Alhambra Castle – tickets, prices, discounts, guided tours, what to see
The Alhambra is a fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada in Spain and attracts 2.7 million tourists annually.
Built on a plateau between 1238 and 1358, Alhambra overlooks the Albaicín quarter of Granada city.
The Alhambra Castle consists of four distinct zones: the Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba (the military zone), Medina (the city), and the Generalife.
In this article, we share everything you must know before booking your tour of Alhambra.
1. How to reach
2. Alhambra entrance
3. Opening hours
4. Tour duration
5. Best time to visit
6. Alhambra tickets
7. Alhambra tours
8. Recommended route
9. What to see?
10. Museums at Alhambra
Important: While visiting Alhambra, please carry your passport. It is the only form of identification accepted at the venue.
How to get to Alhambra
Alhambra is 2.5 Kms (1.5 Miles) from the center of Granada City.
If you are in and around the city of Granada, board any of these buses:
Bus No. 30 and 32 have the following stops in the Alhambra complex:
- Entrance Pavillion (the Ticket Offices)
- Tower of the Heads (Torre de las Cabezas), which is near Charles V Palace and the Nasrid Palaces
- Gate of Justice (Puerta de la Justicia), closest to Alcazaba.
All the routes have a frequency of at least two buses an hour, so you won’t have to wait long.
Your next best option is to take Uber to reach Alhambra.
From the city center, you can reach the Fortress in around 5 Euros.
Alhambra car park
Private transport is not allowed to enter Alhambra.
However, there are around 500 parking spaces located some distance from the Alhambra Box Office and the main entrance to the Castle. Get driving directions
Walking to Alhambra
To enjoy nature, artistic surroundings, and take in a lot of history, we suggest you walk the last mile to Alhambra.
When you travel by other means of transport, it is easy to miss the beauty of the approaching monument.
You have two options –
1. Start from Plaza Nueva
Walking distance: 1.4 Kms (1 Mile)
Elevation gained: 97 meters (320 feet)
Duration: 21 minutes
2. Start from Cuesta de Gomérez street
Walking distance: 850 meters (half a mile)
Elevation gained: 52 meters (170 feet)
Duration: 13 minutes
Some visitors may even call this walk a ‘hike to Alhambra’, but if you are healthy enough, we recommend it.
Alhambra entrance
If you have already bought Alhambra tickets online, it is best to enter the complex through the Gate of Justice (Puerta de la Justicia). Get Directions
Of the three gates in the Alhambra walls, the Gate of Justice is the largest and most impressive entrance.
It is also known as Gate of the Esplanade (Puerta de la Explanada) because of the vast esplanade that extends before it.
If you don’t buy your Alhambra tickets in advance, you can get them from the ticket office situated at the Access Pavillion entrance.
Access Pavillion is 600 meters (approx half a mile) from the Gate of Justice. Directions to ticket office
The third Alhambra entrance is called Gate of the Carts. It is closest to the Nasrid Palaces entry and the Charles V Palace. Directions
Alhambra opening hours
During the summer months (1 Apr to 14 Oct), Alhambra opens at 8.30 am and closes at 8 pm.
In winter (15 Oct to 31 Mar), Alhambra continues to open at 8.30 am but closes early at 6 pm.
All through the year, the Ticket Office opens at 8 am and winds down with Alhambra Castle’s closure.
If you plan to visit the Gardens during the day, Alhambra’s hours apply.
Alhambra Gardens night timings
Alhambra Gardens are not open for night visits from 1 Jun to 31 Aug and from 15 Nov to 31 Mar.
Rest of the year, from Tuesday to Saturday, the Gardens follow these timings:
1 Apr to 31 May: 10 pm to 11.30 pm (ticket office: 9 pm to 10.45 pm)
1 Sept to 14 Oct: 10 pm to 11.30 pm (ticket office: 9 pm to 10.45 pm)
15 Oct to 14 Nov: 8 pm to 9.30 pm (ticket office: 7 pm to 8.45 pm)
On Sundays and Mondays, the night visits aren’t allowed.
Alhambra remains closed on two days a year – 25 December and 1 and January.
