Alhambra ticket confusions
Feb 4th, 2017, 05:52 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Alhambra ticket confusions
Ok I am muy confused about how the Alhambra tickets work. As I'm understanding it:
1. you buy for either the morning or afternoon
2. you then buy separate tickets for the Nasrid palace that are timed and should be 1.5 hours after you enter the complex?
3. Do you then need to buy separate evening tickets? and what is the difference between the garden ticket and the Nasrid evening tickets and how do you decide which one to buy?
and do you recommend afternoon or morning tickets (I'm assuming that if you buy the morning you can't stay through the afternoon?)
and where is best site to buy them from - seems like there are a lot of options and I do worry about buying from one that is not legit. Thanks
1. you buy for either the morning or afternoon
2. you then buy separate tickets for the Nasrid palace that are timed and should be 1.5 hours after you enter the complex?
3. Do you then need to buy separate evening tickets? and what is the difference between the garden ticket and the Nasrid evening tickets and how do you decide which one to buy?
and do you recommend afternoon or morning tickets (I'm assuming that if you buy the morning you can't stay through the afternoon?)
and where is best site to buy them from - seems like there are a lot of options and I do worry about buying from one that is not legit. Thanks
Feb 4th, 2017, 07:45 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. Yes
2. No. Your morning or afternoon ticket includes a time for the Nasrid Palace. It can be as early as you want -- it takes only a few minutes to get there from the gate. You MUST enter the Nasrid Palace within 30 minutes of your designated time.
3. Yes. The garden ticket lets you into the Generalife garden (and nothing else). The Nasrid Palace ticket lets you into the Nasrid Palace (and nothing else). I would go to the Generalife the night before my daytime ticket and the Nasrid Palace after my daytime ticket. If I could do only one, I would not miss the evening visit to the Nasrid Palace.
I'd go as early in the day as you are willing to go. If you start there in the morning and leave, and then try to return after the morning session has ended, you will not be allowed in unless you have a separate afternoon ticket. When I was there, no one shooed me out, so I was on the grounds from minutes after the Alhambra opened for the day until the very end of the afternoon session -- and I would have loved more time.
As for the correct site, please use this "search the forums" box to the upper right -- there are a TON of posts on exactly this topic, and I don't want to mislead you.
2. No. Your morning or afternoon ticket includes a time for the Nasrid Palace. It can be as early as you want -- it takes only a few minutes to get there from the gate. You MUST enter the Nasrid Palace within 30 minutes of your designated time.
3. Yes. The garden ticket lets you into the Generalife garden (and nothing else). The Nasrid Palace ticket lets you into the Nasrid Palace (and nothing else). I would go to the Generalife the night before my daytime ticket and the Nasrid Palace after my daytime ticket. If I could do only one, I would not miss the evening visit to the Nasrid Palace.
I'd go as early in the day as you are willing to go. If you start there in the morning and leave, and then try to return after the morning session has ended, you will not be allowed in unless you have a separate afternoon ticket. When I was there, no one shooed me out, so I was on the grounds from minutes after the Alhambra opened for the day until the very end of the afternoon session -- and I would have loved more time.
As for the correct site, please use this "search the forums" box to the upper right -- there are a TON of posts on exactly this topic, and I don't want to mislead you.
Feb 5th, 2017, 07:34 PM
#4
Buying Alhambra tickets is confusing.
Ditto what kja said. She nicely summed up what this useful blog took a lot longer to say:
http://www.wandertooth.com/alhambra-...da-spain-tips/
Here is the official site, it can be tricky to find:
http://apc.ticketmaster.es/nav/landi...bra/index.html
Pay close attention to the days of the week, as well as dates, that you will be in Granada. The hours of entry, especially for night visits change a couple of time through the year.
Ditto what kja said. She nicely summed up what this useful blog took a lot longer to say:
http://www.wandertooth.com/alhambra-...da-spain-tips/
Here is the official site, it can be tricky to find:
http://apc.ticketmaster.es/nav/landi...bra/index.html
Pay close attention to the days of the week, as well as dates, that you will be in Granada. The hours of entry, especially for night visits change a couple of time through the year.
