Recommendations on visiting the Alhambra

I would do daytime first.

We found the services of a guide, Margarita, really enhanced our enjoyment and understanding of the Alhambra. If interested, her contact email is [email protected].

Taxis are cheap and will take you up the hill to the Alhambra. There is a taxi stand in the Alhambra as well.

I don’t think it matters if you do the night visit before or after the day visit; it will be lovely either way. Definitely buy the ticket for the Nasrid palaces — this is the spectacular part of a night visit. You can purchase the Generalife ticket as well if you’d like to see the gardens (tickets are pretty cheap), but make sure you do see the palaces.

And it really doesn’t matter what day of the week you visit. They tickets are limited to the same total number of admissions each day, and they almost always sell out. So, regardless of the day, there are about the same number of people.

It won’t feel crowded except perhaps when you first enter the Nasrid palaces for your timed entry. Even then, people tend to spread out, and over your time inside those buildings, it will eventually be less of a crush than it felt at the beginning.

I second Carol’s recommendation for a guided tour. We have also used Margarita (and also a partner of hers on a second occasion when we were traveling with different companions). The service is not terribly expensive (around 120 euro for 3 - 4 hours), and the guide’s knowledge will greatly enhance your Alhambra visit, in my opinion.

Enjoy the Alhambra and your visit to Granada, one of my favorite places anywhere. Five days will be wonderful and you will have plenty to do and see — don’t let anyone convince you it’s too long to stay there!

We also enjoyed Alhambra, and the city of Granada.

But let me warn you that touring the complex requires quite a number of steps and is a physical day of walking.

My wife today would be unable to navigate the palace. She does want to go back and visit the gypsy caves with the flamingo dancers.

Just an FYI, there is a tourist train which does a circle around the city and stops at the Alhambra. It stops at the main entrance and the Justice Gate, recommended in Rick’s book as the better entrance. If you go two times you could use both entrances. We got a two day ticket for the train and rode the entire route one day and to the Alhambra the second. We were there for 3 nights and it was a leisurely few days. No rushing around.
If you like cheesecake, there is a small bakery which only makes them. It was delicious. It’s called
La tarta. It’s on a corner in the old section of town with an orange awning.
We took 3 private tours through Circerone Granada (also in Rick’s book). The evening walking tour of the Albaicin & Sacromonte was great but hilly and you are walking on uneven ground. We took the bus up and made our way down with the guide. Very affordable. Enjoy!

I don’t think it matters whether your night visit is before or after the day visit. On our last visit we stayed right at the complex so had plenty of time to walk around at night. When we went into the city, we took the local bus that we caught at the complex. We didn’t visit the Nasrid Palace at night. To me, at night, the complex is best viewed from a distance. Depending where else you intend on going on your trip you could cut a day or two from Granada to use elsewhere. To me, two full days in the city is sufficient, but I’ve been there four times. I can’t speak for week day vs weekend visits, but I will say that the tourist busses generally visit during the morning hours.

We visited the Alhambra during the day first and then we had our night visit afterwards on the same day. I don't know if one is preferable over the other, but I enjoyed seeing the Nasrid Palace first during the day and then seeing it at night afterwards. If you can only choose one night visit, definitely see the Nasrid Palace. It is magical at night; much quieter than during the day. You can hear the running water; and the uplighting makes the intricate carvings on the ceilings stand out and gives them a soft glow. So beautiful!

In May 2019 I did the night visit before the day visit. My date may have been an oddity, but I doubt it, because everything was sold out at the time (as it often is), and I found the palaces more crowded at night. All the nighttime visitors entered at the same time, whereas in the daytime there are more time blocks, so folks trickle in somewhat more slowly. At night, people eventually spread out as folks spend different amounts of time in each room, but it was a mob scene at the beginning.

I don't think it matters much--if at all--whether one does the nighttime or daytime visit first.

Anyone opting to do both who wants to use the (recommended) audioguide should check to see whether there's still a discount for using the guide on both visits. I had to hold on to my audioguide receipt to get the discount.

Thank you to all who responded! it was greatly appreciated.