Short answer. The Alhambra has four areas you can visit: the Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces, the Partal and the Generalife. The Palaces are the highlight, the Generalife is the place to slow down, and the Alcazaba gives you the view. Plan on about three hours, and keep one slot for the Palaces, because that is the only part with a fixed time.
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Alhambra: Entry Ticket with Optional Nasrid Palaces
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Book tickets and tours →What are the Nasrid Palaces?
They are the rooms where the last Muslim rulers of Granada lived and received. The dynasty held the city from 1232 to 1492, and the palaces you see today were made mostly in the fourteenth century, under two rulers: Yusuf I and Muhammad V.
You pass through three main areas. The Mexuar is the western wing of the royal palace. The Patio de los Arrayanes, the Court of the Myrtles, has a long pool that mirrors the Comares Tower. Then comes the Court of the Lions, the most famous courtyard of the Alhambra, with a fountain held up by twelve lions. Muhammad V made it between 1362 and 1391 as a winter residence, with the harem. Around it you see the Hall of the Two Sisters and the Hall of the Abencerrajes, two small rooms with carved stucco and honeycomb ceilings.
The Hall of the Ambassadors is the throne room, inside the Comares Tower. It measures about 11.3 metres on each side and 18.2 metres high, and it is the biggest room of the Alhambra. Remember the rule: you enter the Palaces only in the time slot on your ticket, and only once. See our tickets guide for how it works.
What is the Generalife?
The Generalife was a country estate of the Nasrid rulers, a villa with a farm that dates from the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. Ismail I remodelled it in 1319. The gardens climb in terraces, with cypress walks, fountains and pools.
It is a good place to rest after the Palaces. You walk along the Paseo de los Cipreses and the Paseo de los Nogales, and you can visit the gardens at any time within the general hours. The Patio de la Acequia and the Patio de la Sultana are two of its courtyards.
Is the Alcazaba worth the climb?
Yes. The Alcazaba is the military fortress and the oldest part of the Alhambra. Muhammad I began the Alhambra in 1238, and the Alcazaba and parts of the walls are what remain of his work. You climb the towers for views over Granada and the Sierra Nevada.
After the August 2026 earthquakes the Alcazaba was closed for 39 days. It reopened on 23 September 2026 with an adapted route, so expect the route to differ from older guides.
What are the Palace of Charles V and the Partal?
The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance building inside the complex. It has a square outline, and you enter it without a separate ticket. Today it holds the Alhambra Museum on the ground floor and a fine arts museum on the upper floor. Its story is in our history guide.
The Partal is a palace and a tower beside a long pool, surrounded by gardens. Muhammad III is the ruler linked to it.
What about the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel and flamenco?
The Alhambra tells the Muslim story of Granada. The Cathedral and the Royal Chapel tell the Christian one, after the surrender of 1492. They are in the centre of the city, with their own tickets, and the Royal Chapel holds the tombs of the Catholic Monarchs. Read about them on the Cathedral and Royal Chapel page.
For an evening, the Albaicín and Sacromonte give you the Granada of white houses and caves, and the flamenco shows. See flamenco in Granada.
How should I plan the visit?
Short on time? Do the Palaces in your slot and the Generalife gardens. Love history? Add the Alcazaba and take a guided visit that explains the rooms. Like to walk without a group? Choose an entry ticket with an audio guide. The details of the hours and of the way there are in our visit tips.
