History · Granada · Spain
8 historic sites to see in Granada
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daderot, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces, Albaicín and Palace of Charles V. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–14 hours across 4 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 12–14 hours
- Areas
- Alhambra hill, Albaicín and Sacromonte
Historic sites in Granada
Palace · Alhambra hill
1.Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces
The Alcazaba fortress at the western tip has the Torre de la Vela, with views over the city and the Sierra Nevada.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
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Neighbourhood · Albaicín
2.Albaicín
Churches such as San Salvador were built on the sites of mosques, and walled cármenes hide gardens behind high white walls.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Architecture
Palace · Alhambra hill
3.Palace of Charles V
It houses the Museum of the Alhambra, with Nasrid art and objects, and the Museum of Fine Arts.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
Neighbourhood · Sacromonte
4.Sacromonte and the Caves Museum
The Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte presents traditional cave homes, crafts and the area's natural environment, with views of the Alhambra opposite.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Centro
5.Granada Cathedral
Begun in the 1520s on the site of the city's main mosque, the cathedral is one of the great Renaissance churches of Spain, with a bright white interior, a gilded main chapel and a baroque façade designed by the Granada-born artist Alonso Cano.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Religious site · Centro
6.Royal Chapel of Granada
The sacristy displays Isabella's crown and sceptre and her collection of Flemish and Italian paintings.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Market · Centro
7.Alcaicería
Next to the cathedral, this maze of narrow lanes was the Moorish silk market; rebuilt after a fire in the 19th century, it is now lined with shops selling lamps, ceramics, textiles and taracea inlaid woodwork.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- History
Historic site · Albaicín
8.El Bañuelo
On the Carrera del Darro, these 11th-century Arab baths are among the best preserved in Spain, with horseshoe arches on reused columns and star-shaped skylights in the vaulted ceilings that throw shafts of light across the rooms.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Alhambra hill | Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces and Palace of Charles V | 3–4 hours + 1 hour |
| Albaicín | Albaicín and El Bañuelo | Half a day + 20–30 minutes |
| Sacromonte | Sacromonte and the Caves Museum | 2 hours |
| Centro | Granada Cathedral, Royal Chapel of Granada and Alcaicería | 1 hour + 45 minutes + 30–45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 4 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces. The longest visit is Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces: Tickets with a fixed Nasrid Palaces time slot sell out weeks ahead in spring and autumn; buy only from the official Alhambra ticket website and bring the ID named on the ticket.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Alhambra hill): Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces → Palace of Charles V, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Albaicín): Albaicín → El Bañuelo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Sacromonte and Centro): Sacromonte and the Caves Museum → Granada Cathedral → Royal Chapel of Granada → Alcaicería, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Sunny, crisp days with near-freezing nights; snow on the Sierra Nevada and quieter Alhambra visits.
- February: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and bright, with almond blossom around the city; ski season is in full swing.
- November: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and quieter, with autumn colour in the Alhambra woods and the first snow on the Sierra.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Albaicín — Moorish hillside quarter of whitewashed lanes, walled gardens and Alhambra views
- Sacromonte — Cave houses, flamenco venues and the Roma quarter above the Darro
- Centro — Cathedral, shopping streets and squares around Plaza Bib-Rambla
- Alhambra hill — Quiet hotels among the woods and gardens next to the Alhambra
More of Granada
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Granada?
Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces. The red-walled citadel on the Sabika hill holds the Nasrid Palaces, built mainly in the 14th century, with carved stucco, tiled walls and muqarnas ceilings around the Court of the Myrtles and the Court of the Lions with its fountain of twelve stone lions.
+Which of these are free in Granada?
Albaicín, Palace of Charles V and Alcaicería.