Alhambra tickets and guided tours explained
Every Alhambra visit, guided or not, uses a ticket from the Patronato. A tour adds the guide and, usually, the ticket. Here is what the ticket rules mean for your booking.
In short
Guided tours with entry include a named Patronato ticket with a fixed time for the Nasrid Palaces. You give the provider your name and ID number, show the same ID at the entrance and enter the palaces at the time on the ticket. The slot cannot be changed, and late arrivals are not let in. Tours without entry expect you to bring your own ticket.
Tours with entry and the palaces
Tours that include the ticket and the Nasrid Palaces, the most-reviewed first.
- 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
Ticket types
| Ticket | What it covers |
|---|---|
| General | Nasrid Palaces (timed), Alcazaba, Generalife and gardens |
| Gardens and Generalife | Alcazaba, Generalife and gardens, no palaces |
| Night visit, Nasrid Palaces | Palaces only, on set evenings |
| Night visit, gardens | Gardens and Generalife, spring and autumn evenings |
| Alhambra Experiences | Night palaces plus day gardens |
| Dobla de Oro | Alhambra plus monuments in the Albaicín |
Most guided tours use the general ticket. Tours sold as "without the Nasrid Palaces" use the gardens ticket.
The time slot
The Nasrid Palaces admit visitors in time slots. The slot printed on the ticket is the only time you can enter; the rest of the complex can be visited at any time during the day of the ticket. Tour companies plan the route around the slot, which is why they ask you to be at the meeting point early. The Patronato advises collecting or checking tickets at least an hour before the slot.
Names, ID and children
- Each ticket carries the visitor's name and ID number. Use the document you will carry on the day.
- Children under 12 enter free but need a named ticket, booked at the same time as the adults.
- One person can buy at most ten tickets.
- Tickets cannot be changed or refunded by the Patronato, which is why many tours with entry cannot be cancelled.
Tour without entry
Some cheaper tours sell only the guide. You then need a ticket for the same day and, for the palaces, a slot that matches the tour. This works if you already hold tickets, and it is the wrong choice when tickets are sold out. More on that situation on the page Alhambra sold out.
Questions before you book
Can I change the name on an Alhambra ticket?
No. Tickets are not transferable. If a traveller changes, the provider has to buy a new ticket, if one is available.
Do I need to print my ticket?
Tour companies usually hold the tickets and hand them out at the meeting point or scan them for the group. For your own ticket, a mobile ticket is accepted.
What ID do children need?
Children under 12 travel on a named free ticket; providers ask for their name and, for older children, an ID document.
