Real Traveler Experiences

City guide / Spain

Granada, verdict by verdict

Granada is the Alhambra's city, and the fortress earns its reputation as Spain's best single sight. Our verdicts cover Albaicin walk, Alhambra tickets and Alpujarras, the airport route and where to stay.

All 10 verdicts What to skip in Granada
The Alhambra palace walls above Granada
Photo: Robert Bovington, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

Explore the decisions

Sights and tickets

4 verdicts
Carved facade inside the Nasrid palaces of the AlhambraAre Alhambra tickets worth it?Go
Photo: Jebulon, CC0 (source)
The Sacromonte abbey above the cave quarter of GranadaIs Sacromonte worth it?Go
Photo: Giorgiomonteforti, Public domain (source)
The white rooftops of the Albaicin seen from the AlhambraIs the Albaicin walk worth it?Go
Photo: Jebulon, CC0 (source)
Inside the Granada Cathedral and Royal ChapelIs the Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel worth it?Go
Photo: Eric Chan from Hollywood, United States, CC BY 2.0 (source)

Explore the decisions

Tours

1 verdict
Inside a Granada tapas bar, where the tapa comes free with the drinkIs a tapas crawl in Granada worth it?Go
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andynash/, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)

Explore the decisions

Day trips

2 verdicts
The road toward Pico Veleta in the Sierra NevadaIs a Sierra Nevada day trip from Granada worth it?It depends
Photo: Por los caminos de Málaga, CC BY 2.0 (source)
The white village of Capileira under the Sierra NevadaIs an Alpujarras day trip from Granada worth it?Go
Photo: Mark Chinnick, CC BY 2.0 (source)

Explore the decisions

Big choices

3 verdicts
The terminal at Granada airportGranada airport to the city: which way?Our pick: Airport bus (ALSA line 245)
Photo: User:Aadrover, Public domain (source)
The striped arches of the Mezquita in CordobaGranada or Cordoba?Our pick: Both cities
Photo: Frank Kovalchek from USA, CC BY 2.0 (source)
Calle Caldereria Nueva in the Albaicin, GranadaWhere should you stay in Granada?Our pick: Centro
Photo: Mohatatou, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

The review

Granada in short

Granada is the Alhambra's city, and the fortress earns its reputation as Spain's best single sight: tickets sell out weeks ahead and it deserves a full morning. The city below repays staying on, with free tapas still arriving with every drink, the tea shops and view climbs of the Albaicin, and flamenco in the cave bars of Sacromonte, all at Andalusia's gentlest prices.

The trade-offs are hills and heat. Granada climbs constantly and is no friend to knees, July and August routinely top 35 degrees, and the streets around Plaza Nueva carry the whole tourist load. A one-night stop shortchanges a place whose headline alone deserves a morning, and the classic Andalusia dilemma of Granada or Cordoba is worth deciding before the itinerary rather than after.

Two nights is the minimum: an Alhambra morning, a day for the Albaicin, Centro and a tapas crawl, flamenco in Sacromonte after dark. March to June and September to November are the kindest windows, and winter is the underrated season, cold nights but clear views and the Sierra Nevada ski slopes forty minutes away. The little red minibuses climb the hills the legs would rather not.

Go if

  • The [Alhambra](/granada/alhambra-tickets/), Spain's best single sight with a bit of planning
  • Free tapas culture in Centro and Realejo
  • [Albaicin viewpoints](/granada/albaicin-viewpoints/) and cave flamenco in [Sacromonte](/granada/sacromonte-caves/)
  • A [Sierra Nevada](/granada/sierra-nevada-day-trip/) hiking or ski day trip

Skip if

  • Midsummer heat: July and August are punishing
  • Knee-friendly flat walking
  • A one-night stop: the Alhambra alone deserves a morning
When to go
March to June and September to November. Summer is very hot; winter is cold at night but clear, with skiing close by.
How long
2 nights minimum: a morning for the Alhambra, a day for the Albaicin, Centro, and a tapas crawl.
Getting around
Centro is walkable. The little red minibuses C31 and C32 climb to the Albaicin and Sacromonte, and a shuttle runs from Plaza Isabel to the Alhambra.

Where to stay

Hotels that fit this trip in Granada

We are checking our Granada hotel picks against live rates. Meanwhile: Search Granada hotels on Expedia partner site

In pictures

Granada, frame by frame

The white rooftops of the Albaicin seen from the Alhambrathe Albaicin walk worth it
Photo: Jebulon, CC0 (source)
Carved facade inside the Nasrid palaces of the AlhambraAlhambra tickets worth it
Photo: Jebulon, CC0 (source)
The white village of Capileira under the Sierra Nevadaan Alpujarras day trip from Granada worth it
Photo: Mark Chinnick, CC BY 2.0 (source)
The terminal at Granada airportGranada airport to the city: which way
Photo: User:Aadrover, Public domain (source)
Inside the Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapelthe Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel worth it
Photo: Eric Chan from Hollywood, United States, CC BY 2.0 (source)
The striped arches of the Mezquita in CordobaGranada or Cordoba
Photo: Frank Kovalchek from USA, CC BY 2.0 (source)
Inside a Granada tapas bar, where the tapa comes free with the drinka tapas crawl in Granada worth it
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andynash/, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)
The Sacromonte abbey above the cave quarter of GranadaSacromonte worth it
Photo: Giorgiomonteforti, Public domain (source)

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Pack for it

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