3 itineraries through the Alhambra of Granada

Discover how to get there, where and when to get your ticket, and up to 3+1 different itineraries to customize your visit to the Alhambra in Granada.

If you are planning a trip to Granada, here are the essential tips for visiting the Alhambra and, most importantly, getting your pass!

Want to visit tomorrow? Then it is probably already too late…

How to get your ticket

The influx of tourists at the Alhambra has become massive due to its (well-deserved) fame.

To ensure its preservation, for years only 300 people every 30 minutes have been allowed into the Nasrid Palaces, which means 5400 people a day in winter and 6600 during summer hours.

For this reason, although it is theoretically possible to buy tickets at the ticket office, it is best to buy your ticket in advance (up to 3 months) through the official ticket website.

Types of Alhambra tickets and prices

The general ticket costs 14€.

It is the most common one and gives you access to the Nasrid Palaces, the gardens, the Alcazaba, and the Generalife.

There are also other alternatives:

• Night visit to the Nasrid Palaces €8.
• Night visit to the gardens and Generalife €5.
• Single visit to the gardens, Generalife, and Alcazaba €7 (recommended option when the general ticket is sold out).
• Others: combined tours, specialist-guided tours…

Did you know you can walk inside the Alhambra walls for free?

If you enter on foot through the Puerta de la Justicia, you can wander along the streets of the walled complex and visit the Palace of Charles V without buying a ticket.

However, this way you will be missing out on the true magic of the Alhambra (gardens, Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba, Generalife…).

Alhambra opening hours

Except for the Nasrid Palaces, your general pass gives you access to the rest of the complex for a full day:

• Winter hours ➞ 8:30 – 18:00.
• Summer hours ➞ 8:30 – 20:00.

However, your visiting time for the Nasrid Palaces is strictly the one shown on your ticket.

To prevent exceeding maximum capacity limits, access is strictly controlled by a computer system. As a result, staff cannot make exceptions for anyone.

So make sure you are at the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces right on time (I have marked the spot on the map at the bottom of this page).

As soon as the next time slot starts (30 minutes after yours), you will lose your right to enter. Take this seriously if you do not want to miss out on what is, in my opinion, the crown jewel of the Alhambra.

Alhambra itineraries

In general, it takes about 3 hours to explore the entire Alhambra complex. Although that always depends on the kind of photographer you have with you…

We took a bit longer. 😉

In any case, set aside a morning or an afternoon to enjoy it the way it deserves.

Below you will find 3 possible itineraries and a final recommendation (make sure to pay the closest attention to this last one):

Route 1: with little time to spare

When you arrive right on time for your entry slot at the Nasrid Palaces, head straight there:

1. Access Pavilion.
2. Nasrid Palaces.
3. El Partal and the gardens.
4. Generalife and its gardens.
5. Palace of Charles V.
6. The Alcazaba.
7. Gate of Justice.

You can swap the order of the Palace of Charles V and the Alcazaba, but I recommend ending on a high note, with some breathtaking views of Granada from the Vela Tower. 😉

• Pro: you start with the most beautiful part of the Alhambra, the Nasrid Palaces, while you're still fresh.
• Con: the walking distance is longer because you have to walk down Calle Real de la Alhambra twice.

Route 2: if you arrive an hour early

In this case, you can take advantage and shorten the distance you'll have to walk a bit:

1. Access Pavilion.
2. Palace of Charles V.
3. The Alcazaba.
4. Nasrid Palaces.
5. El Partal and the gardens.
6. Generalife and its gardens.
7. Access Pavilion.

Again, the Alcazaba and the Palace of Charles V are interchangeable.

• Pro: the full itinerary is shorter.
• Con: you need to time things well so you don't arrive late to the Nasrid Palaces.

Route 3: if you arrive at the Alhambra way ahead of time

Still got 2 hours before your entry time to the Nasrid Palaces? Then this is your best bet:

1. Access Pavilion.
2. Generalife and its gardens.
3. Palace of Charles V.
4. The Alcazaba.
5. Nasrid Palaces.
6. El Partal and the gardens.
7. Access Pavilion.

What's more, if you still have extra time before entering the Nasrid Palaces, you can visit El Partal and its gardens first, accessing them through the gate located behind the Palace of Charles V (marked on the map at the bottom of the page).

• Pro: you save the cherry on top for the end, the Nasrid Palaces (in my opinion).
• Con: you might arrive there too tired from all the walking.

Bonus route: go with the flow

And you might think: ‘I don't need a guide for that’.

Well, that's exactly what I thought: ‘If only I had known, I wouldn't have planned so much’

Let me tell you:

We had tickets to the Nasrid Palaces at 9:00 in the morning, so we wanted to do Route 1…

1. Access Pavilion.
2. Nasrid Palaces (wonderful).
3. El Partal and… it started pouring down rain.
4. The exit gate behind the Palace of Charles V was temporarily closed.
5. We ran through the gardens in the pouring rain.
6. We looked for a cozy spot to take shelter and warm up: the bar at Hotel América was the winner.
7. We headed to the Palace of Charles V because it's covered.
8. It stopped raining and we took the chance to admire the views from the Alcazaba.
9. We went back to the Partal gardens (now access was open, about time).
10. We made it to the Generalife.
11. The storm came back.
12. We did what we could to explore its gardens while trying not to get completely soaked.
13. We left the same way we had entered.

