Park Guell guide — The fullest information on how to visit Park Guell

If you spend a lot of time visiting Barcelona, you are probably familiar with the legendary Catalan architect: Antoni Gaudí. His works attract many domestic and foreign tourists such as La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batlló, or Park Güell – the most beautiful park in the city. So, is Park Guell worth visiting, how to visit Park Guell, what to do in Park Guell and how to plan a budget trip to Park Guell for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Park Guell travel blog with the fullest Park Guell travel guide (guide to Park Guell) from how to get to Park Guell, best places to visit, best time to come as well as useful tips to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Around the 1800s, a businessman named Eusebi Güell hired Gaudí to design and build a hillside estate overlooking the sea with 60 villas, an ambitious project for the wealthy class on the outskirts of Barcelona but was not commercially successful, the project was unfinished and there were no buyers. Today Park Güell is a living museum of Gaudí’s works and a special public park recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site under the name “The Works of Antoni Gaudí”.

Things to know before buying tickets to visit Park Güell (#park guell guide)

• There are two types of tickets: regular tickets and guided tickets without queues.
• Admission is free for children under 6 years old, ages 7-12 can get a discount.
• The hourly ticket only allows you to travel sooner or later for about 30 minutes, for example, if you buy a ticket to visit at 9 am, you can only arrive at the latest at 9:30 AM, then the ticket will expire.
• Up to 1,400 visitors per hour can visit the park’s monument area.
• Buying tickets online helps you choose the most suitable time to visit. Check it out here.
• Booking tickets online can save you time and even money, buying tickets online will get you 1 Euro off each ticket than buying at the entrance gate.
• Buying tickets online also gives you attractive discount options.
• You should avoid entering by the main entrance gate if you have booked tickets in advance to avoid having to wait in line.
• Once the ticket has been checked, you cannot exit and re-enter again with the same checked ticket.
• 400 tickets are sold out every half hour.
• With the Barcelona City Pass, you can get free admission to Park Güell.
• There are often many offers when you combine visits to Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia
• In the case of a guided tour, your guide will meet you at the meet up point 15 minutes before your tour time. Usually the place to meet the guide is at the main gate.
• Entrance ticket price in 2023: For adult: 10 Euros, Children 0-6: 0 Euro; Children 7-12: 7 Euros. Over 65 and “Targeta Rosa Reduïda” card: 7 euros.
• Visiting hours are usually from 8 am to 6:30pm in low season and until 9:30pm in peak season.
• The evening will be free, but you can only see the city from here, it is difficult to admire the beauty of the park because it is quite dark.
• The park is very large, so please prepare shoes and belongings neatly, for easy walking and light carrying,
• Note that there is no place to store luggage here, so please limit carrying heavy suitcases or backpacks.
• Food prices here are quite high, so you can bring water and snacks if you want to save money.
• There are 3 entrance gates to the park, you should choose the most suitable one for you when coming here.
• The park can be reached by many public transport: bus, metro, private car.

Best time to visit (#how to visit park guell)

As a World Heritage Site, it is one of the busiest attractions in Barcelona. Therefore, to be able to fully see the park, you need to know the best time to come here. According to the experience of many visitors, you should explore Park Güell in the morning and remember to come before 9 am to avoid the queue to enter and you can have beautiful check-in photos without being crowded.

You also have the other option of coming in the evening to admire the city at sunset, but be sure to visit the sites in the park before it gets dark.

What to do and where to go in Park Güell

Gaudí’s wondrous imagination is embodied in the various structures in the park that amazes many of us. All works are shaped from curves without straight lines because Gaudí believes that nature does not create straight lines. He once said: “The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God.”

Respect nature and take nature as inspiration. His works are like strange architectural structures rising from the ground, undulating and winding like trees.

Dragon Stairway (#park guell guide)

Located right at the main gate, which is famous for the image of a multi-colored mosaic of salamanders, which is extremely attractive and impressive. A system of double stairs has a fountain running in the middle with impressive sculptures.

The Hypostyle Room

Up from the dragon stairway are 86 Hypostyle-style stone columns with columns having a natural structure resembling curved tree trunks, and this is where the ceiling is of the same style, consisting of small very impressive mosaic arches.

