In this guide
💡 The Short Version: There is no single best month, so choose by what you want. April, May, late September and October have highs of about 20°C to 29°C. July and August average 34.2°C and 33.5°C by day. December to February are cold at night, 1.1°C to 2.7°C, and the Sierra Nevada resort’s calendar marks 6 December 2026 for the start of its ski season. The dated peaks are Semana Santa (21 to 28 March 2027), the Día de la Cruz (Monday 3 May 2027) and Corpus Thursday (27 May 2027). Alhambra tickets are the constraint in every month: Alhambra tickets has the rule. Or book a tour: the Alhambra tour with ticketsad is from €49 and the Albaicín and Sacromonte sunset walkad from €15 (GetYourGuide).
Granada month by month
Highs and lows are the average daily maximum and minimum in °C, and rain is the monthly total in mm with the number of days with 1 mm or more. The weather is AEMET’s climate normals for the Granada Base Aérea station for 1981 to 2010, at 687 m in Churriana de la Vega, outside the city (AEMET). Daylight is the length of the day on the 21st, calculated for Granada’s coordinates.
| Month | High / low | Rain | Daylight | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 16.5 / 5.3 | 50 mm, 6.7 days | 10 h 02 | The wettest month with December |
| December 2026 | 13.1 / 2.7 | 50 mm, 7.2 days | 9 h 36 | The Sierra Nevada resort’s calendar marks 6 December for the start of the season. The Alhambra is closed on 25 December: see Granada at Christmas 2026 |
| January 2027 | 12.6 / 1.1 | 41 mm, 5.8 days | 10 h 00 | The Alhambra is closed on 1 January. The Toma de Granada is on 2 January and the Three Kings parade on 5 January |
| February 2027 | 14.6 / 2.4 | 33 mm, 5.6 days | 11 h 01 | Ski season |
| March 2027 | 18.0 / 4.8 | 35 mm, 5.1 days | 12 h 07 | Monday 1 March is a holiday for Andalusia Day. Semana Santa runs from 21 to 28 March, with Holy Thursday and Good Friday holidays, and the clocks go forward on 28 March: see Semana Santa 2027 |
| April 2027 | 19.5 / 6.8 | 37 mm, 6.3 days | 13 h 20 | The Alhambra’s day hours run from 08:30 to 20:00 from 1 April, and the gardens night visit returns. The ski season is planned to end on 25 April |
| May 2027 | 24.0 / 10.2 | 30 mm, 4.7 days | 14 h 17 | The Día de la Cruz on Monday 3 May and Corpus Thursday on 27 May are local holidays; the Corpus fair runs in the week of Corpus |
| June 2027 | 30.2 / 14.7 | 11 mm, 1.7 days | 14 h 43 | The International Festival of Music and Dance runs from mid-June into July. The 2026 edition ran from 11 June to 12 July, and the 2027 dates are not announced |
| July 2027 | 34.2 / 17.7 | 2 mm, 0.3 days | 14 h 22 | The hottest and driest month, with 22 clear days |
| August 2027 | 33.5 / 17.6 | 3 mm, 0.6 days | 13 h 25 | Hot, with 3 mm of rain |
| September 2027 | 28.7 / 14.4 | 23 mm, 2.7 days | 12 h 14 | The city’s patroness, the Virgen de las Angustias, is celebrated on 15 September and the last Sunday of September, 26 September 2027 |
| October 2027 | 22.6 / 10.1 | 38 mm, 5.1 days | 11 h 04 | The Alhambra’s winter hours of 08:30 to 18:00 start on 15 October. The clocks go back on 31 October |
The weather in numbers
- Heat. The Base Aérea’s mean daily maximum is 34.2°C in July and 33.5°C in August, against 30.2°C in June and 28.7°C in September. The airport station’s July and August are 34.8°C and 34.2°C. July has about 22 clear days, and the July nights average 17.7°C.
- Cold. From December to February the mean daily maximum is 12.6°C to 14.6°C and the mean minimum 1.1°C to 2.7°C, and at the airport the January minimum averages 0.0°C. Snow falls in the city on about two days a year. Fog is a winter feature, with 12.8 days a year at the Base Aérea.
- Rain. November and December are the wettest, with 50 mm each, then October with 38 mm, and March to May with 30 to 37 mm. June to August together have 16 mm.
- Sun. 2,881 hours a year at the Base Aérea, from 148 in December to 362 in July.
- Clocks. Spain’s clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March, 28 March 2027, which is Easter Sunday, and back on the last Sunday of October. Granada is on UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer.
