Private Alhambra: Generalife First, Nasrid Palaces Last, Tickets Included

Three hours, private, with an official guide and a skip-the-line general ticket that covers the Nasrid Palaces, the Alcazaba and the Generalife.

The route starts at the top. First the Generalife, walking the palace and gardens, where the guide explains the gravity irrigation system that has been restored and still waters the Alhambra's gardens today. Then the Medina, the fortified town inside the walls where the Nasrid court and nobility lived, together with the sites that need no ticket: the Parador, the Palace of Charles V and Santa María de la Alhambra.

The Alcazaba comes third. It is the military fortress and one of the oldest buildings on the hill. The Nasrid Palaces close the visit: the Mexuar, the Comares Palace and the Palace of the Lions.

The guide works in Spanish, English, French, Italian, German or Portuguese. A booking takes up to 15 people, and from seven upwards everyone gets a headset. Food, drinks, hotel pickup and transport are not included.

The guide waits near the ticket office at the main entrance, on Paseo del Generalife, holding a piece of paper with your name. It is about 30 minutes on foot from Plaza Nueva, or bus C30 or C32 from Plaza Isabel la Católica. Bookings cannot be refunded.