There are two options for this Alhambra tour: Alhambra Palace tour (With Transport) and Alhambra Palace tour (Without Transport).
Alhambra Palace tour (With Transport)
At the start of the excursion you will be picked up from your hotel in central Granada at around 0930h (09:30am) and 0945h (09:45am). (In case you miss the bus from your hotel, contact the activity operator and they can arrange for you to take a taxi – see Please Note on this website.)
Around 1010h (10:10am) you will arrive at the glorious Alhambra Palace, the finest example of Moorish architecture in Spain. Originally built as a hill fortress, it was later turned into a sumptuous pleasure palace for the kings of the Nasrid dynasty.
The Alhambra is composed of three main parts: The Royal Palace, the Gardens of Generalife and the fortress of Alcazaba. With your guide you will visit all the most important halls and courtyards of the complex.
The Royal Palace interior is lavishly embellished with decorative vaulting and lace-like stucco. Surfaces are adorned with intricate geometric designs skilfully executed in marble, glazed tile and alabaster. The Palace is divided into three sections. The first is the Mexuar where business, government, and palace administration took place. This section includes the Oratory and the striking Golden Room.
The second section is the Serrallo, where the sultans held court and entertained their ambassadors. In the heart of the Serrallo is the Court of the Myrtles with its long pool flanked by myrtle trees. The decorative tiles here are said to be some of the finest in the Alhambra.
Adjacent to the Court of Myrtles is the magnificent Hall of the Ambassadors, which has a spectacular carved throne and a domed cedar-wood ceiling. Here the last Moorish king (King Boabdil) surrendered to the Castilians and Queen Isabella received Christopher Columbus.
The third section of the Palace is the Harem, which in its time was entered only by the sultan, his wives and concubines, young children and eunuchs. The delightful Court of the Lions lies at the harem’s heart. The courtyard is named for the 12 lions, thought to represent the months or signs of the zodiac, which support the fountain at the center.
Near the Lions courtyard is the Hall of Abencerrajes (or Hall of the Moors) with its lavish honeycombed ceiling. Legend has it that King Boabdil’s father murdered 16 members of the noble Abencerrajes family in this very room.
For great views visit the Alcazaba, the original fortress on the site. Walk up the steps to the Torre de la Vela (Watchtower) for some splendid panoramas of Granada.
You will also see the Royal Baths, where the sultans' favourite beauties once relaxed in brightly tiled pools, and the Renaissance palace of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Close to the Royal Baths are the beautiful Partal Gardens, occupying a space that was once the kitchen garden for the former Partal Palace, the oldest palace at the Alhambra.
The visit will then continue to the Generalife, summer retreat for the Moorish kings, where you can stroll through the spectacular gardens, said to have been inspired by the Koranic description of Paradise. You will see tall columnar cypress trees, roses, orange trees, oleanders and other flowers as well as tranquil pools and tinkling fountains.
Highlights include Escalera del Agua (the Water Staircase), and the Patio de la Acequía (sometimes called the Court of the Long Pond) with jets of water spraying over a very narrow, rectangular pool. You will also see the Patio de la Sultana, (also called the Patio de los Cipreses) said to have been a rendezvous for an illicit royal love affair.
The tour ends around 1330h (01:30pm). At the end of the trip you will board the mini-bus for the return to Granada.
Alhambra Palace tour (Without Transport)
This tour is the same as the one described above except that hotel pick-up and drop- off are not provided and you should make your own way to the Alhambra Palace.
You should meet the guide at the Puerta de la Justicia, which is the main door in the Alhambra Palace, between 1000h (10:00am) and 1020h (10:20am). In case you are late or cannot find the tour guide, please contact the activity operator.
The tour ends around 1330h (01:30pm). You then need to make your own way back to your accommodation.