I've searched thru the forum for Alhambra and still have some questions. I checked the website and the 8:30a tickets are still available for the day I want.

1) We like to take a lot of pictures and take our time so would we be run over by crowds by 9am? Seems like everyone is trying to get the 8:30 tickets.

2) People have mentioned lining up at 7:30a for the 8:30a entry. Is that because they have to pickup their reserved tickets? We will arrive the previous night and plan to do the night tour so hopefully we can pickup the reserved tickets (both day and night) then. If that's the case, do we still have to line up at 7:30 to enter the grounds?

3) Once inside the grounds, there is another line for the Palace? So even if I don't have to line up outside to pickup the tickets, I'll still have to line up amongst these people who will all have the 8:30 tickets for the Palace?

4) Once I'm in the Palace, can I take as long as I need? I recalled reading that you cannot go back to the previous rooms?

5) I'm trying to see if we can stay up on the hill but I think the ticket office where I pickup the reserved tickets are down at the bottom of the hill?


Thanks.

when are you traveling?

When I was there in 2004, tickets to the Alhambra grounds were for one of 3 time slots: 8:30 to 2, 2 to 6, or evening. In addition, each ticket had a specific time slot for the Nasrid Palaces. You had to line up for your inital entry to the grounds - no one was allowed in until the start time (8:30 or 2), and the line began to form long in advance of the entry time. You could enter later, but you had to leave the grounds at the end of your allotted time (i.e., by 2 for the 8:30 ticket and by 6 for the 2 p.m. ticket). Your entry to the Nasrid Palaces can't be earlier than time stated on your ticket - I think they were in half-hour increments. I can't remember if you could enter later; I think you had only a half-hour window. Once inside the Nasrid Palaces, you could stay as long as you wanted, except not later than the morning or afternoon session for the grounds allowed. The line for the Nasrid Palaces was MUCH shorter than the line for the grounds as a whole - the half-hour time slots are designed to control that. I know I backtracked a few times while I was in the Nasrid Palaces, but doing so sometimes took patience, because so many people were going the other way. I had to pick my tickets up at the ticket office on top of the hill - and I had to pick them up separately for my afternoon and evening sessions. Please keep in mind that things could have changed since I was there, and/or my memories could be mistaken!

BTW, I recommend taking the audio tour during your day-time visit - I found it very informative. And be sure to save enough time outside the Nasrid Palaces for the Generalife and other grounds of the Alhambra.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Here was our experience and be aware that this was in July (tourist central)..
we had reserved our tickets on the internet in advance.

We still had to line up to collect those tickets..the day we were there that pick up line took 45 minutes to get to the window.

As soon as we got the tickets we were admitted to the grounds..absolutely no wait for that.

The Palace is BELOW the level of the main entrance; as you proceed toward the Palace and the Generalife you are going down, not up.

We were not told anything about having to leave the main grounds at any particular time and nobody asked to see our tickets after we were admitted.

We actually left the grounds for a short while at the parador entrance (we were staying there) and then went back in later in the afternoon.

There was a much shorter line to get into the Palace and we had, as you already know, a specific window during which we could enter.

Nobody was inside policing anything and there wasn't anyone as I recall saying you couldn't "go back' to a previous room. Please remember that these rooms are mostly empty; what you are seeing are the adornments on the walls and ceiling; the fountains, etc.

Again, the ticket office is up at the top..not down below.

I am also interestid in this topic.
( we'll be in Granada in mid. Oct)
Would the later time slot be less crowded?
Is the night time visit a good idea?
Should one do both?
Thanks

Whether to go during both the day and night depends on your preferences, but I am VERY glad that I did! I spent 4 hours there during the afternoon - which was barely enough time for me to see everything I wanted to see! It was early October, and VERY crowded, especially in the Nasrid Palaces. The night time ticket was restricted to the Nasrid Palaces, so the afternoon visit was my only chance to see the Generalife and other parts of the Alhambra, which are very well worth a visit IMHO. I listened to the audio tour, and learned a lot about what I was seeing. I then went back to see the Nasrid Palaces again during the evening, and it was magical! There were only a few other people there - even fewer the later it got. Very quiet, very peaceful. It was a real delight to see it in such different circumstances.

thanks kja!

Everybody be aware that if you miss your time window into the Nasrid Palaces, (if you are late) you will not be allowed in. No matter how mad you get.
Sometimes they can be picky at you going back in the palaces.

We will be there mid-March. When I said "up on the hill", I mean on the Alhambra hill which is "up" from Granada centro. On the map, I can see that the ticket office is next to the entrace of Generalife. So if we stayed in town by Plaze Nueva, I'll have to track "up the hill" to the ticket office, right?

So I'm seeing two conflicting answers. kja said there was a line to enter the grounds while Dukey said the pickup line was 45 minutes but no wait to enter the grounds. Dukey, did you see anyone who had already picked up their tickets prior just walked up to the entrace?

kja, what do you mean by "had to pickup tickets separately"? Did they not let you pickup both sets at the same time? That's lame. My plan is to reserve the night tour for Thu and day tour for Fri morning and when I get there Thu night, can I not pickup both sets of tickets?

Thanks.

carcassone

We were able to pick up our tix the night before, while the ticket office was open for evening sales, but after sales had closed for the daytime sessions. I think this is what kja was trying to explain - during the daytime sales period, the clerks don't seem to deal with anything other than tix for that day's daytime sessions. The ticket office is up on the hill, and if memory serves, virtually next to the entrance gate nearest the Generalife. A multiple-journey bus pass for the little red shuttle buses that take tourists up and down the hill (and also on one or two short tourist circuits through downtown Granada) is money well spent. Buy it from the driver.

After picking up our tix, next day just before 1400 we went to the gate where we were the first in the very short line (this was in late March) and promptly at 1400, we went in.

It's hard to predict when, or even if, crowds in the Nasrid will be the least bothersome. Depending on the time of year of your visit, local market conditions, etc. etc. they may sell out every time slot, so it won't really matter what slot you choose.

We are going to Spain in May and plan to go to Alhambra. We have not purchased tickets yet. We will have a car but wondered would it be better-meaning less complicated re tickets/parking - to go with a group or on our own?? We will be staying in Marbella. Thanks for your thoughts!!

Hi, Mocat - I stayed in Grenada, so I'm not sure that I can answer your question. What I can tell you is that I had no problem visiting the Alhambra on my own. It's easy to reach by foot (nice, but long uphill walk) or bus, and the audio guide has a lot of interesting information. Personally, I like the freedom to go at my own pace, but that's just my preference.