In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Take the train to Córdoba (89 to 112 minutes, nine direct trains a day) or Málaga (82 to 94 minutes, three a day). Guadix’s cave houses are 65 to 81 minutes away, but the first train leaves at 11:00. Seville is 2 hours 38 to 2 hours 52 by direct train, a long day. Sierra Nevada is a €5.50 bus, about 45 minutes. The Alpujarras and Nerja are long Alsa coach days, and the Alpujarras are better on an 8 to 10 hour tour from €71.32. Ronda has no direct train. Book the Alhambra before any trip, and carry a passport or photo ID. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Sierra Nevada safariad is from €75, the Alpujarra villages tourad from €71.32 and the Los Cahorros hikead from €46 (GetYourGuide).
The day trips compared
Entry prices are the operators’ own, for one adult. A tour’s price is GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price, which moves with the date. Train times are Renfe’s direct services and bus times are approximate: check Renfe and Alsa for your date.
A Renfe Avant train at Granada station. Photo: Robot8A, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Trip | Without a tour | Entry on top | Tour from Granada | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Córdoba | Train, 89 to 112 minutes, nine a day | Mezquita-Catedral €15 | €165, 7 hours, 58 reviews | Free hour 08:30 to 09:30; only the 06:09 train reaches it |
| Seville | Train, 2 hours 38 to 2 hours 52, four a day | Real Alcázar €15.50 | None | About ten hours in the city on the 06:22 and 19:15 |
| Málaga | Train, 82 to 94 minutes, three a day, or Alsa coach | Alcazaba €7, with Gibralfaro €10 | None | The 07:36 out and 20:20 back give over 11 hours |
| Sierra Nevada | Bus, about 45 minutes, €5.50 | Ski pass from €56 | €46 to €75 | Season planned from 6 December 2026, snow permitting |
| The Alpujarras | Alsa bus, about 2 hours | Casa Museo in Bubión €1.80 | €71.32 to €115, 7 to 10 hours | A tour for one day; a night if by bus |
| Nerja and Frigiliana | Alsa coach, about 1 hour 55 | Nerja Cave €16 online | From Málaga only, €69 | 458 steps; closed 1 and 6 January, 15 May, 25 December |
| Guadix | Train, 65 to 81 minutes, six a day | Cave-house centre €5 | None | First train 11:00; Alcazaba visits Friday to Sunday |
| Ronda | No direct train | None | A tour, a car or a night |
When a tour is worth it
A tour earns its price where the public transport is thin or the day is long.
- The Alpujarras. The villages are about 2 hours by coach each way, and the last bus back sets your day. The two tours cover Pampaneira, Capileira and more, from €71.32ad for 8 to 10 hours or €115ad in a small group for 7.
- Sierra Nevada without skis. The summer bus is one round trip a day. The 4x4 safariad reaches 2,500 m for €75, and Los Cahorrosad is a 3 to 4 hour canyon hike from €46.
- Nerja. The best-reviewed tour starts in Málaga (€69ad); the three tours from Granada have fewer than 50 reviews each.
Not worth a tour: Córdoba, where the train leaves the whole day in the city and the one tour from Granada is €165ad, Málaga, Seville and Guadix, which are one direct train each.
The trips
Córdoba
Train 89 to 112 minutes · Mezquita-Catedral €15 · tour from €165
The Mezquita-Catedral, the Jewish Quarter and Medina Azahara. The Córdoba guide has the train times, the hours to 30 November and the free hour.
Seville
Train 2 hours 38 to 2 hours 52 · Real Alcázar €15.50
The Real Alcázar and the Cathedral. The Seville guide says what fits in ten hours. For the other direction, Granada and the Alhambra from Seville and day trips from Seville cover the train north and the tours into Granada.
Málaga
Train 82 to 94 minutes · Alcazaba €7 · Picasso Museum €13
The Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, the Cathedral and the Picasso Museum. The Málaga guide has the trains and the hours.
