Which tower of the Sagrada Familia can you climb?

The two towers are virtually the same height, and both offer views of the city, so the difference isn't in the number of meters. It's about what you see when the elevator doors open.

The facade of the Nativity faces east, towards Carrer de la Marina and the part of the Eixample that slopes down to the sea. This is the facade that Gaudí built, so what you see up close are its spires, its figures, and the Venetian mosaic of the cornices, just a couple of meters from the face. There is also a walkway between the bell towers from which almost all the photos you have seen of this visit are taken.

The one overlooking the Passion looks west, towards Montjuïc and the city center. The view is more open and extends further, and on a clear day, the coastline can be seen. The stone surrounding it is that of Subirachs: straight, without small decorations, very different from the other.

In short: during the Christmas season, you go up to see the building; during the Passion Week, you go up to see the city.

Having one facade face east and the other face west seems like a simple directional detail, but it's actually a time-based recommendation. We haven't seen anyone take it out, so we're taking it out here.

The sun rises in the direction where the Nativity scene is located. In the early morning, the stone of that facade and the mosaic of the spires are illuminated directly, and that's exactly what you see just a few meters away when the elevator doors open. In the late afternoon, the same facade is in shadow, and the reliefs appear flattened. If you're choosing this tower because you're interested in seeing Gaudí's work up close, the morning hours are the best, and for a reason that has nothing to do with crowds.

With the Passion façade, the opposite is true, and there's a nuance that's worth understanding before booking your sunset viewing. Subirachs' stone comes alive at the end of the day, and that's the best time to see it from below. But from above, what you're looking at isn't the façade; it's the city, and that's where the evening works against you: looking west, you have the sun directly in front of you, and Barcelona is backlit. In the morning, with the sun behind you, the city is illuminated, and on a clear day, you can see the coastline.

The short answer is the same for both towers, but for opposite reasons: go up in the morning. For the Passion façade, save it for viewing from the street at sunset, which is also free.

You take the elevator to go up, but you have to walk down. The basilica mentions this on its website, but it's only in one line, and it doesn't always appear on resale tickets.

There are 504 steps on a narrow stone spiral staircase, with an open central hollow and no landings where you can rest. The figure of "around 400" is often mentioned in various guides, but it's incorrect by over a hundred steps. You descend in a single file: if someone in front of you is slow, you go at their pace; if you are the slow one, you have someone behind you. In a descending spiral staircase, the step is wide on the outside and almost non-existent on the inside, so you descend clinging to the outer wall, which is also where the handrail is located.

Five hundred and four steps are equivalent to about twenty-five floors. If your knees are in good condition, it's a minor inconvenience of about eight to ten minutes. If your knees are not in great shape, that's what you're likely to remember from the visit, and that's what people repeatedly mention in their reviews.

You are not allowed to bring bags or backpacks into the elevator. The basilica has a temporary storage area before you access the towers, and you must leave your bags there. You can take out anything you want to carry with you and retrieve your bags when you come down. This is stated in the official FAQ in a single sentence, and it's hardly mentioned in any resale tickets, so people often find out about it while waiting in the elevator queue, with their camera still inside their backpack, and their turn is next. If you go up with just your phone and nothing else, you won't notice anything.

No one goes up in strong winds either. The towers are closed when the wind is really strong, and also in the rain, without prior notice and with no schedule to consult; the decision is made on the day. When this happens, the tower ascent is canceled, and the corresponding amount is refunded, while access to the temple remains open. The process for obtaining a refund depends on where you purchased the ticket, and this is the only valid reason to read the cancellation policy of a product before paying for it, rather than after.

And a point about timing. The towers are the first thing to sell out at the basilica: from April to October, it's best to book one or two months in advance. The official ticket sales open about two months beforehand, so that's the entire timeframe you have. If you wait until the week before, especially in the summer, you'll end up choosing a tower based on availability, rather than what you actually wanted to see.

The basilica sets a minimum age: six years old, completed. This is not a recommendation; it is a condition of entry, and it is enforced at the door. A five-year-old child is not allowed to enter, even if you have a paid ticket. Minors under the age of sixteen must be accompanied by an adult.

Next come the warnings that are not mandatory, but should be. For people with limited mobility, the towers are not accessible: there is no way to go down except by stairs. For those with severe vertigo, the "Nativity" walkway and the open space inside the spiral staircase are precisely the two places that are most problematic. For people with claustrophobia, the narrow passage is also not helpful. And twenty-five floors of continuous descent are not an easy task for a delicate heart or lungs.

If anyone in your group falls into any of those situations, there's a reasonable solution that almost no one suggests: you don't all have to go up. You can book one ticket with access to the tower and another without, and then meet back down below, in the cloister or the museum. It's cheaper and avoids any unpleasantness.

It's useful to know how much this costs when there is no intermediary. The construction company sells the basic ticket for 26 € and the same ticket with access to a tower for 36 €. With a guided tour, the prices are 30 € and 40 €. The tower costs exactly 10 € in both versions, and it's the only price on the official list that doesn't change. For those under 30 years old, the price is 34 € instead of 36 €, a price reduction based on age that is not mentioned on any commercial website in the industry.

The average price of the 23 experiences listed on this page is €68. While not all of this difference is profit margin, almost all include a guided tour, and several add another attraction or transportation. However, if you only want the elevator access, start with the basilica's website and return here if your day is already full, which often happens during peak season. Writing this takes a few clicks. Staying silent would cost us more.