Guided Visit to Park Güell & La Sagrada Família, Barcelona

Experience two of Antoni Gaudí's modernist masterpieces, La Sagrada Família and Park Güell, with an experienced guide leading the way. Skip the lines and learn all about these two iconic landmarks. The Sagrada Família, a stunning Roman Catholic church and UNESCO World Heritage Site, requires indoor and outdoor exploration, admiring the intricate facades and discovering the symbolism behind Gaudí's unique strategies. Likewise, you'll stroll through Park Güell and learn how the architect blended nature and modernist techniques to create a magical little world.

Antoni Gaudí is synonymous with Barcelona, so one of the best ways to truly understand the city is by visiting a couple of his masterpieces. La Sagrada Família and Park Güell are arguably his two most important creations, and you'll explore both in a small group setting with an inspirational guide. You'll start at Park Güell, meeting your guide just down the street from the entrance. Skip any lines and walk straight into the park, letting your guide divulge all the historical and architectural details of Guadí's signature style, combining nature and architecture. 

As you walk within the park, take notice of the unique mix of playful colors and structured organic forms blending into the natural environment. Of course, this was intentional, and you can admire details like columns appearing to be palm trunks, domed roofs shaped like mushrooms, and animals hidden in plain sight. With your guide, you'll explore all the main sites, including the potter houses at the main entrance, the dual staircase with the dragon sculpture, the Hypostyle Room supporting Gaudí's famous bench, the Pont de Baix viaduct, the Laundry Room Portico, Casa Larrand, and the Greek Theatre.

The dragon sculpture is one of the most popular points in Park Güell, set on the first stairway you'll see when you enter the park. You'll also find three fountains with sculptures representing the different regions of Catalonia. Your guide will help you look for the architect's compass, the shield of Catalonia with its snake, and, of course, the dragon (or salamander), which pays homage to the park owner's hometown of Nîmes, France.

Next, you'll transfer with your group to La Sagrada Família, Guadí's most important masterpiece, and resting place. As such a massive site with so many details to notice, it helps to have an expert guide leading the way. You'll start by admiring its three grand facades and numerous spires. The Nativity Façade is the only one Gaudí saw completed, and as your guide will detail, it represents the birth of Jesus. The Passion Façade represents the stages of Jesus, including passion, death, and resurrection, and the Glory Façade is all about Christ's eternal life in heaven.

Then, head inside to visit the Crypt Of The Expiatory Temple (the oldest part of the building and where Gaudí got his inspiration to blend nature with the built world) and Sagrada Família Museum (where you can look at Gaudí's models and drawings, plus view his tomb). You'll also study the vaulted nave, crossing, and apse, where Gaudí's signature design highlights geometric shapes. Notice the architect's love of colors, with hues stretching across the church through its stained glass windows. Your guide will also highlight how Gaudí used natural elements in his design, such as in the apse (the half-domed roof), which creates the shape of trees and their crowns. 

After you say goodbye to your guide, you're welcome to stay a little longer inside the church. If you'd like, you can also climb the Torre de la Pasión for views of the city or relax in one of the parks surrounding the monument.