One of the best ways to start your trip to Andalucia is by visiting Granada. Located on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we immediately noticed the snow-capped mountains that backdrop the Alhambra Palace.
This was why we came here.
More importantly, however, this is a place to reflect; given the overall beauty, care and details found throughout the palace.
Known to be amongst the top ten most visited places in the world, it is recommend to prepare from beforehand in order to ensure a pleasant visit.
This article gives you all the necessary information you’ll need for visiting the majestic palace.
Opening Times
Summer: 8:30AM – 8PM
Winter: 8:30AM – 6PM
Closed: 1st January & 25th December
Buying Tickets
There are two ways to buy your ticket (s):
- In advance by clicking here
- At the ticket office which is located at the entrance to the Generalife, just beside the car-park
It is highly recommended to book prior to your visit by at least 2-3 months as tickets can get booked up pretty quick. For our visit in April, we booked our tickets in January.
Ticket price for the Alhambra General ticket is €14.85
When purchasing, I recommend booking the ‘Alhambra General’ ticket as this will give you admission into all parts of the Palace with a half an hour time slot to enter the Nasrid Palace (once you’re in Royal/Nasrid Palace, you can stay as long as you like).
Your ticket is divided into three sections:
- The Alcazaba
- The Royal Palaces (Nasrid Palaces)
- The Generalife
One thing to keep in mind (and this is important), is that you must enter the Nasrid Palace within half an hour of the time mentioned on your ticket.
Several parts of the Palace do not require a ticket to visit such as the Palace of Charles V, the woods and some of the gates.
Night Visits
If you’re interested in one of the well-known night visits to the Royal Palaces, be sure that they only run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the summer, and Tuesdays and Saturdays in the winter.
Night visits can still be done on other nights, however this will need to be organised with the Alhambra Palace Admin Team (Tel: 958 027900)
How To Get To The Alhambra Palace
If you are coming from the downtown area such as Plaza Nueva, simply take the C30, C32 or C35 bus to the Alhambra Palace. This will cost you between €1-€2. You can attempt to walk to the Palace, but I warn you that the path on the way up is very steep. Luckily our hotel was within walking distance. To make it easier, you can book into the same hotel [Hotel Alixares] as we did by clicking here.
Coming by car from outside the city? Take the Granada bypass (Circunvalacion) and head south towards the Motril/Sierra Nevada. Then, take the exit onto the southern ring road signed to Sierra Nevada. Go through a deep tunnel (stay on the left hand lane), and come to a roundabout. You will see signs leading you uphill (approx 1KM) to the car park and ticket office.
Google Maps directions can also be used by clicking here.
Location
Calle Real de la Alhambra, s/n, 18009 Granada, Spain
Website
https://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/ (a lot of useful info on this link)
What Else To Do in Granada Whilst Im There
If you’re looking for other things to do, we have put together another article on 5 unique things to do whilst in Granada.
Muslims Go Travel 