Sagrada Familia morning or afternoon? Towers or not?

I have nothing to compare it to, but my visit in the early evening was phenomenal. Crowds were not heavy around 7pm in May. We went up the tower. It adds an up close view of the detail of the exterior workmanship and there really isn't a reason to not do it. That said, it is NOT the most amazing aspect of Sagrada Familia.

We went for the earliest entry.
I am glad that I have been.
Once was enough.

I went early morning, when they 1st opened and had booked the English tour. There were few people inside and I was able to get stunning photos of not only the windows, but their reflections on the floor. This was mid Sept. so the light may be different when you are there. Spent a number of hours there after my tour, and the place was really full by the time I left. Glad to have seen it empty.
Glad to have done the tour too. It was very worthwhile.

Thanks everyone! When you say early morning, how early is that? The earliest ticket we can get is 9:45am

I followed advice I was given: book the earliest time and line up at least 10-15 minutes prior. You get into the nave before the crowds and can enjoy the relative serenity. I booked one of the towers - I don't know which one. There was the option of descending by elevator, I chose the stairs and it was the most memorable part of the tower visit for me (in a good way, even though you want to be a bit careful - there's no inner railing, just a gaping abyss and a good photo op). I did get some close-up views of the outside ornamentation, but the view was very limited and there are several better places for overviews of Barcelona. When I came back down to the nave the sun was streaming in through the stained glass windows and there were plays of light on the floors and pillars. Lovely.

I once booked tower tix in December/January and due to high winds, access to the towers was closed off. I don’t think you can go wrong with a visit at anytime of day. The windows are so large and they capture light anywhere and anytime. Crowds would be my biggest consideration. I went late and was able to find privacy/uncrowded spaces.

This link was posted previously about the tower steps - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J143QCXhhx4.
It helped determine our tickets - I would have done the tower but my two travel companions weren't up for this close situation.

This morning when it first opened at 9am, we visited Sagrada Familia. What an incredible place! . The early morning sunlight flooded color from the stained glass windows onto the walls of the cathedral! At 9:15 am we began the elevator ascent up the Nativity Tower. Although two towers were the options when we reserved the Nativity Tower— it was the only one open today for unknown reasons. The views were remarkable from the top.! The descent down the narrow winding staircase of 400 steps only took 12 minutes— and that included lots of stops for taking photos. It was not tiring or difficult at all. While in parts you can see all the way to the bottom of the stairwell through an aperture about 18” in diameter, the only risk is if you dropped your Phone while taking pictures of this opening. And we were warned if you drop something from high above, you likely will not get it back undamaged.

There is safety fencing everywhere so— as someone who has a fear of heights — I was calmed by all the safety features and had no worries. Be advised, though, that the staircase is only wide enough for one person to occupy a step— meaning that as the towers get more crowded with each passing hour, it may take longer to descend if you are blocked by the visitors in front of you making their descent. We saw some with mobility issues having to pause and that blocked those above them from continuing their descent down the tower. There are emergency buttons on the tower walls in case of medical issues.
By 9:35 am when we reached the bottom of the tower and were back inside the church, it was getting very crowded. I recommend booking your visit for 9am when Sagrada Familia first opens.
Have a great trip!