How to Get Cheap or Free Tickets for the Granada Alhambra Palace
If you would like to visit the Alhambra for less money or for free, in this post I tell you how you can do it.
Detail of the Alhambra's arches | Luis Cardoso
The Alhambra is one of the most beautiful monuments in Spain, which receives thousands of visitors every year. It is a unique palatine city in Europe and a cultural reference of Hispano-Muslim art in the West. To visit it you will have to book a ticket for the Alhambra.
Getting tickets for the Alhambra on the Internet is easy. However, the possibility of finding discounts that allow you to see it paying less money or even for free is not so easy. If you would like to know if you are one of the visitors who can get cheaper tickets for the Alhambra I advise you to read on.
How can I save money buying tickets for the Alhambra?
The Alhambra in Granada is one of the most famous and visited monuments in Spain. As you might guess, it is difficult to find discounts, deals or cheap tickets at the last minute. However, it is not impossible to save money when buying tickets for the Alhambra. I'll tell you how you can do it, it's very easy!
Buying the general admission ticket (without tour or audioguide)
The cheapest option to see everything at the best price is to try to get a single ticket without guided tour for the same day of the visit at the ticket office or online, which costs 19€.
I do not recommend the first option because the demand is very high to see the Alhambra and places are limited, and you can be left without a ticket. Besides, it is not worth the trouble to wait in endless lines at the ticket office. Your time is also valuable and if you buy the tickets for the Alhambra online you can spend it doing other activities in Granada
Other economical options are the pack "Entrance to Gardens, Generalife and Alcazaba" where you will visit only those parts for a price of around 10€, the pack "Night Visit to Gardens and Generalife" for about 7€ and the pack "Night Visit to Nasrid Palaces" for also around 10€.
Visiting the Alhambra with the Granada Card
The Granada Card is a tourist pass with which you can visit the Alhambra and the Generalife, as well as other attractions in the city. With this card you can also use the city bus to move from one place to another comfortably.
By purchasing the Granada Card you will not only save time (because presenting this pass you will not need to queue at the ticket office of each monument to get the tickets) but also money because this tourist card of 24, 48 or 72 hours will allow you to access with a reduced or flat rate to the main attractions and services of Granada.
Children from 2 to 11 years old can also use the Granada Card for children which includes the same services as the adults, so if you are traveling as a family this is an option to take into account to save a little more.
Take advantage of discounts
The Alhambra has some discounts for specific groups (people with disabilities, European Youth Card holders, EU citizens over 65, etc.) who can buy tickets at a lower price than the general public.
To benefit from these discounts is essential that these people present a supporting document at the box office.
Who has access to reduced rates at the Alhambra?
The visit to the Alhambra in Granada is paid and to access you will need to buy a ticket. However, some groups can get them at a lower price than the general public. Broadly speaking, this is the list of people who could benefit:
- European Youth Card holders.
- EU citizens over 65 years of age.
- Groups linked to cultural or educational institutions with 15 or more members, with prior authorization.
- Disabled persons.
- Members of large families.
If you are one of them you will have to present at the ticket office of the monument a supporting document that makes you a beneficiary of the discount. I recommend you to go with enough time in advance so that this management does not take too much time of your visit to the Alhambra.
Alhambra tickets for children
Getting tickets at the ticket office
Families who would like to try to get single tickets without a guided tour for the same day of the visit at the ticket office can take advantage of the free or discounted tickets for children.
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The general tour for children up to and including age 11 is free when accompanied by an adult.
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The general visit for children from 12 to 15 (inclusive) will have a reduced price of 8 euros when accompanied by an adult.
However, you will have to bring an identity document where they can verify the age of the child. Even being free, it is mandatory for any visitor to have a ticket to access, as it is a guarantee against any incident that may occur in it.
Booking tickets online
The great advantage of booking your tickets to the Alhambra online in advance is that you will have the tickets with you before your trip and you will not have to queue endlessly at the ticket office to try to get one of the tickets that go on sale for the same day.
The capacity is limited and the demand is very high so you could run the risk of running out of tickets after having been there so long waiting.
In Hellotickets you can book tickets to the Alhambra or guided tours where the price of children's tickets is also somewhat lower than that of adults. So you can save without having to get tickets at the last minute once in Granada!
When is it free to enter the Alhambra?
At present there is no specific day when you can enter the Alhambra for free. To visit the interior of the monumental complex it is necessary to purchase a ticket beforehand.
However, there are some exceptions that will allow you to enjoy the Alhambra without spending a euro. Here's how you can do it!
If you are from Granada or resident in Granada
The Alhambra is the great emblem of the city of Granada and, with the aim of raising awareness of its historical and cultural importance among the local population, the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife launched an initiative so that all Granada residents and residents in the province can enter for free during the weekends.
Those who want to visit the Alhambra for free and free of charge have to make an online reservation by filling out the form and attaching the required supporting documentation.
Another option is to make the reservation in person at the Residents' Office located in the Corral del Carbon. Unfortunately, people who are not from Granada or do not reside there cannot participate in this initiative.
If you are an out-of-town traveler
If on your trip to Granada you are on a tight budget and prefer not to buy tickets or you have not been able to get one, do not worry because you can always visit the free part. Although it is the least spectacular, it has some very interesting sites that you will be able to see, for example:
- The walls
- The Justice Gate, which is the most iconic of the enclosure.
- The Plaza de los Aljibes
- The Gate of the Chariots
- The Palace of Charles V, which houses the museums of the Alhambra and the Museum of Fine Arts.
- On the esplanade in front of the palace you can see the Wine Gate and even take a souvenir photo with the Albaicin in the background.
- The Calle Real, the main street of the old Medina that has been preserved since the Middle Ages.
- The Parador de Granada in the Alhambra
Another place where you can go for free to enjoy the wonderful Alhambra is the viewpoint of San Nicolas in the Albaicin neighborhood. It is said that there you will find the most beautiful sunset in Spain and the best panoramic view of the Andalusian fortress with Sierra Nevada in the background. In addition, you will have unbeatable views of the Alcazaba, the Nasrid palaces and the Generalife.
In short, what can I see for free at the Alhambra?
Access to the monumental complex is paid and you will need to buy a ticket to the Alhambra in Granada to take a tour of the Nasrid palatine city. However, there are some sites in the Alhambra that you can see without spending money.
To make it clearer, here is a summary of what you can see in the Alhambra for free and what you can't see:
Requires a paid entrance ticket
- The Nasrid Palaces
- The gardens and the Generalife Palace
- The Alcazaba
- The Bath of the Mosque
It is free and does not require an entrance fee
- The Walls
- The Justice Gate
- The Plaza de los Aljibes
- The Palace of Charles V, which houses the museums of the Alhambra and the Museum of Fine Arts.
- The Royal Street of the Alhambra
- The Wine Gate
- The viewpoint of San Nicolas
- The Gate of the Carriages
- The Parador de Turismo de Granada in the Alhambra, a former 15th century convent built by the Catholic Monarchs.
The most cost-effective option to see the Alhambra: a guided tour
We have already said that the standard price of tickets for adults is 19 euros, but for just a little more money you can explore this mythical Nasrid palace city with a guided tour of the Alhambra with a professional guide who will discover all the secrets of this landmark of architecture and Islamic art in Spain
The price of guided tours of the Alhambra varies depending on the type of tour you book and what the tour includes but in Hellotickets you can find options from 29 euros.