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Offer to upgrade my Alhambra and Generalife ticket

Hello Everyone!
I’m in the middle of my journey through Spain and I’ve benefited so much from your advice!
I’m on the high speed rail to Madrid as I write this.
I got a call offering me an upgrade to my tickets “for only $90” to Alhambra and Generalife” (Thank you, Acraven!).
I asked her to email me the offer, see below.
What would you advise?
Thank you!
Jennalinda

Hello Jenna! I'm Nis from Play Granada.
The Special tickets include access to the Nasrid Palaces, which are the most famous and iconic part of the Alhambra, and an absolute must-see. In addition, they will also grant you access the next day to other important historical sites in Granada, such as the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, the Cartuja, the Sacromonte Abbey, the Science Park, the Zafra House, the Real Cuarto, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Casa de los Tiros, and the Archaeological Museum.
The opportunity to see these incredible historical sites is truly once-in-a-lifetime, and I highly recommend taking advantage of it. Let me know if you have any questions or if there's anything else I can do to assist you in creating your reservation.
-Play Granada

Posted by
27618 posts

That sounds like it might be the Granada Card. It covers the Alhambra and a bunch of other sights (which I consider worthwhile) in Granada.

However:

  • Play Granada is a third-party vendor selling that ticket package at what seems to be a mark-up.
  • The quoted prices is substantially higher than the direct-purchase price of the Granada Card.
  • A sightseeing card is only worth as much as you can manage to use it. How many full days do you have in Granada?
  • Do you not already have a ticket to the Alhambra that includes the Nasrid Palaces? There are tickets that do not, and there are even tours of the "Alhambra" that are carefully described to disguise the fact that they do not include the most important part of the Alhambra. If you don't yet have a ticket (or tour) covering the Nasrid Palaces, I would try to remedy that.

First check the official Alhambra website. The most comprehensive ticket there is the Dobla de Oro (covering some other sights in addition to the Alhambra) but the Alhambra General ticket covers the Nasrid Palaces. https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/

If you have no luck on the Alhambra website, see whether you can purchase a 48-hour or 72-hour Granada Card directly at http://en.granadatur.com/granada-card. That will cost you either 49.06 euros or 56.57 euros, substantially less than Play Granada is asking. Sights covered by the card are listed here and include: Alhambra (Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces and Generalife), Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Cartuja Monastery, San Jerónimo Monastery, Science Park Museum, Zafra’s House, Cuarto Real, Sacromonte Abbey, Casa de los Tiros, Museum and Andalusian Monuments, Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeological Museum. Looks like the same list Play Granada is advertising--but the official Granada Card also has some public transportation benefits.

If you'll be in Granada very soon, it's possible all the official websites will be sold out, and you may not have a lot of choice. I do see a very few Granada Cards available beginning on May 5; the Nasrid Palace entry times are mid-afternoon or later, but you would be free to enter the complex earlier in the day and see everything else before you go into the Nasrid Palaces. Those Granada Cards are likely to sell out very, very, very soon. I'm surprised they're available now.

Note that neither the official Granada Card nor Play Granada's list includes the Basilica de San Juan de Dios, a truly spectacular church.

Posted by
14 posts

Hello again Acraven!

I have 2 full days in Granadas.
I bought the last ticket to Alhambra (thanks to you!) which includes the Nasrid Palace, directly from the website. Would you still buy the Granada card?
see ticket info below:

ALHAMBRA GENERAL VISIT

IMPORTANT
(*) The time of entry to Nasrid Palaces is binding and can NOT be changed. The visitor must access that space at the selected time. The rest of the spaces that make up the monumental complex (Alcazaba, Partal and Generalife) can be visited from the opening hours.

Posted by
4656 posts

I wouldn't buy it for 2 days in Granada. I was there for 5 nights and used the Dobla d'Oro ticket. That kept me busy and was a lot cheaper.

Posted by
27618 posts

No, I wouldn't add on the Granada Card. The sights in Granada are not terribly expensive. Given that you already have a ticket for the Alhambra that includes everything you'll want to see there, there's not enough additional value on the Granada Card for a two-day visitor to justify the cost. Just pay as you go for other things you want to see. The list of things covered by the card gives you an idea of a lot of the possibilities. The two other things I enjoyed that weren't covered by the card were the aforementioned San Juan de Dios and the Rodriguez-Acosta Foundation. The website is a bit confusing, but I think the Foundation is closed at the moment.

If you need a gelato infusion, I can recommend Los Italianos. https://www.lositalianos.es/ The ordering process is a bit different from what you encounter in most ice cream shops, but it's very logical. You tell the person handling the money what size ice cream you want, pay for it and receive a little plastic tag. You then hand the tag to one of the gelato-scoopers and specify your flavors and cup/cone. It's very efficient. There's usually a bit of a line, but it normally moves fast.

Posted by
14 posts

Acraven, you are a gem! Thank you!
And I’m ALWAYS happy to get gelato recommendations! (Or any food!) I’m in Madrid currently and including today have two full days. I had two disappointing meals here that were highly reviewed on Yelp. If you know of any good restaurants, I’m all ears!

I had planned on going to The Royal Palace this morning but tour was canceled because the palace closed. It worked out though because unfortunately I’m not feeling well and I was able to get some rest this morning.
Ok, off to explore!
Salute!
Jenna

Posted by
27618 posts

I'm nearly always useless at providing restaurant recommendations. I take lists with me, but I want to eat near wherever I am when I get hungry, so the lists are rarely helpful. I hate the very late Spanish dinner hour, so I try to take advantage of the midday (weekday) Menu del Dia offers I see as I'm walking around.

I have no memory of any specific meal in Madrid or Granada--just the Los Italianos gelato!