Granada · Sabika hill · UNESCO World Heritage
Alhambra and Generalife: tickets, hours and tours
Alhambra tickets sell out, and the Nasrid Palaces are the part that goes first. Here is how to choose a ticket or a guided visit and how to arrive on time.
In short
- Alhambra tickets sell out, and the Nasrid Palaces are the part that goes first. Book as soon as you know your date: the day you want may already be gone.
- The Nasrid Palaces are visited only in the time slot printed on your ticket. If you reach their entrance after your time, you do not go in.
- The Alhambra is open every day except 25 December and 1 January: 8:30–18:00 from 15 October to 31 March and 8:30–20:00 from 1 April to 14 October. Plan on about three hours.
- Tickets are named: bring your passport or ID card. Bags can be at most 40 x 40 cm.
- Single ticket sold out? A guided visit with entry included can still have places, and the City Pass includes the Alhambra. Read what each one covers: some do not include the Nasrid Palaces.
- After the earthquakes of August 2026 some routes in the Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife have changed, and some areas may be closed.
The Nasrid Palaces: the part everyone comes for
These are the rooms where the Nasrid sultans lived, and they are the reason the Alhambra is famous. Walls are covered with carved stucco and tiles, ceilings are made of honeycomb vaults, and there is water in the courtyards. You cross the Mexuar, the Patio de los Arrayanes with its long pool and the Comares Tower reflected in it, and then the Court of the Lions, with a fountain held up by twelve lions.
Remember that the Palaces have a fixed time slot and that you can visit them only once. The Hall of the Two Sisters and the Hall of the Abencerrajes are small rooms, where groups cannot stop to listen to a guide.
The Generalife: gardens with running water
The Generalife is the country estate of the Nasrid rulers, set on terraces. You walk along cypress paths, past fountains and pools, with pavilions at both ends of the gardens.
It is the best place to slow down after the Palaces. You can visit the gardens at any time within the general opening hours.
The Alcazaba: the oldest part, with a view
The Alcazaba is the fortress, and it is the oldest part of the Alhambra. You climb the towers for views over Granada and the Sierra Nevada.
The Alcazaba reopened on 23 September 2026 with an adapted route after the August earthquakes. Expect the route to differ from the one in older guides.
Visiting at night
The Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife gardens also open on selected evenings, with their own tickets. From 15 October to 31 March the Palaces are open on Friday and Saturday evenings, and from 1 April to 14 October from Tuesday to Saturday. See the opening hours page for the times.
Visitor guide
Alhambra Tickets: Palaces, Time Slots and Options
Alhambra tickets sell out and the Nasrid Palaces go first: how the time slot works, named tickets, and the guided visits and passes that still have places.
Alhambra: What to See in the Palaces and Gardens
What to see at the Alhambra: the Nasrid Palaces and the Court of the Lions, the Generalife gardens, the Alcazaba, Charles V's palace and the Cathedral.