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The short answer
If you only do five things in Granada: visit the Alhambra, watch the sunset from the Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albaicín, see the Capilla Real with the tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, walk the Carrera del Darro, and spend an evening on a free tapas crawl. Book the Alhambra weeks ahead; almost everything else can be decided on the day.
| # | What | Price (approx.) | Time | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alhambra | €19–21 | 3–4 h | Yes, weeks ahead |
| 2 | Albaicín and San Nicolás | Free | 2–3 h | No |
| 3 | Sacromonte and cave museum | Museum about €5 | 2 h | No |
| 4 | Capilla Real | about €5–7 | 45 min | No |
| 5 | Cathedral | about €5–7 | 1 h | No |
| 6 | Carrera del Darro | Free | 1 h | No |
| 7 | Free tapas crawl | Price of the drinks | An evening | No |
| 8 | Flamenco in a cave | €25–35 | 1–1.5 h | Recommended |
| 9 | Hammam | from about €40 | 1.5–2 h | Yes |
| 10 | Realejo | Free | 1–2 h | No |
The list
1. The Alhambra
The palace city of the Nasrid sultans, and the most visited monument in Spain. The Nasrid Palaces, with the Court of the Myrtles and the Court of the Lions, are the highlight, and your ticket gives you a fixed entry time for them. Add the Alcazaba fortress, the Palace of Charles V and the Generalife gardens. About €19–21, 3–4 hours, book weeks ahead. See our Alhambra guide and Alhambra tickets.
2. The Albaicín and the Mirador de San Nicolás
The old Moorish quarter climbs the hill opposite the Alhambra: steep cobbled lanes, whitewashed houses and cármenes, walled houses with gardens. The Mirador de San Nicolás, in front of the church of the same name, looks straight across at the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada behind it. Go for sunset, and expect a crowd and street musicians. For a quieter view, climb on to San Miguel Alto. Free. See the Albaicín.
3. Sacromonte and the cave museum
East of the Albaicín, the Sacromonte hill is where Granada’s Gitano (Roma) community lived for centuries in cave houses dug into the hillside. Some caves are still homes, others are flamenco venues. The Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte, a group of restored caves, shows how people lived in them, with views over the valley to the Alhambra. Museum about €5, 2 hours with the walk. See Sacromonte.
4. The Capilla Real
The Royal Chapel next to the cathedral holds the tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, who took Granada in 1492, with their daughter Juana and her husband Philip. Go down to the crypt to see their lead coffins, then look at Isabella’s own collection of Flemish paintings in the sacristy. About €5–7, 45 minutes.
5. The Cathedral
Begun after the conquest and finished over almost two centuries, Granada’s cathedral is one of the great Renaissance churches in Spain, bright and white inside, with a huge domed main chapel. It is next to the Capilla Real, so see both in one visit. About €5–7, 1 hour.
6. Carrera del Darro and Paseo de los Tristes
From Plaza Nueva, the Carrera del Darro follows the little Darro river below the Alhambra walls, past stone bridges, old churches and Renaissance houses. It ends at the Paseo de los Tristes, a terrace with bars and the best close-up view of the Alhambra’s towers. Walk it early in the morning and again at night, when the walls are lit. Free.
7. A free tapas crawl
Granada is one of the last cities in Spain where every drink comes with a free tapa, and often a different one with each round. A beer or a glass of wine costs about €2.50–3.50. Try the bars on Calle Navas and Calle Elvira, around Plaza Nueva, and in the Realejo. Well-known names include Bodegas Castañeda near Plaza Nueva, Los Diamantes for fried fish, and Taberna La Tana, a wine bar in the Realejo. Order a drink, see what arrives, and move on after one or two rounds.
8. Flamenco in a Sacromonte cave
Granada’s own flamenco style is the zambra, danced in the whitewashed caves of Sacromonte, with the audience a metre or two from the dancers. There are also shows in the Albaicín and one of the oldest flamenco clubs in Spain, the Peña La Platería. About €25–35 with a drink. See flamenco in Granada.
9. The Realejo
The old Jewish quarter, south of Plaza Nueva on the slope below the Alhambra, is quieter and more local than the Albaicín. Look for the murals of the street artist El Niño de las Pinturas, have a drink on the Campo del Príncipe square, and use it as a base for tapas in the evening. Free.
10. The Alcaicería and the Corral del Carbón
The Alcaicería, next to the cathedral, was the Nasrid silk market. It burned down in the 19th century and was rebuilt in the same style, so today its narrow lanes are full of souvenir shops, lamps, ceramics and tea sets. Nearby, the Corral del Carbón is a 14th-century Moorish inn for merchants, with a beautiful horseshoe gateway. Both free.
