Parc Güell

You will be very, very rushed, and all traffic, etc., must be in your favor...Personally, I would not want to do it. Park Guell is a walk through experience, not a run by thing...

Tickets to the parc are required and can be purchased on site, but.........
I think the place has lost its charm as folks who pay to get in are now inclined to stay longer in irder to their monies worth. Plus there is a jam of vendors throughout the place.

I think you should rely on taxis to get around.

Parc Guell is a great stop and will fit into your day, but it's really not convenient to the metro - and metro connections are often not convenient (both in walking distance and time between trains).

I would also suggest a taxi - ask the driver to go by a few of the Gaudi buildings on your way to/from the park depending on the time.

You can purchase tickets in advance here they are timed but you are allowed entrance up to 30 minutes after your time slot - but if you miss it there are no changes or refunds. Buying ahead would really depend on where you are coming from to Barcelona - if it is the first stop on a TA then maybe not as chances are greater that you might be late or from a nearby port then chances are better you will arrive on time. Also how busy the park is will depend on the time of year you are there. I would then taxi to SF.

In my opinion, I would skip Parc Guell. It is not close to anything and while interesting and providing a great vista of the city on a nice day, with only one day, I'd focus my time on Sagrada Familia and one or both of the apartment buildings off Passeig Gracia (Batllo and Mila).

You could disembark, walk up Las Ramblas to Placa Catalunya, then up Passeig Gracia to visit one of the Gaudi designed apartments. Then lunch, then SF. After that, you'd have time for the other apartment or seeing more of the Bari Gotic before reboarding. If you only have time for one of the apartments, I recommend Batllo for it's stunning interior. The roof of Casa Mila is better, and it has a nice museum (so does SF), but the apartment interior is more traditional.

But if you did go to Parc Guell, you will need to reserve tickets in advance and take a taxi there and back. Don't waste time riding subways and walking uphill.

Yes you can do it all, but I'll echo the recommendation to take a taxi, at least to Parc Guell at the start to make it possible. Keep in mind that after you dock you'll lose some time getting off of the boat and out of the port. You'll lose more time with public transportation and walking up the hill to Parc Guell and then doing the same to get to the Sagrada Familia. The port, Parc Guell and La Sagrada Familia are well served by taxis if you want to utilize one at any point in your itinerary. Here are some additional thoughts:

Parc Guell - An admission ticket is required and allows entry at a specified time. You may have a wait of an hour or more depending on when you arrive and the entry time you get. Gaudi's house is also in the park and requires a separate ticket. There is not usually a wait for that site. Allow an hour to walk around, longer if you also want to tour Gaudi's house.

Sagarda Familia - Plan on about 2 hours for the church, exhibits and museum.

La Rambla - Plan on an hour for an easy one-way stroll.

Bari Gothic - Give yourself an hour at least to wander around. This is also a nice area to get a late lunch. If you decide to alter your itinerary and drop Parc Guell, the Picasso Museum and Barcelona Cathedral are both worth visiting.

Have fun!

It seems like both camps are pretty well represented in the responses. Ask yourself: do you want to see more of fewer attractions of less of more attractions. I like Douglas' response. Logistically, it might be possible, but there is SO much to see in and around the Sagrada that I wouldn't make the sprint upto Parc Guell. I've never been on a cruise before, but something to consider is how much time it might take to get off the ship. Does 9:00AM mean you're on the gangplank at 9:05 headed towards the closest taxi stand or does it take much longer than that? However much you see or don't see, you're going to want to return. Barc is a wonderful city. Enjoy.

Thanks to all. Together, you've given me exactly what I was looking for. Despite my question, my wife and I are not the type to stop by a place just to say "we've been there". We'd rather visit fewer places and actually "experience" them to some degree. We'll skip Parc Güell this trip.

It was interesting to hear the many comments on taking the taxi rather than the metro. Everything I've read about Barcelona portrays the metro in glowing terms and from the scale noted on the maps I've looked at, the metro stops didn't look to inconvenient to some of the Gaudi's landmarks and other Modernista buildings--but I realize distances can be deceiving on a map where a half-inch equals 300 meters.

Metro is fantastic, but for one day taking taxis is most convenient and you get added benefit of above ground views (especially since you are only there for a day).

The Metro in Barcelona is great and comprehensive. But for Parc Guell, it involves a 20 minute walk uphill from the nearest stop. Not too big a deal unless you are really pressed for time. For all of the other main sites, it works great.

Gaudi is not the only architect of note. The leading architect at that time was Montaner. I highly suggest the one hour tour of the Palau de la Musica Catalana if you can work that into your schedule. You can book a tour on-line. There is a tour every hour.
That would be much more worthwhile than going to Parc Guell. In my opinion, Parc Guell is on the B list.

I agree with Douglas and also agree that Casa Battlo is fantastic--even my 12 year olds enjoyed it. That being said if I were you I just might allow La Sagrada Familia to provide me with the Gaudi experience and take a taxi to see and stand in the Mediterranean--but perhaps if you will be on a cruise you will see plenty of the Mediterranean.