Feb 6th, 2017, 02:48 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
behhh this is confusing. The good news is it looks like since we are looking for June we have 2 months to figure it out. So if I am understanding correctly the dobla de oro tickets include the Albayzin which is separate from the Alhambra. This I suspect is quite a lot for one day so we are better off buying the Alhambra general tickets? And if I am reading correctly there is no way to pick them up at one's hotel? One must go into town to one of the two ticket places? whew - it almost makes me want to sign up for a tour just to miss all this...
Feb 6th, 2017, 04:28 PM
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Your call, but as already said, I spent an entire day at the Alhambra and could have used more. And there is, IME, absolutely <b><u>no</u></b> reason to take a tour of the Albayzin (or anything else in Granada), which you can easily explore on your own with any decent guidebook.
You should be able to pick up your tickets for the Alhambra at the Alhambra when you go there to begin your visit.
Where are you getting all this confusing info? I wonder if, maybe, you are over-thinking it and not focusing on the facts or how they fit with your preferences and needs. I could be wrong....
You should be able to pick up your tickets for the Alhambra at the Alhambra when you go there to begin your visit.
Where are you getting all this confusing info? I wonder if, maybe, you are over-thinking it and not focusing on the facts or how they fit with your preferences and needs. I could be wrong....
Feb 6th, 2017, 05:37 PM
#7
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 706
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Laura, I felt the same way when I was first doing research, and seriously thought about doing a tour instead so someone else would buy the tickets! Now, though, familiarity has made it feel much more doable. If you're only in Granada a short time I don't see a reason to buy the Dobla de Oro, since it functions like a museum pass for a number of sites around Grenada.
Feb 6th, 2017, 05:59 PM
#8
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I apologize for "Hijacking" this thread, but I'm reading it because we are going to Granada in September. I have read the blog that nelson mentions, and I notice the bloggers mention that the Alhambra has discontinued the audio guides. Does anyone know if this is indeed fact? Is there a simple Alhambra guidebook that anyone can recommend? (not a history book
The bloggers recommend bringing a guidebook with you or booking a tour. I'm concerned we would feel rushed on a tour.
Where is it easiest to pick up our tickets? At the Alhambra or at the new bookstore at Corral del Carbon?
Thank you!
The bloggers recommend bringing a guidebook with you or booking a tour. I'm concerned we would feel rushed on a tour.Where is it easiest to pick up our tickets? At the Alhambra or at the new bookstore at Corral del Carbon?
Thank you!
Feb 6th, 2017, 06:18 PM
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My understanding is that the audio guide HAD been discontinued, but that a new one has become available. I could be wrong.
There should be guidebooks of all descriptions, simple and detailed, at the shop by the main entrance, where you can claim your tickets. Of course, if you get there late in the day, some could be sold out....
There is absolutely no reason to take a tour of the Alhambra unless that is your preference. Even in the worst case scenario, most decent guidebooks provide excellent coverage, so you can read up in advance and/or carry those pages with you -- or move them onto a mobile device. And honestly, in comparison to the cost of your trip, a guidebook or two will be a nugatory expense.
Hope that helps!
There should be guidebooks of all descriptions, simple and detailed, at the shop by the main entrance, where you can claim your tickets. Of course, if you get there late in the day, some could be sold out....
There is absolutely no reason to take a tour of the Alhambra unless that is your preference. Even in the worst case scenario, most decent guidebooks provide excellent coverage, so you can read up in advance and/or carry those pages with you -- or move them onto a mobile device. And honestly, in comparison to the cost of your trip, a guidebook or two will be a nugatory expense.
Hope that helps!
Feb 6th, 2017, 06:31 PM
#10
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kja, once again thanks for your helpful information. The bloggers did say an app has replaced the audioguides, but there are serious problems with the app. I certainly don't mind buying an Alhambra guidebook. I hope to purchase morning tickets so there should be plenty available at the store. And I will check with Amazon, too.
