ÍNDICE
It is said that Granada lives eclipsed by the Alhambra and it is not for less. The city has a multitude of surprising spaces and places, but its main tourist attraction is and will continue to be this Nasrid fortress. If you want to know how to visit the Alhambra in Granada and what are all the things that you should take into account, let us tell you …
Visit the Alhambra in Granada – 7 Things to keep in mind
Despite being a monument known to everyone, you probably have many doubts about how to visit it, so here are some good tips to visit the Alhambra!
Where to buy tickets for the Alhambra
The first recommendation that we give you when you go to buy tickets to visit the Alhambra is that you do it well in advance.
The Board of Trustees recommend at least one week, although in our experience we would tell you that at least two or three weeks would be ideal to be able to choose the day and time with more possibilities.
On the other hand, you also have to take into account that once purchased, these are valid only for the day and time indicated, and that if you need to cancel or modify the Alhambra tickets, it is not always possible and a receipt is needed.
So once you know the date you want to visit the Alhambra in Granada, you can buy your ticket for:
- Direct sale of tickets at the Alhambra ticket offices and from 8am.
- By phone, by calling +34 858 889002 and making the payment with a bank card.
- Online, through the official website tickets.alhambra-patronato.es and making payment with a bank card.
- Buying the tourist voucher “Granada Card”, a card that includes tickets to the most important monuments and museums in the city and discounts on transport.
* In telephone and online sales, a small management commission must be added.
At the time of buy of the tickets for the Alhambra you can also reserve an audio guide (if there is availability they can be purchased at the box office). The audio guide includes an interactive map of the complex, audios, historical images, videos and 360º panoramic views. You will be able to choose between several tours and it is available in 12 languages.
And where to buy tickets for the Alhambra for the same day?
You can do it through the same website and whenever there is a space available, although it is not something that is guaranteed.
You can also stop by at the ticket offices at the entrance to the Alhambra from 8 am, and whenever there is availability, you can buy them.
Types of tickets to visit the Alhambra in Granada
Do you know how to visit the Alhambra without a guide? Do you know what to visit in the Alhambra? And do you know that you can visit the Alhambra at night?
That’s right, there are both daytime and nighttime tickets, and their prices and schedules are as follows:
Daytime visit to the Alhambra
In the daytime visit, the most popular and the one with the largest capacity and times, you can visit the entire Alhambra and Generalife complex (€ 19,09) or just the gardens area (€ 10,61).
It includes the visitable areas of the Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Generalife, Bath of the Mosque and Gardens (about 4 hours long).
- From October 15 to March 31: Monday to Sunday 8.30am to 6pm
- From April 1 to October 14: Monday to Sunday 8.30am to 8pm
Remember to be punctual at the time you select for the Nasrid Palaces. The rest of the monument has the same closing time.
Night tour to the Alhambra
In the night visit of the Alhambra you can visit only the area of the Palaces (10,61€) or only the Generalife gardens (7,42€).
- From October 15 to March 31: Friday and Saturday 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- From April 1 to October 14: Tuesday to Saturday 10pm to 11:30 pm
* The Alhambra closes on December 25 and January 1.
Guided tours of the Alhambra
If instead of making the general visit on your own and on your own, you prefer to have someone explain and guide you, there are organized excursions to visit the Alhambra with a guide. In this way, you can go much deeper into history and get a more complete experience.
Here are some of the most popular excursions to visit the Alhambra:
- All the Alhambra guided tours
- Visiting the Alhambra with children
- Alhambra private tours
- Alhambra night and private group tour
How to buy a cheaper ticket to the Alhambra?
The official prices are those mentioned above, so any higher price will be the consequence of having booked with an external company and having included a guide or any other extra.
However, there are certain groups of people who can benefit from a reduced rate or who can even visit the Alhambra for free. These are:
- Over 65s from the European Union: 12,73 €
- European Youth Card holders: 12,73 €
- People with disabilities: 12,73 €
- General visit children up to 11 years: Free
- General visit for children between 12 and 15 years old: 12,73 €
- Large families members: 12.73 €
What is the best time and day to see the Alhambra?
Visiting one of the most touristic monuments in Europe and the world has its waiting list, so it is highly recommended to buy the ticket to visit the Alhambra well in advance.
In your search you will find many physical places and websites where you can buy it, although our advice is to go directly to the official entrances, that is, those of the Provincial Tourist Board of Granada.
As for the best date to visit the Alhambra in Granada, as is usual in such a touristy place, there will be tourists on any date and at any time, although it is possible to find days and hours with less crowding.
The most popular months are the high season (December, July and August), although as we mentioned, the Alhambra is a highly visited monument throughout the year.
On the other hand, keep in mind that in the middle of summer, it is quite hot in the outdoor areas and in the middle of winter the temperature can be low inside the Palaces or you can have rain in the outdoor areas.
The good news is that the ticket price is the same throughout the year.
The other point to take into account is that in the full daytime visit it takes about 4 hours to do the entire route (this also depends on the stops made by the visitor), so a good time can be first thing in the morning. tomorrow, to finish the visit and go have some good tapas;)
And the last recommendation if you want to know how to visit the Alhambra with less influx of tourists; avoid bridges, holidays, the eve of holidays and weekends. I mean, try to visit her during the week.
How to see the Alhambra for free
If you are a resident of Granada capital or province, you are in luck, because on Sundays you can visit the Alhambra for free.
There are also several tours available, among which are:
- The general visit to the monumental complex (full schedule).
- Free visit to the monument’s gardens (full schedule).
- The guided tour of the flora of the Partal and the Generalife.
- The guided tour of the classic Alhambra.
- The guided tour of the Medina.
- The guided tour of the form and function of water.
On the other hand, the area of the exterior gardens of the Alhmabra, the Palace of Carlos V and the area of the souvenir shop and toilets, is free and free, so a pleasant walk around here and the occasional photograph with views to the Albaicín, it never hurts;)
A little higher than the Alhambra, you can also visit the Carmen de los Mártires, one of the most beautiful and largest gardens in Granada.
How to get to the Alhambra
The Alhambra and Generalife complex is located practically within the city, so you have several ways to get to the Alhambra:
- On foot: from Cuesta de Gomérez (Plaza Nueva), from Cuesta del Realejo (Plaza del Realejo) or from Cuesta de los Chinos (Paseo de los Tristes).
- By car or taxi: through the Granada Ring Road (Ronda sur). You can park in the Alhambra Parking, in Camino Viejo del Cementerio, guarded 24 hours and with 600 spaces.
- In the Alhambra Minibus (line C30).
Some extra tips to see the Alhambra in Granada …
- It is not possible to resell the tickets, as they are nominative.
- If you need to modify any information about your entrance to the Alhambra, you can call +34 858 953 616.
- To control the maximum capacity of 300 within the enclosure, access to the Nasrid Palaces can only be made within the fraction of 30 minutes indicated on the ticket, otherwise, you will lose the right to visit. And the last pass will be an hour before visiting hours end.
- A maximum of 10 tickets can be purchased in the same purchase.
- Even if you choose a specific time of entry and you must stick to it to access, you can stay inside the enclosure as long as you want until its closing.
- The information and public visit telephone number is +34 958 02 79 71.
And now that you have all the information on how to visit the Alhambra in Granada, don’t forget to mention us in your souvenir photo on our Instagram 😉
