We recently returned from a family trip to Barcelona and the Costa Brava (the coast just north of Barcelona) with our kids aged 7, 4, and 1.
We spent our last few days in the Barcelona area, including one day at Sagrada Familia with kids. With such young kids, we knew they weren’t going to be super jazzed to just ‘go visit a big church’.
So, I did a lot of research to decide if we could make visiting Sagrada Familia as a family fun and memorable for everyone.
This guide is to let you in on what we learned and experienced visiting Sagrada Familia as a family to help you have the smoothest visit as possible. It includes fun playgrounds with Sagrada Familia views and where we ate for lunch with Sagrada Familia views (that was possibly the highlight for our kids).
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🇪🇸 😍 IN A RUSH? CHECK OUT OUR BARCELONA FAVORITES!
WHERE WE STAYED IN BARCELONA:
🛏️😍Family-Friendly Flat in Quiet Area With Playgrounds, Market & Public Transit: I highly recommend where we stayed in Barcelona. Our VRBO was in a lovely area with multiple playgrounds and a supermarket just out the door in a quiet courtyard. Plus public transit (both bus and metro) was just a block away with a fast, easy access to Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter. Plus, since we had a car as part of our greater Costa Brava roadtrip, the free parking and quick access to the freeway made a day trip to Monsterrat so fast and easy.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY BIKE TOUR OF BARCELONA:
🚲 Private, Family-Friendly Bike Tour of Barcelona (With Kid Bikes, Tagalong Bikes and/or Bike Seats!): We LOVED our family bike tour of Barcelona. Our oldest got her own bike, our middle was on a tag-a-long and our youngest in a bike seat and they were all so happy. We got to cycle through SO MANY different areas of the city and see so much more than we would've had we not done the bike tour and our kids were so much happier. I highly recommend!
FAMILY-FRIENDLY TOUR OF SAGRADA FAMILIA:
🎟️ Family-Friendly Sagrada Familia Tour (With Games and Stories!): We didn't get to book this tour because it didn't work with our schedule, but I wish we could've! By not doing a tour we missed out on learning more about Sagrada Familia, however, a traditional tour wouldn't have worked with our young kids- but this family-specific Sagrada Familia tour with games and stories looks amazing.
HOW WE SAVE MONEY ON OUR RENTAL CARS:
🚘 Economy Bookings Car Rental: Any bit you can save on your car rental is worth it. Our go-to is Economy Bookings.
OUR OTHER TRAVEL FAVORITES:
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats in Multiple Locations: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking, Expedia, VRBO, Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the above link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
Is It Worth It To Visit Sagrada Familia With Kids?
Definitely! I’m not one to say that if you’re visiting a destination you MUST see this or that. However, I do think that if you are visiting Barcelona, you MUST see Sagrada Familia.
When we rounded the corner and caught sight of the church for the first time, I was blown away by how massive and uniquely beautiful it was.
We visited with three young kids aged seven and younger, so a quick stroll through the inside and the museum below was all they were realistically interested in.
However, we all had a great time playing at the nearby playground while soaking in beautiful views of Sagrada Familia.
Had it worked with our schedule, I would’ve loved to book this Family-Friendly Sagrada Familia Tour. The guide tells stories and includes games and activities to help the kids have a great time.
The Sagrada Familia Tour for Families is targeted for kids aged 5-10 years old, but reviews show that people loved it even with kids outside of that age range.
✨ CHECK OUT THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY SAGRADA FAMILIA TOUR! ✨
Sagrada Familia Tickets For Kids and Family-Friendly Tour
An adult Sagrada Familia ticket costs €26 for entrance and an audio guide or €36 for the same thing plus tower access (kids under 6-years-old are not allowed access to the towers).
But the great thing about admission to Sagrada Familia is that a child Sagrada Familia ticket is FREE for kids under 11-years-old (super nice if you’re worried you’re going to have to have a quick visit).
Even though their tickets are free, you’ll still need to reserve a ticket for them (they won’t be able to enter without one). Kids under 3 don’t need a ticket and are, of course, free.
The first tickets of the day are for 9:00 am (10:30 am on Sundays), and the last tickets of the day are for between 6:00 and 8:00 pm depending on the day and season. You can check specific hours on the official website here.
For just a small amount more, you can book the Small-Group Sagrada Familia Tour for Families that I mentioned above.
We, unfortunately, weren’t able to book the family tour because the timing didn’t work with our schedule, but it looks like an amazing option. The guide includes games, stories, and activities specifically for the kids to help everyone have a great time.
✨ READ REVIEWS FOR THE SAGRADA FAMILIA TOUR FOR KIDS HERE✨
Playgrounds Near Sagrada Familia
By far the best part about visiting Sagrada Familia with young kids was playing at the playground just across the street in Plaça de la Sagrada Família.
From traveling all over Europe, we’ve learned it doesn’t get much better than finding a playground with great views and the Sagrada Familia playgrounds offer some great views.
There are actually two playgrounds near Sagrada Familia located on opposite sides of the church.
Plaça de la Sagrada Família Playground
The playground we spent the most time at, and the one I recommend, is the one located in Plaça de la Sagrada Família on the opposite side of the church’s entrance (you can find it here on Google Maps).
This playground is so great because not only is it super fun, but it also has great views of Sagrada Familia.
There are swings and a fun play structure with monkey bars, a slide, a climbing wall, other interesting play features, plus benches.
My other favorite thing about this playground is that the main play area was super shady from the morning until well after lunch, which is very important if you’re visiting Barcelona in the summer.
There’s also a toddler-sized area with a slide and swings, etc. Unfortunately, the toddler area was mostly in the sun, so our toddler just played on the bigger play structure with the older kids.
