Barcelona: Park Guell monumental area and advance purchase tickets

Beautiful time to be in Spain, chance of rain is less than you might think (we do not even pack an umbrella), it will be crowded and the monument area is where the majority of iconic Gaudi works are found.

This is the part of the park that has the market hall colonnade and the open plaza above it (with the colorful tiled benches that people love to sit on and gaze across the city below). It also is where the iconic tiled lizard is and the two gingerbread buildings at the entry gate. You can see most of those things from outside the ticketed areas but not actually sit or walk or touch. You can still stand right outside the main gate and take pictures there. The rest of the park is mostly landscaping and meandering paths. A few of the stone bridges and colonnades are in the free area. The Gaudi house is in the free area (but is a separate ticketed entry). The free area is now much more crowded with the people waiting for their entry time or that don't have tickets. And every walking surface is filled with street vendors selling trinkets.

Whether it is worth it to you to buy a ticket is your choice. Gaudi fans should absolutely do it but those with just a passing interest might not find it worthwhile. Getting them a couple days in advance is a very good idea since they either sell out or you'll have to wait a few hours till your entry time. There isn't enough to do in the free park or nearby to fill more than an hour.

When I was there two years ago I did not have to pay an admission fee, however, PARC guell was one of the highlights of our trip to Barcelona. I found the mosaic work beautiful and his designs whimsical. I don't know what the cost would be for a ticket but just wanted to mention that when I think of Barcelona I actually think of this spot. Enjoy your trip it is a magnificent city.

I just returned from Barcelona. We made a last minute addition to our itinerary and attempted to see Park Guell one afternoon. We we arrived in mid-afternoon and there was about a 2-hour lag for available tickets, so even on crowded days you could probably see it without advanced ticket purchases if you're willing to wait. Even one day in advance you could probably get the time you wanted for entry. We chose not to wait, but did tour the Gaudi house and did walk along a path that runs through the park along the top of monument area. Both were nice and took about an hour total.
Douglas's post is an accurrate description of what is included in the monument area. You can see some of the features from the exit gate and the path, but not everything and nothing up close. The ticket kiosks a short distance down the road to the right as you face the lower gate/exit of the monument area.

Have fun!

Thanks, everyone. I think we will wait until a week or so in advance so that we have a better idea of the weather. We will be traveling with a tablet but will not have access to Wi-Fi where were staying, so possibly we can use Wi-Fi/printer hot spot in the town of Sarlat. Failing that, maybe we could get tickets at a Caxia machine in Barcelona. Does anyone have any experience with these?

I once experienced a bit of La Mercie festival without planning to and loved it. Last time that I was in Spain in October, weather felt like 80 F degrees ever day. Thanks, again, all.