We've visited the amazing Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

For my birthday in August 2021, I was lucky enough to go to Barcelona for a long weekend, just the three of us. We wanted to discover the city’s must-sees such as the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, among others. A wonderful stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, which also allowed us to discover that the city had many vegan or vegan friendly restaurants.

Incredible work of the architect Antoni Gaudí, begun in 1882 and remained unfinished, the Sagrada Familia struck us by the incredible complexity of its external structure, but also by the beauty of the colors of its interior. We visited at the end of August, so it was very crowded, but we were still able to enjoy the visit.

With symbols everywhere, sculptures to be seen all the way to the top of the towers and absolutely sublime stained glass windows, it was hard not to want to get lost in contemplation of Barcelona’s basilica.

Intérieur de la Sagrada Familia de Barcelone

We strongly advise you to book your tickets online in order to save time when you arrive at the Sagrada Familia. If you go during a tourist period, expect to queue outside, possibly under the Spanish sun (which is very very hot), so try to save as much time as possible. Checks at the entrance are quite strict, but you can leave objects in the locker and pick them up afterwards.

Good to know

Must do

We just advise you to take your time. There is a lot to see, both inside and outside the Sagrada Familia. You will never see this type of monument again anywhere in the world, because Gaudí’s creativity and “madness” are unique. You will see that the work is an ongoing process, because the basilica is of course still unfinished.

You can choose to visit with or without an audioguide. If your children are old enough or if you don’t have kids, an audioguide seems the best option to fully understand everything there is to see inside.

The princess loved

She was amazed by the beauty of the stained glass windows. This is her main memory of the cathedral, in addition to the many somewhat “strange” sculptures on the facade.

The ups for kids

Your kids are over 8 years old

We advise you to choose an audio tour. We also strongly encourage you to come and admire the Sagrada Familia at night, because it becomes even more magical.

Your kids are less than 8 years old

Try to avoid weekends and school holidays, as it quickly gets too crowded. Show them the stained glass windows, the details of the sculptures and take some time to admire certain sculptures in particular. Do not hesitate to ask them what they can see, what they like…