Alhambra tickets-figuring out Nasrid entry time

Yes, we did something very similar. You should have plenty of time. You can always go back afterward if you want. But it’s really just a viewing tower, and it’s not far from the Nasrid palace.

If you go to the Generalife, take your time viewing the gardens because you can’t return. I thought you could walk back through, but it’s a one way path after the summer palace.

You also are allowed only one visit to the museum in the Carlos V Palace.

On any given day, some parts of the Alhambra complex will be closed--Not the Nasrid Palaces, of course, and I assume not the museum. But it's smart to stop at the visitor center to inquire about the schedule for the day. Some things may be open only in the morning.

I would do Nasrid first, because then you can relax and see everything else without having to worry about checking the time in case you're getting late....
Here are some more tips about visiting the Alhambra
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2019/04/granada-tips-for-visiting-alhambra.html

To me, only the Nasrid Palace time is important. It doesn’t take long to go up into the Alcazaba tower and you can go back to it after the palace if you feel you need more time. As somebody already stated, it is yards from the Nasrid Palace. Go to the Generalife after the palaces because It can take some time to visit.

Second (and third) @Tinac and @jaimeelsabio! Go to Nasrid Palace first. Then relax, take your time and enjoy the rest of the site. Did just that in September, based on advice here, and it worked out great.

You can only enter each section once (the controlled areas), so you can't return to the Alcazaba if you didn't finish it prior to the Nasrid.

You can access to every place inside the Alhambra (Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Partal and Generalife) just once. However, you can go in and out of the complex all the times you need.

https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/visit/faq

Thanks everyone! Yea, I had originally planned it to go to Nasrid first but I remember from our last visit that after you wind your way through the rooms you end up in a garden which is on the way to the main entrance. I'm trying to time it so we have lunch at Jardines Alberto. Then after lunch we'll head to the Generalife. So starting at the Alcazaba sounded more logical. But, right, I do remember that it's very close to the Nasrid entrance and we could go back to the Alcazaba.....

But yea, I can see that I might be nervous about missing our Nasrid entry time. Okay, much to mull over.

While I'm here....I've been reading Rick's "Best of Spain" book that someone gifted me and it's from 2018. Do you still need to print your tickets once you get to Granada? It says to do this to avoid the mob at the main entrance and also if you want to use the Justice Gate entrance. I'm assuming that is still true but confirmation from someone who was there recently would be great.

Thanks again!

I bought Alhambra tickets a few weeks ago for an upcoming trip. Printed them on my home computer with pdf back-up on my phone.

I remember a few years back the necessity of printing while on the ground in Granada, but that seems not required now. Maybe it’s still an option, but procedures have been updated. I have tickets with Q code in hand for an upcoming 2024 visit.

Guidebook details, including the RS books, are frequently out of date - time, cost, limited availabilities, etc. I find it prudent to always check current details with actual websites.

Yep, I checked the Alhambra's website and cannot find anything about entering through Puerta Justicia. According to my old book you have to print your tickets ahead of time if you want to enter the Puerta Justicia. I'm wondering if it has something to do with showing your passport? There was a link to "como llegar" on their site, alas, it didn't find that page. I think the answer might be in there but I'm not able to see it.

I guess we'll see when we get there if the Ticketmaster in town will print my tickets and if we have to show our passports. If not, we'll have to regroup in order to not miss our Nasrid entry time.

Has anyone been there recently and entered through the Puerta Justicia? If so, did you print your tickets ahead of time to avoid going to the main gate?

I'm confused. Did you buy your tickets from the official web site? If not, ie the reference to Ticketmaster (???), rules are probably not the same.

From the website "Carry the ticket withQR code in physical or digital format (including children under 12)."

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

It was easy to print the tickets I purchased on the website and I have the tickets on my phone - Apple Wallet.

Again from the website https://www.alhambra.org/en/alhambra-access.html :

"You can access the complex of monuments:

Directly from the ticket offices (access nearest to the Generalife).
Through the Puerta de los Carros [Gate of the Carts]. The most used, since it is right in thea middle, near the Torre de las Cabezas [Tower of the Heads].
Through the Puerta de la Justicia [Gate of Justice].
Access via the Ticket Office
Access Gate of the Carts
Access Gate of Justice"

FAQs area of the website : https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/visit/faq

Thanks for your replies and the information. I don't know how to write this any clearer....but I will try again.

I'm trying to avoid entering through the main gate for two reasons 1) to avoid a lot of walking and I want to start at the Nasrid palace. 2) to enter through the Puerta Jusiticia to avoid waiting in line to show our passports to get in.