The last entry to all areas of Alhambra is one hour before closing time.
All visitors inside the Fortress complex are requested to leave the Monument at closing time.
How long does Alhambra take?
Most visitors to Alhambra take four to five hours to fully explore Alhambra Castle.
This involves a walk of around 3.5 km (2.1 miles) if you plan to see all the attractions within the Fort complex.
Here is the break up of the time you are likely to spend at Alhambra –
| Attraction | Time taken |
| Alcazaba | 15 to 30 mins |
| Nasrid Palace | 30 to 45 mins |
| Generalife | 30 to 45 mins |
| Charles V Palace | 15 to 30 mins |
| Museums (2) | 20 to 30 mins |
| *Walking | 60 to 90 mins |
*Since the attractions are at a distance from each other, you will spend considerable amount of time walking from one to the other.
Weekends and holidays attract a large number of visitors, which can further extend the time needed to explore Alhambra.
When you buy Alhambra tickets in advance, you save yourself 30 to 60 minutes waiting time at the ticketing counter queues.
Best time to visit Alhambra
Alhambra opens at 8.30 am, and the crowd starts coming in by 10 am, so the best time to visit Alhambra Castle is before 10 am.
There are three major benefits of starting early – you get to avoid the hot Spanish sun, you avoid the crowd, and you also get to finish your tour by 2 pm and head to the city of Granada for lunch.
The second best time to visit Granada is 3 pm, after a nice local lunch in the city.
By this time, the crowd has already left or is planning to go, and if you stay long enough, you also get to see stunning sunset views from the Towers.
In the summer: We suggest you start outdoors when the temperatures are still bearable. Once it gets hot, move indoors to the Nasrid Palaces.
In the winter: You must start your tour with Nasrid Palaces, and as the Sun comes up, and it gets warmer, move outdoors to Generalife and Alcazaba.
*Entry to Nasrid Palace is timed.
Alhambra tickets
Alhambra is a complicated tourist attraction, and that’s why it is better to know everything before booking your Alhambra Granada tickets.
Crowd control through ticket sales
To protect the historic attraction from overcrowding, the authorities sell only 6,600 Alhambra Palace tickets every day.
Visitors to the Nasrid Palaces are also restricted, and only 300 people are allowed inside every half hour.
During peak months, Alhambra tickets sell out months in advance – sometimes 90 days in advance.
This is why there is a huge demand for last minute Alhambra tickets.
Maximum number of tickets
Because of these strict restrictions, a person can only book ten tickets at a time.
This means, if you are a bigger group, you must break it into two and book tickets separately.
Are Alhambra tickets timed?
Yes, Alhambra entrance tickets have a time mentioned on them.
This helps the authorities limit the number of people inside the attraction at any point in time.
If you don’t enter the Fortress complex at the time specified on your ticket, you lose the right to visit this area.
The same applies to Nasrid Palace, which is inside Alhambra Fort – you must enter it in the time slot indicated on your ticket.
Note: If your Nasrid Palace entry time is an hour before closing, you must explore Generalife and Alcazaba much before.
Alhambra tickets at the door
Yes, visitors can buy tickets at the venue.
The Alhambra ticket office is in the Access Pavillion, and from there itself, visitors can gain access to the Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, and the Generalife.
However, we won’t recommend that because the number of tickets sold every day is limited, and the day’s tickets get sold weeks (if not months) in advance.
Besides, you also waste time getting from the ticket counters to the attractions within the complex.
For instance, from the Alhambra ticket counters, you must walk:
- 20 minutes to get to the Alcazaba
- 17 minutes to reach Nasrid Palaces
- 15 minutes to get to the Generalife
If you already have your entry tickets when you reach Alhambra, you can enter through the Gate of Justice, which is part of Alcazaba itself.
Why online tickets are better
Three reasons why you must always buy Alhambra tickets online and in advance
1. With more than 7000 tourists visiting daily, the tickets dry up soon. You don’t want to reach there and find out that all tickets have sold out.
2. When you buy your Alhambra Palace tickets online, you don’t waste your time waiting in long ticketing counter queues
3. Entry to Nasrid Palaces is timed. When you buy tickets at the venue chances are you may get a time slot further away into the day because of which you may have to wait longer.
