Visiting the Sagrada Familia

I can give you some information. Others will be able to help with the rest, I think.

I didn't do the towers. I spent about 90 minutes seeing the church and the museum and checking out the gift shop. I spent a fair amount of time in the museum (at least 30 minutes). Most people seemed to be moving through the museum considerably faster than I did. I probably only spent 5 minutes in the gift shop.

I think you can visit the museum at any time from the ticketing standpoint once you are past the checkers. Since you have just one day (I assume) to see as much as you can in Barcelona, I'd separate the church/tower times by a safe interval (based on suggestions of others here), not trying to pad that gap enough to allow a museum visit. Then, if in the end you do have extra time between church and tower, you can use it to see part or all of the museum. If you've hit the church/tower timing just right, you can visit the museum afterward.

If others confirm that you can (re)visit the church after ascending one of the towers, you won't have to worry much about how much time to allow before your tower entry time.

We were on the Norwegian Epic last year, and this should give you an idea:

5am arrival
7am breakfast
8:30 am took shuttle bus T3, Metro L3 and L5, about 30 minutes total, but 1 hour to be safe
9:30 am admission, walked around on own waiting for guided tour
10:00 guided tour about 1 hour, guide was excellent, then wait around for Tower admission
11:15 am Nativity Tower entry, about 30 minutes

12:30 lunch

2:00 HOHO bus tour 2.5 hours (would not recommend)

5:00 back on ship

6pm Ship leaves port

Big crowd at the Sagrada Familia, but everything is timed and efficient so there are no line ups for tour or tower. We booked and purchased admission, tour and tower on the official website. I enjoyed it. But there is a Disney feel to the place. This is what happens when you want to build epic church in a modern world.

If you are on a big cruise ship, it could easily be an hour before you are on land after the ship docks. It takes a few minutes for docking procedures, then time for the crew to set up the disembarkation equipment. Ship's tours and veteran cruisers usually get priority, then everyone else who's been lined up and waiting to get off the ship.

You choose the time for entry to the cathedral and the time for entry to the tower. Only one tower allows you to use the elevator to descend. Both tower entrances are inside the cathedral, so you can wander through the other areas before and after the tower. I was one of those who went through the museum in a few minutes. I think the toilets and the gift shop are near the museum exit. You can go back into the church, but the "flow" is museum and exit into the shop. Note that once you go through the turnstile into the shop, you cannot return to the church or the museum.

I didn't notice that you couldn't return to the sights after entering the shop; glad Chani did. I'm pretty sure someone posted recently that you must now walk down from both towers, but I don't know that for a fact, and it's possible I'm mis-remembering. I'd suggest further research if that matters to you.

One comment about the hop-on/hop-off buses: I arrived around noon on an August Sunday. There was a very, very long line for the HO/HO bus at Plaça de Catalunya. I think people must surely have waited at least an hour. I didn't observe anything so extreme for the rest of my lengthy stay in the city, but I would not take a chance on planning to use the HO/HO buses for transportation if I were a cruiser. I almost never take taxis, but Barcelona is fabulous and your time is short; for moderate to long distances (not quick walks) I'd plan to use a taxi if I were not traveling between places located near Metro stations. The Metro is easy enough to use, but you do sometimes have a pretty lengthy walk underground. And of course you see nothing while riding the Metro, so if you can afford to splurge on a taxi and you don't see traffic gridlock, go for it.

I visited La Sagrada three summers ago, but did not arrive via ship. Maybe I could help anyway on a couple questions. I cannot help on the questions about going into the tower. I think they didn't allow tourists in the tower when I was visiting because of construction work.

1. How much time should I allow for our visit? Like you, I like to book tickets in advance but didn't when I visited. I don't think advance tickets were offered three summers ago. I would say two hours is enough to allow for the visit. Though the ticket lines are long, they move quickly and efficiently. I don't think you have to worry about long lines anyway, as you'll be there in November.

I found myself lingering in the cathedral. It's beautiful.

1. After you come down from the towers, can you go back into the church? Yes. I saw people walking out of the church to stand on the porches and go back in.

