Spain · City break

Granada City Guide

Above Granada stands the Alhambra, palace city of the Nasrids and until 1492 seat of the last Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus. Opposite, the white lanes of the Albaicín climb the hill, with the Darro below. Two ready-made day routes lead through the palaces and from the Albaicín down to the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs.

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Our walking tours of Granada

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Granada, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Alhambra & Generalife

Take the C30 or C32 minibus up to the entrance pavilion, then it is almost all downhill. First come the Generalife gardens with the water channel of the Patio de la Acequia. At the time on your ticket you enter the Nasrid Palaces with the Comares Tower and the Court of the Lions, leaving through the Partal, the oldest palace. Then come the round courtyard of Charles V's palace and the Alcazaba with the Torre de la Vela. Through the Gate of Justice of 1348 you descend about 70 m on the cobbled Cuesta de Gomérez to Plaza Nueva.

Generalife. The day begins at the sultans' summer retreat. The Generalife sits outside the Alhambra walls on the slope of the Cerro del Sol and was a country villa and a working farm at once. The vegetable terraces below the gardens have been cultivated since the 14th century. An inscription records a remodelling under Sultan Ismail I in 1319. At its centre lies the Patio de la Acequia, a long water channel between flowerbeds. The jets that arch over it, however, were only added in the 19th century. After a fire in 1958, archaeologists found the Nasrid paths 70 cm below the later ground level. Further up is the Escalera del Agua, a stairway where water from the Acequia Real runs down open channels that double as the handrails.
Palacios Nazaríes. Here the time printed on your ticket is what counts. You walk through the Nasrid Palaces in a fixed order, first the Mexuar, then the Comares Palace, then the Palace of the Lions. Inside the Comares Tower is the Hall of the Ambassadors, a little over 11 m square and the largest hall of the palaces, built under Yusuf I, who reigned from 1333 to 1354. Muhammad V had the Court of the Lions laid out from 1377. Its arcades rest on 124 columns of white Macael marble. The twelve lions of the fountain spent years being restored and were only back in place in July 2012, once the old water system was working again. The sultans' cemetery also lay beside the Palace of the Lions. In 1925 the architect Leopoldo Torres Balbás found some seventy graves there, all but one empty. The last sultan had taken the remains of his ancestors away.
Palacio del Partal. As you leave the palaces you step into the Partal gardens, and the small building behind the pool is older than anything you have just seen. Muhammad III had it built during his reign from 1302 to 1309, which makes it the oldest surviving palace in the Alhambra. What remains is the open portico and, beside it, the Torre de las Damas. After 1492 the building passed into private hands. In 1886 the Frankfurt banker Arthur Gwinner bought the Torre de las Damas as a holiday home. In 1891 he gave it to the Spanish state, but took the wooden dome from the tower with him to Berlin. It now belongs to the Museum of Islamic Art there. The smaller chamber next door kept its muqarnas dome, the oldest in the Alhambra.
Palacio de Carlos V. In the middle of the Nasrid city, Charles V placed a building that looks out of place here. After his wedding to Isabella of Portugal in 1526 the couple spent several months at the Alhambra, and the emperor ordered a palace of his own. Pedro Machuca began in 1527 with a square 63 m on each side, enclosing a circular courtyard. Renaissance architecture had no precedent for this layout. A pavilion facing the Comares Tower was pulled down to make room. Work stopped for good in 1637 with the walls and vaults standing but no roof. After the Peninsular War gunpowder was still stored here until 1832. The building only got a roof in the 20th century. Today it houses the Alhambra Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Alcazaba. The Alcazaba is the military part of the Alhambra and also its oldest area. There were buildings here as early as the 11th century, and the first Nasrid sultan, Muhammad I, enlarged the fortress from 1238. Inside lie the foundations of the Barrio Castrense, the soldiers' quarter, with lanes and houses around small courtyards. At the western tip stands the Torre de la Vela, almost 27 m high. Tradition has it that the flag of the Catholic Monarchs was raised on it on 2 January 1492. Soon afterwards came the bell, which for centuries rang at fixed hours and told the farmers of the Vega when to irrigate their fields. Since 1843 the tower has been part of the city's coat of arms. From the top you look over the whole city, the Albaicín opposite and the wide plain of the Vega.
Puerta de la Justicia. For centuries visitors entered the Alhambra through this gate, and you leave by the same old route. Yusuf I had it built in 1348. Its foundation inscription even gives the weeks in which it was finished, from 30 May to 28 June 1348. It is the largest of the Nasrid gate towers and has been the main entrance since the Christian conquest. Look at the top of the outer horseshoe arch. A hand is carved there, read either as protection against the evil eye or as a sign of the five pillars of Islam. A key follows on the inner arch. Beyond it the passage turns twice at right angles, so that no attacker could charge straight through. From here the Cuesta de Gomérez leads down through the Alhambra woods to the city.

