It bundles the Alhambra, Cathedral, Royal Chapel, buses, and more. Whether you save money or pay a premium for convenience depends entirely on how you plan to spend your days.
Seven years resident in Granada. Specialist in Nasrid architecture, Al-Andalus history, and Andalusian walking routes.
Updated Published
The Granada Card is a city tourist pass sold through the official Granada Card page on the city tourism board's website (booking runs through the clorian system) and the local tourist office. It combines entry to the Alhambra, several other monuments, and a city bus pass into a single purchase. The appeal is obvious: one payment, no queuing at each ticket desk, and in theory a discount against paying for everything individually.
Whether that discount is still real depends on what you actually visit — and, as of a November 2025 restructuring, the product itself has changed. This page runs the current numbers honestly and tells you which travellers genuinely save money, which break even, and which would be better off buying tickets separately.
The old two-tier Basic (~€37) / Plus (~€47) system no longer exists. In its place, the card is sold as four duration-based tiers — 24h (€50), 48h (€55), 72h (€60), and a cheaper Jardines option (€50) — alongside the separate, Alhambra-focused Dobla de Oro (~€35–42). Each suits a different type of trip.
What's included in each tier
In November 2025, Granada's tourism office dropped the old Basic/Plus split in favour of passes sold by validity window. Confirmed prices, effective 13 November 2025 and checked again on 18 August 2026:
Pass
Price
Granada Card 24h
€50
Granada Card 48h
€55
Granada Card 72h
€60
Granada Card Jardines
€50
Source: turismo.granada.org official price table, checked 18 August 2026.
What differs between tiers is the Alhambra portion, not the rest
All four tiers include the same base list: Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Cartuja Monastery, Monasterio de San Jerónimo, Sacromonte Abbey, Parque de las Ciencias, Casa de Zafra, Cuarto Real, Museo de Bellas Artes, Casa de los Tiros, and the Archaeological Museum, plus 9 city bus trips and 1 tourist-train tour. The 72h card adds five more Moorish monuments (Corral del Carbón, El Bañuelo, Casa del Horno del Oro, Maristán, and Palacio de Dar al-Horra). What actually changes tier to tier is the Alhambra entitlement: full daytime visit on the 48h and 72h cards, a Nasrid Palaces night visit only on the 24h card, and daytime Alcazaba plus Generalife (no Nasrid Palaces) on the Jardines card.
Dobla de Oro
~€35–42
Alhambra-focused pass, sold separately from the city-wide Granada Card and unaffected by the November 2025 restructuring, as far as this refresh could confirm. No city buses, no Cathedral or other monuments. Designed for people who want to spend more than one session at the complex:
Nasrid Palaces — day visit with timed entry
Nasrid Palaces night visit — separate evening session (Thursday–Saturday)
Alcazaba and Generalife — multiple visits permitted
Alhambra museums — Museo de la Alhambra and Museo de Bellas Artes inside the complex
The Dobla de Oro is not a general city pass. If you want the Cathedral and Royal Chapel on the same trip, you'll need separate tickets for those regardless.
The honest calculation
Here is the arithmetic for the 48h card against paying individually, with current admission prices checked 18 August 2026. The Royal Chapel rose from €5 to €7. The Cathedral is temporarily higher still: it's running a two-tier KERYGMA exhibition price of €10 individual through 28 November 2026, after which it drops to a standing €7.
Attraction / service
Individual price
Alhambra General (Nasrid Palaces + Alcazaba + Generalife)
€22.27
Granada Cathedral (through 28 Nov 2026, KERYGMA exhibition)
€10
Royal Chapel (Capilla Real)
€7
City bus — 4 single rides (2× return to Alhambra)
~€6.40
Parque de las Ciencias
€10
Monasterio de San Jerónimo
€7
Total individual (through 28 Nov 2026)
~€62.67
Total individual (from 29 Nov 2026, Cathedral €7)
~€59.67
Run this same list against the 48h card at €55 and the card wins on the full list either side of the November change, though by a different margin. Through 28 November 2026, while the Cathedral's KERYGMA exhibition pushes its ticket to €10, the full individual list comes to ~€62.67 — the card saves you about €7.67 if you use every inclusion. From 29 November 2026, once the Cathedral drops back to €7, that individual total falls to ~€59.67, still above the card price, but the saving narrows to about €4.67. Skip the science museum, though, and buying separately pulls ahead in both windows — narrowly before 29 November, comfortably after. Skip only the bus rides or the monastery instead, and the card still edges ahead before 29 November but loses once the Cathedral drops to €7. The 72h card (€60) needs extra bus days or extra visits beyond this list to justify its premium. The 24h card (€50) only comes out ahead if you compress the whole circuit into a single day and use the bus at least twice within that window — a tight schedule for four monuments plus a science museum. Skip anything from the full list, on any tier, and the individual tickets are usually the better bet.
