Barcelona Included tour question

[ddeprez]

We end our Mediterranean Odyssey tour in Barcelona, and only have the one day although we are there overnight. We head to Madrid the next day. Since we’re in a V cabin, we could only get the 2:30 slot for the included tour. Is this tour worth taking? Are there shuttles to get into the city in the morning that would put us close to a metro station?  I would like to tour La Segrada Familia, and I know we can do this on our own. So, is it reasonable to think we could get there for a morning tour, and get back to the ship to meet the included tour?  Or just scrap the included tour? Sorry for so many questions, but I thank you for your help and time!

[OneSixtyToOne]

45 minutes ago, ddeprez said:

We end our Mediterranean Odyssey tour in Barcelona, and only have the one day although we are there overnight. We head to Madrid the next day. Since we’re in a V cabin, we could only get the 2:30 slot for the included tour. Is this tour worth taking? Are there shuttles to get into the city in the morning that would put us close to a metro station?  I would like to tour La Segrada Familia, and I know we can do this on our own. So, is it reasonable to think we could get there for a morning tour, and get back to the ship to meet the included tour?  Or just scrap the included tour? Sorry for so many questions, but I thank you for your help and time!

First, to enter La Segrada you will need a timed ticket in order to beat the line. Tickets sell out well in advance and can only be purchased from the church so you need to check availability ASAP. Tour busses are no longer allowed to drive by so you will not see it on the Viking included tour.

The included tour is a bus ride around the city with a couple of stops. If I was you I would consider Barcelona Day Tours. They’re a great family run tour company and the guides are excellent. They provide a door-to-door highlights tour that is much better than what Viking provides and they will arrange an optional ticket to enter La Segrada. The tour also includes a visit to Gaudi’s Park Guell (IMO another Gaudi must see). Their tour ends at La Sagrada, but if you buy the ticket to enter through them, they reimburse the cost of the taxi back to the ship. You’ll have as much time as you like to visit the interior. They arrange your ticket time so it coincides with the end of the tour.
 

Here is the live post of our Barcelona visit from last year with many details and pictures.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2927474-almost-live-viking-sky-mediterranean-odyssey-april-2023/?do=findComment&comment=65286239

 

Edited March 3 by OneSixtyToOne

[SantaFe1]

25 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

If I was you I would consider Barcelona Day Tours. They’re a great family run tour company and the guides are excellent. They provide a door-to-door highlights tour that is much better than what Viking provides and they will arrange an optional ticket to enter La Segrada. The tour also includes a visit to Gaudi’s Park Guell (IMO another Gaudi must see). Their tour ends at La Sagrada, but if you buy the ticket to enter through them, they reimburse the cost of the taxi back to the ship. You’ll have as much time as you like to visit the interior. They arrange your ticket time so it coincides with the end of the tour.

I absolutely agree.  They are wonderful, and when we had to cancel in 2020 due to the emergence, they promptly refunded, including the timed ticket to La Sagrada  Familia.  

[springtravel]

We also used Barcelona Day Tours, we had a small group of 12 and it was excellent.  I also agree that Park Guell is a must see, it is amazing and difficult to get in without being in a group.  The day tour will also drive you around the city, so no need to go with the included excursion, just enjoy the city.

[Opinica]

Barcelona Day Tours are excellent.  We've used them several times.

 

Otherwise, getting to Sagrada Familia is easy.  Taxis are not expensive in Barcelona.  Tickets for Sagrada Familia, if not bought through Barcelona Day Tours, can be easily bought online via the basilica's app.  You'll want to spend 2-3 hours there.

 

Seems feasible to me to see Sagrada Familia on your own in the morning, return to the ship for lunch, then join your 2:30 tour. 

[Peregrina651]

Or, if you want to do this all on your own, it is very do-able.

 

From the ship, take a cab (or uber?) directly to Sagrada Familia. The cab will drop you at the cab rank, which is close to the entrance. You can also take the ship shuttle to the drop off point and get a cab from there (imho, costs less but takes more time).  BTW, if your knees are good and you can do steps, consider taking the elevator up into the towers. The view is spectacular but the only way back down is the stairs.