4. You miss the grand entry into Alhambra via the Gate of Justice because you must reach the ticket counters, which are at another entrance – the Access Pavillion.
Alhambra audio guide
When you book Alhambra tickets recommended below, you also get the audio guide with it.
If you decide to buy tickets from the venue, you can pick up audio guides from the Entrance Pavilion (next to the ticket office) or the Palace of Charles V.
These Alhambra audio guides are available in Spanish, Gallego, Catalán, Euskera, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch and Portuguese.
Alhambra Castle tours
There are many types of Alhambra Castle tours, and we explain them below.
Because of the nature of the attraction, we recommend Alhambra tickets with a guide, but then the choice is yours.
1. Best guided Alhambra tour of all areas
This General Alhambra ticket gives you Skip the Line access to all areas of the attraction.
A local guide leads you through the fortress (the Alcazaba), the Nasrid Palaces, and the Palace and Gardens of the Generalife.
Rating: 4.8 / 5
Duration: 3 hours
Tour timings: 4.30 pm
Tour Guide: Yes
Meeting point: Polinario Café Bar next to the Alhambra ticket office. Look for a guide wearing GetYourGuide attire and holding a red GetYourGuide flag standing by the entrance of the cafe. Get Directions
Alhambra tickets price
Adult ticket (12+ years): 42 Euros
Child ticket (6 to 11 years): 21 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
2. Best self-guided Alhambra tour
This self-guided Alhambra general ticket gets you access to all parts of the Alhambra Castle.
You can explore Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces, Gardens, Generalife, Charles V Palace, and Alcazaba at your pace.
An audio guide comes with the ticket, and you can pick it up at the Entrance Pavilion or the Palace of Charles V.
Rating: 4.2 / 5
Duration: 3-4 hours
Availability: 8.30 am, 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm
Audio Guide: Yes
Hotel Pickup: Available on request
Alhambra tickets price (tour only)
Adult ticket (12+ years): 38 Euros
Child ticket (6 to 11 years): 19 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
Tickets price (with hotel pick up)
Adult ticket (12+ years): 65 Euros
Child ticket (6 to 11 years): 32.50 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): 5 Euros
*If you want to explore the Alhambra but with a little extra help, check out this self-guided tour with the help of a GPS Navigator. Find Out More
3. Alhambra Gardens tickets – everything except Nasrid Palaces
These tickets are also known as the ‘Alhambra gardens tickets’ or the ‘Alhambra and Generalife tickets’ because you get to access everything in the Fort complex except the Nasrid Palaces.
If you don’t like sticking to a schedule while exploring any attraction, this ticket is best for you – because you won’t be visiting Nasrid Palaces, where entry is timed.
Rating: 4.2 / 5
Duration: 2.5 hours
Availability: 10.30 am and 3 pm
Tour Guide: Yes
Audio Guide: Yes
Hotel Pickup: Available on request
Meeting point: La Mimbre Restaurant, Granada. Get Directions
Alhambra Gardens tickets price
Adult ticket (12+ years): 35 Euros
Youth ticket (6 to 11 years): 18 Euros
Child ticket (2 to 5 years): Free entry
Infant ticket (up to 1 year): Free entry
Ticket price (with hotel transfers)
Adult ticket (12+ years): 54 Euros
Youth ticket (6 to 11 years): 27 Euros
Child ticket (2 to 5 years): 27 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 1 year): 15 Euros
4. Premium small group guided tour
This guided tour of Alhambra Castle takes place in small groups of up to 10 people, making for a more pleasant and relaxing visit.
The official guide narrates all the secrets, stories, legends and also explains the artistic details of the site, making for a memorable tour.
This highly-rated tour ticket gets you to access all areas – Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba Generalife, Palace of Carlos V, and the Mosque Baths
Rating: 4.9 / 5
Duration: 3 hours
Availability: 12 pm
Tour Guide: Yes
Audio Guide: No
Hotel Pickup: No
Meeting Point: At the Mural map, near the main entrance of the Alhambra, by the ticket office. The guide will be holding a white umbrella. Get Directions
Alhambra tour price
Adult ticket (12+ years): 59 Euros
Child ticket (3 to 11 years): 35 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 2 year): 25 Euros
5. Private walking tour of Alhambra
If you love a VIP treatment, this is a perfect way to explore this Moorish medieval citadel.
