The Alhambra is outstanding. The Nasrid palaces in particular are so impressive, with room after room intricately carved and decorated, complemented by beautiful water features. I visited on a wet February day and despite the weather I had a wonderful half day here - I can only imagine how stunning it would be on a sunny spring day when the gardens are in full bloom. I bought a ticket direct from the official website, 19 euros. You have to book a time slot for the Nazrid palaces, I had 9am. As the site only opens at 8.30 that meant going straight there. If you have a later time slot you can explore the other sites beforehand - I think most people go to the Alcazaba first then Nasrid Palaces, then Generalife. I got the bus there 30 or 32 from Plaza Isabel Catholica, a single is €1.60, pay the driver cash or card. The buses are mini buses and it is mostly standing which is fine for the 10 min journey up the steep hill. Save the walking for the way down. Remember to bring your passport - you have to give your details when booking a ticket and they scan your passport at various ticket control points, it effectively acts as your ticket. You can only enter each of the three main zones (Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Generalife) once. They no longer hire out audio guides. I had tried to download the one they sent the link for alongside the tickets but got and error saying it wasn’t available in my country (because I have a UK sim even though I was in Spain at the time). However once on site I was able to scan the QR code and download the DaVinci app which loaded the Alhambra guide for free. There was also a QR code for free Wi-Fi which I didn’t use. The audio guide was good once I got used to using it. However the almost constant use of the screen and GPS did drain my battery and I had to start rationing it’s use towards the end. Bring a battery pack of you have one. Food and drink choices on the site are limited. The official food and drink places signposted on the map are just vending machines outside the toilets. There are some shops selling snacks, sandwiches and ice creams as well as souvenirs, and there is an outdoor coffee bar outside the Alcazaba which was a much needed warm pick me up during the worst of the rain. The only place to get a sit down meal is the Parador which has a high quality restaurant. It opens at 11.30. I had a coffee and cake, the cake was delicious.

Reservations should be reserved well in advance. We took a taxi to the main entrance. Otherwise, it would have been a steep incline to walk. There are mini buses from the downtown area which cost around 1.5 euros payable by cash or credit card. They fill up really quickly. Tickets to the Palacios Nazaries are time stamped with a 30 minute time slot. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the entrance to the Palace. We saw several people turned away from the palace because they were a few minutes late. They are very serious about the time you arrive at the palace. Also, bring your passport because they look at it as well. The palace was built in the 14th century with exquisite tiles, carved ceilings and beautiful arched windows. There are no animals or human figures in the Arabic script. The courtyard of the lions has a large 14th century marble fountain with 12 lions. The Charles V Palace was used for official functions. Acoustics are perfect when standing in the center. Since we visited in the winter, we did not go to the Generalife Gardens.

When you hear about a place and you've been rushing here since you were a kid, you've read Washington Irving's books three times, you expect an Eastern fairy tale... maybe if it hadn't been for Alcazar a few years ago... it didn't catch on. Yes, a complex of structures on a high hill with beautiful views, in the distance mountains covered with snow caps. Roses and trees must have blossomed and scented in the gardens as the beautiful princesses strolled in their shade, enjoying birdsong and water burbling. But there are few flowers in February. We had a visit to the Nasrid Palace planned for 9:30. Tickets were taken 3 weeks in advance and the time for entry was already morning and evening only, do not count on buying tickets locally. Reading about the strictness of the rules, we were already standing at the entrance at 9. The guard sent us out for a walk, early. But better before... when they came out there was a huge crowd. So during the early sessions, the palace is not crowded, you can take pictures with almost no people. At this time, bus groups, schoolchildren, guests of honor have not yet arrived. So it is better to book a hotel not in the city, but right near the palace and entrance to the first sessions, and then already go up to the fortress, visit the gardens of Gibraltaro and the rest of the structures and museums, but after the Nasrid Palace everything does not look very bright. The complex isn't very well maintained, but that's my personal opinion. Well, not enough rose blossoms in February. And keep in mind tickets and documents you will be checked at least 4 times, with passport scanned at the entrance to each location, so don't forget the documents. It would be a real shame to travel thousands of kilometres and not be in an iconic place. There's a huge parking lot outside the complex, so if you come by car, there's no problem with the space. Above the parking lot is a very beautiful orange garden. We lived in a hotel opposite the Alhambra - morning and evening very quiet, birdsong and it seems, when there are no crowds of tourists, that there continue to live behind thick walls powerful rulers, beautiful princesses and wizards who know where the vast treasures are kept. And I enjoyed the walk in the park in the evening a lot more than the hustle and bustle of the city lying below. And if you're staying near the Alhambra sunset can be found on the observation deck by climbing the stairs that are opposite the stop of the routes and passing through the olive grove. There are no crowds, like a sold-out toll myrador, and the views of the Alhambra in dusk and silence travel back hundreds of years.

The visit is a must for anyone coming to Granada... Unmissable and certainly unforgettable... We did it without a guide because it is very convenient to use the free one that can be downloaded with the quarecode at the entrance. However, it is important to book the entrance and the buildings from home or you risk not entering. Alhambra can be reached from Granada by bus C30 by paying 1.40 euros, an adventure into the past begins which takes at least four hours... Something more if you want to enjoy the beautiful gardens with shade and drinking water available everywhere along the visit route and maybe enjoy a sandwich bought before entering. I recommend starting the visit in the morning to take in less heat and then moving on to the gardens in the hottest hours.

