Skip-the-line: Alhambra and Nasrid Palaces Guided Tour

Guide arrived on time. Very experienced lady guide who took time to explain everything for a mixed nationality group.

And we really did skip a line! Enjoyed the day very much and would recommend this tour to anyone. Our guide was friendly, lively and knowledgeable and she gave us a great recommendation for lunch afterwards!

I don't like the fact that Alhambra administration does not explain anything about what the visit includes, really confusing even on their web site. Everybody says it's great and nobody gives any info about the visit. I went in August 2019 during the day. You can walk from Centre (Reyes Catholicos or Plaza Nova) to Alhambra or you can take bus C30 or C32. Trip takes 10 minutes by bus. You can take taxi which for 4 people costs less than bus. I did not find taxi, so I took the bus. The entrance to the park is the Pabellion the Alhambra. Check the Internet tickets you have, if they don't have 3d barcode squares on them you need to exchange them to tickets at the entrance. They will ask for the ID that you declared when you bought the tickets, ALL the ID-s for the whole family. There are several things to visit once inside complex. Keep tickets handy because you will be asked for ticket at each place. 1. Alcazaba is all the way to the back of the complex, it is a fortress and the whole visit is outside, great views of the city 2. Palace Charles 5 - I did not visit 3. Generalife - the gardens that also contain a small palace, entrance located close to Pabellion, to the right. 4. Palacio de Nazaries: this is the palace that you bought the tickets for a certain time and date. Due to the fact that is Unesco protected, only a certain number of people can visit in a day. All the pictures you see, Court of Lions etc are from this palace. Duration of visit about 1.5 to 2 hours. You can go visit all the places at any time on same day of your visit to Nazaries Palace. This palace is the only one that you have to be in line 10 minutes before the time on your ticket. When we finished the whole visit, in front of exit took a cab to Plaza Nova for 5 euros (cheaper for 4 people than bus). Anothe place to visit is the Mirador and plaza of church St Nicholas (read the story of St Nicholas) will allow you to see Alhambra from the neighboring hill. Lots of people at sunset there.

Booked the English tour. Our guide Beatrice was brilliant, she paced the tour well, gave us lots of great information - including a lot of extra things that she knew from some of the work she has done with Alhambra. I don't think it was a particularly busy day but there were still lots of people and she navigated us skillfully through the various parts - allowing time for photos and questions. We had a short break in the middle which was appreciated and got to the main palaces in time for our entrance. I can't recommend the tour more highly. The mikes worked well ( a few occasional blips). Beatrice English pronunciation and accent were excellent which made listening to her very easy.

Our tour guide was lovely and charismatic, and the sites themselves are gorgeous and well worth a visit. The Alhambra, Generalife and Nasrid Palaces are a must for every Granada visit. I purchased this tour when tickets were sold out online for individual/independent visits so it was a means to an end - it was a little frustrating to battle crowds and other tour groups for good photo spots and to get through the sites (not our guides fault!) so if I had the option of a self guided tour with audio guide, I would do that next time. We like to walk and explore and guided tours (especially in busy sites like this) can make that difficult as you keep pace with many others and move at the speed of the group. That said, it is ideal and convenient if you like to walk at a relaxed pace and don’t dwell to long / want to explore at your leisure.