More about: Barcelona Gaudi Tours
Barcelona is considered by many as the world capital of modernism. There are many architectural examples of this style in the city and most of them, the most important, are the work of Antonio Gaudí. This Catalan architect was the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism and has led Barcelona to receive such recognition. Gaudi's works are always among the essential attractions to see in Barcelona.
As the city is not understood without his figure, guided tours of his buildings are always a highly recommended option if what we want is to see Barcelona squeezing the most out of it. Here you will find all the information about what to see in these tours, their characteristics, their advantages and disadvantages and in short, everything you need to know about Gaudí tours in Barcelona.
1. Complete Gaudi and modernism tour
There is one type of tour that I highly recommend before visiting any Gaudi monument. It is a walking tour of Antonio Gaudi's Barcelona in which you will pass through the area of Paseo de Gracia and the Ensanche 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 specialized guide who will give you an overview of the history of modernism 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 Gaudi's monuments and enjoy them even more. These tours usually start in the Eixample district, go along Passeig de Gracia, where the Casa Batlló and La Pedrera are located, and end at the Sagrada Familia.
The duration is around two hours so it is perfectly compatible with our travel planning and prices are usually quite economical around 15 euros. These tours are the best option to get an overview of Gaudí's works and modernism.
Details of interest
- Price: between 10 and 20 euros.
- Duration: Between 2 and 3 hours.
- Means of transport: On foot.
- Advantages of this option: Very useful to get 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 us find it difficult to get tickets and many times we have to wait in long and unbearable 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 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 the availability of the same, in addition to seeing them accompanied by a professional guide and transportation by minibus from Park Guell to the Sagrada Familia. With these tours we will have about 2 hours and a half in each place to see it thoroughly.
Details of interest
- Price: From about 80 euros.
- Duration: Between 5 and 6 hours.
- Means of transport: Minibus between the two points.
- Advantages of this option: Saves queues 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 Familia come to solve these problems and to facilitate the visit to the temple.
First of all because they solve the initial problem of getting tickets without queuing or being conditioned by the demand of one of the most visited buildings in the world. And also because the tour tickets include the complete visit to all parts of the Sagrada Familia.
This includes an exterior visit with a guide who points out the highlights of each of the facades, towers and ornaments of the exterior of the temple, access to the interior andthe ascent to one of its towers from which you get some of the best views of Barcelona.
The starting and ending point of these tours is usually the park of the Plaza de Antonio Gaudí. As for the schedules, you have all the information at this link.
Interesting details
- Price: From 50 euros
- Duration: 2 hours approximately
- Advantages of this option: You ensure the entrance without queues and see the whole temple with a professional guide.
- Disadvantages of this option: The time of the visit is limited. It does not include transfer to the Sagrada Familia.
4. Guided visit to Park Güell
As in the Sagrada Familia, in Park Güell we find the same problems derived from the high influx of people. 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 within it there are many interesting points, so guided tours always offer the most optimal route and make sure you do not miss anything.
Park Güell, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, is divided into two parts. A free part that is not included in the tours and is perfect for strolling and enjoying the views of Barcelona, the monumental part which is included in the tour and where are all the sights 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 1 hour and a half but after the tour you have as much time as you want to continue seeing the park within its schedule. The price of the tickets and the guided tour is usually around 30 euros.
Details of interest
- Price: Around 30 euros.
- Duration: Approximately 1 hour and a half.
- Advantages of this option: You avoid queues and the tour is perfectly optimized to see everything with enough time.
- Disadvantages of this option: It does not include the transfer to the park.
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 in close proximity to each other. Let's start by looking at the tours of the Batlló house.
The more colorful and striking of the two, it was built with the aim of being a family home without comparison and Gaudí certainly succeeded. It stands out even among the neighboring houses that are also outstanding examples of modernism and therefore is located in what is known as the block of discord.
It is one of the most valued monuments of Barcelona and in fact in 2021 received an award for the best monument in the world. An award that also increased even more visits and therefore sometimes it is difficult to get tickets to the Casa Batlló without queuing up in long lines.
To visit it we can also resort to tours in order to save queues and have access to the building accompanied by a professional guide in the language of our choice, or with audio guide if we prefer. The interior of the house houses a museum dedicated to Gaudí, to the history of the building and to explore what life was like for its tenants in the early twentieth century when it was built.
Details of interest
- Price: From 30 euros approximately
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours guided tour plus free time to see the Batlló house.
- Advantages of this option: Easier to get tickets and no long lines.
- 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 is also signed by Antonio Gaudí, and although it is somewhat more discreet in its colors, its forms inspired by nature are equally incredible.
Currently the Casa Mila, 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 or the roof of the warriors stand out. The meaning of these names has to do with their shapes but to learn more curiosities about it is best to hire a guided tour.
This type of tours, as we have already mentioned, include direct entry without having to queue to access and to choose an accredited guide or use an audio guide. I am more inclined to interact with the person who can also solve our doubts but it is also true that the audio guides are very well designed to not miss a single detail.
In any case it is always more profitable to see the Pedrera house with the advantages of a guided tour. It will not take us much more than 1 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 captured our attention.
Details of interest
- Price: From about 25 euros on average.
- Duration: Minimum 1 hour and a half or as long as we want to extend it
- Advantages of this option: Direct access without queues and the most complete explanations.
- Disadvantages of this option: Does not include the transfer to La Pedrera
7. La Pedrera and Casa Batlló tours by night
One of the points that visitors to both Casa Batlló and La Pedrera tend to like the most are their respective rooftops. And these are where the most special experiences of both monuments take place and both occur when night falls.
Starting with the night visit to the Batlló house, you can hire a private night tour whose main attraction is to visit the house outside visiting hours and see concerts and performances in the Batlló house 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 nighttime experience changes a bit. There are also guided tours after closing to the public but the performances and concerts at Casa Batlló are exchanged 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: 1 hour and a half approximately
- Advantages of this option: It is a unique and more exclusive experience
- Disadvantages of this option: It is less suitable to see the historical and architectural part of the house. It does not include transfer to the Batlló House.
Details of interest
Pedrera house 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 it does not include the transfer to the Pedrera.
8. Gaudí Bicycle Tours
Bike tours 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 nice. One of the most recommended tours in this sense are the Gaudí bike tours.
These tours allow you to get to know Gaudí's Barcelona from the bike with the comfort that comes with it. They are usually done in small groups to facilitate mobility and the bikes that are used have electric motors so that no one ends up overly fatigued.
The great advantage is that you can move between the highlights of Gaudí, such as the Casa Batlló or the Sagrada Familia, more quickly and comfortably and with a guide who will illustrate you throughout the tour.
Interesting details
- Price: From about 35 euros
- Duration: Depends on the tour but minimum about 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 have to have a minimum fluency with the bike.