Granada guide
The Alhambra and how to get tickets, the Albaicín and its viewpoints, the Sacromonte, tapas and the weather each month, with where to stay opposite the Alhambra.
By Inmobiliaria Cánovas
Updated on · 17 min read
Granada is the Alhambra, but also the Albaicín and its viewpoints, the cave houses of the Sacromonte, the tapas that arrive on their own with your drink, and Sierra Nevada less than an hour away.
This guide was put together by Inmobiliaria Cánovas, which, as well as in Nerja, has holiday rentals in Granada, such as the Suites Dreams Granada, right in the Albaicín and with views of the Alhambra. Opening hours and prices change: check them on each place’s official website before you go.
Must-sees
From the Alhambra to the Sacromonte, by way of the Albaicín, the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel.
The palace city of the Nasrid kings, high on the Sabika hill, and one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Its heart is the Nasrid Palaces: the Mexuar, the Comares Palace with the Court of the Myrtles and the Palace of the Lions, with its fountain of twelve lions.
You enter the palaces at a fixed time, the one on your ticket: buy well ahead and on the official website (we explain everything further down).
The sultans’ country estate, next to the Alhambra: gardens, orchards and the Court of the Water Channel, with its water channel and fountains. It is included in the same ticket as the palaces and can be visited at any time of day.
The military and oldest part of the Alhambra. Climb the Torre de la Vela: from the top you can see the whole city, the Albaicín opposite and, in winter, snow-capped Sierra Nevada.
Granada’s postcard view: the Alhambra straight ahead and Sierra Nevada behind, from the square of the church of San Nicolás. In 1997 the then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, said this was the most beautiful sunset in the world. At sunset it gets packed: arrive in good time.
The Moorish quarter opposite the Alhambra: cobbled alleys, white houses, cármenes (houses with walled gardens) and viewpoints on every corner. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1994. Get lost on foot, uphill, and come down along the Carrera del Darro.
To stay here, with the Alhambra opposite: the Suites Dreams Granada.
The quarter of cave houses dug into the hillside, birthplace of the zambra, Granada’s own flamenco. At night its caves host flamenco shows; by day, the Sacromonte Caves Museum shows how people lived in them, and the Sacromonte Abbey stands at the top.
The street that runs alongside the river Darro, between stone bridges with the Alhambra above: one of the most beautiful in Spain. It ends at the Paseo de los Tristes (“Promenade of the Sad”), said to take its name from the funeral processions that climbed to the cemetery. At night, with the Alhambra lit up above, it is something else.
Begun in 1523 on the site of the great mosque, it is one of the great cathedrals of the Spanish Renaissance, designed by Diego de Siloé. The main façade, with its three enormous arches, is by Alonso Cano, from the 17th century.
The Catholic Monarchs had it built to be buried in Granada, the city they conquered in 1492. Beneath their marble tombs, and those of their daughter Joanna and Philip the Handsome, is the crypt with their coffins. It is attached to the Cathedral, with a separate entrance.
11th-century Arab baths on the Carrera del Darro, among the oldest and best preserved in Spain, with their vaults pierced by star-shaped skylights. They are part of the Alhambra Trust’s Moorish monuments, which are free on Sundays.
The Alcaicería was the silk market of Nasrid Granada: it burned down in 1843 and was rebuilt, and today it is a maze of craft shops next to the Cathedral and Plaza de Bib-Rambla. A stone’s throw away, the Corral del Carbón, a 14th-century Nasrid inn and warehouse, the best preserved in Spain.
Plain on the outside; inside, an explosion of white and gold plasterwork. Its sacristy is one of the high points of Spanish Baroque. It lies north of the centre, off the usual routes: it is usually quiet.
What you need to know
Tickets sell out and the Nasrid Palaces time slot won’t wait: this is how to plan the visit.
Alhambra General ticket
The general ticket costs €22.27 (plus online booking fees) and includes the Nasrid Palaces, the Partal, the Alcazaba and the Generalife. Children under 12 go in free, but need their own ticket, bought together with the others.
Buy it only on the official website of the Alhambra Trust, tickets.alhambra-patronato.es, and well in advance: capacity is limited. Bring your original ID document or passport: they ask for it at the entrance.
Every day: from 1 April to 14 October, 8:30 am to 8 pm, and from 15 October to 31 March, 8:30 am to 6 pm. Closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Your ticket has a time for the Nasrid Palaces, and that is the one that counts. The rest (Alcazaba, Partal and Generalife) can be seen at any time of day: plan around the palaces.
Night visit to the Nasrid Palaces (€12.73): from 1 April to 14 October, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 pm to 11:30 pm, and the rest of the year, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 pm to 9:30 pm. There are also night visits to the Generalife gardens in spring and autumn.
Try the Gardens, Generalife and Alcazaba ticket (€12.73), without the palaces, or the night visit. And to see it from outside, for free: the Silla del Moro and the Torres Bermejas, or the viewpoints of the Albaicín.