11. El Bañuelo
On the Carrera del Darro, El Bañuelo is an 11th-century Arab bath house, one of the oldest and best preserved in Spain, with star-shaped skylights in the vaulted ceilings. It is small, so 20 minutes is enough. It is one of the Albaicín monuments included in the Alhambra’s Dobla de Oro ticket. Small entry fee, or included in the Dobla de Oro.
12. A modern hammam
Granada has several Arab-style baths where you can move between warm, hot and cold pools, with a massage as an extra. Hammam Al Ándalus, just off Plaza Nueva, is the best known. Sessions are timed, so book ahead, especially for the evening. From about €40. Book Hammam Al Ándalus.
13. Monasterio de San Jerónimo
A Renaissance monastery a short walk from the cathedral, with a two-level cloister full of orange trees and a church whose painted and gilded main chapel is one of the most striking in Granada. It is the burial place of the Gran Capitán, the general of the Catholic Monarchs. Few visitors come here. About €5, 45 minutes.
14. Carmen de los Mártires
A 19th-century romantic garden on the Alhambra hill, above the Realejo, with ponds, statues, peacocks and terraces looking over the city to the Sierra Nevada. Combine it with the Alhambra or walk up from the Realejo. Free.
15. Tea on Calle Calderería Nueva
The lane climbing from Calle Elvira into the Albaicín is lined with teterías, Moroccan-style tea houses with low seats, mint tea and pastries, and with shops selling lamps, slippers and spices. It is the best place for an afternoon break between the centre and San Nicolás.
16. Huerta de San Vicente
The summer house of the poet Federico García Lorca’s family, in a park on the edge of the centre, kept as it was with his desk, piano and drawings. Lorca wrote some of his best-known works here. Visits are guided and in small groups. Small entry fee, 45 minutes.
17. Sierra Nevada
The highest mountains in mainland Spain are about an hour’s drive or bus ride from the city. From about December to April, the Sierra Nevada ski resort has some of the most southerly skiing in Europe; in summer, the same area is good for high-altitude walks. See day trips from Granada.
18. The Alpujarras
On the southern side of the Sierra Nevada, the Alpujarras are a string of white villages with flat roofs and chimneys, terraced fields and walking trails. Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira in the Poqueira gorge are about 1.5 hours by car. Go on a tour or with a hire car, and stay a night if you can. See day trips from Granada.
If you only have one day
Morning: the Alhambra, with a Nasrid Palaces slot as early as you can get. Lunch: tapas around Plaza Nueva. Afternoon: the Capilla Real and the cathedral, then the Alcaicería and a tea on Calle Calderería Nueva. Evening: walk up through the Albaicín to San Nicolás for sunset, down the Carrera del Darro, and a free tapas crawl. With a second day, add Sacromonte, the Realejo and a flamenco show. See how many days in Granada.
Free things to do
The Mirador de San Nicolás and San Miguel Alto, the Albaicín and the Carrera del Darro, the Realejo and its murals, the Alcaicería, the Corral del Carbón, the Carmen de los Mártires, and the woods and gates below the Alhambra walls. And the tapas, as long as you buy the drink.
With kids
The Alhambra works well with children if you keep it to the Alcazaba towers, the Generalife gardens and one palace slot. Add the caves of Sacromonte, the peacocks of the Carmen de los Mártires, and the Parque de las Ciencias, a large science museum south of the centre. Children under 12 enter the Alhambra free, but still need a ticket.
Where to stay nearby
The Albaicín, Plaza Nueva and the Centro put you within walking distance of almost everything on this list, and the Alhambra hotels put you next to the monument. See where to stay in Granada and the best hotels in Granada.
FAQ
What is the number one thing to do in Granada?
The Alhambra. Book your ticket as soon as you know your dates, and plan the rest of the trip around your Nasrid Palaces time.
Are tapas really free in Granada?
In most traditional bars, yes. You get a small tapa with each drink you order, and you usually can’t choose it. A drink with its tapa costs about €2.50–3.50.
What can you do in Granada in the evening?
Watch the sunset from San Nicolás, walk the Carrera del Darro under the lit Alhambra, see a flamenco show in a Sacromonte cave, relax in a hammam, and go on a free tapas crawl. Dinner starts late, from about 21:00.
How many days do you need in Granada?
Two days covers the Alhambra, the Albaicín, Sacromonte and the centre. Add a third for the Sierra Nevada or the Alpujarras. See how many days in Granada.
Can you visit Granada as a day trip from Seville or Málaga?
Yes, but you will only have time for the Alhambra and a short walk. One night is much better. See Seville to Granada.