Visiting the Alhambra

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
1. All tickets are nominative and non-transferable.
2. It is compulsory to present an original ID card or passport at the entrance.
3. All visitors, including minors, must have a ticket with a QR code in physical or digital format.
4. Tickets for children under 12 years of age, although free of charge, must be reserved.
5. Tickets for children under 3 years of age must be picked up at the ticket office before the tour begins.
6. For prices that include a discount (children between 12 and 15 years old, European Youth Card, retired persons and EU citizens over 65 years old and persons with a disability of more than 33%), the right to this discount must be accredited.

Here are some useful facts to help you organise your visit to the Alhambra.

• The only entrance time you have fixed is the time for the Nasrid Palaces, the rest of the monument you can visit before or after.
• The entrance to the Nasrid Palaces is located about 15-20 minutes walk from the main entrance pavilion (ticket office).
• Spaces such as the Alcazaba, the Palace of Charles V, the Alhambra Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts are located near the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces.
• There are three entrances to the Alhambra:
  • Main entrance pavilion (ticket offices).
  • Puerta de la Justicia (currently exit only)
  • Puerta de los Carros.
• To visit the entire Alhambra you need a minimum of 3 to 4 hours. It is a very large area and walks from one area to another can take up to 20 – 25 minutes. The complete route is about 6 km long.
• Reserve at least for the three main zones:
  • Nasrid Palaces: 1 hour
  • Alcazaba: 30 min
  • Generalife Gardens: 45 min
• Apart from the three main areas there is much more to see in the Alhambra, for example:
  • Palace of Carlos V
  • Mosque Baths
  • Alhambra Museum and Fine Arts Museum
  • El Partal and Paseo de las Torres
  • Medina and Secano
  • Parador de San Francisco
• If you already have your tickets, there is no need to queue at the ticket office, unless you need to validate some kind of discount (minors, babies, pensioners, students or people with disabilities). These cases will be indicated on your ticket as “this is not your ticket”.
• If you come by car, we recommend that you start your tour at the main entrance pavilion. In case you find yourself in a long queue and want to start at the Nasrid Palaces or the Alcazaba, you can also enter through the Puerta de los Carros.
• If you are walking from the city centre, already have your tickets and want to start at the Nasrid Palaces or the Alcazaba, we recommend you to enter through the Puerta de los Carros. Normally this would be through the Justice Gate, but for security reasons this gate is currently exit only.

What is the best way to visit the Alhambra? The answer is the one that best suits the situation of each visitor.
To map out your ideal route, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What time do I want to start visiting the Alhambra?
2. What time do I have the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces?
3. How much time do I have?

SUGGESTED ITINERARIES:
Here are three different itineraries depending on the time you have available before entering the Nasrid Palaces. All of them start the visit at the main entrance pavilion of the monument (ticket offices):

• If you have less than half an hour before the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces:
  1. Nasrid Palaces
  2. Alcazaba
  3. Generalife Gardens
• If you have at least one hour before the entrance for Palacios Nazaríes:
  1. Alcazaba
  2. Nasrid Palaces
  3. Generalife Gardens
• If you have two or more hours before the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces:
  1. Generalife Gardens
  2. Alcazaba
  3. Nasrid Palaces

1. The Nasrid Palaces are the most important part of the monumental complex and access is restricted to 300 people every 30 minutes. Your visit lasts approximately one hour.

2. The visit to the Nasrid Palaces must take place at the time selected during the booking process and indicated on the ticket. Once the ticket has been purchased, the time cannot be changed. The right of access will be lost if the time indicated is not respected. The rest of the monument can be visited at any time, i.e. from 08:30 to 18:00 or 20:00 depending on the season.

3. Please note that the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces is located about 20 minutes away from the main entrance pavilion (ticket offices) and close to the Palace of Charles V. It is not necessary to go through the ticket office if you already have a ticket, as long as it does not have any kind of discount that needs to be accredited in advance.

4. No food, drink (except water), luggage, animals (except guide dogs) or prams may be brought inside the Nasrid Palaces. The use of baby carriers is recommended. If you do not have one, you can ask for one free of charge in the areas set aside for this purpose (lockers).

5. If you have a rucksack, it must be carried in front of you, although it is recommended that you leave it free of charge in the lockers.

6. It is forbidden to bring in tripods or selfie sticks. The use of flash on cameras is also prohibited.

7. This space, like the Alcazaba and the Generalife Palace, can only be visited once with the same ticket, i.e. once you leave you cannot re-enter.

There are several ways to get to the Alhambra. Here’s how to get there on foot from the city, by public transport or in your own car.
How to get to the Alhambra on foot.
There are three main roads leading to the Alhambra on foot from the city.
Note that the Alhambra is located at the top of the Sabika hill, so you will have to climb quite a steep slope in either case.
Regardless of which path you choose, the 20-minute walk up is well worth the effort, as the paths themselves are areas of great scenic value.

