In this guide
💡 The Short Version: When the shop shows no tickets, try these in order. The Granada Card (€55 for 48 hours, €60 for 72) has its own Alhambra quota, and the City says single tickets can be sold out while cards are not. The Patronato releases unused tickets, so check the shop again. A guided tour from €45 includes the ticket, bought through the accredited agents. The gardens ticket (€12.73) and the night visits (€12.73 and €8.48) are separate products. The ticket office sells same-day leftovers only. The Palace of Charles V and the Alhambra Museum are free. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the guided tour with ticketsad is from €49 and the 2.5-hour tourad from €45 (GetYourGuide).
The options at a glance
Alhambra tickets has the prices and the rules that apply to every route in. The one official online shop is tickets.alhambra-patronato.es; a resold ticket carries the same named-ID rules, and it costs more.
| Option | Cost | What you get | The risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Granada Card | €55 for 48 hours; €60 for 72 | The general day ticket, at a date and Nasrid Palaces time set when you buy | Card passes can run out too |
| The shop again | €22.27 | The general day ticket | No release date is printed |
| A guided tour | From €45 | The tickets, a guide and the booking | The Nasrid Palaces time is set by the Alhambra, sometimes after you book |
| Gardens ticket | €12.73 | Alcazaba, Generalife and gardens, not the Nasrid Palaces | No Nasrid Palaces |
| Night visit | €12.73 for the palaces; €8.48 for the gardens | A timed evening visit | Winter nights are Friday and Saturday only |
| The ticket office | €22.27 | What is left for the day | It may have nothing |
The Granada Card
€55 for 48 hours · €60 for 72 hours · sold up to three calendar months ahead
The City of Granada sells the card, and its pages say that individual Alhambra tickets can be sold out while the card’s passes are still available. The 48-hour and 72-hour cards include the general day ticket. You choose the Alhambra day and the Nasrid Palaces time when you buy, and neither can be changed. The card is named, and ID is checked at the Alhambra. It also covers the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, the monasteries, the Science Park and nine city-bus rides, so it pays only for someone who uses most of it: the Granada Card sums work it out.
The shop again
€22.27 · online until 23:59 the day before
The Patronato keeps part of the capacity for education programmes, residents and institutions, and it can release what goes unused to general sale. It prints no release schedule, so check the shop at different times of day and again the day before the visit. A date that shows nothing can show tickets later.
A guided tour
From €45 · tickets included · accredited agents
Groups of 11 to 30 with an accredited guide are sold through accredited agents, who have 39% of the Alhambra’s annual ticket capacity. A tour that includes the tickets is a way in when the shop is empty. It is not a faster entrance: the Nasrid Palaces time is set by the Alhambra, and the tours ask for each traveller’s name, date of birth and passport or ID number at checkout. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Alhambra and Nasrid Palaces tour with tickets
From €49 · 3 hours · 4.7 stars from 24,254 reviews
Granada: Alhambra & Nasrid Palaces Tour with Ticketsad includes the tickets for the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife and the Alcazaba. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a 50% refund.
Alhambra and Generalife guided tour
From €53 · 3 hours · 4.7 stars from 8,604 reviews
Granada: Alhambra & Generalife Fast-Track Guided Tourad is run by Granada Online in English, French and Spanish. It says tickets bought less than 45 days ahead are confirmed by the Alhambra, and that the booking is cancelled with a full refund if the Alhambra cannot confirm. Check the date against that rule before you plan round it.
The gardens ticket and the night visits
Gardens €12.73 · night palaces €12.73 · night gardens €8.48
The shop sells these as separate products, so check them when the general ticket shows nothing for your day. The gardens ticket covers the Alcazaba, the Partal and the Generalife, but not the Nasrid Palaces. The night visit to the palaces runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 20:00 to 21:30 until 31 March: see the Alhambra night visit.
The Torre de la Vela in the Alcazaba. Photo: R Prazeres, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The ticket office
Same-day tickets only · opens 08:00
The office in the access pavilion sells tickets for the day, subject to what is left, and the Patronato says that other forms of purchase do not ensure availability. Cash is taken at the window and cards at the machines. Keep it as the last resort, and bring the original ID of everyone who is going in.
What is free
The Patronato lists the Palace of Charles V, the Alhambra Museum and the Bath of the Mosque as free access. The Silla del Moro and the Torres Bermejas are free on weekends, the Carmen de los Mártires gardens are free, and the Mirador de San Nicolás looks across at the Alhambra at no cost. Free things to do in Granada has the hours.
The circular courtyard of the Palace of Charles V. Photo: PEPE GADEIRAS, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Alhambra tickets has the full price list, and the Alhambra night visit covers the evening slots. Alhambra guided tours compares the tours that include the ticket, and Granada with kids covers the ticket every child needs. What to book before you go to Granada lists the closed days for the other sights, and 3 days in Granada puts the Alhambra on the first day. For a bed on the hill, see hotels with Alhambra views.
Common questions
What can I do if Alhambra tickets are sold out?
Try the Granada Card, which has its own Alhambra quota and can still be on sale when single tickets are not; check the Patronato's shop again, because unused tickets are released; book a guided tour that includes the ticket; or look at the gardens ticket and the night visits, which are separate products.
Do sold-out Alhambra dates come back?
Sometimes. The Patronato holds part of the capacity for schools and institutions and can release what goes unused to general sale. It prints no release date, so check the shop at different times.
Does the Granada Card get you into a sold-out Alhambra?
The City of Granada says individual tickets can be sold out while Granada Card passes are still available. The card fixes the Alhambra date and the Nasrid Palaces time at purchase, and it is sold up to three calendar months ahead.
Can I buy Alhambra tickets at the gate?
The ticket office in the access pavilion sells same-day tickets, but only what is left. The Patronato says that other forms of purchase do not ensure availability, so treat the office as a gamble.
What can I see at the Alhambra without a ticket?
The Patronato lists the Palace of Charles V, the Alhambra Museum and the Bath of the Mosque as free access. The Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife and the Alcazaba need a ticket.