After all, what better way to discover the Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Charles V Palace and Generalife Gardens than with your personal guide.
Rating: 4.7 / 5
Duration: 3 hours
Availability: 8 am to 6 pm
Tour Guide: Yes
Audio Guide: No
Hotel Pickup: No
Meeting Point: The Café Bar, next to the ticket office of the Alhambra. Get Directions
Alhambra private tour price
Adult ticket (12+ years): 260 Euros
Child ticket (8 to 11 years): 50 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 7 years): 50 Euros
6. Cheapest Alhambra tour – only Charles V Palace entry
It is the cheapest Alhambra tour available, and that’s because you only explore the free areas of the Fort complex.
The local guide will first help you walk a scenic route through the woods to the Alhambra’s Gate of Justice.
On the way, you will explore its exterior, walk along its walls and towers, and find out more about its Moorish history.
From the Gate of Justice, you will enjoy the exceptional views of the Albaicín neighborhood and then step inside Alhambra to see Charles V Palace, which is free entry.
Rating: 4.2 / 5
Duration: 2 hours
Availability: 9.30 am, 10.30 am, 3.30 pm, 4 pm, 4.30 pm
Tour Guide: Yes
Audio Guide: No
Hotel Pickup: No
Meeting Point: Justice Gate, Calle Real de la Alhambra, 18, 18009 Granada, Spain. Get Directions
Tour price
Adult ticket (13+ years): 13.50 Euros
Child ticket (6 to 12 years): 3 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
7. Guided tour of Alhambra, Generalife & Albaicín
This tour is a fantastic opportunity to get a holistic understanding of Alhambra and the city in which it stands.
At 10 am, you enter Alhambra Palace, an impressive fortified complex of Muslim Spain.
After the guide has taken you through all major attractions within the complex, you stop for lunch break.
After you are fresh for another round of exploration, you visit Albaicín, Granada’s ancient quarter.
Walking along the narrow, cobbled streets of Albaicín and admiring the flowering balconies and stunning views of the Moorish fortress are memories that are sure to stay with you forever.
Rating: 4.8 / 5
Duration: 1 day
Starts at: 10 am
Tour Guide: Yes
Audio Guide: No
Hotel Pickup: No
Meeting Point: At the Mural map, near the main entrance of the Alhambra, by the ticket office. The guide will be holding a white umbrella. Get Directions
Alhambra & Albaicín tour price
Adult ticket (13+ years): 75 Euros
Child ticket (6 to 12 years): 50 Euros
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): 25 Euros
*If you want a private tour of Granada’s Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces, and Albaicín neighborhood, check this out.
Recommended Reading
1. Alhambra tours from Seville
2. Alhambra tours from Malaga
Recommended route at Alhambra Castle
In Arabic, Alhambra means ‘the red one.’ The complex gets its name from the reddish color of the tapia (rammed earth) used to build the outer walls.
If you have booked a guided tour at Alhambra, you don’t need to worry because your guide will handle the route for you.
However, if you love exploring attractions by yourself, here is a plan you can follow –
Step 1: Book a self-guided Alhambra ticket
Step 2: Enter the Fortress from the Gate of Justice. Directions
Step 3: There are three parts to the Alhambra fortress – Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces, and Generalife.
The best path to follow is: ALCAZABA >> NASRID PALACES >> GENERALIFE
So, head straight to Alcazaba and check out:
- Torre del Cubo
- Adarve of the North wall
- Arms Square
- Barrio Castrense
- Terrace of the Puerta de las Armas
- Torre de la Vela
- Garden of the Adarves
Alcazaba takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your interest in history.
Since the tour of the Nasrid Palaces can only take place during the time indicated on your ticket, you must time your exit from Alcazaba properly.
Step 4: Alcazaba exit is only about 200 meters (650 feet) from the queue area of Nasrid Palaces.
