Castles · Tour

Alhambra Guided Without the Nasrid Palaces: Generalife, Alcazaba, Charles V

This tour covers the Generalife and its gardens, the Alcazaba and the Palace of Charles V, with an English-speaking guide throughout. It does not include the Nasrid Palaces, and that is worth stating plainly at the top rather than in the small print. What is left is not a consolation prize. The Generalife gardens go back to the 13th century, and the Alcazaba is the principal fortification of the whole monument, the piece that explains why anyone built up here in the first place. Between them they carry most of the story of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, and the views over the city from the fortress walls are the ones people climb the hill for. The Palace of Charles V is seen from outside during the tour. Its mix of Baroque and Renaissance stands against the Moorish work everywhere else on the site, and the contrast is the clearest thing in the complex. The guided part runs two to three hours and ends inside the Alhambra. The entry ticket stays valid afterwards, so the interior of the Palace of Charles V can be walked on your own once the group breaks up. The order of the stops can change for practical reasons, but the Generalife, its gardens, the Alcazaba and the Palace of Charles V are always included. Daily admissions to the Alhambra are capped, so book early for weekends, holidays and the high season.