More about: Barcelona Gaudi Tours
Barcelona is considered by many to be the world capital of Modernisme. There are many examples of this style of architecture in the city and most of them, the most important ones, are the work of Antonio Gaudí. This Catalan architect was the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism and has led Barcelona to receive such recognition. Gaudí's works are always among the essential attractions to see in Barcelona.
As the city cannot be understood without his figure, guided tours of his buildings are always a highly recommended option if you want to see Barcelona and get the most out of it. Here you will find all the information about what to see on these tours, their characteristics, their advantages and disadvantages and, in short, everything you need to know about Gaudí tours in Barcelona.
1. Complete Gaudí and Modernisme Tour
There is one type of tour that I highly recommend before visiting any Gaudí monument. This is a walking tour through the Barcelona of Antonio Gaudí in which you will pass through the area of Passeig de Gràcia and the Eixample where most of the works of the famous architect and other examples of modernism in the city are concentrated.
This tour is always accompanied by a specialised guide who will give you an overview of the history of modernisme in Barcelona, tell you about the history of Gaudí and give you all the information you need to enjoy modernist Barcelona.
This is particularly interesting as we will have all the information to then visit Gaudí's monuments and enjoy them even more. These tours usually start in the Eixample district, go along Passeig de Gràcia, where the Casa Batlló and La Pedrera are located, and end at the Sagrada Família.
The duration is around two hours so it is perfectly compatible with our travel plans and the prices are usually quite cheap at around 15 euros. These tours are the best option to get an overview of Gaudí's works and Modernisme.
Interesting details
- Price: Between 10 and 20 euros.
- Duration: Between 2 and 3 hours.
- Means of transport: On foot.
- Advantages of this option: Very useful for getting an overview of Gaudí's Barcelona.
- Disadvantages of this option: It is done entirely on foot so it can be tiring.
2. Combined tour Park Güell + Sagrada Familia
When it comes to entering Gaudí's monuments, a tour makes things much easier for us. The huge number of tourists who visit places like Park Güell or La Sagrada Familia every day makes it difficult to get tickets and often we have to wait in long and unbearably long queues.
Tours save us from this great disadvantage and are especially useful if they include combined tickets to places like Park Güell and Sagrada Familia.
Park Güell(here you can see information about tickets) and Sagrada Familia are two of the most crowded places and they are very close to each other. For this reason there are many tours that offer a combined visit to both monuments.
They include tickets to see both without queuing or depending on availability, as well as seeing them accompanied by a professional guide and transport by minibus from Park Güell to the Sagrada Familia. With these tours we will have about 2 and a half hours at each site to see it in detail.
Details of interest
- Price: From around 80 euros.
- Duration: Between 5 and 6 hours.
- Means of transport: Minibus between the two points.
- Advantages of this option: Saves queuing and avoids ticket availability problems.
- Disadvantages of this option: The time to see each monument is limited.
3. The Sagrada Familia in full
The Sagrada Familia is the main symbol of Barcelona and one of the most visited buildings in the world. The magnitude of the temple is such that the visit is divided into several parts and getting tickets can be very difficult. The guided tours of the Sagrada Família solve these problems and make visiting the church much easier.
Firstly, because they solve the initial problem of getting tickets without having to queue or being conditioned by the demand for one of the most visited buildings in the world. And also because the tour tickets include a complete visit to all parts of the Sagrada Família.
This includes an exterior visit with a guide who points out the highlights of each of the façades, towers and decorations on the outside of the church, access to the interior anda climb up one of the towers from which you get some of the best views of Barcelona.
The starting and finishing point for these tours is usually the park in Plaça d'Antoni Gaudí. As for the timetables, you can find all the information on this link.
Interesting details
- Price: From 50 euros
- Duration: Approximately 2 hours
- Advantages of this option: You are guaranteed entry without queues and you can see the whole temple with a professional guide.
- Disadvantages of this option: The time of the visit is limited. Transfer to the Sagrada Família is not included.
4. Guided tour of Park Güell
As with the Sagrada Família, Park Güell has the same problems caused by the large number of visitors. Long queues and sometimes limited availability of tickets, especially in high season. Again, guided tours are a very effective solution.
In addition, Park Güell is very extensive and there are many interesting places within it, so guided tours always offer the best possible route and ensure that you don't miss anything.
Park Güell, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, is divided into two parts. A free part which is not included in the tours and which is perfect for strolling around and enjoying the views of Barcelona, the monumental part which is included in the tour and where you will find all the places of interest such as the famous trencadís dragon, the Hipóstila room, the Plaza de la Naturaleza and the viewpoint among many others.
The guided tours usually last about an hour and a half, but after the tour you have as much time as you want to continue seeing the park within the timetable. Tickets and guided tours usually cost around 30 euros.
Interesting details
- Price: Around 30 euros.
- Duration: Approximately 1 hour and a half.