Albaicín, Darro & Cathedral

Take the C31 or C32 minibus up into the Albaicín, then it is almost all downhill, about 70 m in total. From the Mirador de San Nicolás you see the Alhambra end to end. Down the Cuesta del Chapiz you reach the Casa del Chapiz, where the lane into the cave quarter of Sacromonte begins. At the Paseo de los Tristes you meet the Darro and follow it along the Carrera del Darro to the Arab bathhouse of El Bañuelo. In the centre come the Corral del Carbón caravanserai, the old silk market, the burial chapel of the Catholic Monarchs and the cathedral.

Mirador de San Nicolás. From this terrace you see the Alhambra the way most photos show it. The whole hill lies opposite, the Alcazaba on the right, the Generalife on the left and the Sierra Nevada behind. The complex is about 740 m long and up to 180 m wide. The Albaicín, where you are standing, was the seat of the Zirid rulers in the 11th century, long before the Alhambra, and has been a World Heritage Site too since 1994. The church of San Nicolás beside you was built in 1525 in Mudéjar style. In 1932 arsonists set it alight and the roof over the altar burned. A few steps away stands the Great Mosque, opened in 2003 as the first mosque built in the city since 1492. At sunset the terrace gets very crowded, while late morning is calmer.
Casa del Chapiz. At the corner of the Cuesta del Chapiz and the Camino del Sacromonte stand two houses built by Moriscos, Muslims forcibly baptised after 1492. Lorenzo el Chapiz had the larger one built in the early 16th century on the remains of a Nasrid palace, and his brother-in-law Hernán López el Ferí the smaller one. Because both owners joined the Morisco uprising, the houses were confiscated in 1571. Since 1932 the School of Arabic Studies has worked here, and you can only go inside on a booked guided visit. The Camino del Sacromonte begins right behind the house. On the slope above lie the white cave homes of the Sacromonte, the traditional quarter of Granada's Gitanos and home of the zambra, the flamenco of the caves. The cave museum is about 450 m away as the crow flies and some 60 m higher.
Paseo de los Tristes. Officially the promenade is called Paseo del Padre Manjón. It was laid out in 1609 as the Paseo de la Puerta de Guadix, and the fountain in the middle dates from the same year. It became the Paseo de los Tristes, the promenade of the sorrowful, in the 19th century, because funeral processions passed this way to the San José cemetery behind the Alhambra. Today people sit at the bars along the Darro and look steeply up to the Alhambra's north wall and the Comares Tower. As early as 1608 a chronicler traced the name of the Darro to the Latin "dat aurum", it gives gold. And upstream people really did pan the river sand for gold until the mid-20th century.
Carrera del Darro & El Bañuelo. The Carrera del Darro follows the river, with the Alhambra hill rising opposite. At number 31 lies El Bañuelo, an Arab bathhouse traditionally dated to the 11th century under the Zirids, though a recent study suggests the 12th. It is considered one of the best-preserved public baths on the peninsula. Like the bathers of old, you move from the cold room to the warm and the hot one. The columns in the large warm room carry Roman, Visigothic and Caliphal capitals taken from older buildings. Star-shaped openings in the vaults let in light and let out the steam. On the far bank stands what is left of the Puente del Cadí. 170 m further on, at the church of Santa Ana, the Darro disappears under the street and flows 1,267 m underground through the centre. It was vaulted over in the 19th century.
