Alhambra sold out: what you can still do
The Patronato releases a limited number of tickets per day and per palace slot. When they are gone on its sales site, other ways in often remain.
In short
Book a guided tour: tour companies hold their own ticket quotas, so a tour with the Nasrid Palaces is often still available when plain tickets are sold out. If the palaces are fully booked on your day, a tour of the Alcazaba, Generalife and gardens still gets you into most of the complex. The night visit to the palaces is a third option on the evenings it runs.
English tours with the Nasrid Palaces
The tours with the most reviews among those that include the palaces. The list on the homepage shows which ones still have space on your date.
- Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba and Generalife, group of up to 20 Book on GetYourGuide
- Nasrid Palaces tour, standard group Book on Headout
- Nasrid Palaces and Generalife with guide and entry Book on GetYourGuide
Why tickets run out
The number of visitors per day is capped to protect the monument, and the Nasrid Palaces have a further cap per entry slot. In spring, around Easter and in autumn the plain tickets for the coming weeks are often gone. Tickets can only be bought for named visitors, which keeps resale low, and authorised agents and tour companies have quotas of their own.
Options in the order to try them
- A guided tour with the Nasrid Palaces on your date, from the comparison on the Alhambra tours page.
- The same tour on the day before or after, if your plans allow.
- A tour of the Alcazaba, Generalife and gardens without the palaces (tab "Without the Nasrid Palaces").
- The night visit to the Nasrid Palaces, on the evenings described on the page about the Alhambra at night.
- A day trip from Seville or Málaga with entry included, if you are staying there.
Checking the Patronato's sales site again is worth it too. Returned tickets go back on sale, but there is no pattern to when that happens.
Offers to avoid
Tickets offered on resale sites or by people at the entrance are risky: the name on the ticket must match your ID, and a ticket bought in another name will be refused. Websites that look like the Patronato's and call themselves the official sale are a known problem, and consumer groups in Spain have reported several. Book tickets directly on tickets.alhambra-patronato.es or a tour through a platform you know.
Questions before you book
Are tours more expensive than plain tickets?
Yes, because the price includes the guide and the provider's ticket. The difference is the price of getting in on a sold-out day with someone who explains what you see.
Does the Granada Card include the Alhambra?
The city pass includes Alhambra entry with a fixed palace slot, but it draws on the same limited ticket pool and sells out too.
Can I buy tickets at the ticket office on the day?
A small number may be available at the ticket office, but on busy days there are none. Do not plan a visit around it.
