Infused with centuries of history, Alhambra is a top-tier Granada experience that draws in close to 3 million visitors each year. The sprawling complex is a maze of palaces, citadels, gardens, and museums – a beacon of Spain’s Moorish past that gave way to catholic rule in the 15th century. At Alhambra, every tower, every tree (there is one that is over 700 years old!), every chamber tells a story that is worth tuning into and, therefore, we recommend curated guided tours that help you soak up every bit of the magic that Alhambra offers.
Here are our recommendations for the best Alhambra tours.
Advantages of taking an Alhambra Tour
1. Limited entry tickets
Only a few thousand straight-forward entry tickets are sold each day. These, often, sell out months in advance and might leave you disheartened. Guided tours are more easily available since they are costlier but offer plenty of value for money.
2. Customise your tour
Guided tours allow you to choose the size of your group and the spoken language of the tour – ensuring you the best experience while presenting you with choices that are suited to your budget.
3. Don’t wait in lines
Alhambra is spread over 35 acres and features many highlights. At each of the complex’s monuments and features, you’ll have to line up to display your ticket and gain entry. With skip-the-line and guided tours, you can cut the waiting times and sail past the queues.
4. Take a deep dive
Alhambra’s origins go back to the 13th century and is a blend of Spain’s Moorish past and its enduring Christian heritage, post the 15th-century reconquest. The complex showcases Granada’s history through each epoch and highlights the legacies of many a ruler and the city’s people. With guided tours, you can dwell on the big and the small details, the known facts and the obscure legends that add to the magic of this fascinating monumental complex.
5. Combine with other Granada highlights
Soak in everything Granada has to offer by picking a guided tour that goes beyond Alhambra. With combination tours, you can discover the city’s ancient neighbourhoods and their architectural highlights, including, bath houses, palaces and historic homes.
6. Perfect for large groups
Individuals can only book up to 10 tickets per person and this maybe inconvenient if you are touring in a large group. Guided tours help you access a large pool of tickets and ensure a smoother logistical experience.
Your A – Z Guide To The Alhambra Palace Granada
Alhambra Granada: Skip-the-line tickets versus Guided tours
Given Alhambra’s popularity, the attraction offers a variety of ticketed experiences. Typically, skip-the-line tickets help you navigate the vast complex quickly without waiting in lines at each entrance. However, for the full Alhambra experience, to soak in every bit of its lore while also skipping the lines, we recommend guided tours. Specialised guides, proficient in many languages, can lead the way to the popular sites and the hidden gems around Alhambra. The guided tours are also better accessible than the skip-the-line tickets since they are usually available till a few weeks before your visit date.
Best of Alhambra’s guided tours
1Inside Alhambra - What to expect
Occupying a large tract of the towering Sabika Hill – that stands at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains – Alhambra’s roots can be traced back to the 13th century when the Moorish Nasrid dynasty took over Granada and made it its capital. From this point, Alhambra grew, erecting daunting fortifications, intricately designed palaces, blooming gardens and much more. Here are Alhambra’s must-sees!
2Alcazaba Granada
Occupying the western tip of the complex, Granada’s Alcazaba, meaning citadel in Arabic, is one of its oldest surviving features. The earliest fortifications in the area began appearing between the 9th and the 11th century and it was on these that Muhamad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first Nasrid ruler, began building a superior fortress. Down the line, Alcazaba was consolidated and became a visible and powerful symbol of the dynasty’s military prowess. On your visit here, your guide will lead you through a maze of multi-layered walls and ramparts, made of reddish, rammed earth, that ensured that enemies were kept at bay. In every direction, the fortress is marked by towers that offer unparalleled views of the Granada Valley – made up of tiled-roofed homes and historic landmarks. In the distance, the Sierra Nevada mountains loom, adding to the beauty of the experience.
