Tibidabo: Amusement park and incredible views, worth it

Do you want to enjoy one of the most beautiful views to Barcelona and the sea? Then head to Mount Tibidabo, which overlooks the city from the north-west and, with its height of 512 meters, is the highest peak of the Serra de Collserola natural formation.

Fortunately, you don't need mountains to visit, nor do you have to perform any exhausting tourist feats - this place is very accessible by public transport, so absolutely everyone can have a look here, regardless of age or fitness.

Tibidabo as a mountain is famous for its amazing views as well amusement park of the same name or maybe the beautiful Sagrat Cor church, where, according to legend, Jesus Christ was first tempted by the devil.

Well, if you're a fan of Woody Allen, you surely know that Tibidabo (and many other places around the city) was where some of the films were filmed shots of the Oscar-winning film Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

What will you learn next? 

• Visit to Tibidabo theme park
• Park tickets - how much do they cost and where to buy them?
• Tip for a free view of Tibidabu
• Tour of the Temple de Sagrat Cor
• Torre de Collserola TV tower
• How to get to Tibidabo?

Visit to Tibidabo theme park

The main attraction on Mount Tibidabo is amusement park, which was opened already in 1901. This makes it the oldest building of its kind in Spain. 

In the amusement park you will find more than 30 attractions and really everyone will find something for themselves - from the smallest to the largest. There is a stylish merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster running around the perimeter of the hill, a giant airplane, a swinging tower and many, many other things.

View of Barcelona from the Temple de Sagrat Cor across the theme park

The park has two parts: the first is accessible free of charge (the so-called Panoramic Area) and here you will find a viewpoint and several period attractions, the opening of which dates back to the 20s of the last century. And even though some are almost 100 years old, you don't have to worry about your health!

The second, newer part of the amusement park is hidden behind the gate and is completely paid for - you can't even look there without a ticket.

For better orientation, look at the map of the park below - you can find the free part "under the church", everything further to the right is the paid part. 

Popular attractions in Tibidabo theme park

• Talaia – a giant moving hammer that you get into and that takes you really high! It then stops for a few seconds and then falls back down with you... 
• Ancient carousel – a wonderful carousel of classic design from the last century, where children can ride on horses
• giradabo – a giant Ferris wheel with colorful cabins, which is not missing from any photo from Tibidabo. Since this is the most popular attraction, be prepared for really long queues during the season... 
• Avió Tibidabo – this red plane moving in a circle above the amusement park is meant to commemorate the first flight from Barcelona to Madrid in 1927. And you might be very surprised to learn that this attraction was created just one year later and that the plane even in its current form uses some original parts... Well, we have to believe that everything goes through regular and thorough checks :-)
• Automaton Museum – if you want to see a novel collection of ancient mechanical figures (androids) or scenes like hell or execution by guillotine, head to this museum. Although I understand that this is not for everyone... 

A winding roller coaster runs around the entire hill

In addition to attractions, various merry-go-rounds, museums, haunted houses or even roller coasters, you will also find several restaurants, cafes or snack stands where you can have a snack or a bite to eat after a lot of entertainment. Or you can sit at one of the picnic tables and just enjoy the view if you bring your own food up. 

Tibidabo theme park opening hours

• January: 2-5
• March, April, May: weekends, public holidays and from 5 to 10 April
• June: weekends and public holidays, from June 23 from Wednesday to Sunday
• July and August: Wednesday - Sunday, public holidays
• September, October, November: weekends and public holidays, October 1 and 13
• December: weekends and December 6, 7, 8, 22, 27, 28, 29

Open on the above dates from 11:00 to approx. 19:00/22:00. 

An ancient carousel with horses in the freely accessible part of the park

Tickets to Tibidabo Park

There are two types of tickets: the cheaper ticket entitles you to unlimited use of all attractions within the freely accessible part of the park with period attractions (Panoramic Area), the more expensive ones allow you to enter the new part of the park and unlimited use of all attractions there (including those in the Panoramic Area):

• all-day ticket for attractions in the so-called Panoramic Area: €19 (or €10,50 for everyone 90-120 cm tall)
• all-day ticket to the new part of the park: €35 (or €14 for everyone 90-120 cm tall)

Entry is free for dwarfs and children under 90 cm. A discount is also available for seniors over 60 years old and ZTP.