Corral del Carbón. Through a tall gateway with a muqarnas vault you enter the courtyard of a caravanserai. The Nasrids built it before 1336 as al-Funduq al-Jadida, the New Inn. Visiting merchants slept here, stored their goods and sold wholesale, right next to the silk market and the main mosque. It is the only inn of its kind preserved from the Nasrid period on the Iberian Peninsula. The building got its present name, the coal yard, when charcoal sellers lodged here after 1531. Later, according to tradition, the courtyard served as a theatre and then as a tenement. For many years it faced demolition. Only its restoration between 1929 and 1931 saved it. Today it is home to the International Music and Dance Festival, and concerts sometimes take place in the courtyard.
Alcaicería. The narrow lanes with horseshoe arches and wooden lattices look Moorish, but they are a rebuild. The Alcaicería was the silk market of the Nasrid city, walled and with nine gates that were locked and guarded at night. In the 16th century it held almost 200 small shops. On 20 July 1843 a fire broke out in a match shop and destroyed the entire quarter. What you see today is the 19th-century reconstruction in Neo-Moorish style, with straightened lanes on a smaller footprint. On sale are Fajalauza pottery, wood inlaid in the local taracea style and coloured lanterns. The lanes are very much geared to visitors, yet the tangle of arches and wares is still worth seeing.
Capilla Real. This is where Isabella and Ferdinand lie, the Catholic Monarchs who conquered Granada in 1492. By a decree of 13 September 1504 they chose the city as their burial place. Enrique Egas built the chapel from 1505 to 1517 in late Gothic style. Behind the great grille by Master Bartolomé stand two marble tombs. The one for Isabella and Ferdinand is by Domenico Fancelli, the one for their daughter Joanna and her husband Philip the Handsome by Bartolomé Ordóñez. The tombs are empty. The dead lie below in the crypt in plain lead coffins marked with their initials, together with their grandson Miguel de la Paz, who died as a child. In the old sacristy the museum shows the crown and sceptre of the Catholic Monarchs and paintings by Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling and Sandro Botticelli.
Catedral de Granada. The cathedral stands on the site of the former main mosque. The foundation stone was laid on 25 March 1523 to Gothic plans by Enrique Egas. In 1528 Diego de Siloé took over and carried on in Renaissance style. His masterpiece is the round Capilla Mayor, 22 m across and 45 m high. Its windows hold 24 stained-glass panels from the 16th century. The main facade was designed in 1667 by Alonso Cano, a painter and sculptor from Granada. Two towers of 81 m each were planned, but only one was built, and even that one was never finished. Counting from the foundation stone to completion, the building took 181 years. In front of the Capilla Mayor, Isabella and Ferdinand kneel in figures by Pedro de Mena.

Planning your visit

Plan two days. The Alhambra route runs 3 km with six stops from the bus stop at the entrance pavilion, the route through the Albaicín and the centre 2.7 km with eight stops from Plaza San Nicolás. Both are almost entirely downhill. The Nasrid Palaces have a fixed entry time, so book your ticket early. With only one day, do the Alhambra in the morning and the Mirador and the Darro in the afternoon. Granada is built on a hillside, so good shoes help. For a third day the train goes to Guadix, and there are five tips for the evening.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

B·Heaven. The roof terrace of the Barceló Carmen hotel is on the eighth floor on Acera del Darro and is open to non-residents too, with the lift going up from the lobby. At the top there is a pool and an all-round view over the city's rooftops to the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada. Come when the sun sets over the Vega while the Alhambra still catches the light.

Nightlife quarters

Calle Navas. The pedestrian street between the town hall square and the Realejo has more tapas bars than almost any other in Granada. The city's custom still holds here, a tapa comes with every drink, although some places now only serve tapas you pay for. Bar Los Diamantes has been on the street since 1942 and is known for fried fish.