 

You can do an all-Gaudí day if you want, by adding Parc Guell and a few other places. Or you can explore other aspects of the city. I like wandering in circles around the Barrio Gotico -- checkout the cathedral, find a quiet out of the way bar to stop for refreshment (especially on a hot day when you need to keep hydrated), check out Plaza Catalonia (which sometimes has dedicated activities), stroll La Ramblas, (buy saffron (azafran) either in the Carrefour supermarket or the Boqueria market 3 blocks down the street --or both places since they offer two very distinct shopping experiences). You don't have to walk the whole length of the street to get the idea of what it is about-- walk a few blocks then explore the side streets.

 

If you like art museums, there is the Picasso Museum near the Barrio Gotico or the Miro Foundation and the MNAC (Museo Nacional de Art Catalan) even further afield on Montjuic -- just for starters.

 

Take a tour of the Gaudi-esque Palau de Musica -- cool architecture and design inside and out.

 

Consider taking a loop on one of the hop-on-hop-off buses.

 

There is so much to see and do in Barcelona that you can't do it all in one day (or even nine days). IMHO, pick 2 or 3 places that you really want to see and take the time to see them well.

 

 

[LindaS272]

Don’t forget churros—Little shop in the Barra Gotic—best chocolate in Barcelona

https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowUserReviews-g187497-d2256739-r433334195-Granja_Dulcinea-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

As for Gaudi, after Sagrada Familia, don’t miss Casa Battlo—incredible!

https://www.casabatllo.es/en/antoni-gaudi/casa-batllo/inside/

 

 

[molymoo]

6 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Don’t forget churros—Little shop in the Barra Gotic—best chocolate in Barcelona

https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowUserReviews-g187497-d2256739-r433334195-Granja_Dulcinea-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

As for Gaudi, after Sagrada Familia, don’t miss Casa Battlo—incredible!

https://www.casabatllo.es/en/antoni-gaudi/casa-batllo/inside/

 

 

Although it was a few years ago we were able to get tickets for "Sagrada" and Casa Batillo with "open arrival times".  They cost a bit more but we didn't have to plan our time around entry times.  Also ... the best churros and chocolate are in Madrid!  

[bookbabe]

Is this the right website for the Barcelona Day Tours company people have used and recommend?

https://barcelonadaytours.com

[Opinica]

Yes, that's Barcelona Day Tours.

 

A family business I believe.

 

On the subject of Barcelona, I'm another fan of Palau de Musica.  Try to get inside if you can.  We rearranged our schedule to take in a concert there.  Breathtaking space.

 

    https://www.palaumusica.cat/en#presentation

 

[tobique33040]

We just did the Athens to Barcelona cruise. We did not go inside La Sagrada Familia, but we walked over there. This was our included tour, so while they apparently cannot stop in front, the bus dropped us a few blocks away and we walked over, had commentary from the guide and then walked and did more sightseeing. It was a really great included tour IMO. Obviously the guides vary, but the tour description includes La Sagrada Familia stop. My bestie is Spanish, from Castilla though, so had never seen inside La Sagrada Familia. She thought it was unbelievable. Well worth a visit so great you will go inside. 

[LindaS272]

2 hours ago, molymoo said:

Although it was a few years ago we were able to get tickets for "Sagrada" and Casa Batillo with "open arrival times"

We did this too for Casa Batllo just two years ago. Much more convenient when you don’t know when/how you’ll be able to arrive.

[ddeprez]

1 hour ago, tobique33040 said:

We just did the Athens to Barcelona cruise. We did not go inside La Sagrada Familia, but we walked over there. This was our included tour, so while they apparently cannot stop in front, the bus dropped us a few blocks away and we walked over, had commentary from the guide and then walked and did more sightseeing. It was a really great included tour IMO. Obviously the guides vary, but the tour description includes La Sagrada Familia stop. My bestie is Spanish, from Castilla though, so had never seen inside La Sagrada Familia. She thought it was unbelievable. Well worth a visit so great you will go inside. 

Thanks for the info on the included tour!  At what point in the tour was this stop? Where did you walk to after that?  If you wanted to go off on your own instead of getting back on the bus, was this possible? Appreciate your time!

[ddeprez]

11 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Or, if you want to do this all on your own, it is very do-able.

