The guided tour of the Laboral in Gijón lasts 75 minutes, costs 6 euros and ends at the tower viewpoint. From 1 November to 20 December there are tours only on Fridays at 17:00 and at weekends and on public holidays at 12:00 and 17:00; the tower climb alone costs 2.50 euros.
You cannot see all of the Laboral on your own: the church, the old kitchens and the tower viewpoint only open with a guide. That means fitting your day to its calendar, which gets much thinner in autumn. Here are the slots from October 2026 to January 2027, what each visit includes, what it costs and how the tower climb works, which is what almost everyone comes for.
What the tour includes
The guided tour lasts 75 minutes and takes at most 30 people per slot. According to the official Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura website, it goes through the square, the theatre and the church, and ends with the climb to the tower viewpoint. On the 17:00 weekend slot the route changes: square, church, old kitchens and laundry, and viewpoint. If you want to see the kitchens, that is the slot.
The meeting point is the main entrance of the complex, in the Patio Corintio. The website warns that the route may change because of artistic events or conferences, operational reasons or bad weather, that the church and the kitchens are not accessible to everyone and that pets are not allowed. For accessibility questions they give a phone number, 985 185 820.
If you want to know why a building like this exists, with its tower and its huge square, we tell it in the history of the Laboral, from miners' orphanage to culture.
Autumn and winter times
From 9 September to 31 October 2026 there is a tour Monday to Friday at 17:00, and at weekends and on public holidays at 12:00 and 17:00.
From 1 November to 20 December the calendar gets thinner: on weekdays there is only a tour on Fridays at 17:00; at weekends and on public holidays (1, 2, 7 and 8 December) there are still two slots, at 12:00 and 17:00.
From 21 December to 6 January 2027 there are tours every day again, at 12:00 and 17:00, except on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January, when there are none. On 5 January there is only a morning slot.
Climbing only the tower
If you do not want the full tour you can go up to the viewpoint only. From 9 September to 31 October there are climbs Monday to Friday at 16:00, and at weekends and on public holidays at 11:00, 16:00 and 18:30. From 1 November to 20 December, on Fridays at 16:00 and at weekends and on public holidays at 11:00 and 16:00. From 21 December to 6 January, every day at 11:00 and 16:00, with the same days off.
You meet at the foot of the tower. You go up by lift, in groups of 5 and always with a guide, and spend about 5 or 10 minutes at the top. There is room for 30 people per slot, large backpacks and suitcases are not allowed, and the climb is cancelled in bad weather.
Figures for the tower's height do not agree: the decree that listed it as a heritage site, published in the BOE, gives 129.25 metres. Go on a clear day, because you climb it to look.
What it costs
The guided tour costs 6 euros, and the reduced ticket 4.50 euros. The tower climb alone costs 2.50 euros. Children aged 0 to 3 go free. Reduced prices apply, with proof, to children aged 4 to 11, over-65s, people with disabilities, large families and holders of the Carné Joven, among others.
Tickets are sold at the Laboral reception, at the Principality's tourist information centre in Oviedo and online, on the Turismo Asturias ticket website. The official website lists no free days this autumn; the 2026 open day was on 20 September.
The joint ticket with the Botanic Garden
There is a ticket that combines the guided tour of the Laboral with a self-guided visit to the Jardín Botánico Atlántico, which is opposite: it costs 7 euros general and 5.50 euros reduced. You do not have to do both on the same day, because the garden part is valid for the whole calendar year, but it is not valid on special event days.
If you plan to see both, it is cheaper than paying separately. What there is in the garden and its winter hours are in our guide to the Jardín Botánico Atlántico.
If you go as a group
Groups of 15 to 55 people get a guided tour at 4.50 euros per person, lasting 60 to 75 minutes, and groups of 15 to 30 can book just the climb to the viewpoint, at 2.50 euros. You must book 48 hours ahead on 985 185 860, Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00. Until 20 December groups have slots Monday to Friday at 10:00, 12:00 and 16:00, and at weekends at 10:00.
Checked
Times and prices checked in October 2026 on the official Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura website (guided tours and group visit pages) and in the BOE (Decree 19/2016, height of the tower).
Quick questions
Can you climb the Laboral tower without the tour?
Yes. There are climbs to the viewpoint only for 2.50 euros, by lift, in groups of 5 and with a guide; you spend about 5 or 10 minutes at the top.
Is there a joint ticket with the Botanic Garden?
Yes: 7 euros general and 5.50 euros reduced. It includes the guided tour of the Laboral and a self-guided visit to the garden, valid for the whole calendar year.
Where does the guided tour start?
At the main entrance of the complex, in the Patio Corintio. The tower-only climb starts at the foot of the tower.