- Advantages of this option: You avoid queues and the tour is perfectly optimised to see everything in plenty of time.
- Disadvantages of this option: The transfer to the park is not included.
5. Guided tours of the Casa Batlló
On Passeig de Gràcia you will find Gaudí's two most famous houses: La Pedrera and Casa Batlló very close to each other. Let's start by looking at the tours of the Batlló house.
The more colourful and eye-catching of the two, it was built with the aim of being an unrivalled family home and Gaudí certainly succeeded. It stands out even among the neighbouring houses that are also outstanding examples of modernism and for this reason it is located in what is known as the "manzana de la discordia" (block of discord).
It is one of the most highly valued monuments in Barcelona and in fact in 2021 it received an award for the best monument in the world. This award has also increased the number of visitors and it is sometimes difficult to get tickets to Casa Batlló without queuing for long periods of time.
To visit it we can also use tours to save queues and have access to the building accompanied by a professional guide in the language of your choice, or with an audio guide if you prefer. The interior of the house houses a museum dedicated to Gaudí, to the history of the building and to exploring what life was like for its tenants at the beginning of the 20th century when it was built.
Interesting details
- Price: From approximately 30 euros
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours guided tour plus free time to see Casa Batlló
- Advantages of this option: Easier to get tickets and no long queues.
- Disadvantages of this option: Tours do not usually include transfer to the Batlló house.
6. Guided tours of La Pedrera
The Pedrera house shares the limelight on Passeig de Gràcia with the Batlló house. It was also designed by Antonio Gaudí, and although it is somewhat more discreet in its colours, its forms, inspired by nature, are equally incredible.
Nowadays, Casa Milà, as it is also known, is the headquarters of the Catalunya La Pedrera foundation and reserves its best rooms for tourist visits. Inside, the attic of the whales and the rooftop of the warriors stand out. The meaning of these names has to do with their shapes, but if you want to find out more about them, the best thing to do is to take a guided tour.
These types of tours, as we have already mentioned, include direct entry without having to queue to get in, and you can choose an accredited guide or use an audio guide. I am more inclined to interact with people who can also answer our questions, but it is also true that the audio guides are very well designed so that we don't miss a single detail.
In any case, it is always more profitable to see the Casa Pedrera with the advantages of a guided tour. It won't take much more than an hour and a half to get to know the house, although with these tours the time after the tour is unlimited to stop at the points that have most caught our attention.
Details of interest
- Price: From around 25 euros on average.
- Duration: Minimum 1 hour and a half or as long as you want to extend it.
- Advantages of this option: Direct access without queues and the most complete explanations.
- Disadvantages of this option: Does not include transfer to La Pedrera
7. Tours of La Pedrera and Casa Batlló by night
One of the most popular spots for visitors to both Casa Batlló and La Pedrera are their respective rooftops. And these are where the most special experiences of both monuments take place, both at nightfall.
Starting with the night visit to Casa Batlló, you can hire a private night tour whose main attraction is to visit the house outside visiting hours and see concerts and performances in Casa Batlló itself. This experience is known as the magical nights and also includes a virtual reality experience and drinks to complement the experience.
At Casa Pedrera the night-time experience changes a little. There are also guided tours after closing to the public but the performances and concerts at Casa Batlló are swapped for a glass of cava and a projection show on the shapes of the famous warriors' rooftop.
Both tours are highly recommended for the special experiences in two of Gaudí's most special buildings.
Details of interest
Casa Batlló by night tour
- Price: From 40 euros
- Duration: Approximately 1 hour and a half
- Advantages of this option: It is a unique and more exclusive experience
- Disadvantages of this option: It is less suitable for seeing the historical and architectural part of the house. It does not include transfer to the Batlló House.
Details of interest
Casa Pedrera tour by night
- Price: From 35 euros
- Duration: 1 hour and a half approximately
- Advantages of this option: The show is unique
- Disadvantages of this option: There is no possibility of dinner and the transfer to La Pedrera is not included.
8. Gaudí by Bike Tours
Bicycletours and rides are always one of the best ways to get to know Barcelona. Thanks to the wide streets and avenues of the city and its few slopes, Barcelona lends itself well to this, especially when the weather is good. One of the most recommended tours in this sense are the Gaudí bike tours.
These tours allow you to discover Gaudí's Barcelona from the comfort of your bike. They are usually done in small groups to facilitate mobility and the bikes used have electric motors so that no one ends up overtired.
The great advantage is that you can move between Gaudí's highlights, such as the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família, more quickly and comfortably, with a guide who will show you around the whole route.
Interesting details
- Price: From around 35 euros
- Duration: Depends on the tour but at least 2 hours.
- Advantages of this option: The mobility you have with the bike allows you to go from one point to another with more speed and comfort.
- Disadvantages of this option: You need to have a minimum level of fluency on the bike.