The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of the most visited monuments in the world and, undoubtedly, is the quintessential icon of Barcelona. The great work of the brilliant architect Antoni Gaudí receives about 4 million visitors each year, although it’s estimated that around 20 million take photos of it from the outside. In this article, we explain how to get to the Sagrada Familia, whether by public transportation (metro, bus, train, etc.) or other alternatives, such as private transfers.
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Table of Contents
- Entrances to the Sagrada Familia
- How to get to the Sagrada Familia by public transport
- How to get there by metro
- How to get there by bus
- How to get there by train
- How to get there by bike
- How to get there by tourist bus
- Hiring private transfers
- Parking near the Sagrada Familia
- Getting there from various points in Barcelona
- Getting to the Sagrada Familia from the airport
- Getting to the Sagrada Familia from the port
- Getting to the Sagrada Familia from Plaça Catalunya
- Getting to the Sagrada Familia from Sants Estació
- Detailed map to get to the Sagrada Familia
Entrances to the Sagrada Familia
Although the Sagrada Familia only has one main entrance, there are two other entrances to the temple depending on the type of visitor.
- Main entrance: General access for tourists and for mass. It is located at Carrer de la Marina, 253. After passing through security, you need to climb several steps. Remember that you must arrive with your advance ticket.
- Accessible entrance and others. The accessible entrance to the Sagrada Familia (or for people with reduced mobility in general) is next to the main entrance. If you face the stairs, the accessible entrance is immediately to the left, next to the shop. This same entrance is also often used for large groups or institutional visits.
- Educational centers entrance. The access for school groups is located at Carrer de Cerdenya, 314, very close to the intersection with Carrer Mallorca.
At the bottom of this article, you can see a map showing the exact location of the entrances, as well as the main surrounding transportation options.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia by public transport
How to get to the Sagrada Familia by metro
The easiest and most comfortable way to get to the Sagrada Familia is by using the metro service. The closest station to the temple is the one named after the Sagrada Familia (lines 5 and 2), which has three exits at the very corners of the temple. To exit as close as possible to the main entrance, follow the signs for Carrer de la Marina.
There are other stations not far from the Sagrada Familia, such as Monumental (L2), Joanic (L4), or Verdaguer (L4 and L5), which may be alternatives in some exceptional cases. On the other hand, depending on your plans, you might find it interesting to use the Sant Pau | Dos de Maig (L2) exit, to see the famous Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, a modernist gem by Domènech i Montaner protected by UNESCO. From there, you have a pleasant 10-minute walk to the Sagrada Familia along the picturesque Avinguda de Gaudí.
You can find all the information regarding fares and schedules on the TMB website.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia by bus
Another simple way to get to the Sagrada Familia is by using one of the many buses that stop near the temple.
The most convenient station, especially for those coming from the north, is located at Carrer de Mallorca / corner of Carrer de la Marina, where buses 19, 33, 34, B24, D50, H10, N1, and N9 stop, most of them heading towards the city center.
If, on the other hand, you are traveling from the center of Barcelona to the Sagrada Familia, you will likely need to get off at the Carrer de València / corner of Diagonal stop, where buses 19, 33, 34, B24, D50, H10, N1, and N9 stop on their way north. Four of these buses (33, 34, D50, and H10) continue along Carrer de València to the corner of Carrer de Lepant, where there is a stop much closer to the main entrance.
On the public transportation website of Barcelona, linked in the previous section, you will also find information about schedules, routes, and bus fares.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia by train
Although it is not the most convenient option in general, a mode of transport that might interest you if you’re traveling from outside Barcelona or from very distant neighborhoods is the train. The El Clot – Aragó station (lines R1, R2 Nord, and R11) is located 1.4 km from the Sagrada Familia. In addition to the mentioned Rodalies (commuter trains), some medium-distance trains also stop here.
From El Clot – Aragó station, you can take the metro to Sagrada Familia (two stops on line 2) or walk just over 15 minutes.
