Use this guide if you are planning a first Sagrada Familia visit in Barcelona and need to decide whether a basic timed ticket is enough, whether a tower add-on is worth it, and how
ByMomentBook Editorial·Published
Use this guide if you are planning a first Sagrada Familia visit in Barcelona and need to decide whether a basic timed ticket is enough, whether a tower add-on is worth it, and how strict the entry, bag and dress rules are on the day.
The main constraint is that the Basilica runs on timed online tickets. A late arrival can mean no entry, towers can close separately from the Basilica, and security checks, quiet hour, accessibility needs and the Nativity-façade entrance all affect how much buffer you need.
What to know first
Tickets are sold online through the official website or app; QR-code purchase around the Basilica is only subject to occupancy and should not be your main plan.
The standard Sagrada Família ticket is €26 and includes the downloadable audioguide app; guided tour is €30, with towers is €36, and guided tour plus towers is €40.
Tickets are personal and tied to the chosen time. The official FAQ says late arrivals cannot enter, so the entry time should be treated like a train departure.
The main seasonal hours are 9:00-18:00 in November-February, longer on many weekdays in March/October and April-September, but special events can modify hours.
From 2 February 2026, 9:00-10:00 is a quiet hour inside the Basilica: use earphones, keep voices low, and do not expect a loud group-tour atmosphere.
Individuals enter through the general entrance on the Nativity façade on Carrer de la Marina; visitors with disabilities or reduced mobility should use entrance B on Carrer de la Marina.
Towers are not an accessibility shortcut: the official rules say visitors go up by elevator, come down on foot, leave bags in lockers, and meet strict health and age requirements.
Nativity facade and towers of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Sagrada Família (oficial), CC BY-SA 3.0; the image shows the Nativity facade, where individual visitors use the general entrance on Carrer de la Marina.
Choose the ticket that matches the visit
Start with the official price table, not with reseller names. The simple Sagrada Família ticket costs €26 and includes entry to the Basilica with the downloadable audioguide app. It is the right choice if your main goal is to see the nave, façades, light, structure and museum without adding a fixed guided-tour slot or tower climb.
Choose the guided tour at €30 if you want a scheduled explanation and are comfortable following the guide's language and pace. It adds only a small price difference over the basic ticket, but it also fixes more of your visit rhythm. For travellers who like to pause for photography or prayer, the standard ticket plus audioguide may feel less rushed.
Choose the tower ticket at €36 only if the descent by stairs and the tower restrictions work for everyone in your party. It adds a visit to one of the two towers, selected during purchase, and changes the logistics of bags, timing and weather risk. A tower ticket is not a better version of the basic ticket for every visitor; it is a different physical experience.
Choose guided tour plus towers at €40 if you specifically want both structured interpretation and a tower visit. This is the least flexible individual ticket. It can work well for architecture-focused travellers, but families, mobility-limited visitors and people with tight rail or restaurant bookings should check every restriction first.
Time the entry around hours, quiet hour and late-arrival rules
The official opening-hours page lists the main pattern: November through February, Monday-Saturday 9:00-18:00 and Sunday 10:30-18:00; March and October, Monday-Friday 9:00-19:00, Saturday 9:00-18:00 and Sunday 10:30-19:00; April through September, Monday-Friday 9:00-20:00, Saturday 9:00-18:00 and Sunday 10:30-20:00. On 25 and 26 December and 1 and 6 January, opening hours are 9:00-14:00.
Those hours are not a promise that every visit slot will feel the same. The Basilica states that opening times and days may occasionally be modified because of special events inside. If you are visiting around a religious celebration, a 2026 event, or a public holiday, check again shortly before travel.
From 2 February 2026, 9:00-10:00 is designated as quiet hour. Visits can proceed as normal, but visitors must use earphones for audioguides, mobile devices or other audio content, and are asked to be quiet inside the Temple. This can be an excellent slot for visitors who want a calmer atmosphere; it is not ideal for groups expecting conversation.
The late-arrival rule is the fact that should drive your buffer. The FAQ says tickets are only valid for the chosen time and that late arrivals cannot enter. Plan to be in the area before the ticket time, not just stepping out of the metro at that time.
Arrive at the right entrance without wasting the slot
For most independent visitors, the official getting-here page gives the target clearly: individuals use the general entrance on the Nativity façade, on Carrer de la Marina. The same page lists Metro L2 and L5 at Sagrada Família and buses 19, 33, 34, D50, H10 and B24.
The practical plan is to arrive in the neighborhood 20-30 minutes before the printed time. That gives you time to find the Nativity side, separate from groups, handle crowds around the metro exits, and prepare the ticket and official photo ID before security.
Do not treat every door around the building as interchangeable. Groups and schools use different group entrances on Carrer de la Marina, while visitors with disabilities or reduced mobility should use entrance B on Carrer de la Marina. Going to the wrong queue is one of the easiest ways to lose time.
If you are using a discount, bring proof. The FAQ says visitors must show official photo ID to enter and must provide documentation that proves any discount. Tickets are nominative, personal and non-transferable, and personal information cannot be changed after booking.
Understand the tower choice before adding it
The tower add-on is the biggest decision because it changes who can safely join the same itinerary. The conditions of sale say the tower visit is booked during purchase, visitors choose one of the two towers, go up by elevator and come down on foot. That means the tower is not a round-trip elevator viewpoint.
For safety reasons, the rules exclude wheelchairs, baby strollers, elderly people or people with reduced mobility, pregnant women, and people with vertigo, anemia, dizziness, claustrophobia, heart problems, respiratory problems or similar conditions. Guide dogs and assistance animals cannot climb the towers. Children under six cannot visit the towers, and children under sixteen must be accompanied by an adult.
