Alhambra Tickets

The Alhambra is the most visited monument in Spain and visitor numbers are capped, so there’s one golden rule: buy your tickets in advance. In spring, summer and on bank holidays they sell out weeks ahead. From the house it’s right in front of you, across the Darro valley.

Where to buy them

Always buy from the official website of the Alhambra and Generalife Trust. Lots of sites resell tickets or bundle them into guided tours at a much higher price, and some look official. If there are no tickets left on the official site for your date, a guided tour with an authorised company can be the alternative.

Tickets are in your name: they carry each visitor’s name and ID or passport number. Bring it with you on the day, as you may be asked for it at the checkpoints.

Which ticket to choose

• Alhambra General. The full visit: Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba, Generalife and gardens. This is the one we recommend for a first visit.
• Gardens, Generalife and Alcazaba. Everything except the Nasrid Palaces. Handy if the general ticket is sold out, although you miss the most famous part.
• Night visits. There are night tickets for the Nasrid Palaces and for the Generalife. It’s a different experience, with fewer people and the Alhambra lit up.
• Dobla de Oro. Combines the Alhambra with monuments in the Albayzín, such as the Bañuelo baths on the Carrera del Darro, very close to the house.

The Nasrid Palaces time slot

The Nasrid Palaces have a fixed entry time printed on your ticket. Be on time: if you miss it, you can’t go in later. Bear in mind that it takes a while to walk from the main entrance to the palaces.

Plan the rest of your visit around that time. If your palace slot is mid-morning, for example, you can see the Alcazaba first and leave the Generalife for last.

Getting there from the house

• On foot. From the Sacromonte, walk down to the Paseo de los Tristes and climb the Cuesta del Rey Chico, also known as the Cuesta de los Chinos. It’s about 25 minutes uphill under the trees, alongside the walls, and it’s the prettiest way up.
• By bus. Take the C34 to Plaza Nueva or the centre and, from there, one of the minibuses that go up to the Alhambra. All the routes are in our guide to Granada city buses.
• By taxi. There’s a taxi rank by the Alhambra entrance for the way back. More in taxis and Uber in Granada.

Tips for the day

• Allow half a day. The full visit takes three to four hours at a relaxed pace.
• Bring water and comfortable shoes. There’s a lot of walking, it’s hot in summer and the Alcazaba has little shade.
• See it from outside too. The best photo of the Alhambra is taken from the Albayzín and the Sacromonte. We tell you where in the Albayzín viewpoints.