We took public transit in the morning to Sagrada Familia and headed straight to the playground until our reserved time slot to enter the church. Then we headed straight to lunch across the street from Sagrada Familia (more on that later) and then right back to the playground before heading back to our Airbnb.
The playground was definitely a highlight for the kids (as it always is), but it was also a highlight for us because we got to soak in the church views while the kids were happily playing.
Playground in Plaça de Gaudí
The other Sagrada Familia playground is located on the opposite side of the church in Plaça de Gaudí (the entrance side). You can find it here on Google Maps.
This playground is geared towards toddlers and doesn’t have as much shade as the other playground. We didn’t stop to play at it since the other one was so much bigger and shadier.
However, there are some swings, a small playhouse, a small slide, and a couple of bouncy toys. It’s good to know that this playground exists even if it’s not the best playground ever.
Where To Eat Near Sagrada Familia with Kids
You can judge us all you want, but we ate lunch at Five Guys located across the street from Sagrada Familia and it was one of the best decisions of our trip 🤪.
If you’re unfamiliar, Five Guys is an American burger chain known for fresh hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and milkshakes. That’s obviously not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Barcelona, but for us, lunch here was seriously just the best decision with kids.
The food at Five Guys is tasty, reliable, and fast, which is a must when it’s lunchtime and the kids are hungry.
Our walks between the playground, the interior of Sagrada Familia, and Five Guys were all just a couple minutes long, which is exactly what you want when traveling in a big city with young kids.
Plus, it’s located RIGHT across the street from Sagrada Familia, meaning you can eat outside with epic church views! We opted to eat in the air-conditioned inside, but in cooler weather, we definitely would’ve eaten outside.
The kids even picked up some paper and crayons to draw with while we waited for our food and were just the happiest of campers. I, all around, 10/10 recommend eating at Five Guys across the street from Sagrada Familia when visiting with kids.
Our Visit To Sagrada Familia with Kids
Overall, we had a great time visiting Sagrada Familia as a family, although our visit probably looked much different than travelers visiting without kids.
We reserved tickets for 10:30 am to give us enough time to take the quick public transit ride from our VRBO (which I highly recommend- you can see it here) and to snap some pics and play at the playground before our entrance time.
We played at the playground for almost an hour before we went inside Sagrada Familia, which was perfect because the area was still pretty quiet and shady so we could relax and enjoy the views of such a beautiful building.
At 10:25 am, we headed over to the security line (which wasn’t long at all) to access Sagrada Familia.
The crowds and temperatures (we visited in June) were already picking up by this time of morning, and the kids weren’t crazy interested in the inside, although they did enjoy trying to look for some animal sculptures on the outside and looking for different colors of light streaming through the stained glass inside.
One of my favorite parts of Sagrada Familia was the museum below the cathedral (don’t miss it!). The museum includes original drawings, models, and objects used in the construction of the church.
It was so interesting to see how the construction has all come together based on the limited information they had to go off of. They even had models that had been destroyed that they pieced back together (similar to dinosaur fossils).
The museum also felt quieter and less crowded than the main nave area of the church, and our kids seemed to enjoy being down there more.
Of course, every child is different, and you’ll find what they’re interested in seeing and learning about. However, I think going in with realistic expectations will help everyone have a better experience.
There’s also a nice gift shop at Sagrada Familia with tasteful souvenirs and fun keepsakes for kids like coloring books and craft sets.
Once we were done with Sagrada Familia, our kids were pretty hungry for lunch, and it was so nice taking a super short walk across the street to Five Guys, where the kids were happy as clams, the food was great, and we were still able to enjoy views of Sagrada Familia.
And once everyone was powered back up again, we headed back to the playground to play (while of course, still enjoying being near Sagrada Familia and the views) and after that heading back to our VRBO to relax and spend the evening playing at the playgrounds right out our door there.
Are Strollers Allowed in Sagrada Familia?
Yes! Strollers are allowed in Sagrada Familia.
The only places strollers aren’t allowed are in the towers, but kids under 6-years-old aren’t allowed in the towers anyway, so it most likely is a non-issue.
However, if you do have a stroller for your 6-year-old and want to go up a tower, there’s designated stroller parking available.
Sagrada Familia Dress Code
As Sagrada Familia is a Catholic church, there is a certain dress code to be able to enter, and it is enforced. I’ve pulled the dress code from the official website so you can see it below:
- No hats except for religious or health reasons
- No see-through clothing
- Shorts and skirts must be mid-thigh or longer
- Visitors may not enter in swimwear
- Visitors will not be allowed to enter wearing special clothing to celebrate any sort of festivities, nor with any decorations designed to distract or draw attention for artistic, religious, promotional or any other purposes (think stag and hen party matching outfits)
- Bare shoulders are specifically restricted inside the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament — not the entire basilica
Scammers Near Sagrada Familia To Be Aware Of
Like most large European cities, Barcelona has its share of scammers targeting tourists.
In Barcelona, the common scammers are people dressed up like ‘clowns’ (I use the word clown loosely 😅). They’re basically people with their faces painted white, making balloon animals.
We encountered the clowns almost immediately around Sagrada Familia and also in other areas of Barcelona.
These clowns try to give you or your children a balloon animal, acting as though it’s a gift and then demand you pay for it.
It can be a frustrating experience (especially when they are approaching your children), but just be direct, say no thank you, and hand the balloon back (or try not to let them give you the balloon in the first place, which is difficult when they hand them to your kids).
We had to ask them to go away multiple times before they listened. However, I’ve also heard of (and seen) the clowns trying to take photos with tourists, which is when they can try and pickpocket you or demand money for being in the photo.
Encountering scammers can be a frustrating experience, but it’s far less frustrating when you’re expecting it.
One of our kids was quite scared of the clowns, so we did our best to keep our eyes out for them and turn them away before they encountered us.
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