Plans
Granada is lived out on the street, with Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra close at hand.
The Granada custom
In Granada’s traditional bars, every drink comes with its tapa, and each round brings a different one. Three or four make a dinner. The classic areas are the streets around Plaza Nueva and Calle Elvira, the Realejo (around Campo del Príncipe) and Calle Navas.
The zambra is the Sacromonte’s own flamenco, and seeing it inside a cave, with copper pots on the walls, is about as Granada as it gets. Book a table: the shows are at night.
As well as San Nicolás, the Albaicín has the San Cristóbal viewpoint, higher up and less crowded, and the Vereda de Enmedio viewpoint, already in the Sacromonte. From the Alhambra, the Torre de la Vela looks the other way: towards the Albaicín.
On Calle Calderería Nueva, which climbs from Calle Elvira up to the Albaicín, tea rooms and Arab-inspired shops line the street. To end the day, a bath at one of the city’s hammams.
At the foot of the Alhambra, with Campo del Príncipe, good tapas bars and the murals of El Niño de las Pinturas, Granada’s best-known street artist.
The Pradollano ski resort is about 30 km from Granada, some three quarters of an hour by mountain road. The ski season usually runs from late November into spring; in summer, there are hiking routes towards Mulhacén, the roof of the Iberian Peninsula, at 3,479 m.
On the southern side of Sierra Nevada: Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira, in the Poqueira gorge, are white villages with flat roofs clinging to the hillside, just over an hour from Granada. If you want to stay there, we have houses with a pool in Órgiva, the gateway to the Alpujarra.
To plan your trip
Three itineraries that fit into a weekend or a trip from the coast.
1 day
In the morning, the Alhambra, with an early palace time slot. Tapas in the centre; in the afternoon, the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel and a stroll through the Alcaicería. At sunset, San Nicolás, then dinner on the way down through the Albaicín.
2 days
On the first day, the Alhambra at a relaxed pace (Palaces, Alcazaba and Generalife) and San Nicolás at sunset. On the second, the Albaicín on foot: the Carrera del Darro, El Bañuelo, the Paseo de los Tristes and the Sacromonte; then the centre, and at night, flamenco in a cave.
3 days
The two days above plus a third of your choice: the Charterhouse and the Realejo in the morning and tapas in the afternoon, or a trip to Sierra Nevada or the villages of the Alpujarra.
Our tip
Each neighbourhood has its own style: we will help you choose the one that suits you.
To sleep with the Alhambra opposite: old houses, cármenes and viewpoints, within walking distance of all the sights. There are hills and cobbles, and the car is best left outside.
Ideal for: couples · views · short breaks
Flat and with everything close by: tapas bars, shops and the minibuses up to the Alhambra and the Albaicín. For a first visit without a car.
Ideal for: first visit · no car
The old Jewish quarter, at the foot of the Alhambra: a neighbourhood feel, good tapas bars and a short walk from the centre.
Ideal for: tapas · local atmosphere
Cave houses and flamenco: a different kind of stay, more out of the way and with a steep climb to the centre.
Ideal for: something different
Modern Granada: flat streets, shops and good transport, a walk from the centre. Larger flats for families and groups.
Ideal for: families · long stays
Apartments in Granada, in the Albaicín, in the centre and in Recogidas, with direct online booking.
Find accommodation Ask us on WhatsAppWhere to stay in the Albaicín
Six suites for two in a restored old house right in the Albaicín, managed by Inmobiliaria Cánovas.
Albaicín, Granada
An Albaicín house with its original architecture and an inner courtyard, turned into six suites, each with its own bathroom and kitchen. From most of them you can see the Alhambra: through the large windows, from the bed or from a private terrace.
And everything on foot: the Alhambra and the Generalife, San Nicolás, the Sacromonte, Plaza Nueva, the Cathedral and the Paseo de los Tristes.
Four of the six suites look onto the Alhambra from inside or from their terrace, and the Chili Red shows it through the bathroom window. The Green Room is the only one without views.
Each suite has its own bathroom, kitchen (with coffee maker, microwave and fridge), air conditioning, heating, TV and free wifi, plus bed linen and towels.
Check-in and check-out are automatic and there is 24-hour assistance: you don’t depend on someone waiting for you with the key.
All the suites are reached by stairs: the house keeps its original architecture and the Albaicín is uphill. If anyone has reduced mobility, ask us first.
With the largest private terrace in the house, opening straight off the room, and the Alhambra in front. Bedroom, living room and kitchen in a single space.
The most special suite: a self-contained attic at the top of the house, with a bath, kitchen and the Alhambra through its large windows.
The largest, in an old wine cellar with thick stone walls and a vault. It has a private terrace, and the Alhambra can be seen from it and from the dining-room window.
To see the Alhambra without getting up: its large windows face it, from the bed too. With a sitting area and kitchen.
It looks onto Calle San Juan de los Reyes, one of the Albaicín’s streets, and is the only one in the house without Alhambra views. Open-plan bedroom, living room and kitchen, in 25 m².
