Alhambra Question
 

I read or heard somewhere that there is a 20 min. walk from the gate to the Nasrid Palace. Is that correct? Also, is the walk uphill or flat? Thanks

it is not perfectly flat but it is also not a difficult walk for anyone with "normal" ambulatory abilities. Why are you asking this question?

The walk is only about 10 minutes and is, like Dukey1 said, not a difficult walk. The primary uphill walk is from the city of Granada (for example if you depart from Plaza Nueva - http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/s...ew-101430.html)

I remember it as closer to 20 minutes, but relatively flat and certainly easy. It may be that what I am remembering is the time I arrived at the Palace -- when I was there, the line for admissions for an afternoon visit was very long, so it may have taken only 10 minutes for the walk once I was allowed into the grounds. Sorry I can't be more specific.

If your question is about the timing of your ticket to the Nasrid Palace, my understanding is that your ticket allows you to enter within a 30-minute interval of the marked time, so if you get the first time slot of the day, most people should be able to make it from the gate to the Palace without undue effort. But do take serious note of your time slot: As I understand it, you are ONLY guaranteed entrance to the Nasrid Palace during the half-hour period identified by the start time on your ticket.

it is a wondrous place. Do give serious consideration to visiting during both the day and the evening, in that order.

Hope that helps!

Thank you for your replies. I asked the question because my husband walks slowly due to a physical problem which resulted from a back surgery.

You can get a taxi right to the gate. There are also buses from Plaza Nueva. Not expensive, as Granada is not that big. If I remember correctly, if you already have your tickets with you (you can print them out at the Alhambra Bookstore in Plaza Nueva by the way), I think you can enter at the Justice Gate, which is close to the Palacios Nazarios (Nasrid Palace is English). Ask the taxi driver to let you off there. This is quite a short walk. Once you are in the Palace, by the way, you have all morning (or all afternoon depending in your entry time) to stay there. Only the entrance is required within the 30-minute window, not your whole visit.

Rick Steves guidebook to Granada (and in the Spain guidebook) is quite helpful in finding out about the bus numbers that go to the Alhambra, tour the Albaicin and go up to Sacromonte (where the gypsy caves are) by the way.

Quick Alhambra question:

I am purchasing 2 tickets for the morning session (starting at 8:30am) and am reserving the 10:00am slot for the Nasrid Palace. Does that give me enough time to pick up my tickets and get to the Palace by 10?

Can I pick up my tickets the day before (Sunday)?

And....I can then spend the rest of the day touring the rest of the grounds if I choose to? Can I take a lunch break on the grounds after the Nasrid Palace and still spend the rest of the day there?

I am also going to purchase tickets for the next evening to see the Nasrid Palace -- but the ticket site also offers Generalife night tickets. I can only see one or the other on the same night?

I guess I'm a little confused as to the timing.

"I am purchasing 2 tickets for the morning session (starting at 8:30am) and am reserving the 10:00am slot for the Nasrid Palace. Does that give me enough time to pick up my tickets and get to the Palace by 10?" -- I can't imagine a problem. As noted above, it is at most a 20 minute walk and possibly less.

"Can I pick up my tickets the day before (Sunday)?" -- I doubt it, but things can change.

"I can then spend the rest of the day touring the rest of the grounds if I choose to? Can I take a lunch break on the grounds after the Nasrid Palace and still spend the rest of the day there?" -- I've read inconsistent answers to that question.

"I am also going to purchase tickets for the next evening to see the Nasrid Palace -- but the ticket site also offers Generalife night tickets. I can only see one or the other on the same night?" Correct. When I went, only the ticket for the Nasrid Palace was an option, and that visit remains among my most treasured memories. If evening visits to the Generalife had been an option when I visited Granada, I would have jumped at the chance. If forced to choose between the night before or after my daytime visit, I would place the evening visit to the Nasrid Palace AFTER my daytime visit there.

Thank you so much for your very detailed response!

Yes, you can pick up your tickets a day early by using the ATM machines at La Caixa bank. You will need the same credit card with which you booked the tickets. It is very easy and convenient.

We grabbed a taxi from downtown Granada up to the Alhambra as the bus was a mob scene w/ shoving and inadequate numbers to accommodate the numbers of people (April 2012)waiting for same; that said, upon arrival with timed tickets, the lines were still long and took probably close to half an hour to be 'processed.' That said, once on the walk down to Nasrid Palace it should take approx. 5-10 minutes walking fairly quickly and no more than 15 walking slowly. Do NOT throw away your ticket once past the first checkpoint where I believe it is first scanned entrance. It will be again checked upon directly entering the Palace. No amount of logic or begging will cover your not having your ticket, so throw nothing away till you leave. We had a 1pm time and arrived up there approximately at noon; the process took much longer than we expected so don't cut yourself short.

I'm now considering taking the afternoon schedule instead of the morning schedule. It'll give me ample time to get the tickets and arrive timely.

Thanks!

"I can then spend the rest of the day touring the rest of the grounds if I choose to? Can I take a lunch break on the grounds after the Nasrid Palace and still spend the rest of the day there?" -- I've read inconsistent answers to that question">>

We had tickets for the morning session with entry for the Nasrid palaces at 10am. We arrived at the entrance/ticket office at about 8.30, picked up our tickets, had a quick coffee in the cafe, and then strolled into the grounds. I suppose that it took us about 30 mins to reach the main complex, and then toured one of the other monuments where you need to present your tiket, and then had plenty of time to get to the entrance to the palaces.

