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Alhambra
4 experiences and tours
Likely to sell out
Guided Tour of the Alhambra with Tickets Included
3hFree cancellation
Likely to sell out
Guided tour Alhambra, Generalife and Alcazaba with tickets
2hFree cancellation
Likely to sell out
Night tour of the Nasrid Palaces Alhambra and tickets
1h 30mFree cancellation
Alhambra: Guided Tour of the Public Areas
1mFree cancellation
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The Alhambra is a walled city on a hill above Granada, and for 250 years it was the seat of the last Muslim kingdom in Spain. From below, it looks like a plain fortress of reddish stone. Inside, carved plaster, painted tiles and still pools fill rooms built for the sultans' court, with the Sierra Nevada behind the towers.
Visits differ in what they let you into. Some come with tickets to the whole complex, some go inside the Nasrid Palaces after dark, and some stay in the public areas that need no ticket. The Nasrid Palaces can only be entered at the time printed on the ticket, so read what each visit includes before you book.
About Alhambra
The name comes from the Arabic for "the red one", after the colour of its walls. The Alcazaba, the oldest part, is the fort at the western tip of the hill. From 1238 the Nasrid dynasty ruled from Granada and turned the hill into a royal city, with palaces, a mosque, houses, workshops and baths inside the walls. The best-known rooms date from the 14th century: the Comares Palace, with its long pool and the Hall of the Ambassadors, and the Palace of the Lions, where twelve stone lions hold up the fountain.
In 1492 the last sultan, Boabdil, handed Granada to Ferdinand and Isabella. The new rulers kept the palaces, and in 1527 Charles V began a large Renaissance palace right beside them. Its round courtyard sits inside a square building that now holds the Alhambra Museum.
On the next hillside, the Generalife was the sultans' country estate, with orchards, terraces and channels of running water. The Alhambra and the Generalife were listed by UNESCO in 1984, and the Albayzín quarter across the valley was added later.
What to expect on a Alhambra experience
The complex has four main parts: the Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife, and the area in between, with the Palace of Charles V and the remains of the old medina. Expect around three hours on foot.
Tickets differ, and this matters more here than at most sites. The General ticket covers the Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife. The Gardens ticket leaves out the Nasrid Palaces. A night ticket covers either the Nasrid Palaces or the Generalife gardens. The Palace of Charles V and the Alhambra Museum are free to enter, and some guided walks stay in the public areas only, without going into the Nasrid Palaces, the Alcazaba or the Generalife.
The Nasrid Palaces let in a fixed number of people every half hour. Your ticket gives a set entry time, and if you are late you will not be let in, even with a valid ticket. The rest of the complex can be seen at any time during opening hours, but each area only once. Check the time on your ticket and the meeting point well ahead.
Bring a passport or ID card that matches the name on your ticket. Children need a ticket too, though it is free for under-12s. Food and drink are not allowed inside, and photos are fine without flash or tripods.
Best time to visit
From 1 April to 14 October the Alhambra opens daily from 8:30 to 20:00. From 15 October to 31 March it closes at 18:00. It shuts only on 25 December and 1 January.
Night visits run on fewer days: Tuesday to Saturday from 22:00 in the warmer half of the year, and Friday and Saturday from 20:00 in winter. The lit, quiet courtyards feel very different after dark, but each night ticket covers only one area.
Daily numbers are capped and tickets often sell out in advance, especially for spring, summer and holiday weekends. Spring and autumn bring mild weather and the gardens at their best. Summer afternoons are hot on the open paths, so a morning start helps. Winter is quieter, and on clear days there is snow on the Sierra Nevada behind the towers.
Getting around
The Alhambra sits on the Sabika hill above the centre of Granada. On foot, the most direct way is the Cuesta de Gomérez, which climbs from Plaza Nueva through the Puerta de las Granadas and a shady wood. Paths also come up from Plaza del Realejo and from Paseo de los Tristes, below the Albayzín. All of them are steep.
City minibuses run up the hill from the centre. Private cars cannot drive up from the centre; drivers use the ring road and the Ronda Sur and follow signs to the Alhambra car park by the ticket office.
On a guided visit, check the meeting point on the card, as some groups meet in the city and walk up and others meet at the entrance. Granada also works as a long day trip from Málaga or Seville.