Greek Theater

At the center of the Güell park is an extremely large space, originally named the Greek Theater, now the Nature Square, which was intended to be an open-air theater, now home to the many souvenir vendors, is the place to hold large outdoor performances. At the bottom of this square is the Hypostyle room.

The Laundry Room Portico

Is a portico shaped in the form of a large wave attached to a solid wall of giant stone. This is a notable example of Gaudí’s school of nature design.

Undulating bench Banc de Trencadis

The park’s biggest attraction is the very large central square with enchanting winding benches decorated with colored mosaic tiles. From here you can see the whole city of Barcelona.

Austria Gardens

It is the city’s former tree nursery, and is named after the Austrian government’s donation of trees in 1977.

Gaudi Museum

One of the original houses in the park, this is a place to keep and display the life and works of architect Gaudí. To enter the museum you have to buy a separate ticket.

Casa Trias Villa

One of the houses you can find in Park Güell is Casa Trias. The owner is Mr. Trias, a close friend of Güell and Gaudí.

Three Cross Hill

Three Cross Hill is the tallest structure of the park with three crosses atop, from here you can see most of Barcelona. If you walk around outside Park Güell you can also go higher up to the Mirador de Joan Sales viewpoint for a view of the whole city.

Güell Park has two main zones

The one is a not restricted zone, many trees, spread over an area of ​​8 hectares, this is an area that is free and open to everyone.

The restricted zone, about 12 hectares, houses the monuments and sculptures for which Park Güell is famous. The Restricted Area is also known as the Monument Zone. A visit would not be complete without a visit to the zone. Since 2013, to ensure safety and a complete visitor experience, a new policy has been introduced to limit the maximum capacity for this area to 1400 guests per hour, which will minimize the overloaded effectively. You need to buy a ticket to visit this zone.

The main entrances of the park

There are 3 main entrances:

• Main Entrance: This entrance is on the south side, right next to the Porter’s Lodge Pavilion. From there you can enjoy a spectacular view of the dragon staircase with the classic style room. The park’s walls are made of rustic stone, topped with ceramic tiles and a medallion bearing the name Park Güell. Iron gates, designed in the shape of palm leaves. This is an approach that can be easily reached by bus and subway lines.
• Carretera del Carmel: Located on the west side of the park. This entrance is next to the parking lot for benches and taxis. Fairly accessible by bus and metro, you can also avail of a taxi. From here, the monument zone is only 100 meters away. This entrance is also known as Plaça de la Natura.
• Av. del Santuari de St. Josep de la Muntanya: This entrance is located on the east side and can be accessed by escalators, saving you time going up.

During your trip to Barcelona, Park Güell will be a perfect destination for a stroll and to fully enjoy the beautiful Catalan landscape. Park Güell is also designed to protect and develop nature and biodiversity. Plants here are very diverse, providing inhabitant environment for many animals. Many plants have been grown here, including Mediterranean plants and trees. This park attracts a variety of animals, birds as well as reptiles to live here (Lizards, geckos, brown rats, bats, pigeons, nightingales, titmouse…). Therefore, this is also an interesting place for guests who love nature and animals.

The notes and guide of visiting the most beautiful park in Barcelona above will help you have an overview before deciding to visit Park Güell.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Barcelona you can refer to

• Aerobus BCN – Shuttle Bus Transfers Between El Prat Airport (BCN) and Barcelona City Center
• Private Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) Transfers for Barcelona
• Official Barcelona Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
• Barcelona Hop-On Hop-Off Bus City Tour
• Hola Barcelona Travel Card
• Montserrat Half or Full Day Tour from Barcelona
• Girona Half Day Guided Tour from Barcelona
• Park Güell Ticket in Barcelona
• Barça Football Club – Camp Nou Experience Tour Tickets in Barcelona
• Sagrada Familia Fast Track Ticket in Barcelona
• 4G SIM Card (Barcelona Pick Up) for Europe
• Barcelona City Card & Express Card
• iVenture Barcelona Flexi Attractions Pass

Are you looking for more top things to do in Barcelona: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And Barcelona travel guide here: How to get around Barcelona cheap?. And Barcelona travel blog — The fullest Barcelona travel guide blog for a great budget trip for the first-timers.