The smallest in the house: double bed, bathroom with shower and a small kitchen. Through the bathroom window, the Alhambra.
Weather and festivals
Cold, sunny winters, very hot summers, and springs and autumns perfect for walking.
Average temperatures in Granada
13° high0° low
The coldest month: frosty mornings and sunny middays. The Alhambra without the crowds, and snow on the mountains.
2 January: Día de la Toma, marking the capture of the city in 1492. The Alhambra closes on the 1st.
15° high2° low
Still cold, with lots of clear days. A good month to ski in Sierra Nevada and come down to the city to sleep.
In early February, the festival of San Cecilio, the patron saint, in the Sacromonte.
19° high4° low
Spring arrives: mild days, cool nights and snow still on the mountains.
Holy Week (in 2027, 21 to 28 March).
21° high6° low
One of the best months to come: the Generalife in bloom and the right temperatures for exploring the city on foot.
From 1 April, the Alhambra is open until 8 pm and there are night visits from Tuesday to Saturday.
25° high9° low
Pleasant warmth and the city in festive mood: the liveliest month of the year.
3 May: Día de la Cruz, with flower crosses in squares and courtyards. And the Corpus Fair (in 2027, the week of 27 May).
31° high14° low
The real heat begins. Get up early for the Alhambra and save the afternoons for shade and tapas.
Between June and July, the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance.
35° high16° low
The hottest month, with cooler nights. The Alhambra first thing in the morning or at night.
Night visit to the Nasrid Palaces, Tuesday to Saturday at 10 pm.
34° high16° low
Dry heat and a quiet city. To combine with the beach: the Nerja coast is an hour away.
Plan: Granada in the morning and the afternoon on the beach in Nerja.
29° high13° low
Pleasant temperatures return: another of the best months to visit Granada.
Last Sunday: festival of the Virgen de las Angustias, the city’s patron saint.
23° high9° low
A mild autumn, with the colours changing in the Alhambra and along the Darro.
From 15 October, the Alhambra closes at 6 pm.
17° high4° low
The cold arrives and, with the snow, the ski season usually starts at the end of the month.
Plan: the Charterhouse and the museums, without queues.
13° high2° low
Cold, Christmas lights and the Alhambra with the snow-capped mountains behind: the photo of the year.
The Alhambra closes on 25 December.
Getting there and around
From the coast, by plane or by train, and once there, on foot.
About 95 km on the A-7 to Motril and the A-44 towards Granada: just over an hour by car. Granada and Nerja combine well in the same trip.
Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén airport is in the vega, the plain on the outskirts of the city. Málaga airport, with many more flights, is an hour and a half away by road.
Granada has high-speed trains to Madrid and other cities. The station is a walk from the centre.
The centre, the Albaicín and the Realejo are best explored on foot. Car access to the historic centre and the Albaicín is restricted: leave the car in a car park and take the city minibuses up to the Alhambra, the Albaicín or the Sacromonte.
Short answers
What visitors to Granada ask us most.
Two days are enough for the main sights: the Alhambra and the Generalife on the first, and the Albaicín, the Sacromonte and the centre on the second. With a third day you can add the Charterhouse and the Realejo or a trip to Sierra Nevada or the Alpujarra.
On the official website of the Alhambra Trust, tickets.alhambra-patronato.es, and well in advance, as capacity is limited. The ticket has a fixed time for the Nasrid Palaces, and you are asked for your original ID document or passport at the entrance.
The general ticket costs €22.27, plus online booking fees, and includes the Nasrid Palaces, the Partal, the Alcazaba and the Generalife. Children under 12 go in free, with their own ticket. The night visit to the palaces costs €12.73.
The viewpoints of the Albaicín (San Nicolás, San Cristóbal), the Carrera del Darro and the Paseo de los Tristes, the Sacromonte from outside, the Alcaicería and, for the Alhambra, the Silla del Moro and the Torres Bermejas. The Alhambra Trust’s Moorish monuments, such as El Bañuelo, are free on Sundays.
Yes: in traditional bars, every drink comes with its tapa, and each round brings a different one. Three or four rounds make a dinner.
Spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October), with mild temperatures. In July and August it is very hot, with highs of about 35 °C, and in winter the mornings are cold, often with frost.
In the Albaicín if you want Alhambra views and to be within walking distance of everything; in the centre, for a first visit without a car; and in the Realejo, for its tapas scene. The Albaicín is home to the Suites Dreams Granada, six suites with bathroom and kitchen, most with views of the Alhambra.
About 95 km via the A-7 and A-44, just over an hour by car. You can go there and back in a day, although to see the Alhambra at a relaxed pace it is worth staying the night.
Checked on 21 October 2026. Opening hours and prices change: confirm them before you go.
From Wikimedia Commons, under free licences; they have only been reduced in size. Those of the Suites Dreams are their own.
Inmobiliaria Cánovas
The Suites Dreams Granada and more apartments in Granada, with direct online booking. And for a trip down to the coast, our Nerja guide.