Food & restaurants

Restaurante Chikito. Chikito occupies the rooms of the Café Alameda on Plaza del Campillo, which opened in 1909. From 1915 the circle known as El Rinconcillo met here, its members including Federico García Lorca and Manuel de Falla. Since 2015 Lorca has sat in the restaurant as a life-size bronze figure. The menu holds Granada classics such as tortilla del Sacromonte.

Bars & clubs

Sala Planta Baja. The club has been on Calle Horno de Abad since 1989. Granada's indie bands such as Los Planetas and Lagartija Nick played here early on. In 2016 the venue survived a fire. Thursday to Saturday there are usually concerts followed by DJs into the early hours. Over-18s only.

Stage & concerts

Peña La Platería. The peña was founded in 1949 in the silversmith's workshop that gave it its name. It calls itself the oldest flamenco peña in the world. Since 1970 it has been on the Placeta de Toqueros in the Albaicín. Every Thursday it holds its Jueves Flamencos, song, guitar and dance in a small room and open to everyone. A seat is not guaranteed, so arrive early or phone ahead.

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Practical information for Granada

Public transport

Operator. The Granada city bus network is run by Transportes Rober, a company of the Alsa group, on behalf of the Ayuntamiento. That is why the official route map carries the Alsa logo. The network includes the main lines 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 21 and 33, the supplementary networks North (N) and South (S), the minibus lines C5, C30, C31, C32, C34 and C35 through the historic districts, the university lines U1 to U3, the cemetery line 13 and the night lines 111 and 121 (Búho). The Metro de Granada, with its single line 1 between Albolote and Armilla, is run directly by the Junta de Andalucía through its Agencia de Obra Pública, which has contracted out the operation to Avanza. The route is 16 km long, has 26 stops and runs 83% above ground, with only three stations underground. The Consorcio de Transporte Metropolitano del Área de Granada organises the intercity buses to the surrounding area and the airport line 245, and issues the Consorcio card, which is valid on city buses, the Metro and intercity buses.

Network. Buses, including minibuses through the Albaicín and Sacromonte and to the Alhambra, and a Metro line from north to south. For the old town the C lines and your feet are enough.

Modes of transport. Bus · Minibus · Metro (light rail) · Night bus

Operating hours. On weekdays main line 4 (Chana to Zaidín) starts at 6.20am from Campus de la Salud and at 6.40am from Avenida de Andalucía, with the last departures at 11.30pm. During the day it runs about every 7 to 10 minutes (timetable valid from 14 September 2026). Minibus line C30 to the Alhambra leaves Plaza Isabel la Católica every 15 minutes from 7am to 11.15pm on weekdays, and every 8 minutes from 7am to 11.32pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Line C32 between the Alhambra and the Albaicín runs daily about every 10 to 12 minutes from 7am to 11pm. The Metro runs Monday to Thursday and on Sundays and public holidays from 6.30am to 11pm, and on Fridays, Saturdays and evenings before public holidays from 6.30am to 2am. These times refer to departures from the Albolote and Armilla terminals. On weekdays the Metro comes every 6.5 to 8 minutes during the day, on Saturdays every 10 minutes and on Sundays every 11 minutes.

Night service. At night two circular lines called Búho take over. The 111 runs anticlockwise via Camino de Ronda, Ayuntamiento and Gran Vía, and the 121 clockwise via Gran Vía, Violón and Camino de Ronda. Both run on Friday and Saturday nights and on nights before public holidays from midnight to 5am from Puerta Real (Fuente de las Batallas), the 111 about every 23 to 30 minutes and the 121 about every 23 to 35 minutes. Both also stop at the bus station. The single ticket on the Búho costs €1.70 instead of €1.60. The Consorcio card is not valid on the Búho lines. On Fridays, Saturdays and evenings before public holidays the Metro extends its service until 2am, running every 15 minutes from 11pm to 2am.

Buying tickets. You buy the single ticket (Billete ordinario) on city buses from the driver, in cash or by credit card. On line 4 only, you buy it from the machine at the stop and validate it at the validator outside. The rechargeable Credibús card costs €2 on first purchase and is topped up with €5, €10 or €20. Drivers only accept cash for top-ups, while the line 4 machines also take bank cards. Hold the card against the reader every time you board, including when you change. Metro tickets and cards are sold by the machines at all 26 stops, which have also accepted bank cards since January 2021. The Consorcio card is sold at kiosks and tobacconists (estancos). You can top it up there and at the Metro machines, but the machines do not sell it.