You can find more information about schedules and fares for Rodalies of Catalonia on the Rodalies de la Generalitat website.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia by bike
Using Barcelona’s public bicycle rental service (Bicing) is the most sustainable and economical way to get to the Sagrada Familia. The nearest station to the temple is located at Carrer Provença 445, although there are two other nearby stations: one at Carrer Sardenya, 326, and another at Carrer Lepant, 278. Keep in mind that this service is not intended for tourists or occasional visitors, as the subscriptions are annual.
If you’re just passing through Barcelona and want to rent a bike near the Sagrada Familia, you can do so at one of these shops, all very close to the temple: Moubikes (C/ de València, 419), Rent a Bike BCN (Carrer de Sardenya, 265), Mr. Bike Barcelona (Passatge de Font, 7), or Rent Bike in Barcelona (C/ de Sicília, 330), for example.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia by tourist bus
In addition to public buses, there are two companies offering tourist buses that have a stop at the Sagrada Familia: Barcelona Bus Turístic (Barcelona Tourism’s official bus) and City Tour Barcelona. These companies offer various routes around Barcelona and different usage modalities, though typically the ticket includes unlimited hop-on and hop-off privileges for 24 or 48 hours.
The most popular of the two services, perhaps because it’s the official one, is Barcelona Bus Turístic, which, in addition to the classic 1 or 2-day tickets, offers an audio guide in Spanish with headphones, a tourist map, and some discounts on leisure activities. If you want to use the tourist bus to get to the Sagrada Familia, you’ll need to board the blue line (there are two other lines: red and green) and get off at the Sagrada Familia stop, located at Carrer Sardenya, 299.
The competition for the official tourist bus is the Barcelona City Tour, which also has a long-standing tradition in the city. In this case, you can choose between two routes: one heading East (green) and the other West (orange). To get to the Sagrada Familia on this tourist bus, you’ll need to choose the green route and get off at stop number 9, located at Carrer de Sardenya, 311.
Private Transfers
Without a doubt, the most comfortable way to get to the Sagrada Familia is to request private transportation. For example, in one of the nearly 11,000 taxis operating in Barcelona. While finding an available taxi shouldn’t be a problem, the fares will logically be higher than public transport. For some time now, apps like Picmi Taxi, a public app where theoretically you can request any taxi in the city, and the more popular FreeNow, where you can hail one of the typical yellow and black official taxis, have been operational.
On the other hand, as in any large city, several companies with VTC licenses operate in Barcelona, such as Uber, Cabify, or Bolt.
Additionally, there are numerous companies offering “shared mobility” or sharing vehicles, from motorcycles and bicycles to cars: Cooltra, Muving, Yego, Ubeeqo, or Acciona are some examples.
You can also book private transfers on various private company websites that will take you from one specific point to another at a set price and schedule.
Parking near the Sagrada Familia
If you’re moving around Barcelona by rental car and want to park near the Sagrada Familia, you will most likely need to use one of the paid underground parking lots located near the basilica. Perhaps the most convenient, at least in terms of distance and price, is the Parking Mercat Sagrada Família, a municipal parking lot located at C/ Mallorca, 425 with rates around €3.60/hour. There are also many other parking lots very close to the entrance of the Sagrada Familia, whose exact locations you will find on the map at the end of this article or in our section on tips for parking near the Sagrada Familia.
Two reminders: Parking for free near the Sagrada Familia is impossible, and parking near the Sagrada Familia in blue zones (paid, on the street) is also usually quite challenging. In any case, try to avoid the green zone, intended for residents and much more expensive than the blue zone. Choosing a parking spot in advance can save you headaches.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia from different points in Barcelona
To make things even easier for you, here’s how to get to the Sagrada Familia from some of the main points of interest in the city.
Getting to the Sagrada Familia from the airport
As you probably know, Barcelona only has one airport: the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, more commonly known simply as “El Prat.” Additionally, the airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which are quite far apart (about 15 minutes by shuttle bus). Nowadays, the vast majority of flights arrive at Terminal 1.
If you want to visit the Sagrada Familia from Barcelona Airport (17 km), you can choose between several options:
- Aerobús + metro: This might be the least cumbersome way to go from El Prat to the Sagrada Familia. You need to take the Aerobús A1 (at Terminal 1) or the A2 (at Terminal 2, less common), which is perfectly signposted in the arrivals area of both terminals. This bus goes directly to Barcelona, making only four stops. The one that interests us in this case is Plaça Universitat, where you need to transfer to Line 2 of the metro heading towards Badalona Pompeu Fabra. It’s only 4 stops to the Sagrada Familia station. The total travel time is around 45 minutes, and the final cost would be around €8.50, depending on the type of transport passes you choose (this would be the maximum price, in reality).
