Are you thinking of visiting the stunning city of Granada? Do you need more information about how to plan your visit to the Alhambra? Great, let us share with you why it is such a wonderful spot and everything you need to know for your visit!
The crown jewel of Granada is obviously the Alhambra. This military fort, palace and gardens date from 1238’s making it only 75 years younger than Note-Dame in Paris. The Alhambra is composed of the Alcazar (the fortress), the Nazari palaces, Carlos V’s palace, Santa Maria de la Alhambra, numerous gardens and the most elaborate of all the gardens: the Generalife.
Tickets
It is essential that you acquire tickets way ahead of time for your visit to the Alhambra.
We were lucky to bag some a month before, but it seems that we got lucky as many people recommend getting them 2-3 months in advance. If it’s sold out and you’re going anyway, you can opt for a guided tour (a little on the expensive side) or try your luck by going to the ticket office first thing in the morning.
We wouldn’t recommend going all the way to Granada and kip a visit to the Alhambra -the best preserved medieval Islamic building in the world slip.
If you did not manage to buy tickets, don’t fret you can still see part of the gardens, Carlos V’s palace as well as the church, those are open to the general public. There is also an option to go see the Nazari Palaces and the gardens at night. This type of ticket usually doesn’t sell out and it might be a different experiece to visit the Alhambra.
There is another option to buy a «bundle» where you get all the Alhmabra and its gardens plus a few other monuments in Granada. It is more expensive, but if you are going to visit the other places regardless this might be a good option.
The cost of entry for everything is 15 euro or 10 euro discounted. You can book your tickets here.
According to the website the average time to visit the Alhambra is 3-4 hours. However, we spent around 5 hours seeing all the monuments and gardens in the Alhambra. So it could be anywhere in between 3-5 hours depending on how you pace yourself.
If you go to Granada during Semana Santa they have a gorgeous procession that comes out of Santa Maria de la Alhambra and makes its way down into the city.
How to get there
You can walk up to the Alhambra (as most people) and enjoy the beautiful walk up the hill. If you rather take the bus you can get the C30 from Plaza Isabel La Catolica.
You can buy the ticket from the driver for 1.40 euro per ride. If you are traveling with a large group and/or will be here for a couple days you can get a “metrocard” which costs 80 cents per ride, but you’ll have to get this at an office rather than with the driver.
Inside the Alhambra
Alcazar– The fort can be appreciated from Granada and is an important part of the ensemble. The remnants of the ancient quarter located inside are probably going to be of interest to any history lovers. It also offers a great view of the city from its towers and many lookout points.
Nazari Palace- Arguably, the flagship building of your trip. We spent about 2 hours there (we were in awe) partially because of its endless rooms, but also because we were over the moon with every meticulously decorated space. Patio de los Leones is the most recognizable part of the Alhambra located within the Nazari Palaces. If you’ve seen photos from the Alhambra this is probably one of the most prominent images and rightfully so.
The great hall of the ambassadors is the largest room in the palace and subjectively the most beautiful one as this was the throne room. It also feels much cooler than the outside due to the way it was built, something welcomed during the hot months.
Generalife- The Generalife is where the sultan came for leisure and shade during the summers. This is the most distant part of the Alhambra but is only 10-15 minutes away separated by beautiful gardens.
The Generalife embodies how important shade, plants and water were to the Islamic civilizations. Since many of the places in northern africa and the middle east are arid, gardens and fountains were coveted by royalty as they manifested paradise as a place where water was not scarce.
Carlos V- This was one of the last structures built in the complex. This place is architecturally one of the most impressive to the alhambra. Here you will find the Alhambra museum and temporary exhibitions. If you don’t manage to get tickets the Carlos V Palace and the Alhambra museum are both open to the public.
Fun fact: if you step at the center of the building the acoustics are insane! start clapping or singing and see what happens.
Hope this makes your visit to the Alhambra much easier. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask us!
Enjoy the Alhambra and all its magic! share your photos with us on instagram!