2. If I want to go to the museum, how much time should I allow for that and should I go to the museum before or after going up the tower. I would recommend only a half-hour or less. I'm a culture vulture, but found the museum not well done. They try to explain Gaudi's techniques and design ideas, but don't do a good job. There are information boards and models in the museum. I would recommend visiting the museum after going up the tower.

Just to the right and behind the altar on the main floor of the church, there are a couple of chapels where a great video is shown. Choose the English option. That video is excellent. It explains Gaudi's ideas and his story well.

Overall advice: Don't rush through the church. It's something worth lingering in. I found the sounds of construction activity contributed to my enjoyment. You hear the church being built.

I toured the church on Tue. I got the tickets on-line, and selected the 9:15 entrance time, and the 10:15 passion tower. The others were correct when they stated that you can continue to tour the church after you return from the tower. It started to get much more congested after we returned from the tower. As far as the elevator, for the passion tower you must walk down. I don't know about the nativity tower, but I would guess that you would have to walk down, also. The exit from the church is through the gift shop, and you cannot return to the church. The church is amazing. We used the audio guides, but I did find that the info in RS book is very interesting regarding the church.

One thing I forgot to mention before is the lovely stained glass windows. I previously visited the church so long ago that I don't think any windows were in place; at least I don't remember seeing them. Now there's all that lovely color. That's one reason I spent as much time in the church as I did--lots of window to look at. Most if not all are rather contemporary in design.

I like Diane's timeline. We were there 2 years ago and rushed our Nativity Tower trip. We entered at 9:15, while the church was relatively quiet. We booked our Tower trip 30 min. later and by the time we came down, the church was no longer a quiet place. If you book a Tower trip, they do not allow backpacks. You have to check it in a locker. We used their audio guide and it was O.K., but not outstanding. I struggled with getting the correct orientation for the commentary.

I remember reading the same comment as acraven recently about both towers requiring you to walk down. When we visited, the Passion Tower was "up" elevator only and that was why we chose the Nativity Tower. I would definitely check that out.

Thank you for all of the advice.

What happens if we purchase a ticket in advance and we do not get there by the time of our ticket? Can we exchange it for a later time?

No Gwen, you can't.

But you can get a reimbursement: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/NormativaEN_SagradaFami%CC%81lia-1.pdf

I was there a few days ago.
We booked a guided tour, and the guide gives you your tower ticket time before taking you around.
You have about 15 mins after the tour before the tower visit.
You must check any large bags into lockers before going up the tower.
You go up in an elevator, but must walk down 400 v. Narrow spiral stairs (cement, not metal).
No elevator down, so if you have mobility problems, forget it.
I don't like heights, and the stairwell has a wall on one side with a railing, but is open in the centre with no rail, so you can look right down.
I looked at the wall and clung to the railing with both hands all the way down.
I didn't like it one bit, and my legs were shaking at the end.
You then end up back in the church so can have another look around.
The museum is outside, but still within the secure area.
Thru the gift shop, then out, and you're done.
Washrooms are inside secure area.
Buy prebooked timed tickets, or you will lose the will to live in the massive lineups.
It is all well worth seeing despite the crowds!
You will never see anything like it again.
Enjoy your trip!

"Buy prebooked timed tickets, or you will lose the will to live in the massive lineups."

I love that comment! Too bad La Sagrada Familia isn't the only sight of which that can be said!

I was there on Monday, which was a cloudy day, and STILL the light coming through the stained glass was overwhelming. The feeling of light and air is indescribable.

Sadly I did not do the tower(s) as I have vertigo issues. It may not have been a problem (attacks are always inconsistent), but I didn't want to get up there and then freak out over the staircase on the way back down.

Seeing the basilica was more than enough. I also like the little schoolhouse that Gaudi designed for the children of the workers.

We booked the tower (Passion side) for an hour after our timed entry. That would t have been long enough. We could, however, go back in for as long as we wanted AFTER the tower visit. Be aware that you will be required to walk all the way down after the tower visit.