- Metro only. A somewhat cheaper but more tedious combination would involve taking two metro lines: first Line 9 South in the only possible direction: Zona Universitària, until the Collblanc stop; and then Line 5 heading towards Vall d’Hebron to the Sagrada Familia station. This route would take about an hour and cost approximately €7.50 (maximum price, depending on the type of passes). Note that Line 9S has special prices for airport stops, which are not included in regular metro passes.
- Train + metro. This might be the least interesting option, but it could be an alternative to the two methods above and theoretically is the cheapest. Although Terminal 1 does not have a train station, you can reach Terminal 2 via a free shuttle, where there is a train station. From there, the R2 Nord line departs, with a stop at Sants Estació. From Sants, you can continue on the metro Line 5 (direction Vall d’Hebron) to the Sagrada Familia stop. The total travel time is estimated to be around 1 hour (45 minutes from Terminal 2), and the maximum fare would be around €5.
- Private transfer. The most comfortable way to go from Barcelona Airport to the Sagrada Familia is to book a private transfer in advance. This service, offered by various companies, would allow you to reach the basilica in less than 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
Getting to the Sagrada Familia from the Port of Barcelona
To travel to the Sagrada Familia from the Port of Barcelona, let’s first assume a starting point at the Ferry Terminal and secondly at the Cruise Terminal.
From the Ferry Terminal to the Sagrada Familia
The terminal is located next to the World Trade Center. It is very easy to locate thanks to the port’s cable car tower called Torre Jaume I. This is the pier used by Grimaldi or Baleària ferries, also known as Pier C.
This is a site very close to the end of Las Ramblas, just a 5-minute walk, where you’ll find the Drassanes metro stop on Line 3. One quick way to get to the Sagrada Familia is to board the metro at Drassanes (direction Trinitat Nova) and get off at Diagonal to transfer to Line 5 and continue to the Sagrada Familia station (direction Vall d’Hebron). There are 6 stops on the route, and the approximate duration is 16 minutes.
Another alternative to get to the Sagrada Familia more comfortably, especially if carrying luggage, is to take a taxi or book a private transfer.
From the Cruise Terminal to the Sagrada Familia
The Cruise Terminal at the Port of Barcelona is also known as the Adosado Pier and covers much more space to accommodate the large cruise ships that dock in Barcelona. Currently, there are 5 terminals at the pier: A, B, C, D, and F.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia:
From any of the cruise terminals, one option is to use the shuttle bus service called Cruise Bus. A day pass costs €4.50. The port bus ends its route next to the previously mentioned World Trade Center. From there, it’s a 5-minute walk to the Drassanes metro stop on Line 3. As mentioned, you need to change to Line 4 at the Diagonal stop and continue to the Sagrada Familia stop.
At each of the terminals A, B, C, D, and F, there is an official taxi stand. The ride to the Sagrada Familia is approximately 8 km and takes about 27 minutes. Of all the options, the most comfortable way to get to Gaudí’s temple is via a private transfer.
Getting to the Sagrada Familia from Plaça Catalunya
Plaça de Catalunya, the nerve center of Barcelona, is about 2.5 km from the Sagrada Familia, which means a 30-minute walk.
If you don’t feel like walking, you just need to head to the Passeig de Gràcia metro stop (at the intersection with Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes) and take Line 2 in the direction of Badalona Pompeu Fabra. It’s only 3 stops to the Sagrada Familia station, so the total journey should take less than 10 minutes.
Getting to the Sagrada Familia from Sants Station
Although Sants, the main train and bus station in Barcelona, is somewhat far from the Sagrada Familia (almost 4 km), the connection between the two places is excellent, as they are separated by only 5 metro stops. From Sants, you need to take Line 5 in the direction of Vall d’Hebron and get off at the Sagrada Familia station, which will take just over 10 minutes.