Both tickets also include a cable car ticket Cuca de Llum (Firefly), which you can use to get to the park.

Buy an unlimited, all-day ticket (€35) >>>
Buy a ticket limited to the Panoramic Area only (€19) >>>

Free view of Tibidabu

The park is also accessible great view of the city. Seriously – if you want to the place he's from the best view in all of Barcelona, then it is the peak of Tibidaba. (Actually the best part is just down the hill if you follow the asphalt road that leads to the park... ;).

You can get to the viewpoint in the old part of the park for free and you don't need a ticket. 

You only need to get here somehow - e.g. by cable car Cuca de Llum. (Tickets can be purchased on the website).

My tip: Treat yourself to delicious churros with views of the city, which you can buy at a kiosk near the viewpoint. They make them right in front of you, fry them and sprinkle them with whatever you like. The price is based on the weight, so I recommend giving less rather than more so that you are not surprised that you leave 10 euros :) 

Viewpoint opening hours

• January: 2-5, 11:00 a.m. - 18:00 p.m
• February: weekends, 11:00 - 18:00
• March - December: daily, 11:00 - 18:00/22:00

Church Temple de Sagrat Cor

Another unmissable landmark of the Tibidabo hill is Catholic Church Temple de Sagrat Cor (Church of the Sacred Heart). It was built from blue-grey stone and in the very center it carries the main tower with a seven and a half meter statue of Jesus Christ. He has his arms outstretched to protect Barcelona from all evil.

On the sides of the church you will find 4 smaller towers and if you look closely you will find statues of all 12 apostles on them. 

Entrance to the church is free and for €5 you can take the elevator up to one of the highest towers of this sanctuary and enjoy view of Barcelona and the surrounding area from the absolute highest point far and wide. 

The Temple de Sagrat Cor on Tibidabo is the work of architect Enrico Sagnier i Villavecchia. He started his work on this monument in 1902 and the temple was officially completed only by his son Josep Maria Sagnier i Vidal in 1961.

In terms of style, neo-Byzantine, neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic elements are mixed here, but everything as a whole works flawlessly and you will watch it with open mouth.

Torre de Collserola TV tower

A few hundred meters as the crow flies from the Tibidabo amusement park is another of the gems of modern Barcelona architecture, Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower.

It was created on the occasion of the Olympic Games in 1992 and the building plan is signed by the British architect Norman Foster. This tower is also sometimes called after him Torre Foster.

The tower has a total height of 288,4 meters and has thirteen floors, with the highest accessible at a height of 152 meters. The 360º glass observation deck El Mirador on the 10th floor is open to the public, from where in good weather you can see up to 70 km away and see as far as Montserrat.

The price for using the elevator and entering the lookout is nice €5,60.

Torre de Collserola can be reached on foot from the amusement park in approx. 15 minutes (map).

What is the best way to get to Tibidabo?

In the past, it was possible to reach the top of Tibidaba by various means of transport. A few years ago, however, the so-called Tibidabo Mobility plan was created, the aim of which was to improve transport and ensure its long-term sustainability. The result of this is increased support for public transport as the main way of traveling Tibidabo and the effort to limit passenger cars. 

In practice, this means that the main means of transport to Tibidabo is the new one cable car named Cuca de Llum (Firefly) with a capacity of 252 people, which should also serve as the first point of contact when visiting the park. 

Cuca de Llum cable car to Tibidabo

On days when the theme park is open, the Cuca de Llum cable car to Tibidabo departs from its lower station at Plaça Doctor Andreu for the first time at 10:25. (If only the Panoramic Area is open, the first ride is not until 10:55).

The cable car shuttles between Plaça Doctor Andreu and the top of Tibidabo at 15-minute intervals. 

