Alhambra SOLD OUT for April 2018?

April is a very popular month to visit Spain, and the Alhambra is a super popular attraction. It sounds like you have to book much earlier than one month ahead for a site like this - it's as simple as demand outstripping supply. Did you use the official website to look for tickets? (folks on this forum report a lot of confusion about which website to use, that's why I'm asking)

There is apparently another approach: Other posters have reported being able to get tickets through their hotels (at some sort of mark-up, I'm sure). Purchasing tickets directly from the Alhambra website seems to be tricky, based on the number of people who've made posts like yours on this forum.

I see tickets available for April 21 and 25 only.

https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/tickets-alhambra-general/

Elaine,
It’s unfortunate that the Alhambra is sold out for your dates.
You may consider getting the Granada Card

For future reference only... Alhambra tickets can be booked 3 months in advance for best time selection.

Enjoy your time in Spain!

Edited to add...
You may want to read this recent post in which the OP was able to get the Granada Card and entry to the Nasrid Palaces.

Edited once again...

I just checked and there are still Alhambra tickets available with the Granada Card for mid-April!

I’d suggest you book your Granada Card soon! 😉

The Seville Spring Feria is a HUGE event April 15-21, I wonder if that's having an impact on the number of visitors to Granada before/during/after that time frame

http://www.andalucia.com/festival/seville-feria.htm

You might try getting tickets through a tour company. They'll cost more but come with commentary. Good luck.

Thanks so much for all those who took the time to respond to my post. The Granada Card would have been the best value under the circumstances. The glitch for me was that I received an error message when attempting to check Alhambra entrance availability for our dates through the Granada card website. Priscilla, you are way ahead of me on this! Because of the error message, I wasn't confident the Granada card would allow us to visit the Alhambra on our dates. So I purchased "audio tours" at a grossly inflated price through Viator, sigh. For the record, I did send an email inquiry to our hotel a couple days ago asking for suggestions but did not receive a reply. Lesson learned: early bird really does get the worm!

Elaine,

I’m sorry to hear that you had issues when attempting to buy your Granada Card.
I’m glad that you were able to get a tour even though you had to pay more.

When my mom and I visited Granada, we witnessed many disappointed tourists who were not able to get tickets to the Alhambra.

When you’re in Granada make sure you get some delicious ice cream at, ‘Los Italianos’, right across from the cathedral on Calle Gran Vía de Colón, 4.

Have a wonderful trip Elaine! ;-)

For future reference only...
If you have issues buying a Granada Card online, you can buy it via phone by calling; tel:+ 34 858 880 990. “Monday to Sunday 9.00am to 8.00pm. Except Bank Holidays”

Telephone operators speak English, French & Spanish.

Priscilla, we are staying very close to the ice cream shop you recommend and will be sure to give it a try! Thank you. By the way, while researching dining in Granada, I came across the following offer for ALHAMBRA TOUR PLUS DINNER:
http://www.abenhumeya.com/en/tickets-alhambra-donde-comprarlos/ Too late for us, but perhaps another reader may use this option.

Elaine,
My mom and I enjoyed a nice meal ( early dinner) at El Huerto de Juan Ranas right across from the San Nicolás mirador. We got a table on the terrace
(bar area) overlooking the magnificent Alhambra right before sunset. It was perfect spot for taking photos of the Alhambra across the valley.
We lingered around after our meal and then decided to share a piece of their delicious cheesecake drizzled with raspberry syrup; it was so yummy! 😊

Adding El Huerto de Juan to my list-thank you!

I’m in the same boat Elaine. My husband and I were lucky enough to visit the Alhambra a few years ago, in December-we were able to buy tickets the day before and pretty much had the place to ourselves. We were planning on a return visit with some friends in April, our schedule is pretty tight so we are limited to just a few dates. I tried the website, the Granada Card website and private tours (very expensive) and had absolutely no luck with our available dates. The Granada Card website specifically said that the Alhambra was unavailable for the days of our visit. So, we took Granada off the list and are spending more time in other places. It’s just a reason for us to return!

Have a great time in Spain. It’s one of my favorite places!

All,
Please be advised that on-line tickets go on sale up to 4 months in advance, which is especially important to consider for days in the latter part of a month (I believe Rick's guidebook says "up to 3 months in advance" in his excellent sidebar that explains your ticketing options). But it is NOT a daily rolling 3-month calendar since an entire new month goes live on the 1st.

Case in point: I've been watching daily for the June 2018 calendar to become available so I could book the 6th, and today (March 1st) the entire month was open. And as of today on-line tickets were sold out through May 10th. So anyone who isn't checking at the very beginning of what some would call "the fourth month out" is at the mercy of seasonal demand.

Another datapoint: in 2016 we bought our tickets for the end of March just two months beforehand, so it varies.

The website (in English) that I used today is from Rick's sidebar: https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/
The ticket costs 14 Euros plus a modest on-line fee of 0.85 Euro.

Elaine now that you have your tickets, I recommend the restaurant that overlooks the Alhambra-
Carmen Mirador de Aida. Also needs reservations.

Yes, I remember trying for Alhambra tickets for an October trip in 2007 -- nothing available for the days we planned to be in Granada so I reshuffled our time to be there on the days we could get tickets.

I'll be in Granada the 2nd week of April. I tried to book Alhambra tickets in January and they were sold out.
My hotel charged 5 Euro per ticket and has some for me.
They had said to book fast with them because the hotels run out of tickets to draw from.