Buy the 48h card if:
You'll genuinely use every inclusion — Alhambra, Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Parque de las Ciencias, and the monastery
You plan to use the city bus at least twice (Alhambra return trip)
The saving is largest before 29 November 2026, while the Cathedral's KERYGMA-exhibition price is in effect, but the card still edges out individual tickets afterward on the full list
You're staying 2+ days and the monument circuit is the whole point of your trip
Skip it if:
You're visiting for 1–2 days with the Alhambra as the sole priority
You plan to walk everywhere and won't use the bus
You have no interest in the Cathedral, Royal Chapel, or science museum
You want the Nasrid Palaces night visit — the Granada Card doesn't cover that; the Dobla de Oro does
The Dobla de Oro calculation
The Dobla de Oro (~€35–42) makes financial sense only if you want both a daytime and a night visit to the Nasrid Palaces. A daytime Alhambra General ticket (€22.27) plus a Nasrid Palaces night ticket (~€8) bought separately would total ~€30.27 — still well under most Dobla de Oro prices. The pass earns its premium if you add the extended museum access and plan multiple Generalife sessions. For a single visit to the Alhambra, buy the General ticket directly.
The Alhambra slot is fixed the moment you buy
This is the detail most guides get backwards. Buying the Granada Card is not a general pass you top up later with a separate Alhambra booking — the Alhambra visit date and, for the Nasrid Palaces, the time slot are chosen during the purchase itself, and cannot be changed afterwards. There is no follow-up step of logging in to tickets.alhambra-patronato.es with a card reference number; that flow does not exist for Granada Card holders. Decide which day you want to see the Alhambra before you buy the card, not after.
What actually catches people out
The card's own starting date is also fixed at purchase and cannot be changed — pick it deliberately, not as an afterthought.
Your tier decides what you get at the Alhambra, and this is the more common mistake: the 24h card is a night visit to the Nasrid Palaces only (no Alcazaba, no Generalife); the Jardines card is the daytime Alcazaba and Generalife with no Nasrid Palaces. Only the 48h and 72h cards give the full daytime visit. Buying the wrong tier expecting a full daytime circuit is the real trap, not the slot itself.
You cannot split the Alhambra across two different days on one card — whatever date you lock in at purchase is the only one your ticket is valid for.
The card draws on an allocation reserved specifically for Granada Card holders, separate from the general ticket pool. That means it can still have Alhambra availability on dates where individual tickets are already sold out.
Slots still sell out weeks or months ahead from late March through October, even within the card's reserved allocation. Decide your Alhambra day before you buy, and buy as early as you can — cards can be purchased up to three calendar months in advance.
For the Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Parque de las Ciencias, and Monasterio de San Jerónimo, no advance booking is needed — present the card or the card's QR code at the entrance. The 9 city bus trips are drawn down as you use them, within the card's validity period.
For a detailed walkthrough of the Alhambra's general timed-entry system — including what to do if slots show as sold out, and how far ahead to book by season — see the Alhambra tickets guide.
Where to buy and how the card works
Buy through the official Granada Card page (booking runs through the clorian system) before your trip, and choose your Alhambra date and time slot carefully at checkout — neither can be changed afterwards. Buying online in advance is the most reliable route and avoids any availability risk at physical outlets. Cards can be bought up to three calendar months ahead.
In-person purchase points
Granada Tourist Office — Calle Santa Ana 1, at the foot of the Albaicín. Open Monday–Saturday.
Alhambra ticket office — available, but often sold out during peak season and the queues are long. Not recommended as your primary purchase route.
Some hotels — a minority of central hotels stock the pass; ask at check-in.
How the card is used
The card delivers as a QR code (email or app). Show it at each venue entrance.
The Alhambra date — and the Nasrid Palaces time slot, on tiers that include it — is chosen during the purchase itself and cannot be changed afterwards. There is no separate booking step at tickets.alhambra-patronato.es.
The Parque de las Ciencias and Monasterio de San Jerónimo are walk-up entries: scan the QR, go in.
The card includes 9 city bus trips, usable at any point within the card's validity period (full consecutive days from the start date fixed at purchase) — collect the bus credit from the card machines at the stop before boarding.
If you're undecided about how many days to spend in Granada, the best time to visit Granada guide covers seasonal considerations, crowd levels, and which months give the best value for time — useful context before committing to a pass.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Granada Card worth buying?
It depends on your itinerary, and it's a closer call than it used to be. Granada restructured the card in November 2025: it's no longer sold as "Basic"/"Plus" but as duration-based tiers (24h €50, 48h €55, 72h €60, plus a Jardines option at €50). Using every inclusion on the 48h card — the Alhambra, the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, Parque de las Ciencias, Monasterio de San Jerónimo, and the bus — comes to roughly €62.67 bought separately through 28 November 2026 (the Cathedral's temporary KERYGMA-exhibition price of €10 pushes the total up), so the card saves about €7.67 right now. From 29 November 2026, once the Cathedral drops back to its standing €7 rate, that individual total falls to ~€59.67 — still above the card price, though the saving narrows to about €4.67. So the card is worth it if you'll use every inclusion, on either side of the November date; skip even one attraction and buying separately usually wins instead. For a 1–2 day trip focused only on the Alhambra, skip the card and book the Alhambra General ticket directly.