Feb 6th, 2017, 06:46 PM
#11
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To be clear, I wasn't talking about the guidebooks available from the shop by the Alhambra -- I was talking about general guidebooks for Spain. ;-)
FWIW, while I found the (old) audio guide helpful, the benefit was mostly in telling me exactly where to look -- the kind of stuff that goes "entering into the next room, move to your right and look up." The information I had from guidebooks -- basic guidebooks on Spain, obtained in advance of my trip -- was much more detailed, and since some of those guidebooks included detailed visuals, the directions helped mostly because I didn't have to pull any guidebooks out. That was in pre-mobile days, so it should be even easier now.
FWIW, while I found the (old) audio guide helpful, the benefit was mostly in telling me exactly where to look -- the kind of stuff that goes "entering into the next room, move to your right and look up." The information I had from guidebooks -- basic guidebooks on Spain, obtained in advance of my trip -- was much more detailed, and since some of those guidebooks included detailed visuals, the directions helped mostly because I didn't have to pull any guidebooks out. That was in pre-mobile days, so it should be even easier now.
Feb 9th, 2017, 02:56 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
so if we buy the tickets in advance (night Nasrid palace, morning general admission) we would then be able to pick them up at the Alhambra itself without standing in the long lines?
my confusion KJA was that on the ticketmaster site one reads the description of the tickets - but then when you click to buy it it takes you to a different page in Spanish (and my Spanish is pretty decent) but I wasn't able to follow or translate it and the tickets were in a different order than on the other page, my fear being we would buy the wrong ones! but maybe I am overthinking it
my confusion KJA was that on the ticketmaster site one reads the description of the tickets - but then when you click to buy it it takes you to a different page in Spanish (and my Spanish is pretty decent) but I wasn't able to follow or translate it and the tickets were in a different order than on the other page, my fear being we would buy the wrong ones! but maybe I am overthinking it
Feb 9th, 2017, 03:34 PM
#13
We over-thought the room as well, but it was a snap. We picked up the tickets the day before (or you can pick them them up at the Alhambra, too). Here's our day at the Alhambra with photos (and the times we visited). I'm in the minority, but if you see the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens in the day, the night did not add that much. Relax and enjoy. It's a snap.
As you will see, we arrived at the Alhambra at 8:45. We had selected the 11 a.m. entrance time to the Palacios Nazaries, the Royal Palace, so walked around and saw lots of the grounds before our allotted time slot. Afterward, we explored what we didn't see before. Audioguide was great.
We caught a cab and were back in Granada by 1:30 for lunch.
<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-seven-alhambra-by-day-alhambra-by-night/</B>
As you will see, we arrived at the Alhambra at 8:45. We had selected the 11 a.m. entrance time to the Palacios Nazaries, the Royal Palace, so walked around and saw lots of the grounds before our allotted time slot. Afterward, we explored what we didn't see before. Audioguide was great.
We caught a cab and were back in Granada by 1:30 for lunch.
<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-seven-alhambra-by-day-alhambra-by-night/</B>
Feb 9th, 2017, 04:19 PM
#14
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, I can't speak to the lines -- I purchased my tickets in advance and picked them up in advance, but the line for entering the grounds was quite long. Once the gates opened, the line moved quickly.
That explanation helps me understand your confusion. For future reference: You might try copying and pasting into a google (or other) translator.
To each his/her own, but seeing the Nasrid Palace at night remains one of the most magical of all my travel experiences, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have more than my share! Only a few other people were there the night I was there, all of them spoke -- if at all -- in hushed tones, and all but a handful left fairly quickly, so the rest of us were able to spread out. I could see the reflections of light off the pools bring architectural details into and out of focus, smell the night-blooming plants, and so much more easily imagine what it must have been to occupy this magnificent palace. It was, truly, magical!
That explanation helps me understand your confusion. For future reference: You might try copying and pasting into a google (or other) translator.
