Information: Granada's Alhambra Palace

Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonised southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.

One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings – including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.

At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Other major Christian monuments found in the city are the Cathedral, including the Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried, the Monastery of La Cartuja and many churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Reconquest, in Granada's unique "mud�jar" style.

This accuracy of the information was checked on 15th January 2006. It may be subject to changes in the future so we advise you to phone to reserve your tickets.

If you are only coming to Granada for a day or two it's worth getting your tickets in advance because there can be long queues and it may even be impossible. This page contains all the information that you will need.

Alhambras's Official Website




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Sunset over Granada's Alhambra Palace.
Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonised southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon. One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings – including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada. At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Other major Christian monuments found in the city are the Cathedral, including the Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried, the Monastery of La Cartuja and many churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Reconquest, in Granada's unique "mud�jar" style. This accuracy of the information was checked on 15th January 2006. It may be subject to changes in the future so we advise you to phone to reserve your tickets. If you are only coming to Granada for a day or two it's worth getting your tickets in advance because there can be long queues and it may even be impossible. This page contains all the information that you will need. Alhambras's Official Website

in advance - on the day - prices - opening hours - how to get there
In advance:
You can buy tickets with a credit card by phoning: 902 22 44 60 within Spain or +34 915 37 91 78 from outside of Spain. They give you a ticket number and you have to state the day and time of your visit. You can pick up the tickets in the special queue at the Alhambra ticket office. The name of the queue is the "Taquilla de reserva" and it will be much faster than the normal queue. The girl who answers the phone can speak English. Using this system you can buy your ticket up to a year in advance. You can't buy the tickets on the same day as your visit using this system. They accept visa, mastercard, Eurocard and Maestro (American express is not accepted.) Note: You can only buy 5 tickets at a time by phone. If you want to buy more than five just get two different people to phone and buy them with 2 different credit cards. Tip: Recently they have introduced a new system whereby rather than giving each person 1 ticket they issue a group ticket. The problem with this is if you lose your companions you won't be able to get in anywhere. If you are a group of 3 or 4 and you don't want to stick together insist that they give you a ticket each. Also a mobile phone is useful if you lose each other.

On the day:
With this system you can only buy tickets for the same day as your visit. You can buy the tickets at the ticket office at the Alhambra itself. Here you have to pay in cash: they do not accept credit cards. The queue may be long.


Prices:

Day visit (General: Nazrid palaces, Alcazaba, Generalife): 10.88 euros Day visit (Gardens: Paseo de los Cipreses, Secano, SanFrancisco Gardens; Alcazaba; Generalife): 5.88 euros Night visit: 10.88 euros People over 65 and pensioners within the EU: 7.88 euros (you'll have to prove it) Children less than 8 and handicapped people: 0.88 euro Authorised educational groups: Please phone 958 22 09 12 and ask for info.

Opening hours:

Morning and Afternoon visits (Day visits): For a day visit you have to choose a morning or afternoon visit. With a ticket for the morning you have to arrive before 2pm and with an afternoon ticket you have to arrive after 2pm. You can stay in the grounds until closing time whatever time of day it says on your ticket. Entrance to the Nazrid Palaces: You are given a window of half an hour to arrive at the Nazrid Palaces. Apart from this you are free to visit the other parts of the Alhambra without time restrictions. DAY VISITS March to October 8:30 am - 8pm Monday to Sunday The ticket office is open from 8am to 7pm November to February 8:30 am - 6pm Monday to Sunday The ticket office is open from 8am to 5pm NIGHT VISITS This is only to the Nazrid palaces. March to October 10pm - 11:30pm Tuesday to Saturday The ticket office is open from 9:30pm - 10:30pm November to February 8pm - 9:30pm Only Friday and Saturday The ticket office is open from 7:30pm - 8:30pm Closing days: The monument will be closed on the 25th December and the 1st January.
Other attractions
	City Sightseeing Hop On Hop of Tours of Granada City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Tour of Granada Starting from GBP £10.00 per person � City Sightseeing Click here For further information
		With great views from the top of the bus, strategically placed stops and an interesting commentary, this truly is the best way to see the sights of Granada. You can hop on and off as many times as you like aboard this open-top double-decker bus. There are two routes which are inter-connected. The Monumental Tour Route has 10 stops and the Romantica Tour Route has 5 stops. The routes takes approximately 80 minutes to complete. The buses departs every 20 minutes from each stop. Tickets are valid for 24 hours from first use. The city of Granada has been shaped by the hills, where the old districts in the Albaicin and the Alhambra were founded, brimming with steep, narrow streets, beautiful nooks and crannies, and marvellous landscapes. The new part of the city is situated on the plain, crisscrossed by the large arteries of Gran V�a de Col�n and Calle de los Reyes Cat�licos, and where the busy streets around the Cathedral are found. Main highlights include the Cathedral, Acera de Darro, Alhambra, Palaco de Congresos and the Museo Federico G'Lorca.

How to get there

Map and directions will be provide with Welcome Pack on arrival Tip. always allow extra time for site seeing on route.