We were indeed then able to spend the rest of the day in the grounds, though we arrived at the gate of the Generalife before the morning session finished. Friends of ours did not do so however, and weren't allowed into it. Whether that was the determining factor I really don't know but my advice would be to do what we did in which case I can't see why you wouldn't be able to remain in the Generalife for as long as you like.

We had booked for the morning session, but when we arrived in Granada we discovered that we could get tickets that night for the evening visit, and snapped them up. It was wonderful to see it all illuminated and with far fewer people. I can't say whether it's better to see it like that before or after the main visit, but I can certainly recommend doing both visits.

Will definitely book day and night visits!!

It is breathtaking and so worth it... every time of day will show off in different light.... ahhhh

But, if it's still light out very late in the evening, will there really be much difference in how it looks at night and during the day? I will be there at the end of June and sunset is going to be very late at that time of the year.

anyegr - I can't help you there as we went in November.

one advantage of going at night is that they let so many fewer people in so you can actually see something.

you could look at doing a night-time visit to the garden which I believe is an innovation since we went.

Actually, and even better IMO, is having dinner on the terrace of the parador and looking OVER the illuminated areas...you'll see it from an entirely different and very romantic perspective, too.

"one advantage of going at night is that they let so many fewer people in so you can actually see something" -- Exactly, AND -- at least when I was there -- I could hear the fountains and smell the flowers in the evening. Quite in contrast to the daytime, when the palace and grounds were packed with people.

Ok. Thanks. I guess I'll have to do both, then. Now I just have to wait until the tickets can be booked.

As annhig mentioned, you can now also book evening tickets for the Generalife gardens. If that had been an option when I visited, I would have done the Generalife one evening, the Alhambra day-time visit the next day, and the Nasrid Palace the evening after my day-time visit.

I love the idea of dinner at the parador, Dukey1!

I have already booked my daytime visit to the Alhambra but haven't booked my evening visit yet -- thank you for the awesome suggestion.

great idea, kja. When we visited the evening visit to the gardens wasn't an option, and like you, I'd have loved to see them at night.

let us know how you get on, Judy.

I will! I leave in 22 days, so excited!!

Just general rambling on above. Night time is a magical time at the Alhambra. Everything is just beautiful.

You can also stay on top of the hill. There is the paradore connected to the Alhambra, very expensive, but also a small very nice and reasonable hotel not connected to the Alhambra but very close,two minutes walking. I do not remember the name but I am sure if you google "hotels near Alhambra" it will come up, that is how I found it. Good Luck.

Found the hotel.. It is the Hotel America.

I'm staying at a hotel in town with my relatives -- but thank you for the information.

The only hotel I have left to reserve is for Barcelona, and I am bleary-eyed trying to find something I like that is within my budget.

You can also stay on top of the hill. There is the paradore connected to the Alhambra, very expensive, but also a small very nice and reasonable hotel not connected to the Alhambra but very close,two minutes walking. I do not remember the name but I am sure if you google "hotels near Alhambra" it will come up, that is how I found it. Good Luck.>>

there are also a couple of hotels on the other side of the road, across the car park from the Alhamabra - we stayed at the Guadelupe and found it very good for its price, and very convenient for seeing the Alhambra which we did in the day and at night.

The bus which goes from just outside the alhambra ticket office down to the square below made getting down to the town, [and more importantly getting back up] very easy.

Dukey1 (or anyone who might be able to help)...

I can book dinner at 8PM at the parador on either Monday or Tuesday night.

The Palaces are closed Monday night but I can book tickets for the 10:30PM viewing on Tuesday night.

The ticketmaster site states that the evening palace tickets should be picked up starting at 9PM on the night of my visit.

So....my question is:

If I book dinner at the Parador for Tuesday night at 8PM -- will I have enough time to have dinner and still make it over to the Palace to pick up my evening ticket?

Or....should I book dinner for Monday night, and simply enjoy the view of the gardens from the restaurant -- and book night tickets to the Palace for Tuesday night instead?

It is a question of timing -- I don't want to rush through dinner at the parador in order to pick up my tickets on time, but on the other hand, if it can be all be done (dinner and palace) in one evening I'd like to be able to do that instead so that I can visit the Mirador on the 'other' night.

Many thanks, as always...!

why not book tickets for the night visit on Tuesday, and on Monday have dinner at the Parador -and then go and visit the Mirador or vice versa?

8pm is very early for dinner in Spain.

You're right, I could do that!

8pm is too early for dinner? The Parador only serves dinner from 8 to 10:30.

Need to check what the average time the sun sets in April so I can coordinate this right.

Thanks!

Sunrise and sunset times:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...&afl=-11&day=1

8pm is too early for dinner? The Parador only serves dinner from 8 to 10:30.>>

trust me, that is quite early for dinner in Spain. They probably serve it that early to suit the tourists. We usually dine on tapas in Spain as they eat dinner so late. When we went to the Alhambra at night, we didn't start dinner til about 11pm.

Wow....that's incredible.

I always ate dinner on the late side when I was younger (my parents are Portuguese), but 11pm is really late!

But I will take your advice and go to dinner one night (9'ish) after going to the Mirador and then go the next night for the Palace visit.

Thanks again everyone!

Have a great trip, Judy.

I'm sure you will love the Alhambra.

a book that you may enjoy as an aperitif is Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra. [available on Amazon].

Thank you for the suggestion!

I am super excited -- the days are just flying by!

Now I need to figure out what to pack -- I am hoping it'll be spring-like, but from what I've read it's rainy season in Barcelona in April.