Is a climb up the Sagrada Tower worth it?

It seems to me that climbing the towers is absolutely a worthwhile experience, I'm glad I did it (back in the day when you could just go the the place, buy a ticket, and walk in with no lines - I take it that this is no longer an option). Then again, I climb everything I can when in Europe...

Ronnie,
Gosh that's a hard question. If you are like my husband (with a need to climb anything unique and high), then yes, worth it. But, from the spouse who has climbed with him (on just about anything unique and high), I just did not find the climb (we did the Nativity side) really that fabulous. Granted, you get to see some of the construction a little more up close, and you get to see some of the architectural features more up close, but the view (at least in my opinion) is much better from afar, looking toward the La Sagrada Familia. Compared to climbing St. Peter's in Rome, not close.

Yes, you can walk to Park Guell (we did), but I would suggest taking a stop for lunch en route (or at your hotel) , just to break up the trip. And, likely you will be tempted to jump on a bus or catch a cab, just to maximize your time. It has been maybe 5 years since we were in Barcelona, and I remember thinking the climb to the Park was must more uphill than I imagined (and I knew there would be an increase in elevation). But, beautiful views from the Park itself, especially the high point (sorry, can't remember what it is called, but it's the free part). Definitely worth going into the paid section, but I understand it can get very crowded with long lines. We were there in early March the year we went, so crowds, while brisk, were not bad.

I think it's generally agreed that the main reason to ascend one of the La Sagrada Familia towers is to see architectural details, not for the view.

Parc Guell will be quite an uphill walk from LSF. It's even quite an uphill walk from the nearest Metro stations, which are not very close at all. Bus 92 runs from somewhere near LSF to Parc Guell, so that is an option. The walk back (downhill) would be nice if you can spare the time.

If you have time in Barcelona (a city with too many sights for the number of days most tourists plan to be there), I highly recommend the Sant Pau modernista site.

I believe that the Sagrada folks want you to take an elevator to the top and walk down from there. The walkways and stairs are very narrow, but I found the views worthwhile.

We were lucky enough to scramble around Sagrada familia years ago before it became so regimented and difficult. We spent much of an afternoon climbing around the different towers. It is not about the view -- it is about being up close to the architectural detail and the experience. I don't know how much you can visit now compared to our visit 15-20 or so years ago but any chance to get up in the towers is worth it.

Yes! Great!

Firstly, please don't shorten names... "sagrada" just means 'sacred' in Catalan -the local language- and 'as is' doesn't refer to Sagrada Famílía. Same goes with "Güell", which is a Catalan last name -much like Smith or Jones in your shores- so it can refer to a bunch of other places too.

I am curious to know how can you "bundle" these two sites, noting that they're run by completely different entities (a foundation for the basilica and the City Hall for the park).

As mentioned, the views from the towers are not particularly remarkable, after all, we're talking merely 180ft or so from the ground. The tallest tower, when finished, will be the central tower and it'll "only" raise 600ft or so. As Ann mentioned, the main reason for going up the tower is to be able to admire up close the architectural details, such as this. Also, the ascend and descend can be a treat in itself as it's done thru a very peculiar stairwell.

As per combining the visits, I always advise to do it reverse, that is, first the park, then the basilica... there are different reasons among which (1) early in the morning isn't as hot -if you're visiting May to Oct- and (2) the park is on top of a hill, so if you visit it first you can then stroll downhill on a pleasant walk thru Vila de Gràcia neighbourhood, stop there for lunch and continue to Sagrada Familia for a visit in early afternoon. If you're interested, check WED16 in this post and the map you can find here.

If you're doing it the other way, I strongly advise taking the bus. It's not that you can't walk it, but it's far more convenient the bus. A few blocks north (or also east!) of SF you can catch bus #92 which will leave you at the east entrance of the park, by the bus parking lot. Check the itinerary here: choose "Bus" and tick #92 Btw, the neighbourhood worth walking, as it's a bohemian little town within the city, is the neighbourhood of Vila de Gràcia, the neighbouring ones (Grassot, La Salut...) not particularly.

For those interested in how will it look like when finished, by 2026, this is a great blogpost.

Enjoy!

Enric - Thanks for the great info, advice, links, and especially the photos! Very helpful. I've seen la Sagrada Famílía twice, 11 years apart, and enjoyed viewing it at 2 different stages of construction. I definitely plan to visit Barcelona again, and I will use your info to enjoy my next visit even more.
Gracies.

Check out the video on this BBC story. At about 40 seconds into the video they show how high the remaining towers will be.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45906155