 

From the ship, take a cab (or uber?) directly to Sagrada Familia. The cab will drop you at the cab rank, which is close to the entrance. You can also take the ship shuttle to the drop off point and get a cab from there (imho, costs less but takes more time).  BTW, if your knees are good and you can do steps, consider taking the elevator up into the towers. The view is spectacular but the only way back down is the stairs.

 

You can do an all-Gaudí day if you want, by adding Parc Guell and a few other places. Or you can explore other aspects of the city. I like wandering in circles around the Barrio Gotico -- checkout the cathedral, find a quiet out of the way bar to stop for refreshment (especially on a hot day when you need to keep hydrated), check out Plaza Catalonia (which sometimes has dedicated activities), stroll La Ramblas, (buy saffron (azafran) either in the Carrefour supermarket or the Boqueria market 3 blocks down the street --or both places since they offer two very distinct shopping experiences). You don't have to walk the whole length of the street to get the idea of what it is about-- walk a few blocks then explore the side streets.

 

If you like art museums, there is the Picasso Museum near the Barrio Gotico or the Miro Foundation and the MNAC (Museo Nacional de Art Catalan) even further afield on Montjuic -- just for starters.

 

Take a tour of the Gaudi-esque Palau de Musica -- cool architecture and design inside and out.

 

Consider taking a loop on one of the hop-on-hop-off buses.

 

There is so much to see and do in Barcelona that you can't do it all in one day (or even nine days). IMHO, pick 2 or 3 places that you really want to see and take the time to see them well.

 

Thanks for all the info! You’re right about whittling down to several things- I was hoping to get an early included tour, and then going off on our own when that concluded instead of returning to the ship. However, being in “steerage”, I had to take what was left (lol). So, just trying to get a feel for what’s possible, or just scraping the tour and doing all on our own. Thanks for your time!

 

Edited March 4 by ddeprez
Didn’t reply to quote correctly

[ddeprez]

18 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

First, to enter La Segrada you will need a timed ticket in order to beat the line. Tickets sell out well in advance and can only be purchased from the church so you need to check availability ASAP. Tour busses are no longer allowed to drive by so you will not see it on the Viking included tour.

The included tour is a bus ride around the city with a couple of stops. If I was you I would consider Barcelona Day Tours. They’re a great family run tour company and the guides are excellent. They provide a door-to-door highlights tour that is much better than what Viking provides and they will arrange an optional ticket to enter La Segrada. The tour also includes a visit to Gaudi’s Park Guell (IMO another Gaudi must see). Their tour ends at La Sagrada, but if you buy the ticket to enter through them, they reimburse the cost of the taxi back to the ship. You’ll have as much time as you like to visit the interior. They arrange your ticket time so it coincides with the end of the tour.
 

Here is the live post of our Barcelona visit from last year with many details and pictures.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2927474-almost-live-viking-sky-mediterranean-odyssey-april-2023/?do=findComment&comment=65286239

Thanks for all the info and the link to your review. I read it when you first posted, but going back and reviewing it again really helped since I’ve done much more research on all the ports since then. I’m definitely considering Barcelona Day Tours, so thanks for that suggestion.  Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

[ddeprez]

5 minutes ago, ddeprez said:

Thanks for all the info! You’re right about whittling down to several things- I was hoping to get an early included tour, and then going off on our own when that concluded instead of returning to the ship. However, being in “steerage”, I had to take what was left (lol). So, just trying to get a feel for what’s possible, or just scraping the tour and doing all on our own. Thanks for your time!

 

[tobique33040]

12 minutes ago, ddeprez said:

Thanks for the info on the included tour!  At what point in the tour was this stop? Where did you walk to after that?  If you wanted to go off on your own instead of getting back on the bus, was this possible? Appreciate your time!

I’m not certain but I think our tour was 8:40 am. We drove into the city and then parked and walked to La Sagrada Familia. I I think it was around 9:30 when we stopped. We were there awhile and then hopped back on the bus to visit an old part of the town. We walked quite a bit and saw some other churches and the beautiful train station. Our guide was very informative. Tour was about four hours total I believe. I don’t know specifically, but I think if you alert your guide that you are leaving the tour, they will note that and you are responsible for finding your way back to the ship on time. You can always ask at the excursions desk in the ship. Also, you can ask if there are any cancellations to allow you an earlier time. We have lucked out before occasionally, but the early tours are most popular so it’s often a no. Still it can’t hurt to try. But if you have chosen to take the tour which brings you inside the cathedral, that will all be organized for you by the tour company. Good luck. 