If you are coming from the city centre, the best way to go up is along the Gomérez slope, passing through the Puerta de las Granadas, the Alhambra forest and the Camino del Generalife.
It is a space full of greenery, colour and above all freshness in summer.
When you cross the Puerta de las Granadas the road splits into three. We recommend following the central path as it is wider and a little less steep. Halfway up the slope you will find a drinking fountain and a monument dedicated to Angel Ganivet. If you take the path that goes up to the left, you will reach the Gate of Justice (currently only one way out). If you go straight up through the vegetation, don’t miss the impressive Bibrambla Gate on your left, continue straight on for about 5 minutes and you will arrive at the main entrance, where the ticket offices are located.

If you are in the area of the Paseo de los Tristes you can go up to the Alhambra via the Cuesta del Rey Chico, also called Cuesta de los Chinos.
You will find it at the end of the Paseo de los Tristes, crossing the last bridge over the river Darro.
It is a very pleasant walk of about 20 minutes where the sound of the water and the Alhambra Towers will accompany you at almost every moment. You can’t miss it, at the end of the path, past the Restaurant La Mimbre, you will reach the main entrance, where you will find the ticket offices.

Finally, if you are in the Realejo neighbourhood and want to go up to the Alhambra, you can also do so. Several steep streets connect the two areas. Once on the Cuesta del Realejo continue until you reach the Alhambra Palace Hotel and from there follow the Paseo del Generalife and you will be at the main entrance in less than 10 minutes.

2. How to get to the Alhambra by public transport (Alhambra bus or taxi).
If you don’t want to walk, another cheap way to get to the Alhambra from the city centre is by bus. Minibuses run every 10 minutes from 07:00 to 23:00 and drop you off directly at the main entrance of the monument.
It should be noted that under normal circumstances, especially in high season, they tend to be quite crowded.
There are two lines: C30 and C32.
The C30 is a direct line that connects the city centre and the Alhambra in 10-15 minutes. The best option is to take the bus from the stop behind Plaza Isabel la Católica and get off at the stop next to the main entrance pavilion.
The C32 line also connects with the Albaicín. So if you are in the Albaicín neighbourhood and want to go to the Alhambra or vice versa, this is your best option.
The normal ticket price is €1.40 (December 2020 price).
If you are a large family or you are going to spend a few days in Granada and you want to travel by bus within the city, we recommend buying a Credibus (bonobus).
The fare is lower and you can buy it on any of the buses.
Another option is of course the taxi, the journey from the city centre to the Alhambra is usually between 7 and 10€. Weekends and holidays have a supplement in the rate.

3. How to get to the Alhambra by car.
If you are coming from the Granada ring road (A44) take exit 132 towards Ronda Sur (A395) / Sierra Nevada. Once there, continue ahead until you reach the Serrallo tunnel, get into the left lane. When you come out of the tunnel you will find a roundabout, turn left and go up the hill to Avenida de Santa María de la Alhambra. At the top of the hill follow the road and you will find another small roundabout, turn left and enter through the access where it says parking. Pick up your ticket and leave your vehicle in any of the existing zones (P1,P2,P3).
If you come in a motorhome, there is a car park specially equipped for this type of vehicle and buses. To get there, at the last roundabout, instead of turning left, go straight on and you will find the access on the right after about 50m.
Both car parks are open and guarded 24 hours a day, but we recommend that you do not leave valuables in plain sight.
The price of parking is not the cheapest, the rate for three hours is 6,47€ or for four hours 8,26€.

As you can see there are different ways to get to the Alhambra. If you are already staying in accommodation in the city, we recommend that you do not take the car and opt for one of the other options.

It has to be said that the choice of restaurants or bars near the Alhambra is not very wide, especially at night. All the restaurants are located outside the site, except for the one at the Parador de San Francisco.

Outside the grounds, near the main entrance pavilion, you can find La Mimbre Restaurant, Jardines Alberto or El Generalife, all of them with a good terrace and indoor space. The first two serve more elaborate dishes, the third is more like a bar, although it also has a dining room on the first floor.

If you want to have a quick coffee, buy a sandwich or something to drink you can do so at the kiosk Café Bar El Polinario. It is located to the right of the lockers, is small in size and there is no room to sit inside.

In the area of La Alcazaba, specifically in the Plaza de los Aljibes, there is also another small kiosk… El Aljibe. There you can buy a coffee, a snack or another drink. It is also small in size. It is located outside and there are no more than six or seven stools to sit on. In the square itself there are places where you can sit down and take a well-deserved rest.

The Alhambra also has vending machines. One is located in the main entrance pavilion, next to the toilets and the cloakroom.. Another in the Carlos V area at the entrance to the baths and the last, further away, on the way to the car park.

As you know, the Alhambra is a monumental complex that occupies a large area. To avoid getting lost, you can download the map of the Alhambra here .
There is an accessible route for people with reduced mobility. Download it here .