Booking choice: The fast-track tour with towers, from $116 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The official rules are short and fairly relaxed: no see-through clothing, nothing shorter than mid-thigh, no swimwear and no hats inside. Guided tour operators go a step further and ask for shoulders and knees covered, and they warn that entry can be refused.
Because every ticket is for a fixed time slot, being sent away to change can cost you the visit. Dressing to the stricter standard is the easy way to avoid that.
The quick answer
Cover your shoulders and knees, or at least carry a light scarf or shawl: the official minimum is trousers and skirts to mid-thigh, no see-through clothing, no swimwear and no costumes, and bare shoulders are not allowed in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament. Take your hat off inside. Wear comfortable shoes if you are going up a tower, and bring a small bag only: bags are scanned, and food, drinks and suitcases are not allowed in.
What is the Sagrada Familia dress code?
The official rules are: no see-through clothing, trousers and skirts at least to mid-thigh, no swimwear, no costumes or party outfits, and no hats in the nave or the museum.
Two more official points are easy to miss. Bare shoulders are not allowed in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, and the basilica's rules say visitors may not enter barefoot. Hats are allowed only for religious, health or belief-related reasons.
Outfit sorted? The fast-track tour gives you a timed entry and an official guide inside.
Check dates for the fast-track tour with towersDo you have to cover your shoulders and knees?
Officially only in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament for shoulders, and to mid-thigh for legs, but tour operators ask for shoulders and knees covered and say they can refuse entry.
The simplest rule is to dress as you would for any cathedral in southern Europe. A T-shirt with sleeves and trousers, a skirt or shorts to the knee will never be a problem. If you want to wear a vest top in the street, carry a light scarf or shirt to put on at the door.
Can you wear shorts to the Sagrada Familia?
Yes, as long as they reach at least mid-thigh; knee-length shorts are the safe choice if you are on a guided tour.
Summer in Barcelona is hot, and guests say it can be hot inside the basilica too. Light linen or cotton trousers, a knee-length skirt or dress and a breathable top keep you cool and inside the rules. Very short shorts, beachwear and anything see-through are the items that get people turned away.
Can you wear a hat inside?
No: hats are not allowed inside the nave or the museum, except for religious, health or belief-related reasons.
You can wear one while you wait outside in the sun, then take it off at the door. One guest wrote that visitors should be told about the no-hats rule in advance, so consider this your warning: pack a hat that folds into your bag.
Want the story behind the ceiling? A live guide explains it in about an hour and a half.
Check dates for the fast-track tour with towersWhat shoes should you wear for the towers?
Flat, closed shoes with grip: the lift takes you up, but the way down is several hundred narrow, steep steps on a spiral staircase.
Guests say the descent is 400 or more steps, in a tight, enclosed stairwell. Leave sandals with thin soles and heels for another day. The tower part is usually unguided: you go up in the lift and walk down at your own pace.
Want a tower in the price? This tour includes the lift up one tower; you walk down on your own.
Explore the guided tour with tower entryWhat is not allowed through security?
Food and drinks, dangerous items and large luggage: every bag goes through a scanner and visitors walk through metal detectors.
There is no storage for suitcases, so do not come straight from the airport or on the way to the station with luggage. A "fast track" or "skip the line" ticket is a pre-booked time slot, not a way around security: everyone goes through the same check, and guests report queues there even with tour tickets.
Where do your bags go on a tower visit?
Into lockers: bags and rucksacks must be left before you go up a tower, and the lockers are only for those, not for suitcases.
Travel light: a small shoulder bag or daypack is easiest. You collect it again after the walk down. See which tower to choose for the rest of the tower visit.
What should you bring?
Your ticket on your phone, a light scarf, sunglasses and a small bag, and not much else.
- Your ticket or tour voucher, and your phone charged
- A light scarf or shirt to cover your shoulders
- Comfortable closed shoes if you are going up a tower
- A folding hat and sunglasses for the wait outside
- Your own earphones if you use the official app audio guide: they are required during the quiet hour from 9 to 10 AM
- Water to drink before you go in, since drinks are not allowed inside
Ready for your visit? Free cancellation up to 24 hours before if your plans change.
Check dates for the fast-track tour with towersFrequently asked questions
Can I wear a tank top to the Sagrada Familia?
Bring something to cover your shoulders: bare shoulders are not allowed in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, and tour operators ask for shoulders covered for the whole visit.
Will they really turn me away?
They can. Operators say entry can be refused for clothing that breaks the rules, and because tickets are for a fixed slot, you may not get another chance that day.
Can I bring a water bottle?
No: food and drinks are not allowed inside. Drink before you go through security.
Can I bring a suitcase?
No. Large luggage is not accepted and there are no lockers for suitcases; leave it at your hotel or a luggage storage service.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Sagrada Familia Fast-Track Guided Tour with Towers Access
- Skip-the-line Sagrada Familia ticket for a fixed time slot
- Official guide and radio earphones
- Tower access by lift, if you select the tower option
Sagrada Familia Guided Tour with Tower Entry
- Sagrada Familia admission with a fixed entry time
- Official guide (one language or bilingual, depending on the slot)
- Radio guide system
Sagrada Familia Fast-Track Tour with Museum & School
- Skip-the-line entry to the basilica, museum and schools
- Guided tour of the basilica and museum
- Personal radio receiver
