Complete Gaudí Tour: Casa Batlló, Park Guell & Extended Sagrada Família with Tower Climb

Antoni Gaudí was a titan of 20th century architecture, who developed a unique style deeply rooted in the culture, materials, religion and the environment of his beloved Catalonia. This comprehensive Gaudí tour takes you into his story with skip-the-line tours of three of his best-known works, Casa Batlló, Park Güell, and La Sagrada Família Basilica; along with external viewings of Casa Milà and Casa Vicens.

Led by our passionate guides (experts on all things Gaudí), you'll immerse yourself in the history of the city and the Art Nouveau movement that gave it some of the most exciting architecture in the world.

Your Complete Gaudí Tour begins with a special Casa Batlló tour. With first entrance of the day, you'll get inside Gaudí's signature home renovation before the crowds. As you gape upwards into the house's visionary light well, your guide will tell you how the house began as a religious vision, then became a study in the use of diffusing natural light through otherworldly, organic spaces. The roof, which is frosted in broken ceramics to resemble the spine of a great dragon, is one of the most iconic sights in Barcelona.

As you learn the story of Gaudí - from his time as a youth in Rural Catalonia, to his days as the darling of Barcelona's industrial elite - you'll move on to the Casa Vicens and Casa Milà. The Casa Vicens was an early project that has been described as an 'Orientalist Fantasy', the work of a man still developing his style and vernacular. The Casa Milà, aka La Pedrera, on the other hand, is quintessential Gaudí, a facade of such power and strangeness that you won't see anything like it anywhere else in the world. As two works at different ends of Gaudí's career (Casa Vincens was one of his first homes, Casa Milà one of his last) they offer fantastic insight into how Gaudí's style changed over time. Casa Vincens is a particular treat; located a distance from the other houses, it is rarely visited by tourists.

Not all of Gaudí's projects were successes in his own time, however. You'll take a private vehicle to the next stop, Park Güell. This whimsical complex was intended to be a gated housing development, but no one wanted to move there. Today it's one of the most beloved parks in the city, and in much demand as you'll see from the lines that stretch outside. With pre-reserved, skip-the-line tickets, you'll stroll right inside with your guide. Walking through the park, you'll take in its fanciful colors and alien shapes, learning how Gaudí's deep connection with natural imagery came from an extended childhood illness. You'll also pause here for roughly half an hour to get a snack. Since the tour doesn't finish until after 2:00pm, we encourage everyone to have a little something to eat to tide them over.

Your Gaudí tour ends in the building that Gaudí intended to be his greatest legacy; La Sagrada Família. Toward the end of his life, this Basilica was Gaudí's obsession and he put every last bit of himself into its execution. Today every surface of the building holds something to ponder, decode or puzzle over; like a great mystery box just waiting to be solved. Luckily, you will spend a full hour exploring it with your guide, who among other things, is an expert on Gaudí and can tell you everything you want to know - from the way the architect harnessed light with his stained glass windows, to the discussions surrounding how the church is to be finished in the absence of any sort of formal plans. Your ticket also includes access to the Basilica's Museum. Your guide will not accompany you, but they will be happy to tell you what to look out for when you visit.

Finally, you'll use pre-reserved special access tickets to ascend one of the spindly towers of the church for 360-degree views over the city that Gaudí gave his life to.

The places we visit on this tour are immensely popular and usually have long lines in front. You won't have to worry about this at all, however. With pre-reserved entrance to all sites, a small group of 15 people or fewer, and headsets so you will never miss a word from your guide, you'll see each site like a VIP. You'll also be shuttled between sites on a private minibus, ensuring that you see as much of Gaudí's work as is possible in one morning.

PLEASE NOTE

There are sections of this tour that require a bit more walking and stair-climbing than usual. If you have any concerns or questions about your ability to maintain a modest pace with the group, please contact us ahead of time and we’ll be glad to advise you.