Barcelona The Best of Gaudi Excursion

Description

• Air-conditioned and licensed transportation from your Barcelona Gaudi Excursion meeting point!
• English-speaking certified guides!
  
• Scenic drive past several of the major sites in Barcelona Spain!
• See four of Antoni Gaudi's UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
  
• See the unique exterior of Sagrada Familia!
  
• Walking exterior visit of the Gaudi buildings on Sant Pau!
  
• Admission and free time to explore Park Guell!

Perhaps no artist or architect left his or her mark on Barcelona as distinctly as Antoni Gaudi. From park benches to apartment buildings, he created numerous treasures including seven that have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Gaudi's work reflected his passions in life - architecture, nature, and religion. Enjoy this art-filled afternoon excursion to Barcelona!

Your meeting point for this Best of Gaudi Cruise Excursion is a 20-minute taxi ride from your Barcelona cruise ship pier where you will be greeted by your sightseeing guide staff then you'll board the air-conditioned transport. Your informative, English-speaking guide will give you stories and the history of the city, Gaudi, and what to expect on your shore excursion. Departing from the center of town, it is just a 10-minute drive to the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia or simply, the Sacred Family. It is Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece, which he started in 1882, knowing he would never see its completion. The church, a Roman Catholic basilica, has been funded only by donations and is projected to be finished around 2026, the 100-year anniversary of Gaudi's death. After a short description by your Gaudi excursion guide, you will have a brief amount of free time for photos of the exterior. An interior visit is not included, as wait times to enter can be extreme.

You will then visit Parc Guell, located 20 minutes away on a hillside overlooking the city. Started in 1900, this urban housing development is a perfect example of Gaudi's Catalan modernism during its nature phase. Unfortunately, due to finances and a lack of interest by the public, the development was never finished as a housing community but today guests can enjoy the whimsical mosaic work and a large garden area.

No Gaudi sightseeing cruise excursion would be complete without seeing two of his most creative works. Casa Mila, (La Pedrera or The Quarry) is an apartment complex of two buildings designed in a constant curve. There are very few right angles inside or out. An exterior visit is made before walking down the street to Casa Batllo, the Bone House. This unique building is full of iridescent colors and unusual shapes especially the roof which seems to take on the shape of a dragon. See for yourself!

The Barcelona Gaudi excursion ends at Sant Pau Art Noveau Masterpiece. The guide will give you an explanation of the exterior of the building, which will allow you to learn about the history of the site and the ideas of the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. From here you can catch a taxi or subway to another area of town. Both Casa Mila and Casa Batllo close at 08:00 PM and your excursion will end at approximately 7:30 PM. 30 minutes is not enough time to see either interior. We suggest you make plans to see it when you have a minimum of 60 minutes for Batllo or 90 minutes for Mila.

What is included?

• Air-conditioned and licensed round-trip transportation from your Barcelona meeting point.
  
• All fees and taxes.
  
• English and Spanish-speaking, local, and trained Barcelona excursion guides.
  
• Scenic drive past several of the major sites in Barcelona Spain.
  
• See four of Antoni Gaudi's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
  
• See the unique exterior of Sagrada Familia.
  
• Walking exterior visit of the Gaudi buildings on Passeig de Gracia.
  
• Admission and free time to explore Park Guell.

Excursion Notes

• Excursion prices shown are quoted in US dollars.
• Taxi fare to and from the excursion starting/ending location is not included. Taxi fare is approximately 16 Euros per taxi (1-4 guests), each way, based on traffic. Not all taxis have a credit card reader. Some do take Visa, and sometimes Mastercard. Taxis do not take American Express or any other cards. Very few taxis will take any currency besides the Euro.
• As you may be visiting a religious or memorial site, shoulders and knees must be covered on men and women.
• We suggest you have cash (Euros) on hand for refreshments, taxi cost, excursion staff gratuities, shopping, etc.
• Sensible, rubber-soled walking shoes are highly recommended along with sun protection.
• Please pay attention to the restrictions and requirements for this excursion, no refund will be granted if the requirements are not met.

Where we meet

For this Barcelona Best of Gaudi Excursion, you will meet your local excursion guide at Plaza de Catalunya, a 20-minute taxi ride from your Barcelona cruise pier area. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket. Taxi fare is not included in your excursion cost.

Excursion Restrictions

• This excursion is not wheelchair accessible.
• Guests must be able to step on and off the coach.
• Guests must be able to walk on paved, gravel, and cobblestone surfaces, some on inclines.
• There are steps required to enter several of the sites as well as some steep curbs.

Excursion FAQ

Cancellation

• Your ship arrives into port late and you cannot make it in time to the meeting location (we will verify with the tour operator).
• Your ship skips/misses the port.
• Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator from running the excursion.
• A medical problem prevents you from safely participating in the excursion (we will verify with the excursion operator and the guest may send doctor's note). This applies to individuals only and not the remainder of the group.
  
• Cancellations/deposit refund requests that do not comply with the above may not be subject to refund.
• Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information.