How to make the most of a visit to la Alhambra

As I mentioned before, Granada was the third stop in our 8-day epic Spain road trip. We left Baeza after breakfast and headed towards Granada through the seas of Olive groves. A couple of hours later, right on schedule, we were by our hotel. Parking being a bit tricky in the center of the city took us longer than expected, and a twenty-minute walk.

All checked in and unpacked we headed to La Alhambra, our long-awaited plan for the day. Having planned it all well in advanced helped immensely. So, I’ve decided that instead of telling you about how awesome our time there was, I’ll share with you these:

5 things to make the most of your visit to la Alhambra:

First of all, because there’s a restriction to how many people can enter la Alhambra each day, it is important to make sure to book your tickets as far in advance as possible. I booked ours about three months ahead and the day before our planned date was already sold out!
There are three different time frames you can chose from for your visit: morning (8 am – 2 pm), afternoon from October 15th through March 14th from 2 pm to 6 pm (from March 15th through October 14th 2 pm to 8 pm), and evening.

It is open pretty much every day of the year but I highly recommend you avoid weekends and holidays as on those days la Alhambra can get insanely crowded. Yes even more than usual. We were unlucky enough to only be able to make it there on a Saturday, and at some points got extremely uncomfortable. It didn’t ruin our time there but next time I would definitely try to go during the week.

Anyhow, whether you pick the morning or afternoon entry, both the gardens and the Nasrid Palaces are included. However, the entry to the Nasrid Palaces is restricted to a pre-selected time. That means, if you miss your slot, you’re out, so make sure to be there on time. I’d recommend picking a slot as soon as possible within your entry time. We went in the afternoon (2 pm to 8 pm) and took the 2:30 pm slot. It won’t only make the rest of your visit a breeze but you’ll have time enough to enjoy the beauty of the place and the gardens outside!

That being said, tip number four is more of the practical matter: wear comfortable shoes, sunglasses, and sun cream. You’ll be walking the best part of 6 hours so be ready. The last thing you want is end up sunburnt and with blisters up to your eyelashes! Health comes first 🙂
Which brings me tip number five. Don’t forget to pack some light snacks and plenty of water. It will save you big bucks and will keep you healthy and fresh during your visit to la Alhambra.
These tips should help you make the most of your limited time in la Alahmbra, and let you enjoy your day there. It’s one of those (at least) once in a lifetime experiences that everyone should have. And if you want to go a step forward, do as we did. Book the afternoon ticket, and after a long day walking around, jump to the Albaicyn quarter, find yourself a nice restaurant facing the Alhambra (which you should absolutely pre-book), and enjoy the views.

We decided to try a spontaneous visit to Aben Humeya and luckily caught their last table. Not only had we a stunning view over la Alhambra, but the lambs lettuce salad with caramelised goat cheese, melon balls, honey, dry fruits vinaigrette and crispy parmesan cheese was positively and mouth-watering delicious. Expect it to be pricey but the views are worth the visit!