3 Nasrid Palaces
One of the grandest, Islamic architectural wonders in all of Europe, Nasrid Palaces is the jewel of Alhambra. From its floors to its ceilings, this palatial expanse captivates with colourful glazed tiles, patterned, stucco-covered walls, and carved roofs. The three distinct sections – the Mexuar, the Comares Palace and the Palace of the Lions – are a series of official chambers and halls along with private royal residences. Each of these is a masterclass in Islamic design and craftsmanship.
First, the Mexuar – built as a semi-public space where citizens waited for their emir and as a council chamber – is where you’ll encounter carvings in geometric patterns and panels of elegant calligraphy running along the walls. Then, the Comares Palace – the official residence – is covered in intricate stucco and wood work. Finally, the private abode – Palace of Lions – features Christian influences and gets its name from the 12 water-spouting, marble lions circling a fountain.
Between the three areas, patios burst with greenery and feature elegant fountains. A series of halls and rooms also spectacularly display Moorish artistry. At the Salón de los Embajadores, for example, you’ll look up to see detailed woodwork of over 8000 pieces come together to reflect the heavenly realms. Elsewhere, the Sala de los Abencerrajes is likely to leave you breathless with an overwhelming stalactite, ceiling carving that looks a lot like an overgrown, blooming carnation.
The uphill Nasrid Palaces are also a great place to look out into the city. And if you have the time, do sign up for the night tour to experience these stunning palaces in a different light.
4 Generalife
Adjoining the Alhambra Complex, at a greater elevation, is Generalife – the Nasrid summer palace. The airy, whitewashed building starkly contrasts the intricately designed Nasrid Palaces below. Yet, it is worth visiting for its simple elegance marked by tiled roofing, lengthy, arched, sun-soaked passageways, and its open layout. However, the true star of Generalife is its lush gardens, built in the Islamic style, and featuring serene fountains. We also recommend soaking in the sweeping views of the Genil and Darro river valleys and of the city from here.
5 Palace of Charles V
A grand reflection of Spain’s multi-faceted history, the Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance-style edifice with Italian and Roman flourishes. The two-floored palace has an ornate, rectangular facade and a uniquely circular inner patio. First commissioned in the 1500s and designed by Pedro Machuca, a student of Michelangelo, the palace’s construction went through long periods of abandonment, was left unfinished, and, finally, fell into disrepair till it was restored in 1923. Today, the Palace of Charles V houses two museums – one on each of its two floors.
6 Alhambra Museum
Occupying the lower floor of the Palace of Charles V, the Alhambra Museum consists of eight, spacious rooms that showcase art and artefacts from Spain’s Moorish era. Many collections feature relics from Alhambra itself and spotlight architecture and art styles that were prevalent during the Nasrid dynasty. There are also pieces from Granada’s early Islamic period and objects from other areas in Spain that had a Moorish past. Entry is free.
7 Museum of Fine Arts
Since the 1950s, the upper level of the Palace of Charles V, at Alhambra, has been home to the Museum of Fine Arts. The walls here are adorned with Christian-themed paintings between the 15th and 20th centuries. Sourced largely from churches and monasteries in the area, the paintings include contributions from Jacopo Torni, Juan Sanchez Cotan, and Manuel Angeles Ortiz.
Rules and regulations
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- Individuals can buy only 10 tickets per person. Any bulk purchases above 10 tickets have to be done through authorised agents.
- Tickets to Nasrid Palaces are timed and if you miss your time slot you will not be allowed in (this is strictly enforced).
- If you have reserved tickets to the Nasrid Palaces, they have to be collected an hour in advance.
- You have to furnish your ticket along with your passport at each entrance.
- Backpacks and heavy luggage have to be kept at the storage facilities at the Alhambra entrance.
- Baby strollers are not allowed into the Alhambra complex and have to be kept in storage. You can hire baby backpacks at the entrance.
- Drinking, eating and smoking can only be done in designated areas.
- Pets are not allowed except guide dogs for the disabled.
- All monuments and artefacts should not be touched.
- Professional photography that uses tripods and flashes is prohibited.
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