I'm confused about my tickets to this attraction. I've read that to control crowds, only a certain number of people are given access twice a day – 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the first time slot and 2 to 6 p.m. is the second. I bought tickets online, but they don't specify which time slot I have; they do say that my entrance to the Nasrid palace is at 2. Does that I mean I have the second time slot? I'm arriving in the city that morning, so I was hoping to start at the Nasrid palace at 2 and then see the rest of the Alhambra after.
Posted by
California 🦋
5294 posts
Danny,
Apparently the morning and afternoon sessions are no longer enforced, so you can visit the Alhambra complex at any time during their scheduled hours.
Access to the Nasrid Palaces is the only place with limited entrance, and you need to be there at the time specified on your ticket.
Here is an excerpt from the official Alhambra website:
You should bear in mind that there is a specific time to access to the Nasrid Palaces, printed specifically on each admission ticket, when deciding the order of these places to visit. After this specific time you will have no access to the palaces.
You may find this post helpful as it explains where to pick up your Alhambra tickets.
Enjoy your time in Spain!
Posted by
OP
USA
7 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
Midwest
2768 posts
Yes. The way it used to be (I was there about a year ago and two years before that) was that your palace time determined your AM or PM slot. So you, with a 2PM palace time would be in the afternoon, meaning you couldn't visit the ticketed parts before 2. But now it looks like you have all day, which is great.
Just be at the palace entry by 2. If you are later than I think 2:30 you can't go in and there is often a line. This is enforced and in both my visits I saw people turned away for being late. If you get there at like 2:20, go straight to the guards. Most of the people in line are likely waiting for their 2:30 slot.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15788 posts
The grounds are open to all and quite large. There is the "Puerta de la Justicia" entrance near the Nasrid Palaces and the main entrance. The minibus stops at both. Unless you are pressed for time, it's better to use the main entrance, where you can pick up an audio guide and a map. Allow a half hour to get from the main entrance to the Nasrid, you won't want to rush along the way. There are other sights near the Nasrid entrance - the Alcazaba, the Charles V Palace, the museum in the Palace (possibly only open in the morning). If you don't see them before the Nasrid, you'll have to double back to see them before going up to the Generalife. If you need to check a large bag before going into the Nasrid, you'll have to double back anyway to pick it up. There's a small building near the Nasrid entrance where you check bags. There are also toilets and a couple vending machines with drinks and snacks. Note that there are no cafes or restaurants on the grounds but there are a couple of souvenir shops that also sell snacks and drinks.
People start to line up at the Nasrid entrance 30 minutes or more before their time. AFAIK you can enter from the time on your ticket until the next entry time. So they'll start letting in the 2.00 people from 2.00 to 2.30. If you are a few minutes late or if the people ahead of you aren't moving, make sure they have 2.00 entry. Once you are in the palaces, you can stay as long as you want. There is a one-way route but you can retrace your steps anywhere inside, you just have to exit at the other end.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Since the palace is inside the grounds you need to be at the main gate by 1.45pm. And they are absolutely dead serious about the time window.
Posted by
DFW Texas
31 posts
We just returned from 10 days in Andalucia which included stays in Sevilla, Arcos de la Frontera, Ronda, Antequera, Granada and Cordoba. In Granada we stayed at Hotel America, inside the Alhambra walls, which turned out to be a wonderful experience. You can also stay at the Parador which is right next door (and much more expensive). Another advantage of staying in a hotel inside the Alhambra walls is being able to enjoy the grounds after the crowds are gone, usually by 7:00 pm
We purchased our Alhambra tickets on Feb 9 for our May 7 visit through the ticketmaster.es website. The earlier you buy your tickets you will have a better selection of entry times to the Nasrid Palace. We chose the 0830 time slot which is when they open. Ticketmaster will send you an email with your purchase confirmation which you must present to the Alhambra ticket office to receive the actual entry tickets. You can buy tickets at La Caixa Bank ATMs or at Corral del Carbón on Mariana Pineda street in Granada. We picked up our entry tickets at the ticket office the afternoon before our 0830 time slot. The ticket office is very crowded throughout the day but if you're just there to pick up your pre-purchased ticktets you can go to the front of the line!
Hotel America is a very short walk (under 4 minutes) to the Nasrid Palace entry. We walked over at 0745 am and were first in line. Glad we did because the line started forming behind us shortly afterwards. By the 0830 opening time the line stretched to nearly the Justice Gate. They opened at 0830 sharp and it was so pleasant to have most areas of the palace to ourselves, at least for a few minutes anyway.