Alhambra tours

IF you google it, you'll find literally hundreds of hits for companies that'll do Alhambra tours...mostly in Spanish. You'll also pay much more for it. I'm not sure where you heard Alhambra tickets are tough to buy. Go to www.alhambra-tickets.es, pick your date and time, purchase your tickets, and show up at the Alhambra with your receipt and the credit card you used to purchase them. One benefit....the line for those who have already purchased tickets is a LOT shorter (in many cases non-existent) than for those standing in line waiting to purchase.

Thanks Norm. I did google Alhambra tours and saw all the choices. That's why I posted the question to see if there were any recommendations rather than trying to pick one at random. If no recommendations are forthcoming, will probably go independent. Thanks for the advice on the tickets.

Jeff

You absolutely have to buy your tickets in advance. This is the number one tourist site in Spain especially for the Spanish -- think Disneyworld. And the time for entering the Palace is very rigid.

We were there in early October 2008. Foolishly, I did not reserve tickets in advance, figuring I would be able to get some on the spot. We had just a day and a half in Granada, and upon arrival I tried to get tickets, but was informed they were sold out. D'oh!

Front desk staff at our hotel (Hotel Anacapri, from The Book) saved my butt, and was able to get us tickets (Kathy, who speaks Iowan, was wonderful, just as the book predicted). But don't count on that - we got very lucky. I saw numerous angry people who just showed up and wanted to buy tickets; they were outta luck, and despite making a big scene (or perhaps because they did), the ticket staff was unsympathetic, and they didn't get tickets that day.

I'm not sure one necessarily needs a guide there, though others might disagree.

Earlier this month while at home, we used the website to reserve the tickets. Then we picked them up at the Alhambra ticket area. I would recommend going in the morning (we were there at 9:30) because of the shorter lines. We purchased the headsets (English) and loved the commentaries that explained what we were seeing. We also took the Rick info. Take your camera! We spent most of the day there. You will love the Alhambra. I'd also recommend visiting the Cathedral and Palacio Real. We took the mini bus tour for 1 euro around the Albaicin loved it. We also took the mini bus up to and back from the Alhambra, 1 euro. I'd skip the tour companies and just use the headsets and guide info.

Sarah's right on the mark. The recorded entries on the rentable audio guide are excellent (and cheaper than a guide!) I'm not sure there's a need to pay all the extra money for a guided tour. And, as Sarah notes, you can wander at will on your own. The only restriction, as others have noted, is the half-hour window you will get to enter the Nazrid palaces....that's firm, and you can't miss that or you've lost the gem of the whole Alhambra.

Thanks so much for the advice. Advance tickets and audio guide it is. Going in October and tickets aren't available online yet, but will keep checking.

Jeff

We toured the Alhambra just over a week ago with a group booked for us by our hotel, Puerta de las Granadas, www.hotelpuertadelasgranadas.com, on Cuesta de Gomerez. We met our group just down the street in Plaza Nueva at 10:00 a.m. and were taken by mini-bus to the grounds, where we divided into language groups. There were about 15 in our English-speaking group; our guide spoke excellent English and was extremely well-informed and accommodating. We paid the hotel about $50.00 apiece for the tour, which included the Generalife Gardens and summer palace and the Palacios Nazaries. The tour ended at 1:30, at which time we could remain on the grounds, be taken back to Plaza Nueva by bus, or walk back, which we did in about 10 minutes. Since I booked through the hotel, I don't know the name of the tour company, but the hotel would have that information.