You can be at the Nasrid Palaces entrance up to 30 minutes from the time mentioned on your ticket.
That is, if your ticket has 9.30 am mentioned on it, you will be allowed entry till 10 am.
Get in and explore the following areas of Nasrid Palaces:
Mexuar
- The Hall
- Oratory
- Gilded Room
- Court of the Gilded Room
Comares Palace
- Court of the Myrtles
- Hall of the Boat
- Hall of the Ambassadors.
Palace of the Lions
- Hall of the Mocárabes (Muqarnas)
- Court
- Hall of the Abencerrajes
- Hall of the Kings
- Hall of the Two Sisters
- The Emperor’s Chambers
- Court of the Wrought Iron Grille
- Daraxa’s Garden
The Partal
- Pórtico del Palacio
- Gardens and paths
- Rauda
- Palace of Yusuf III
- Promenade of the Towers
Step 4: Your last stop will be Generalife, where you get to see:
Low Gardens
High Gardens
Palace of the Generalife
Water Stairway
Court of the Sultana
Since there is a lot of walking, we recommend comfortable walking shoes.
If you are visiting during the summer, carry a bottle of water and sunscreen.
Follow the link for a map of the route to be followed at Alhamra.
What to see at Alhambra
The Alhambra fortress complex has lots to see.
Check out the Alhambra map below to get a sense of the magnitude of the Castle, and its different parts.
Everything that’s to see at Alhambra de Granada falls under five zones.
- Charles V Palace and surrounding areas
- Nasrid Palaces
- Alcazaba
- Towers and higher Alhambra
- Generalife
We explain these areas below –
1. Charles V Palace and surrounding areas
Besides the Palace, this area has three other attractions for the visitors to explore.
Charles V Palace
Charles V Palace is a square building, and its main facade is 63 meters (206 feet) wide and 17 meters (56 feet) high.
Don’t miss out its unique circular patio.
Work started on this Renaissance-style Palace in 1527 and continued till 1957.
Justice Tower
The Justice Tower has many names such as Torre de la Justicia, Gate of Justice, Esplanade’s gate, etc.
It is on Southern rampart of the fortress, next to Charles V Pillar, and if you have already bought your tickets online, this is the gate through which you will enter.
The gate’s facade has a horseshoe arch, which is hard to miss as you walk in.
Square of the Cisterns
Initially, this square was full of cisterns to store water for the use of the Royals living nearby.
These cisterns were 34 meters (111 feet) long, 6 meters (20 feet) wide, and 8 meters (26 feet) high, but when they outlived their use, they were buried under soil, along with the surrounding streets to form the Square of the Cisterns.
Wine Gate
This gate is supposed to be one of the oldest constructions in the Alhambra Fortress.
It is believed that people entering Alhambra would leave the untaxed wine at this gate, giving it the name.
2. Higher Alhambra and the Towers
This part of the Fortress has 10 Towers:
- Rauda Tower
- Tower of the Mihrab
- Ladies Tower
- Tower of the Points
- Tower of the Judge
- Tower of the Captive
- Tower of the Princesses
- Water Tower
- Tower of the End of the Street
- Tower of the Seven Floors
Each of these Towers has fascinating stories behind their names, and a guided tour of Alhambra is the best way to learn about them.
Garden of the Partal
The Garden of the Partal is locally known as Jardines del Partal.
This area used to be the gardens that surrounded the royal palaces.
During the Arab period, this space saw lots of buildings come up, which were occupied by the rich who could afford to live around the Royal Palace.
Upper Alhambra
The Upper Alhambra, also known as Alhambra Alta, was higher than the Palaces, and a moat separated the two.
During the Arab period, this was a small town with many higher-ranking officials of the Court, religious and administrative centers living here.
However, once Granada fell, they had to abandon the area, which was then destroyed or rebuilt.
3. Alcazaba
The Alcazaba, a fortress, is one of the oldest parts of the Alhambra.
Mohammed I built ramparts and towers around an already existing castle and established his Royal residence inside the fortress.
His son Mohammed II also lived with his family in Alcazaba till the construction of the Palaces.
After the King moved to the Palace, Alcazaba only served military purposes.
