Alhambra guided tour: Nasrid Palaces and Generalife Gardens

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1/8

Duration3h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN · FR +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk through the Nasrid Palaces and climb to views of Granada and the Albaicín

A guided tour of Granada's Alhambra takes you through the Nasrid Palaces—the Comares Palace with its Throne Room, the Palace of the Lions with its famous fountain, and the Generalife Gardens on the Cerro del Sol hill. An official guide in your chosen language leads the route; tickets and an audio system are included. The tour runs three hours and starts at a meeting point near the ticket office.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided tour of Alhambra and Generalife

Visit Comares Palace and Mexuar
Explore Patio de los Arrayanes and Comares Tower
Tour Palace of the Lions and annexed rooms
Conclude at Partal area and Torre de las Damas
Visit military area and Torre de la Vela
See Jardín de los Adarves and Puerta de las Armas
Visit Palace of Charles V and main courtyard
Explore public Alhambra area and Christian modifications
Visit ruins of Palacio de los Abencerrajes and Medina
Tour Cerro del Sol hill and Nasrid orchards
Visit Generalife Palace and gardens
Exit through Paseo de las Adelfas

The Experience

The Nasrid Palaces open the tour with the administrative heart of the sultanate. You'll walk through the Comares Palace, where the stucco and wood ceiling techniques that survive from the original construction get explained, then move into the Patio de los Arrayanes with its portico and pool. The Throne Room sits in the Comares Tower; from there the route continues to the Palace of the Lions—built by Sultan Mohammed V—where the central patio with its famous fountain and the adjoining rooms like the Room of Two Sisters and Room of the Kings show the scale of Nasrid decoration. The Partal area and Torre de las Damas close out the palace section.

After the palaces, the tour covers the military structure of the Alhambra itself. You climb the Torre de la Vela for views across Granada, the Albaicín, and the Vega de Granada, with explanation of the tower's original function and what changed when Christian forces took the site. The Jardín de los Adarves and Puerta de las Armas follow. The Palace of Charles V, a 16th-century addition, gets its own stop—the facades, main courtyard, and the museums it houses are pointed out. You'll also see the public areas of the Alhambra, including the church of Santa María and the convent of San Francisco, plus the ruins of the Palacio de los Abencerrajes in the dry land section and the workshops and ovens of the Medina where decorative elements were made.

The Generalife Gardens sit on the Cerro del Sol hill and close the tour. Your guide explains the Nasrid orchards and the later Christian labyrinth gardens, the plants and fruits that grew there, and how the Generalife Palace connected physically to the city below. You'll walk through the Patio de Polo, Patio de la Guardia, Patio de la Acequia (where the Sultan's summer house stands), and the Patio de la Sultana with its cypress and tall gardens. The exit comes through the Paseo de las Adelfas. An audio system runs alongside the guide so you catch detail even in larger groups.

What’s included

Alhambra entry tickets.
audio system.
official guide in English, Spanish, or French.
meeting point reception near the ticket office.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Granada Turismo y Ocio

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want the Nasrid Palaces and Generalife explained by someone who knows the site—the guide handles entry and timing, so you walk straight in without arranging tickets or navigating the route yourself.