I found a current post on TripAdvisor and you have to show your passport upon entry and it looks like you can do that at the Puerta Justicia whereas maybe you couldn't at the time my book was printed in 2018? But in that book, it states that in order to enter through the Puerta Justicia you have to REPRINT your tickets in town. It doesn't say why but maybe you don't have to these days and that Q code is all you need. Otherwise you do that at the main gate which I don't want to do.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187441-i416-k14377995-Passports_at_the_Alhambra-Granada_Province_of_Granada_Andalucia.html

Interestingly, since I speak Spanish I usually read the websites in Spanish. But curiously, they say in Spanish that it's necessary to show your passport but there is nothing about that when I flip to English. 🤔 (okay, maybe only interesting to me, ha)

This is why I asked if anyone has been there recently and gone through the Puerta Justicia and how did that work.

sorry, I guess I should have said "reprinted" at the get-go....maybe that was the confusion?

I have not seen any info that one needs to "reprint" tickets in 2024. I haven't entered yet, my trip is upcoming, but I do not plan on taking an extra step of needing to reprint. I will have my passport and Apple Wallet and (back-up) home printed ticket in hand.

If you read recent blogs you can find the current procedures. Try your question on Tripadvisor if no one answers with definitive experience here. edit - Oops - I see you've done that. Trust the poster's experience. I understand that it is necessary to show a passport to enter - must match the ID on the ticket. I have also read that some have managed to enter with a driver's license when passport was forgotten, but that may not be standard. I'm not sure where I read about the passport ID step. I'm not concerned enough to read the Spanish, but I agree that it is interesting to compare the different language versions. Sometimes I have found foreign language special tours that I can understand, but aren't mentioned on the English websites. And, good practical language experience!

I do remember how convoluted the entry process used to be. It seems to have changed.

But in that book, it states that in order to enter through the Puerta Justicia you have to REPRINT your tickets in town

I'm getting confused. Does your source say why the tickets need to be Reprinted in town? If it's from a book printed in 2018, personally I'd believe the official source over that very outdated book. Basically, all travel books are outdated related to details of this nature, covid changed a great deal. The only time that I am aware of that you need to go thru the main entrance is you are purchasing a discount ticket (child etc.).

My plan is to enter thru the Puerta Justicia gate for a 8:30 Nasrid entry bringing my passport as id as required according to the website and my tickets (which includes a QR code). Anyways, for an 8:30am entry, the only option is to enter at the Puerta Justica gate to meet that time.

Right, the book is old and that's why I asked about this particular aspect. I just purchased my tickets online and I'm looking at them and it says this: THIS IS YOUR TICKET (present it at the access and control places where required).

Okay, that definitely helps. So yep, seems things have changed.

Again I thank you all for your comments as I surely appreciate them.

oh and no Gail, the book doesn't say why you have to reprint. But I was looking at an old TripAdvisor post where one post says specifically that you can't print them at home. Maybe in "olden days" (like when I went in 2010) the bar codes couldn't be read on printed-at-home tickets? Or maybe you didn't have the option to print the ticket at home? I found my ticket from 2010 and it's like a ticket you'd get for a concert, very small. So maybe they hadn't figure out how to allow people to print them at home back then? I think I collected those tickets at the main gate in 2010. I have a vague memory of that. I definitely remember walking all the way to the Alcazaba from the main gate so I'm glad I won't have to do that this time.

anyway, yay!! I'm going back to the Alhambra in May!! Cannot wait!!

Yes - what you describe above is the difficulty, if not all the specifics, that I remember from about the same timeframe! What a mess - so many ways to not be able to easily access those tickets after all the planning!!! I was very glad to see that things have changed.

Enjoy!

Thank you! I hope you enjoy your time there as well. Cheers!

I purchased my tickets directly through the official site. I also booked a private guide, who told us to meet at the Justice Gate at 8:30. Our tickets for Nasrid were for 9 am. I had printed my tickets at home before we left. I don’t remember if they looked at those, just the passports, or what, but we got in without issue.

We then went with the guide to the barracks area for the big view, and the newer, incomplete palace (forgive me for not remembering the names). He told us we had a window of 30 minutes after our ticket time to go in, so we dawdled a little so we didn’t enter with the rush of people right at 9 am. He also told us that after 10, crowds really pick up. We were very glad to have been there early, and the timing worked out just fine! The guide was fabulous — Martin who works with the guide recommended in Rick’s book, Margarita Ortiz de Landazuri. Studying for a PhD in archeology so you know he had many details to share!