A lane at the Placeta de los Naranjos in the Albaicín. Photo: Palickap, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The crowds
The only official hotel figure is the Junta de Andalucía’s survey of Easter 2026, which asked hotels across the region. Hotels in Granada province were 79.1% full across the week of 29 March to 4 April, 85.9% full on Holy Thursday, 88.8% on Good Friday and 85.0% on Holy Saturday. There is no 2027 figure. The Alhambra’s tickets are the constraint in every month: they are named, the Nasrid Palaces open only in the half hour printed on the ticket, and online sales close at 23:59 the day before. Alhambra tickets sold out lists what to try. Where to stay in Granada compares the areas.
Dates that shape a visit
- Semana Santa. Palm Sunday 21 March to Easter Sunday 28 March 2027: see Semana Santa 2027.
- The Día de la Cruz. Monday 3 May 2027, a local holiday voted by the city council. Decorated crosses stand in streets, squares and patios. The City’s 2026 programme was centred on Plaza del Carmen over the weekend of 2 and 3 May, and the 2027 programme is not published.
- Corpus Christi. Corpus Thursday is 27 May 2027, a local holiday. The City’s rule is that the fair starts on a Saturday at midnight with the alumbrao, the lighting of the bulbs on the fairground gateway, and ends on the following Saturday with fireworks. The Tarasca, a mannequin in next season’s fashion on a dragon, parades on the Wednesday. The Ayuntamiento has not published the 2027 programme.
- The Festival de Música y Danza. Mid-June into July. The festival’s own site is granadafestival.org.
- The patroness’s days. 15 September and the last Sunday of September, with stalls of fruit and the sweet tortas de la Virgen.
- Public holidays in 2027. 1 January, 6 January, Monday 1 March (Andalusia Day, moved from Sunday 28 February), 25 March (Holy Thursday), 26 March (Good Friday), Saturday 1 May, Monday 16 August (moved from Sunday 15 August), 12 October, 1 November, 6 December, 8 December and 25 December, set by the Junta de Andalucía’s decree 84/2026. Granada’s city council voted Monday 3 May and Thursday 27 May as its local holidays.
- The ski season. The resort’s calendar marks 6 December 2026 for the start and 25 April 2027 for the end, if there is enough snow: see Sierra Nevada from Granada.
Which month for what
- Walking weather. April, May and October, with highs of 19.5°C, 24.0°C and 22.6°C, and late September at 28.7°C.
- Festivals. Semana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027, and the Día de la Cruz and Corpus on 3 and 27 May, when rooms in the centre are hardest to get.
- The heat. July and August: put the indoor sights, the Cathedral and the hammams, in the middle of the day. Arab baths in Granada has the sessions.
- Winter. Cold nights and the shortest days, 9 h 36 on 21 December, with the Alhambra on its winter hours and the Sierra Nevada’s ski season from 6 December if there is snow.
- Day trips. Day trips from Granada compares the trips by train, bus and tour.
The Sierra Nevada under snow, seen across the plain near Granada. Photo: Lopezsuarez, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Plan the rest
Once you have your dates, 3 days in Granada fits the sights round the closed days. What to book before you go to Granada has the hours of every sight and the entry rules, where to eat in Granada covers the meals, and Granada airport to the city and Granada public transport cover the way in.
Common questions
What is the best month to visit Granada?
April, May, late September and October. AEMET's normals give April a mean daily high of 19.5°C, May 24.0°C, September 28.7°C and October 22.6°C. July and August average 34.2°C and 33.5°C by day.
How hot is Granada in summer?
July's mean daily maximum is 34.2°C at the Granada Base Aérea station and 34.8°C at the airport, with 2 mm of rain, and the July nights average 17.7°C (AEMET, 1981 to 2010). Neither station is in the city.
How cold is Granada in winter?
From December to February the mean daily maximum is 12.6°C to 14.6°C and the mean minimum 1.1°C to 2.7°C at the Base Aérea. At the airport the January minimum averages 0.0°C. Snow falls in the city on about two days a year.
When is the wettest month in Granada?
November and December, each with 50 mm of rain at the Base Aérea, on 6.7 and 7.2 days. July is the driest, with 2 mm.
When is the busiest time in Granada?
Semana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027, when the Junta de Andalucía found hotels in the province 88.8% full on Good Friday 2026, and the days round the Día de la Cruz and Corpus. Alhambra tickets are the constraint in every month.
Can you ski near Granada?
The Sierra Nevada resort's calendar marks 6 December 2026 for the start of the season and 25 April 2027 for the end, if there is enough snow. A one-day ski pass is from €56.
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