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Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín

Granada · Spain

Background

World Heritage since
1984
Type of site
Cultural
Begun
1238

The palace and fortress of the Nasrid emirs on a hill above Granada, with the gardens of the Generalife to its east and the old Moorish quarter of the Albayzín on the facing hill. It is the only well-preserved palace of the medieval Islamic world.

Begun in 1238 by Muhammad I, it gained most of its character in the 14th century under Yusuf I and Muhammad V. After 1492 it became the royal court of Ferdinand and Isabella, where Columbus won backing for his voyage, and Charles V added a Renaissance palace in 1526.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1238Muhammad I begins building
  2. 14th c.Main palaces built under Yusuf I and Muhammad V
  3. 1492Becomes the court of Ferdinand and Isabella
  4. 1526Charles V commissions his Renaissance palace
  5. 1812Napoleon's troops destroy parts of it
  6. 1984Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Nasrid Palaces
    The emirs' palaces, entered on a timed slot.
  2. 2
    Alcazaba
    The fortress towers.
  3. 3
    Generalife
    The emirs' former country residence and its gardens.
  4. 4
    Palace of Charles V
    Charles V's Renaissance palace, set against the Nasrid palaces.
  5. 5
    Albayzín
    Moorish lanes climbing to the Mirador de San Nicolás.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Book Months Ahead
Tickets are released months in advance and the Nasrid Palaces slot is timed.
Go Early
The GoGo guide starts in the Nasrid Palaces at 8:30am.
Allow 3 Hours
For the palaces, the Alcazaba and the Generalife.
Sunset From San Nicolás
The GoGo guide ends the day at the Mirador de San Nicolás, looking across at the Alhambra.
Granada Card
The Granadacard includes the Alhambra and Generalife, the cathedral and city buses, for 24 to 72 hours.

A Day at the Alhambra

From the GoGo Granada guide · Open the Granada Guide ›

  1. 08:30
    Nasrid Palaces1 hr
    The emirs' palaces.
  2. 09:45
    Alcazaba Towers45 min
    The fortress.
  3. 10:45
    Generalife Gardens75 min
    The emirs' country residence and its gardens.
  4. 16:00
    Lanes of the Albayzín90 min
    The Moorish quarter.
  5. 17:45
    Mirador de San Nicolás at Sunset45 min
    The Alhambra across the valley.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Nov (61 mm), driest Jul (1 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The Antequera Dolmens and the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza are each about 90 km away.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 314 · Wikipedia: Alhambra · Wikivoyage: Granada (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Granada guide · UNESCO listing