See? We went round in circles like a carousel. And that didn't change the final outcome at all.

You fall in love with the Alhambra no matter what. So… just go with the flow.

How to get to the Alhambra

Car

The Alhambra grounds feature 500 parking spaces divided into 4 zones. The closest one to the access pavilion will be the last one you come across (and the first one to fill up) since you'll always enter via the road coming from the San José Cemetery (not from the city center).

Unless you arrive first thing in the morning (8-8:30 am), I recommend skipping this option because they fill up fast. There are other, much more convenient ways to get there.

Bus

Several local buses connect Granada with the Alhambra.

• c30: you can hop on at the stop next to the statue of Isabella the Catholic and get off at the access pavilion.
• c32: although it also runs through the Albaicín, part of the route is identical to the c30 and also drops you off at the access pavilion.
• c35: on its route to the cemetery from Plaza de Isabel la Católica, it also makes a few stops near the Alhambra, though you'll have to walk a few meters.
• 13: if you're staying near the Palacio de Congresos de Granada, this bus takes you right to the cemetery gate. From there, you just need to walk the 500 meters that separate it from the access pavilion.

Tickets cost 1.40€ per person/trip and are purchased directly on board. Just remember to bring small change, as the driver can only change up to 10€ bills.

On foot

Prefer walking up instead?

• From Plaza Nueva: head up Cuesta de Gomérez, a really pleasant tree-lined path.
• From Paseo de los Tristes: it's shorter if you take Cuesta de los Chinos with views of the wall.

Did you notice that both streets are called ‘Cuesta’ (slope/hill)? That's no coincidence. 😉

When to go

Always. Granada is gorgeous at any time of the year.

This is my only recommendation if you're heading up to the Alhambra:

1. Bundle up in winter, it's colder than in the city center.
2. Avoid peak sun hours in July and August.
3. Chance of rain? Bring waterproof shoes and a raincoat/umbrella.

Where to Eat

Although there are a few places to eat near the entrance to the Alhambra (and even inside), their numbers are limited and I've never tried them, so I can't really tell you about them.

However, downtown there are thousands of spots to try their famous tapas or enjoy classic traditional set menus. Here are some of the places we tried during the ‘alternative’ Granada route we did on our last visit.

Where to sleep

Did you know you can stay overnight inside the Alhambra grounds?

I haven't been lucky enough to do it, but there are 2 accommodations inside the walls:

The Parador de Granada and the Hotel América.

Staying in one of them lets you stroll through the streets of the Alhambra in the middle of the night and almost without tourists. Can you think of anything better for a romantic getaway?

And outside the walls, you have a thousand places to choose from (and I'm sure that's an understatement):

• With or without views of the Alhambra.
• In a cave house or in more conventional accommodation.
• Hostels, hotels, guesthouses, a room in a shared home…

Our experience

We picked the Hotel Saray for an average of 52.7€/night, 2 people without breakfast.

I have mixed feelings about this hotel:

• Its location is perfect if, like us, you need to attend an event at the Palacio de Congresos. Otherwise, it's a bit far from downtown.
• The facilities are very good. You can tell it's a 4-star hotel.
• The beds are super comfortable and you barely hear any noise from the other rooms.
• The front desk staff was not very friendly at all.
• They have pretty strict check-in and check-out policies.
• They are not very eco-friendly. They changed my towels every day even though I left them hung up according to instructions to reuse them.
• Breakfast is expensive (even more so if you book it through Booking, don't do it!)
• When we arrived, they offered us the cheaper breakfast (for 10€ instead of the 14€ Booking charges), but they didn't warn us that we had to book it 1 day in advance. One morning we wanted to try it, but when we went down for breakfast they told us they had to charge us 12€ and wouldn't listen to our explanations.
• On the bright side, Flamboyant café is very close to the hotel and their toasted mollete rolls with tomato make for a delicious breakfast. 😉

Would I go back? To Granada, absolutely. Whenever I can. 😉

To Hotel Saray, probably not. They treated me coldly and were very rigid, even though the rooms are excellent and it has a prime location if you're going to the Palacio de Congresos or arriving by bus from Granada airport.

But everyone should judge for themselves. 😉

Would you go back to a place where the service was poor but the venue is high quality? Tell me in the comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Useful links

• Buy general tickets to the Alhambra
• Buy other night, partial, or combined tickets to the Alhambra.
• 5% discount when booking your travel insurance with IATI.
• Hotel deals in Granada.
• Flights to Granada: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo, and Vueling.

And if you're visiting the Alhambra, you can't leave this city without doing an alternative route through Granada. 😉

Map