Arms Tower & Square
The Arms Square was the original entrance to the Alcazaba.
Here, the civil population offered many services for the inhabitants of the fortress.
Archaeologists have discovered the foundations of several Arab houses, where the civil population may have lived.
Located in the Northern ramparts, the Arms Tower was used to communicate with the city through the neighborhood of Almanzora.
Watch Tower
This Tower is 27 meters (88 feet) tall and has a bell on top.
The inhabitants of the fortress used the bell to inform the valley’s farmers on when they must water their fields at night.
The bell would start striking at 8 pm and would continue to do so at regular intervals till 4 am.
Garden of the Ramparts
The Garden of the Ramparts is locally known as Jardines de los Adarves.
Located near the entrance of the Alcazaba, this garden is on the parapet walk by the ramparts and offers beautiful views over the city of Granada.
Don’t miss out on the lines by poet Francisco A. de Icaza on one of the garden’s wall. It reads:
Give him alms, woman,
For there is nothing in this life
Like the grief of being
Blind in Granada
4. Nasrid Palaces
In Spanish, this Palace gets referred to as Palacios Nazaríes, and it has three independent areas:
Mexuar (Selamlik): The semipublic part of the Palace for justice administration and State affairs
Comares Palace (Palacio de Comares): The official residence of the King
Palace of the Lions (Palacio de los Leones): Private area of the palace, where the King’s harem was located
There are lots of points of interest to be seen at Nasrid Palaces, such as:
- The Mexuar
- Gilded Room and its patio
- Court of the Myrtles
- Comares Palace
- Hall of the Boat
- Hall of the Ambassadors
- Palace of the Lions
- Hall of the Mocarabes
- Patio of the Lions
- Hall of the Kings
- The Emperor’s Chambers
- Queen’s Dressing Room
- Daraxa’s Garden
- The Baths
5. Generalife Alhambra
The 13th century Generalife was the leisure place for Granada’s Kings when they wanted to get away from the official affairs of the palace.
It is on the slopes of the Hill of the Sun (Cerro del Sol), which offers a peaceful view over the city and the rivers Genil and Darro.
Even though Generalife is close to the Alhambra, it is considered to be outside the city.
In fact, once when Mohammed V was resting in Generalife, a rebellion had broken out in Alhambra.
Compared to the Alhambra fortress, Generalife is straightforward with no decorative excess or points of interest built into the architecture to enhance its beauty.
The Patio of the Irrigation Ditch (Patio de la Acequia) is 48.70 meters long and 12.80 wide and is a significant part of the Generalife.
The channel of water has several jets on the sides, making it a beautiful site. The rest of the patio’s area has vegetation.
Don’t miss out on the old cypresses that are in the verandas of Court of the Sultana’s Cypress Tree.
The most famous of these trees is the Cypress of the Sultana, under which King Boabdil’s wife used to meet a knight of the Abencerrajes family.
When the King came to know he had the Knight’s family and his tribe killed.
Museums at Alhambra
Alhambra has three Museums, two of which are in the Palace of Carlos V, and the third is next to Mosque Baths.
Alhambra Museum
Location: Palace of Carlos V
The Alhambra Museum is on the lower level of the Palace, in the South wing.
The Museum depicts the Hispano-Muslim culture and art through seven permanent exhibitions in its seven halls.
Alhambra Museum is open from 8.30 am to 6 pm, but on Sundays and Tuesdays, it closes early at 2.30 pm.
Admission into the Museum is free, and it remains closed on Mondays.
Museum of Fine Arts
Location: Palace of Carlos V
The Museum of Fine Arts is on the upper level of the Palace and displays sculptures and paintings from 15th to the 20th century.
Also on display are masterpieces of Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and grenadine paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.
This Museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm, and the entrance ticket is 1.5 Euros. EU Citizens can walk in for free.
Museum of Ángel Barrios
Location: Next to the Mosque Baths
This small museum is a tribute to Grenadine composer and guitarist Angel Barrios (1882-1964).
The exhibition attempts to narrate his life’s story using his memorabilia, furniture, and paintings from his private collection.
It is open from 8.30 to 6 pm, and admission is free.
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