[tobique33040]

I had seen that someone said you don’t see La Sagrada Familia because the buses can’t stop. I just looked at the description of Iconic Barcelona, the included tour, and it doesn’t mention seeing La Sagrada Familia. It mentions a cathedral, which was probably the one we saw in the old town. I wonder if our guide went walkabout and just unilaterally took us to La Sagrada Familia. Perhaps someone else who has taken the included tour can weigh in. I just assumed it was a usual part of the tour. 

Edited March 4 by tobique33040
Misspelled

[Wa Cruiser]

Hi tobique, our cruise ends in Barcelona early next month. We have signed up for the included tour. Can you be so kind to share more details of this tour starting from the visit of the Barcelona Cathedral, walking in the old town and getting back to the ship? We are considering leaving the tour after the Cathedral to explore old town on our own. Also, any information you may have regarding the Viking provide shuttle would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Peregrina651]

Viking shuttle runs from the ship to the Columbus statue at the foot of La Ramblas. Every half hour.

Edited March 4 by Peregrina651

[Selion]

Nov 2022, included tour.  We left the group when the tour stopped at a gift shop across from Sagrada Familia.  We informed the guide that we'd leaving the group and he made some notes.  That was it.  No fuss given.  The tour was scheduled to return to the ship after the gift shop by way of Casa Batllo (not sure if it was a stop, or just a drive-by).

 

Nov 2023, different cruise line and we did Barcelona on our own.  Took the port shuttle to World Trade Center.  1st stop was Parc Guell. We took the subway green line from Drassanes station to Lesseps, then hopped on bus 24 to the "top" of Parc Guell.  Total time on subway & bus, about 30 minutes.  After existing Parc Guell from its lower main entrance, we took bus 116 back to Lesseps.  Next stop - Sagrada Familia.  Took subway green line to Diagonal station, transfer to blue line and get off at Sagrada Familia stop.  Exits from the subway are located on the same block as Sagrada Familia.  After Sagrada Familia, we took the blue line back to Diagonal then green line to Liceu.  This put us right by Mercado Boqueria and Gothic Quarters on the other side.  After spend some time in Gothic Quarters, we walked back to World Trade Center for the port shuttle back to the ship.

[Wa Cruiser]

56 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Viking shuttle runs from the ship to the Columbus statue at the foot of La Ramblas. Every half hour.

Very helpful information, thanks.

[lackcreativity]

5 hours ago, tobique33040 said:

I had seen that someone said you don’t see La Sagrada Familia because the buses can’t stop. I just looked at the description of Iconic Barcelona, the included tour, and it doesn’t mention seeing La Sagrada Familia. It mentions a cathedral, which was probably the one we saw in the old town. I wonder if our guide went walkabout and just unilaterally took us to La Sagrada Familia. Perhaps someone else who has taken the included tour can weigh in. I just assumed it was a usual part of the tour. 

We also had a stop at La Sagrada Familia (outside only) as part of the included tour, even though it wasn't listed in the description. Our guide took us to a small park area on a different side of the church, which gave a different view entirely. The bus had dropped us off, we spent some time outside the church, walked to a little gift shop (bathrooms available) and then walked back to the bus pick-up spot. From there we rode to the Gothic Quarter to continue a walking tour. 

 

Our guide that day was spectacular, so we had a great tour, but then we had been inside Sagrada Familia twice before so we were okay with just an outside visit.

[tobique33040]

Thanks to everyone for the input. It sounds like others experiences mirror the ones we had last month. I wish we could have gone inside, so anyone who has an upcoming stop here can take advantage of the great information given about private tours that are available. 

Edited March 4 by tobique33040
Changed wording

[lisaatric]

Another vote for Barcelona Day Tours. Great tour.
 

We purchased the entry ticket to LSF, wandered around and then walked back to our hotel on Las Ramblas. Stopped for dinner along the way, then for desert. It was a beautiful evening. 

 

I do wish we had had the ticket to go to the top. I didn’t realize at the time it was separate.