Sierra Nevada
Bus €5.50 one way · ski pass from €56 · tours from €46
The Sierra Nevada guide has the winter and summer bus times, the planned season and the summer routes.
The Alpujarras
Alsa bus about 2 hours · tours from €71.32
Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira. The Alpujarras guide compares the bus with the two tours.
Nerja and Frigiliana
Alsa coach about 1 hour 55 · Nerja Cave €16 online
The Nerja guide has the cave’s prices and hours and the bus to Frigiliana, and a line on the Costa Tropical.
A cove on the Costa Tropical. Photo: Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Guadix
Train 65 to 81 minutes · cave-house centre €5
The Guadix guide has the trains, the cave houses and the Alcazaba visits.
Ronda
No direct train · a tour, a car or a night
Granada has no direct train to Ronda. The route is a train to Antequera-Santa Ana, 57 to 64 minutes, and a second train from Antequera to Ronda, 75 to 125 minutes. As of November 2026 the first train from Granada reaches Antequera at 07:20, and the first useful train on to Ronda leaves Antequera at 10:15, so Ronda does not fit a day. One tour leaves Granada for Ronda, with 42 reviews. Ronda is better as an overnight, or as a day from Seville, where the tours run 9 to 10 hours from €47.40: Ronda and the white villages from Seville compares them.
The Puente Nuevo over the gorge at Ronda. Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Before you choose a day
| Where | Limited or closed |
|---|---|
| The Alhambra | Online sales close at 23:59 the day before; the ticket cannot be changed or refunded |
| The Mezquita-Catedral | Hours are published to 30 November; Sundays are split around Mass |
| Medina Azahara | Closed Mondays except the eve of a holiday, and 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 and 6 January |
| The Nerja Cave | Closed 1 and 6 January, 15 May and 25 December; no changes or refunds |
| The Sierra Nevada bus | The timetable changes between winter and summer; confirm the bus is running |
| The Guadix Alcazaba | Guided visits Friday to Sunday only |
| Seville | Monday closes the Archivo General de Indias, the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Antiquarium |
Granada airport to the city and Granada public transport cover the first and last day, and the trains leave from Avenida Andaluces and the coaches from Avenida Juan Pablo II. What to book before you go to Granada has the city tickets and the days they are closed. Where to stay in Granada compares the areas, and Granada walking tours is the half-day alternative. The Alhambra guided tours page compares the tours that include the ticket.
Common questions
What are the best day trips from Granada?
Córdoba, 89 to 112 minutes by direct train, with the Mezquita-Catedral at €15; Málaga, 82 to 94 minutes by train; and Sierra Nevada, about 45 minutes by a €5.50 bus. Guadix, with its cave houses, is 65 to 81 minutes by train but its first train leaves at 11:00. The Alpujarras and Nerja are long days by Alsa coach.
Do I need a tour for a day trip from Granada?
Not for the trips by train. A tour earns its price for the Alpujarras (8 to 10 hours from €71.32) and for the Sierra Nevada mountain without skis (the 4x4 safari is from €75), where the alternative is a coach timetable or a hire car. Few tours leave Granada for the other trips with many reviews.
Is Seville a day trip from Granada?
It can be, but it is a long one: four direct Avant trains a day take 2 hours 38 minutes to 2 hours 52 minutes each way. The 06:22 out and 19:15 back give about ten hours in Seville.
Can I visit Ronda as a day trip from Granada?
Not by train. There is no direct train, and the connection through Antequera does not leave a day: the first useful onward train from Antequera is at 10:15 as of November 2026. Ronda is a tour, a hire car or an overnight, or a day trip from Seville.
Can I use the Alhambra ticket on a day trip?
The Alhambra needs a ticket in a name, with the Nasrid Palaces time fixed on it, and online sales close at 23:59 the day before. Book it before any train or bus.
Do I need a passport for a day trip from Granada?
Carry a passport or photo ID on every trip. The Alhambra ticket is named and checked against the original ID, and tour listings ask for ID details at checkout.