Does the Granada Card include the Alhambra?
Yes — but which part of the Alhambra depends on the tier. The 48h and 72h cards include the daytime Alhambra General visit (Nasrid Palaces + Alcazaba + Generalife); the 24h card includes a night visit to the Nasrid Palaces only (no Alcazaba, no Generalife); the Jardines card covers the daytime Alcazaba and Generalife but not the Nasrid Palaces. Whichever tier you pick, the date and the Nasrid Palaces time slot are chosen at the moment of purchase and cannot be changed afterwards — there is no separate booking step at tickets.alhambra-patronato.es. That is the card's main practical advantage in peak season: it draws on a reserved Alhambra allocation, so it can still have availability when individual tickets are sold out. See the Alhambra tickets guide for how the general timed-entry system works.
What is the difference between the Granada Card and the Dobla de Oro?
Different purposes. The Granada Card (sold in 24h/48h/72h tiers, plus a Jardines option) is a city-wide pass — Alhambra plus Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Parque de las Ciencias, Monasterio de San Jerónimo, and city buses. Good for visitors who want the full monument circuit. The Dobla de Oro is Alhambra-only but deeper — it covers all areas of the complex including the Nasrid Palaces night visit and multiple-entry privileges for the gardens and museums. If you plan to spend two days exploring the Alhambra in detail and have little interest in the city's other monuments, the Dobla de Oro may be the better fit.
Where can I buy the Granada Card?
The official channels are the Granada Card page on turismo.granada.org (booking runs through the clorian system) or by phone on +34 858 880 990. Cards are also sold at the Granada Tourist Office (Calle Santa Ana), at the Alhambra ticket office (though availability there is unreliable during peak season), and through some hotels. Buy through an official channel and choose your Alhambra date and time slot carefully at checkout — it cannot be changed afterwards.
How does the bus pass in the Granada Card work?
All four tiers include the same allowance: 9 city bus trips and 1 tourist-train tour, confirmed on the official price table — it isn't tied to the card's duration. A single bus ride costs €1.60; the Alhambra round trip alone is roughly €3.20 per day. If you're making multiple Alhambra visits, the bus allowance typically earns its keep regardless of which tier you pick.
Reporter notebook
Insider tips
Practical observations gathered the way a local journalist would keep them: short, specific, and more useful than brochure copy.
Money tip
The Cathedral's exhibition pricing changes the card's value on 29 November 2026
Run the numbers before you buy, because the answer depends on your travel date. Alhambra General ticket: €22.27 (fixed year-round). Cathedral: €10 through 28 November 2026 (a temporary KERYGMA-exhibition price), then €7 afterward. Royal Chapel: €7. Add four bus rides (two return trips to the Alhambra) at €1.60 each: €6.40. The Parque de las Ciencias (€10) and Monasterio de San Jerónimo (€7) bring the full individual total to about €62.67 today, or ~€59.67 from 29 November. Against the 48h card's €55, the card wins in both cases — by a wider margin now, a narrower one once the Cathedral price drops. Skip the bus or skip even one attraction, though, and buying tickets separately can still come out ahead.
Local custom
Cathedral and Royal Chapel close for Mass on Sunday mornings
Both the Cathedral and Royal Chapel are included in the Granada Card, but on Sundays they close to general visitors during the 10:30 AM Mass — typically for 45 minutes to an hour. Visitors who turn up at 10:15 AM expecting to walk straight in get turned away until it ends. Locals who attend these churches know the schedule; out-of-towners regularly do not. If Sunday is your day for the monument circuit, arrive before 9:30 AM or plan to arrive after 11:30 AM. The Royal Chapel also closes on the main Catholic feast days — check the posted schedule outside.
Booking tip
Old blogs and forums still describe the discontinued Basic/Plus system
As of November 2025 the Granada Card dropped the Basic/Plus naming for four duration-based tiers (24h, 48h, 72h, and Jardines). Plenty of older travel blogs, forum threads, and outdated listings still quote the old two-tier system and its €37/€47 prices — that information is stale. Cross-check whatever you read, including a saved screenshot or an article predating late 2025, against the current price table at turismo.granada.org before you commit.
Crowd tip
Royal Chapel and Cathedral are quickest mid-morning on weekdays
Both the Cathedral and Royal Chapel are included in the Granada Card and genuinely worth the visit — the Royal Chapel holds the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, and the Cathedral's sacristy is one of the finest Renaissance interiors in Andalusia. Crowds are thinnest on Tuesday to Thursday mornings, from opening until about 11 AM. School groups arrive around 10 AM in term time; tour buses typically at 11 AM. A 45-minute circuit of the Royal Chapel followed by 30 minutes in the Cathedral works cleanly in that window.
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