This is the most fabulous and unusual palace I have seen in Europe but you have to plan ahead to see everything and get tickets. The highlight is the Palacios Nazaries, which is stunning with its Moorish architecture and fountains. However, the Palacios Nazaries is the toughest ticket to get. Otherwise, the only other option to see the Palacio Nazaries is to join a guided group tour, which is going to cost a lot more money. Start checking for tickets on the official website as soon as you know you are going to the Alhambra. You can buy them up to a year in advance but they do release more tickets three months and one month out. You want to buy the Alhambra general ticket that will get you into the Palacios Nazaries, Generalife Palace, and Alcazaba. You have to enter your passport number to purchase. The only timed ticketed entry is for the Palacios Nazaries. The other ticketed entries (non timed) are for the Alcazaba and Generalife. The rest of the grounds including the Charles V palace are free and require no ticket. Bring your passport as they were checking passports to enter the ticketed areas. The timed entry for Palacios Nazaries is strict. If your timed ticket says 9:30, for example, you can enter a time between 9:30 and 10:00 but don’t try to enter one minute after ten. The Charles V palace, entry to the Alcazaba, and entry to the Palacios Nazaries are all clustered around each other by the access point at the Justice Gate (Puerta Justica). Took us about six hours to see everything and that included a sit down lunch at the Parador San Francisco cafe. There is a qr stand you can scan by the entrance to the Palacios Nazaries access point (and other areas) that downloaded a guide that was very helpful to understand what you were seeing.

A really beautiful place, magnificent I could say, to visit necessarily. You can reach it from the city center with a dedicated public service bus. We paid for the tickets 19.50 each and it is worth booking them long in advance, given the high demand, because you run the risk of not being able to get into them. The place is huge, near the entrance there are gardens, but you don’t have to dwell too much because on the ticket they tell you the time that is actually the entrance to the royal palace, a highlight of the visit and we didn’t know it and we risked missing the shift. Finally you can also visit other things like churches and the tower. To visit the place calmly it takes at least 3 hours as far as there is to see, let alone if you have a Guide... for me it is a wonderful place that I Recommendation to everyone.

Have to say the Alhambra is a pretty srunning place to visit, with plenty of worthwhile elements that all go together to make a remarkable experience that we will remember for many years to come. But I would suggest that the pleasure could be very weather dependent, this is a very large site, and we were lucky that our day was dry (though several other days of our visit it was torrential rain). I think it could be pretty miserable if it is a wet visit. We seemed to missed the point where they sell the audio guides on the way in, and while we were able to log into their online guide on our phones, the phone signal is very spotty to say the least, so in many places we were unable to play the audio guide, which was disappointing. There is no real cafe or such within the site, and if you check the website it states that the municipality have installed vending machines while they make a decision. For a major venue this seems short sighted. The choice of food is either crisps, chocolate bar or very poor sandwiches along with various drinks with no real area to sit and eat if wet! Had we realised this we would have bought our own stuff for a picnic. As others have stated, you need comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking! Also buy your ticket in advance, we saw a lot of people being turned away because they had no tickets, I believe they allow 8,000 visitors a day, which might sound a lot but soon sells out. The 30 and 32 bus from the city both stop right outside the Alhambra for just over a Euro each, excellent value.

The Alhambra is one of those places you should visit at least once in your life. The Generalife gardens are impressive and make you lose yourself in its corners and evade the rest of the world. Walking through the Nasrid palaces allows you to recreate in the wide details of Islamic art that can be observed, one of the most representative spaces of this type of art in the Spanish territory. Seeing the pit, defensive fortress, is like taking a trip back in time. To see it unguided but in detail, it takes at least 4 hours, and tickets should be taken out well in advance, as they sell out easily. There are buses going down and up from the center, so you don’t need to get up by car or on foot.

An awe inspiring experience, just go ! To try to help you plan your visit: 1. Book an early ticket for the Nazaries Palaces, your photos will be even more beautiful without a backdrop of fellow tourists 2. There is an extensive free digital guide available via a QR code at the entrance to the Nazaries Palaces so no need to book a paid tour 3. To explore all 4 major elements (Alcazaba, Nazaries, Generalife & Carlos V) of the site will take you at least 4-5 hours 4. Have lunch in the Parador (restaurant open to non-residents) rather than getting a snack from one of the food outlets 5. Don't be tempted to skip the Alcazaba or Generalife gardens 6. Wear comfortable walking shoes 7. It's a steep but short walk back down the hill to the Albaicin so no need to queue for a bus

I chose to be self guided because I like to go at my own pace and I like to avoid crowds. From the Albaicin area you can walk to the entry, but it is quite steep. Save your legs and take a Taxi or the red city bus C32 to avoid walking uphill. Purchase your ticket weeks in advanced online from the official website and not 3rd party tour companies. With a pre-purchased ticket, you can enter through the Puerto de la Justica which has a QR code to scan for a free Audio guide. The scan is also available at Alcazaba entrance, Nasrid Palace entrance or from the official website App (which I had a problem doing since the App was only available on the Spanish App Store. And my Apple account could not be registered in Spain without a Spanish bank issued credit card). I felt the audio guide provided great information that enhanced my experience. Only the Nasrid Palace has a timed entry. I recommend booking it the first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds. And once you have your timed entry to the Nasrid palace, I suggest entering through the Puerto de la Justica and head directly to the Nasrid Palace. There is a line up for entry here so be sure to arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled time - Keeping in mind it takes 10-15 minutes to walk from the Puerto de la Justica to the Nasrid Palace entrance. After viewing the Nasrid Palace you can view the other areas later. Never once were we asked to show our digital ticket. But our passport was required at all 3 controlled entrances - Alcazaba, Nasrid Palace, Genalife. Don’t forget to view the other non ticketed areas like Carlos V Palace, museum and El Partal. Plan to spend at least 4 hours visiting the sites. The Alhambra is such a large and historically significant monument. It really can't be missed and it will leave you in awe.