Sagrada Familia Tour in Barcelona - Guided tour of Sagrada Familia by Local Experts - Context Travel

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: Architecture
Duration: 3 hours
Location: Barcelona

Photos & Highlights

Explore the Sagrada Familia in the company of an expert on Catalan modernism
Includes skip-the-line tickets to Sagrada Familia and tickets to the Hospital de Sant Pau
Sagrada Familia and Hospital de Sant Pau

Tour Description

On this three-hour private or small group Sagrada Família tour, we will visit Gaudí’s extraordinary masterpiece the Sagrada Família, and also take in the Hospital de Sant Pau, a nearby modernista complex that's also the largest Art Nouveau site in the world. Accompanied by a local expert, this tour will help us gain a deeper understanding of Barcelona’s world-renowned and once controversial Art Nouveau architecture—or as its referred to in Catalonia, Modernisme.

Sites Visited

Sagrada Familia
Hospital de Sant Pau

Included

3 hours with a PhD or MA-level guide
Skip-the-line tickets to Sagrada Família
Tickets to Hospital de Sant Pau

Itinerary Details

Our tour will begin with the expansive Hospital de Sant Pau. This ambitious structure, designed by top architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1930 and covering nine square city blocks, has served as an active hospital until 2009. After five years of intense renovations, the complex has recently reopened to the public and now houses cultural and academic institutions, such as the United Nations University and the Casa Asia. We’ll explore this space, learning about the Modernisme movement, architect Montaner, and Barcelona's urban planning and development since the 1930s.

A short ten-minute walk away is Antoni Gaudí's La Sagrada Família. Still incomplete today, more than ninety years after Gaudí's death, this building stands as one of the single most important works of architecture in Europe—a stunning example of Gaudí's genius (or madness), and the enduring power of his work and vision in Barcelona. After taking on the project in 1883, Gaudí worked on the Sagrada Família until his untimely death in 1926. Our exploration of the basilica, and all of its wondrous interiors, will illustrate its symbolism, aesthetics, design, and how it connected with the Modernisme movement as a whole. By the end of our Sagrada Família tour, we will emerge with a tangible understanding of these two inspired works and recognize their importance in the history of modernist art and architecture, as well as their ongoing significance to the city.

Want more of Gaudí's masterful works? Try our Gaudí Architecture tour through Barcelona.

FAQ

What is a private tour?

Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your group. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.

What is a group tour?

Our group tours cover many of the same itineraries as our private tours, but they place you with other travelers in groups of 6 or less. They operate on a pre-scheduled calendar, and are designed to provide an opportunity to engage with and learn from other travelers. Most of our small group tours require at least three 3 participants to run, although there is some variation between tours. As you sign up for a tentative tour we display the minimum number required in order to confirm.

Does the tour include the interior of the Sagrada Família?
Yes. We will have an in-depth visit to both the interior and exterior of Gaudí's incredible masterpiece.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
The Hospital de Sant Pau is fully accessible and offers wheelchairs for rent. Sagrada Família is wheelchair accessible as well. The distance between the two venues is 1 mile, and the surfaces are flat and paved.

Is this tour appropriate for children?
For young children (ages 3-12), we recommend our shorter Gaudí Tour for Kids tour, which is led by experts specially trained in educating children.

Does this include the Towers at Sagrada Familia?
The tickets we secure for this tour do not include the towers. Your guide may be able to assist you with upgrading your tickets on the day of the tour so you can climb one of the towers after, pending availability. The towers involve climbing a lot of stairs and are often very crowded so it isn't an experience that we recommend. Please feel free to contact us for advice and further suggestions.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Alex

Alex Rodriguez Suarez is a native of Barcelona, where he read history at the Universitat Autonoma. In 2006 he obtained his guiding license and began leading tours at the Palau Montaner and the Hospital of St Pau. In 2014 he completed his Ph.D. in Byzantine history at King's College London. During his time in London, Alex also led tours for Context at the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum. He has also studied in Greece and conducted research in Turkey. His interests include art and architecture and he loves visiting archaeological sites all over the world.

Guillem

Guille is a cultural guide and lecturer. He was born in Menorca and educated in Mallorca and Barcelona. He holds a degree in Tourism Management, a degree in Humanities and a Masters in Cultural Communication. He's a licensed tour guide of Catalonia & Barcelona, where he's been working since 1997. He gives regular talks and presentations on the world of Gaudí, the history of Catalonia and Barcelona and the Picasso universe. He previously worked as a travel agent and tour leader overseas. Thanks to his ample experience in the tourism industry, he also works as a trainer in communication skills for other tour guides. He's fluent in English, French, Italian and bilingual Catalan and Spanish. His personal interests are digital gadgets and swing dance.

Cayetano

Cayetano has been working in the tourist industry in Barcelona for nearly 20 years now and as a freelance tour guide for around 5. He has an undergraduate degree in Art History as well as postgraduate studies in leisure and hospitality management.

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320 Reviews – (4.9)

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

This was the perfect tour. We were so happy that Hospital de Pau was included!

Linda

Jan. 20, 2020

Cayetano was warm, personable, knowledgeable and well informed. We had a wonderful afternoon with him.

Helen

Jan. 17, 2020

Our guide Guillem was excellent. He was knowledgeable about the architecture and pointed out interesting details of the architecture. He gave us helpful suggestions of other things to see.

Sherry

Jan. 13, 2020

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