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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Granada
Give Granada 2 nights: one full day for the Alhambra, one for the Albaicín and tapas. Book Alhambra tickets 2–3 months ahead or you may not get in.
Granada is the last Moorish capital in Spain, and the Alhambra is the reason most people come. The city is small enough to walk, cheap enough to eat well on free tapas, and cooler in summer than Seville or Córdoba. Two nights covers the Alhambra, the Albaicín and the cathedral quarter without rushing; three if you add the Sierra Nevada or a day trip.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, 34°C (93°F)+), and the Alhambra sells out around Easter and public holidaysJul–Aug (hot, 93°F (34°C)+), and the Alhambra sells out around Easter and public holidays
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or cortado | €1.50–2.50 |
| Beer or wine with a free tapa | €2.50–4 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €12–18 |
| Alhambra general ticket | €19+ (check; prices vary by date and time slot) |
| Cathedral entry | €5 |
| City bus ride | €1.60 |
| Taxi across the centre | €6–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRX · Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén
- 15 km (9.3 mi) west of the city; bus about €4–5, taxi about €28, roughly 30–45 min9.3 mi (15 km) west of the city; bus about €4–5, taxi about €28, roughly 30–45 min
- AGP · Málaga-Costa del Sol
- The practical airport for budget flights; direct bus to Granada about 1.5–2 h. The train needs a change at Bobadilla and takes much longer, so take the bus.
Typical fares
- GRX airport → city centre, bus
- about €4–5, roughly 30–60 min (check)
- GRX airport → city centre, taxi
- about €28
- City bus, single ride
- €1.60
- Alhambra general ticket
- €19+ (check; varies by date and time slot)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk in the centre; the Albaicín and Alhambra entrances are steep, so use the C30/C31/C34 minibuses (€1.60 a ride, multi-trip cards cheaper). One metro line (Line 1) runs from Armilla and the south side to the north of the city; the bus station is a short walk or bus ride from a metro stop, not on the line itself. Do not drive into the historic centre: cameras fine cars without a hotel permit.
See and do
Known for
- The Alhambra and Generalife
- Albaicín and Sacromonte quarters
- Free tapas with drinks
- Sierra Nevada ski and trekking
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Alhama de Granada | Bus from Granada bus station, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Almuñécar | Bus from Granada bus station, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Pitres | Bus into the Alpujarras, about 1 h 45 min | About 2 h |
| Sierra Nevada | Bus to Pradollano in season, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro / Plaza Nueva
- Walk to the cathedral, Alcaicería and the Alhambra entrance; best for a first trip with 2 nights.
- Albaicín
- Steep, quiet guesthouses with Alhambra views; 10–20 min uphill walking to the centre.
- Realejo
- Former Jewish quarter below the Alhambra; calmer, still walkable to everything.
- Around the train and bus stations
- Cheaper rooms and easy arrivals, but a bus or metro ride from the sights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-thee-as |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Where is the Alhambra entrance? | ¿Dónde está la entrada de la Alhambra?DON-deh es-TA la en-TRA-da deh la a-LAM-bra |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-do pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta |
| Two beers, please | Dos cervezas, por favordos ther-VEH-thas por fa-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Alhambra tickets are dated and timed and sell out months ahead in spring and autumn; buy on the official site as soon as your dates are fixed.
- The historic centre is restricted to buses, taxis and hotel-registered cars; fines are camera-enforced.
- Albaicín and Sacromonte streets are steep, cobbled and uneven; wear shoes with grip.
- Pickpockets work the Alcaicería, Gran Vía and crowded buses; keep bags in front.
- Some tapas bars charge for bread or a terrace seat; ask before ordering.
Granada is a safe city by day and night; the real risks are pickpockets in the Alcaicería and on buses, steep uneven streets in the Albaicín, and summer heat. Keep bags zipped in front and carry water uphill.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Granada yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- The Alhambra and Generalife
- Albaicín and Sacromonte quarters
- Free tapas with drinks
- Sierra Nevada ski and trekking
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Granada city council: www.granada.org/
- Wikivoyage: Granada, revision 5276054 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5276054
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Granada
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Granada; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Madrid, with consulates in Málaga and Seville for some countries (check).
Tapas are free with a drink in many bars; a tip is optional, round up or 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/granada-spain). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.