Bags add another step. The FAQ and conditions say there are no lockers for suitcases; temporary lockers are only for bags and rucksacks while visitors go up in the towers, because no bags or rucksacks are allowed there. The items must be collected as soon as visitors return from the tower.
Weather can remove the tower even when the Basilica remains open. Towers can close for adverse weather, breakdowns, maintenance or force majeure. In those cases the visitor may be refunded the tower portion, but not the Basilica entry portion. If the view is the only reason you are paying extra, choose a date and time with enough flexibility to absorb that risk.
Plan security, bags and dress before you leave
Security is not symbolic. The FAQ states that bags, rucksacks, luggage and personal items are checked at the entrance, and that the organisation reserves the right to refuse admission. Dangerous items, narcotics and any food or drinks are not allowed in. Visitors are advised not to bring rucksacks to speed up the process.
There are no suitcase lockers. If you are between hotel checkout and a train, solve luggage storage before arriving at the Basilica. A tower-ticket locker does not solve suitcase storage and is only temporary for tower safety.
Dress rules matter because the Sagrada Família is a Catholic church. The FAQ lists no see-through clothing, trousers and skirts at least to mid-thigh, no swimwear, no special clothing or decorations designed for festivities or to draw attention, and no bare shoulders in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
Inside the nave and museum, hats are not allowed except for religious, health or belief-related reasons. Smoking, eating and drinking are not allowed during the visit, with only drinks purchased from vending machines allowed in outdoor areas under the published rules. Children under sixteen must be accompanied by an adult to enter the Temple.
Use accessibility and companion rules correctly
The Basilica itself is accessible, but the towers are not. The FAQ states that all of the Basilica is adapted for visitors with reduced mobility except the towers. Visitors with disabilities or reduced mobility should go to entrance B on Carrer de la Marina and show official proof of disability.
Wheelchairs are available at entrance B, subject to availability. If a wheelchair is essential rather than a convenience, contact Visitor Services before relying on one. The official contact information gives the phone number 93 208 04 14 and the email informacio@ext.sagradafamilia.org for more information.
The price table says people with disabilities and their companions only pay for additional services, with general Basilica entrance free for these groups. The companion line changes by ticket type: the companion is €0 for the basic Basilica ticket, €4 for guided tour, €10 for tower ticket and €14 for guided tour plus towers.
Guide dogs are allowed in with people with disabilities that require them, but animals are otherwise not permitted in the Temple. Assistance animals are also excluded from the towers under the tower rules, so do not buy a tower add-on for a visitor who depends on a guide dog.
Use the app and audioguide without letting it slow you down
The official app is useful but should be prepared before the entrance queue. The app page says visitors can manage tickets, enter the Basilica, download the audioguide and organise the visit. The app itself is available in six languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, French, German and Italian.
The audioguide has broader language coverage. The official app page and conditions list 19 languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Dutch, Ukrainian and others. The audioguide is included in ticket types, but the conditions note that it is not available for children under eleven.
The regular audio guide lasts 45 minutes or 25 minutes in express form, depending on the visit. During the last hour of opening, only the express version may be provided if a compensatory device is needed. If you care about the full audioguide, do not book the final slot of the day.
Download before you arrive, charge your phone and bring earphones. This is especially important for quiet hour, when audio without earphones is not allowed. It is also a simple way to avoid standing near the entrance trying to solve app, ticket or network problems.
Common mistakes that cause stress
Do not buy a tower ticket for a mixed group without checking every restriction. One pregnant traveller, one child under six, one visitor with vertigo, one person with reduced mobility or one required assistance animal changes the whole group plan.
Do not plan to arrive after your exact time. The rule is stricter than many museum grace periods: if you arrive late, you cannot enter. Build time for metro exits, crowds, security and the correct façade.
Do not bring luggage. There are no suitcase lockers, and tower lockers are not a general storage service. Store bags before the visit or choose a different schedule.
Do not ignore ID and discount documents. Tickets are nominative, and official photo ID is required. Discount eligibility must be proven at the entrance.
Do not assume the towers are guaranteed. Weather, maintenance, breakdowns or force majeure can close them independently. The refund rule covers the tower portion, not the Basilica entry.
Who should choose which plan
Choose the €26 Sagrada Família ticket if you want the essential Basilica visit, the audioguide and the most flexibility. It is the safest choice for first-time visitors, families with children, visitors with accessibility needs, and travellers who want to avoid stair-descent or weather risk.
Choose the €30 guided tour if you want structure, context and a human guide without the physical tower commitment. It is useful when you want the architecture explained but do not want to manage a separate tower rule set.
Choose the €36 tower ticket if everyone in your party is comfortable with the restrictions and wants the view enough to accept the stair descent, locker step and weather risk. Book it earlier in the day if the view matters and you want some schedule flexibility.
Choose the €40 guided tour plus towers for a focused architecture visit when everyone meets the tower rules and you want less independent pacing. It is the most complete ticket but also the least forgiving if one part of the group needs to slow down.
What to recheck before you go
Recheck the official ticket and price pages for current availability, categories, discounts and whether your preferred tower product is being sold for the date you want. Ticket availability is tied to the specific day and time in the booking flow.
Recheck opening hours if your visit is near a public holiday, religious event or 2026 programme date. Special events inside the Basilica can modify published times, and the Temple is evacuated fifteen minutes before closing.
Recheck the FAQ and conditions if you have children, disabilities, reduced mobility, pregnancy, a guide dog, vertigo, heart or respiratory concerns, luggage, food or drinks, or dress-code doubts. These rules decide whether a ticket works for your actual party.
Recheck the app before leaving your hotel. Save tickets offline or print them, download the audioguide, bring earphones, and keep official photo ID and discount documents easy to reach.
