How to Get Cheap or Free Tickets for the Granada Alhambra Palace

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 the Alhambra for less money or 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.

The Alhambra in Granada is one of the most famous and visited monuments in Spain. As you might expect, 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 ticket (without tour or audioguide)

The cheapest option to see everything at the best price is to try to buy a single ticket without a guided tour for the same day of the visit at the ticket office or online, which costs 19€.

I don't recommend the first option because the demand is very high to see the Alhambra and places are limited, so you could miss out on a ticket. Besides, it is not worth queuing at the ticket office. Your time is also precious and if you buy your Alhambra tickets 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 around 10€, the pack "Night Visit to Gardens and Generalife" for around 7€ and the pack "Night Visit to Nasrid Palaces" also for around 10€.

Visiting the Alhambra with the Granada Card

The Granada Card is a tourist pass which allows you to 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 get from one place to another comfortably.

By purchasing the Granada Card you will not only save time (as you will not need to queue at the ticket office of each monument to get your tickets) but also money because this tourist card for 24, 48 or 72 hours will allow you to access the main attractions and services of Granada at a reduced or flat rate.

Children from 2 to 11 years old can also use the Granada Children's Card which includes the same services as the adult card, so if you are travelling as a family this is an option to consider 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 it is essential that these people present a supporting document at the ticket office.

Visits to the Alhambra in Granada are paid and you will need to buy a ticket to gain access to the Alhambra. 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:

If you are one of them, you will have to present at the ticket office of the monument a document proving that you are entitled to the discount. I recommend you to go to the ticket office well in advance so that this procedure does not take too much time away from your visit to the Alhambra.

Getting tickets at the ticket office

Families who would like to try to get single tickets without a guided tour on the day of the visit at the ticket office can take advantage of the free or discounted tickets available for children.

• The general tour for children up to and including the age of 11 is free when accompanied by an adult.

• 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 the age of the child can be verified. Even though they are free, it is compulsory for all visitors to have a ticket to enter, as it is a guarantee against any incident that may occur in the museum.

Book your tickets online

The great advantage of booking your Alhambra tickets online in advance is that you will have your tickets with you before you set off and will not have to queue endlessly at the ticket office to try and get one of the tickets on sale for the 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 money without having to get tickets at the last minute once in Granada!

At present there is no specific day on which you can enter the Alhambra free of charge. To visit the interior of the monumental complex you must purchase a ticket in advance.

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 live 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 people from Granada and residents in the province can enter for free during the weekends.

Those who want to visit the Alhambra for free have to make an online reservation by filling out the form and attaching the required supporting documentation.

Another option is to book in person at the Residents' Office located in the Corral del Carbón. Unfortunately, people who are not from Granada or do not live there cannot participate in this initiative.

If you are a foreign traveller

If you are on a tight budget on your trip to Granada and prefer not to buy tickets or have not been able to get tickets, don't worry because you can always visit the free part. Although it is the less spectacular part, it has some very interesting places to see such as:

Another place you can go for free to enjoy the wonderful Alhambra is the Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albaicín quarter. It is said to have the most beautiful sunset in Spain and the best panoramic view of the Andalusian fortress with the Sierra Nevada in the background. You will also have unbeatable views of the Alcazaba, the Nasrid palaces and the Generalife.

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 palace 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

It is free and does not require an entrance fee

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 uncover 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.