This building is the lower station of the cable car going to Tibidabo

What is the best way to get to the bottom station of the cable car? 

• finish by metro L7 from Pl. Catalunya to the stop Av. Tibidabo and then you can use the so-called Tibibus T2C from Plaça Kennedy (free if you have a park ticket that you show at the Tibidabo Store at Passeig Sant Gervasi, 36); if you don't want to use Tibibus, you can walk to the lower station in about 15 minutes - the path is marked
• go By Tibibus T2A from Estació del Nord (map); transport costs €3, but at Tibidabo they will reimburse you for the trip if you buy a ticket to the park
• go By Tibibus T2B from Aparcament B:SM Sant Genís (map); free transport if you have a park ticket (you can get it at the ticket offices on the upper level of the car park)

Tip: if you have tourist card for Bus Turistic, you can approach Tibidabo by the blue line - just get off at the Tramvia Blau - Tibidabo stop and then use the Tibibus T2C. 

More information regarding bus operating hours can be found on the website. 

How much is the Cuca de Llum cable car ticket? 

• The cable car is free if you have a theme park ticket (i.e. any all-day ticket or Tibiclub card)
• If you are not going to the park and just want to see the view, you will pay €12 for using the cable car, or €6 for a reduced rate (children, Bus Turistic card holders, large families,...).

My tip: Recently, I also discovered a variant of the cable car ticket from Barcelona Turisme, where for the same price (i.e. €12) you get a return ticket to the Coca de Llum cable car and a glass of sparkling wine Cava (you can pick it up when you arrive at the Enrique Tomas shop or at the Club dels Aventurers restaurant a few steps from the upper station of the cable car. More information and purchase >

My other tips for a trip to Tibidabo: 

• If you have children, I definitely recommend combining the trip to Tibidabo with by visiting the CosmoCaixa museum. It is located only about 10 minutes walk from Pl. Kennedy (map) on the local main avenue Ronda de Dalt. And be careful, you will easily spend several hours in the museum, so it is better to go on the trip already in the morning!
• If you are of a romantic nature, you can take the cable car to the lower station by an ancient blue tram (so-called Tramvia Blau) and on the way up admire the beautiful art nouveau buildings lining the local road. It departs directly from Pl. Kennedy and its runway is 1276 meters long. The tram first ran in 1901 and this route is the last reminder of what Barcelona's tram transport looked like in the past. The tram line is currently undergoing maintenance and is therefore out of service!
• You can also get to Tibidabo by public transport (you can take the any public transport ticket, for example T-casual, or travel card Hola Barcelona), but it takes the most time, especially if you don't pick up the connections. How to do it? On Pl. Catalunya take the S1 or S2 train and get off at the Peu del Funicular stop in less than 15 minutes. Here you just go up one flight of stairs and transfer to the cable car going to Vallvidrera Superior, the journey takes 10 minutes. At the upper station, just go out in front of the building and go around it to the right up the hill. There is a stop waiting for you around the bend line 111. There is a minibus that takes you to Tibidabo every half hour. The capacity of the microbus is about 20 people, so try to be among the first to get on. If everything goes well, the trip by train, cable car and bus together should take about 45 minutes. 
• If you want to go to Tibidabo by car, there is a parking lot for 500 cars just below the hill. Daily parking costs €13. I recommend booking a place in advance. 
• You can also go to Tibidabo get on foot. However, it is better to have outdoor shoes and clothing for the trip, it is definitely not an excursion walk.

Minibus line 111, if you decide to use classic public transport for the trip to Tibidabo. 

Address:	Plaça del Tibidabo, 3
Transportation:	metro L7 on Av. Tibidabo, then Tibibus or on foot (map) to the lower cable car station, then the Cuca de Llum cable car; other options
Opening hours:	See above in the article for individual attractions
Entrance fee:	Described above in the article for individual attractions.  Buy an unlimited, all-day ticket (€35) Buy a ticket limited to the Panoramic Area only (€19) Tickets only for the cable car to the viewpoint + sparkling wine (€12)
More information:	Amusement park, View