To each his/her own, but seeing the Nasrid Palace at night remains one of the most magical of all my travel experiences, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have more than my share! Only a few other people were there the night I was there, all of them spoke -- if at all -- in hushed tones, and all but a handful left fairly quickly, so the rest of us were able to spread out. I could see the reflections of light off the pools bring architectural details into and out of focus, smell the night-blooming plants, and so much more easily imagine what it must have been to occupy this magnificent palace. It was, truly, magical!
Feb 9th, 2017, 08:06 PM
#15
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oops! I picked my tickets up the day I was to use them, at the Alhambra entryway, about an hour before the gates opened. I don't know what I was thinking earlier and apologize for adding to the confusion. 
Feb 10th, 2017, 05:17 AM
#17
If you pay for your tickets by c/card, and want to collect from a ticket machine, [which you could do the day before if you like] you need the same c/card that you booked with. This applies to all tickets booked on line in Spain, I think.
And here's another vote for the night-time visit. apart from anything else there are far fewer people allowed into the palace and it's beautiful the way they light it up at night. As kja says - magical.
And here's another vote for the night-time visit. apart from anything else there are far fewer people allowed into the palace and it's beautiful the way they light it up at night. As kja says - magical.
Feb 10th, 2017, 05:48 AM
#18
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We picked up our tickets to the Alhambra at a bookstore in downtown Granada, where you can print your tickets from something like an ATM. I suspect you can buy a guide to the Alhambra there also. We did this as a part of our sightseeing in Granada.
The store was open on a Sunday, unexpectedly convenient. But there are other options. Here's all the info: http://granadainfo.com/alhambra/collecting.htm.
The store was open on a Sunday, unexpectedly convenient. But there are other options. Here's all the info: http://granadainfo.com/alhambra/collecting.htm.
Feb 10th, 2017, 07:39 AM
#19
"where is the Alhambra Library where you picked up your tickets the day before?:
From my trip report: Our mission, should we decide to accept was to find Tienda Librería de la Alhambra, Calle Reyes Católicos, 40. We hoped our Alhambra confirmation documents would not self destruct in five seconds. Anas had told us the official bookstore of the Alhambra was the best place to pick up our actual tickets for the following days’ excursions. We went inside, and, after producing the confirmation for the online purchase (and also the exact credit card that I used), he printed out our day and night tickets (it took five minutes).
It was located across the street from Plaza Nueva and near the big statue of Columbus kneeling before Isabella.
Mimar's post above has info, too, so that might have changed. have you contacted your lodging in Granada. They should be able to give you directions.
Yes, getting them the day before alleviated our worry (plus lines just to pick up tix at Alhambra were long when we arrived the next morning).
From my trip report: Our mission, should we decide to accept was to find Tienda Librería de la Alhambra, Calle Reyes Católicos, 40. We hoped our Alhambra confirmation documents would not self destruct in five seconds. Anas had told us the official bookstore of the Alhambra was the best place to pick up our actual tickets for the following days’ excursions. We went inside, and, after producing the confirmation for the online purchase (and also the exact credit card that I used), he printed out our day and night tickets (it took five minutes).
It was located across the street from Plaza Nueva and near the big statue of Columbus kneeling before Isabella.
Mimar's post above has info, too, so that might have changed. have you contacted your lodging in Granada. They should be able to give you directions.
Yes, getting them the day before alleviated our worry (plus lines just to pick up tix at Alhambra were long when we arrived the next morning).
Mar 27th, 2017, 06:28 PM
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
whew well that was crazy. I have daytime tickets for the Alhambra and nightime tickets for the Nasrid palace, but wasn't able to get night time tickets for the Generalife - it looks like they don't sell those during the summer@! anyone know anything about that? Also - it took four tries with the credit card because they insisted on a middle name and I don't have one - finally made one up lol. thank you all for your advice - the site https://www.wandertooth.com/alhambra...da-spain-tips/ was quite helpful.
