30.
- Afternoon tour at 14:30: visit the basilica in the morning.
- From our meeting point in the Gothic Quarter it is about 20 minutes by metro (L4 to Verdaguer, then L5).
“We had an amazing experience on this tour. It was great value for money, felt completely safe, and had a fantastic pace throughout. Igor was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and took us to fantastic spots on a smooth, comfortable ride. Highly recommend and would definitely do it again!”
Barcelona Bike Tour
Three hours, from the Gothic Quarter to Gaudí's houses, the Sagrada Família, Ciutadella and El Born. Small groups, guides in English, French, Dutch or German. ★ 4.8 from 1,017 reviews on GetYourGuide.
About the Sagrada Família
Can I see the Sagrada Família on a bike tour?
Yes. Our Barcelona Bike Tour stops outside it, at the spot with the best view, with time for photos and the story behind it from your guide. Entry to the basilica is not included.
How long do I need inside?
About an hour to an hour and a half for the basilica and the museum. Add time if you also book a tower.
Can I buy tickets at the door?
No. Tickets are sold online only, for a time slot, on the official website or app. Book a few days ahead, and further ahead in spring and summer.
Is the Sagrada Família finished?
Not yet. The central Tower of Jesus Christ reached its final height of 172.5 m in February 2026, but the Glory façade and the main entrance are still being built.
How do I get there from the Gothic Quarter?
By metro, take L4 from Jaume I to Verdaguer and change to L5 for Sagrada Família, about 20 minutes. Or see it on our bike tour, which rides there from the Gothic Quarter through the Eixample.
Is there a Christmas market at the Sagrada Família?
Yes. In the run-up to Christmas a market sets up next to the basilica, and our Christmas Bike Tour stops there in the evening, with the lights on, until 23 December.
Last updated 10 November 2026.