App and payment. On city buses you pay the single ticket to the driver in cash or by credit card. The Imbric app sells the Billete ordinario for all city buses, including line 4. You buy it up to 40 minutes before the journey and scan the QR code on the window of the driver's cab when boarding. Within 60 minutes of the first validation you can change to other lines with the same ticket. Imbric also shows the next buses at a stop and is used in Granada for taxis, car parks and ORA parking tickets as well. At the Metro machines you pay by bank card. The Metro de Granada app for Android and iOS calculates fares and shows in real time when the next train arrives.

Which ticket. On the city bus the single ticket costs €1.60 (Búho €1.70). Changing to another line is free within 60 minutes. With the Credibús card a journey on the basic fare costs €0.90 with a top-up of €5, €0.89 with €10 and €0.88 with €20. With the current discount it is €0.54 with a top-up of €5 and €0.53 with €10 or €20. The card itself is a one-off €2, which pays for itself after just under two journeys compared with single tickets. Several people travelling together can share one Credibús card by holding it against the reader once for each person. The monthly pass (Bono Mensual) costs €24.60 with the discount. Children under 6 travel free. On the Metro the single fare (Univiaje) costs €1.35, plus €0.30 for the rechargeable card. A return costs €2.70. With stored credit (Monedero), topped up with €5 to €20, a Metro journey costs €0.49, and up to 15 people can travel together on it. The Tarjeta Turística for one day costs €4.50, the price of 3.3 single fares, and is also available for 2, 3 and 5 days. Credibús and Metro tickets are each valid only on their own mode of transport. If you combine bus and Metro, you need the Consorcio card (€1.50 issue fee), which brings a city bus journey down to €0.63 and a Metro journey to €0.49.

Fare zones. Within the city, zones play no role. City buses cost the same per journey, and the Metro has a fixed price for its tickets and for the Consorcio card, regardless of the route. The Consorcio divides the surrounding area into zones A, B, C and D, and the price depends on the number of zone changes (Saltos). With the Consorcio card, intercity journeys currently cost from €0.63 with no zone change to €1.30 with three zone changes, and as a single ticket €1.55 to €3.15 (special fare with a 40% discount from 1 July to 31 December 2026). Airport line 245 has its own fare, €3.10 as a single ticket or €1.62 with the Consorcio card.

Tip. Minibus line C30 runs to the Alhambra from Plaza Isabel la Católica, every 8 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. On foot, the way goes from Plaza Nueva via the Cuesta de Gomérez, which is closed to cars.

Getting there

Main station

Location. The station is in the Beiro district on Avenida de los Andaluces. The Metro stops right next door at Estación Ferrocarril station, and from there it is three stations to Recogidas. The nearest city bus stops are on Avenida de la Constitución, where lines 4, 11, 33, U2, U3, N1 and N3 run. Airport bus 245 also stops on Avenida de la Constitución. There is a taxi rank in front of the main entrance. To the bus station it is around 10 minutes by Metro.

Long-distance trains. Granada station on Avenida de los Andaluces has high-speed trains (Alta Velocidad), long-distance trains (Larga Distancia) and regional trains (Media Distancia). Since 26 June 2019 AVE trains have run directly to Madrid and to Barcelona. Regional and long-distance trains run to Seville, Antequera and Almería and, within the province, to Loja, Iznalloz and Guadix. The Renfe journey planner shows all connections. The station has ticket offices, ticket machines, customer service, toilets, catering, car hire, car parks and a taxi rank. It is step-free, and travellers with reduced mobility can use the ACERCA assistance service.

Opening hours. Granada station is open daily from 6am to 11.15pm. Tickets are available at the ticket office and from machines. There is also a customer service desk, as well as toilets, catering and the ACERCA assistance service for travellers with reduced mobility.

