Getting tickets from the Alhambra can be very difficult, almost Mission Impossible!
Many people do not know that this is the most visited monument in Spain, with almost 8500 visitors per day, in high season.
With its stone walls carved with elaborate arabesques and Islamic calligraphy, meticulously laid out gardens, bubbling fountains and ramparts with sweeping views Granada beyond—the Alhambra Palace and fortress complex is easily Granada’s most famous monument.So it’s not surprising that sometimes the lines go on for days and ticketing technicalities can be somewhat head-scratching. And not to mention: Only a limited number of tickets are available each day, so advance planning is strongly recommended.
The normal route of the Alhambra is about 3.5km and takes about 3 hours to visit the 3 areas of the Alhambra enclosure. There is a large car park. There are also some bars and restaurants where you can eat an inexpensive menu or a snack.
Here’s my best advice on how to see this amazig monument without wasting any valuable tapas time waiting to get in…
*Purchase your tickets in advance
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED UP TO 3 MONTHS AND UP TO 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE VISIT TO THE NASRID PALACES, IN CASE THERE ARE AVAILABLE TICKETS.
Keep in mind that when you book your ticket you have to reserve a specific time to visit the Nasrid Palaces, and if you’re late, you won’t get to see it.
*Day-of ticket Alhambra purchase? Rise with the sun… and run!
If you must wait until the day-of your visit to buy, don’t plan on sleeping in. Throw back an extra strong café solo first thing and show up at the ticket office before it opens at 8:30 am to avoid the line and have the best chance of snagging a ticket.
*Visit the Alhambra during the off-season
Of course, you could just make your life easier by planning your visit during the off-season (between November and early March). That said, Granada’s most famous monument is popular all year long, even during the off season, so reservations (or early mornings!) are still a good idea.
Alhambra typs of entries:
+Alhambra General (Generalife, Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces and Gardens)-14,85 eur
+Gardens, Generalife and Alcazaba (Generalife, Alcazaba and gardens)-7,42 eur
+Night Visit to Generalife-5,30 eur
+Night visit to Nasrid Palaces-8,48 eur
+Alhambra Experiences: Night ticket to visit the Nasrid Palaces and next day ticket to visit the Alhambra, the Generalife (gardens and summer palaces) and the Alcazaba (military residential area and towers).
14,85 eur
SCHEDULE FOR NASRID PALACES
When you buy tickets, you will be assigned a half-hour strip to enter the Nasrid Palaces. You can not be late because today are much stricter. There is always a queue but sometimes the people in front are queuing up for the next turn. The Alhambra staff go through the queue to verify that all people with tickets for a specific time do not miss this shift, so if you arrive late with a few minutes it’s a good idea to show your ticket to the employee to make sure you don’t need to go directly to the beginning of the queue
A good way to see the huge monument without getting lost and skip long queues is to hire a private tour, the guides have another entrance where there are never long lines. It is much more effective and faster.
It is also very important to remember that although children do not pay, they will have to be in possession of a ticket. Proof of being a pensioner, a young person or a child must be presented.
The Alhambra is open every day of the year except 31 December and 1 January.
For the day visit, you must choose an hour to visit the Nasrid Palaces.
ALHAMBRA DAY VISIT
OCTOBER 15 – MARCH 31:
OPENING HOURS: 08:30 – 18:00
TICKET: 08:00 – 18:00 (Monday to Saturday)
1 APRIL – 14 OCTOBER:
OPENING HOURS: 08:30 – 20:00
TICKET: 08:00 – 20:00 (Monday to Sunday)
NOCTURNAL VISIT: NASRID PALACES, GARDENS AND GENERALIFE
15th OCTOBER – 31st MARCH:
OPENING HOURS: 20:00 – 21:30 (Friday and Saturday)
TICKET: 19:00 – 20:45 (Friday and Saturday)
1 APRIL – 14 OCTOBER:
OPENING HOURS: 20:00 – 23:30 (Tuesday – Saturday)
TICKET: 21:00 – 22:45 (Tuesday – Saturday
There is no nocturnal visit to the gardens between 15 November and 31 March.
Some tips yoy can read in the Official Alhambra website:
- Due to the great demand of tickets and to the restriction in the number of visitors per day, advance booking is recommended.
- You will only be able to access the Nasrid Palaces in the time indicated on your ticket. If you do not enter at the designated time, you will not be able to visit this space.
- Due to the large crowds it is advisable to arrive at the monument in advance, especially on weekends and holidays.
- Visitors should leave the Monument at the closing time.
The easiest and cheapest way to get Alhambra tickets is through the official Alhambra website,
https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/
NEED A TOUR IN SEVILLE IN ENGLISH OR ITALIAN?
You can book a tour in Seville in English (and help on monument’s tickets), oppure una visita privata a Siviglia in italiano.
