It was SO empty when I went to visit La Sagrada Familia — and not because of the pandemic! I went during peak season in 2019 and got to experience being the only person in the room (except for the staff) with the colorful sunlight coming through the stained glass windows.⁣⁣ How did I do this? I booked the last available general admission time and got to be one of the last people in the church that day.

**Note: hours of operation and some visiting procedures are different from usual due to the current situation. See here for the updated FAQ for visiting the Sagrada Familia. 

There are a few ways to get tickets to view the inside of this Gaudi masterpiece — below are some things to consider when picking your ideal time slot:⁣⁣

✧ I’m going to start by stating the obvious for Barcelona’s #1 tourist attraction — book in advance! This will save you tons of time by not needing to stand in long lines, but you’ll also save some euros and would be able to choose your desired time slot.⁣⁣ Especially if you don’t plan on getting an audio guide and you just want general admission — these sell out quickly (sometimes even a couple months in advance).
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✧ As of early 2019, general admission tickets are valid after 2pm, so going in the morning is only possible with a guided tour or combination ticket (like with an audioguide or tower entrance)⁣⁣.
If you wanted to get an audioguide ticket and they’re unavailable for the time you want, there are a few great free audioguides available that you can download to your phone ahead of time. 

⁣✧ Avoid 12pm-3pm if possible because that’s when tour groups/larger amounts of people are there.⁣⁣
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✧ But THE BEST time slot (in my opinion) is the last one of the day because no one is coming into the cathedral after you, so as people leave, you’re able to appreciate an almost-empty room. Plus, the way the light reflects through the windows at that time is absolutely gorgeous.