Airports

GRX

Into the city. The airport is 17 km from Granada in the municipality of Chauchina. The Consorcio's line 245 between Granada and the airport is run by Alsa (Alsa Granada Airport). It stops at Avenida de Andalucía, the bus station, Avenida de la Constitución, Gran Vía (Catedral) and Acera del Darro, and ends at the Palacio de Congresos. The journey takes about 45 minutes, with the timetable allowing an hour. The bus stops in front of the arrivals area on level 0, at the Autobuses sign. The single ticket costs €3.10, or €1.62 with the Consorcio card (special fare until 31 December 2026). Departures are timed to the flights and change from week to week. In the week of 12 to 18 October 2026 the first bus leaves the airport at 8.55am or 9.10am and the last at 11.15pm, and from the Palacio de Congresos the first leaves at 4am and the last at 8pm. There is no night service. Taxis are based in Chauchina and Santa Fe and charge the intercity tariff, around €30 to the centre.

AGP

Into the city. From Málaga Airport Alsa runs direct coaches to Granada several times a day. The stop is at the transport hub (Intercambiador de Transportes) outside the arrivals level (level 0), a few metres from the Cercanías station. The Alsa timetable search shows the departure times from the airport. On the whole Málaga to Granada route of 131 km, 40 buses a day run, the first at 5.30am and the last at 11.15pm. The journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes on the direct bus and up to 2 hours 30 minutes with more stops, from €8. You buy tickets online, in the app or at the machine and pay with Visa, Mastercard or American Express. If the flight is delayed, Alsa exchanges the ticket for the next available bus up to 12 hours after the booked departure at no extra charge.

Local quirks

Albaicín only with permission. Four access points to the Albaicín and Sacromonte are closed with bollards and cameras, on Calle Pagés, Calle San Luis, Calle Elvira and Calle Reyes Católicos towards Plaza Nueva. Elvira and Reyes Católicos are closed around the clock from Friday to Sunday, on public holidays and on the evenings before them, and from Monday to Thursday from 7.30am to 2am. Hotel guests may drive through if their hotel is authorised for it. You must report your number plate to the hotel, or you will be fined.
Low emission zone across the whole city. The low emission zone (Zona de Bajas Emisiones) has been enforced since 1 October 2025. It applies around the clock over 23.55 km², almost the whole built-up city area. Cars with the Spanish environmental label B, C, ECO or 0 may enter, as may cars registered in Granada. The Circunvalación city bypass (GR-30), the Ronda Sur A-395 and Avenida Santa María de la Alhambra to the Alhambra car park remain exempt. Without a label you may drive into the connected car parks (parkings habilitados) if the car stays there for at least an hour. You may not park on the street without a label. If you are driving a car without a Spanish environmental label, for example with a foreign number plate, ask your accommodation or rental company before entering.
Not by car from the old town to the Alhambra. The Cuesta de Gomérez from Plaza Nueva is closed to cars, and on foot it is the shortest way up. By car you can only go via the Circunvalación city bypass (GR-30), the Ronda Sur A-395 and Avenida Santa María de la Alhambra to the car park at the Alhambra. By bus, the minibus lines C30 from Plaza Isabel la Católica and C32 from the Albaicín go up.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F
Time zone: Europe/Madrid
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 20/30/50 km/h (tiered), outside towns 90 km/h, motorway 120 km/h

Since May 2021, a three-tier system has applied within built-up areas instead of a single uniform value. 20 km/h on streets with a single level for the roadway and sidewalk, 30 km/h on streets with one lane per direction, and 50 km/h only from two lanes per direction upward. As a result, most inner-city streets are now limited to 30 km/h, which surprises visitors from countries with a uniform 50 km/h. A dense network of fixed and mobile speed cameras enforces this consistently, and fines on rental cars often arrive by mail only weeks later.

Tipping. Not expected. A few coins or five percent for good service is plenty.

Tolls. Some motorways are tolled, recognisable by AP in the name. Routes marked A are free.

Access restrictions. Cities above 50,000 inhabitants must set up low emission zones. Madrid and Barcelona enforce by camera, and foreign vehicles must register online in advance.