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Interior courtyard of the Nasrid Palaces in the Alhambra, Granada, open daily except 25 December and 1 January
Updated June 2026

Granada opening hours

The Alhambra opens every day. That's not the problem. The problem is it sells out 90 days ahead. Here's what's open when, what's free, and what requires a booking made months before you land.

Alhambra
Open daily*
Books out months ahead
Sunday free
Arab Baths + 2 sites
Andalusí circuit
EU citizens
Fine Arts + Dar al-Horra
Bring national ID
Always open
Mirador · Alcaicería
Free, 24/7

Book the Alhambra before anything else

Summer slots (May–October) go within hours of the 3-month window opening. Book on the official Patronato site. Third-party platforms charge 15–30% more for the identical ticket.

Alhambra ticket guide

Save with the Granada Card

The 48h card at €40 covers the Alhambra, Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Cartuja, San Jerónimo and more. Worth the maths if you plan to visit three or more paid sites.

Granada Card breakdown

In this guide

The Alhambra booking window

The Alhambra is open every day except 25 December and 1 January. The hours are not the issue. The issue is capacity: 6,600 visitors per day, sold by timed slot, non-refundable, non-transferable, and booked out 60–90 days ahead in peak season. You can know the opening time to the minute and still not get in. That is the only logistical priority that matters when planning a Granada visit.

How far ahead to book, by season

July and August Peak: hottest, busiest 3–4 months
April, May, June, Sep, Oct High season 2–3 months
Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov Shoulder 3–4 weeks usually enough
December Low (avoid Dec 25, Jan 1) 1–2 weeks usually fine

What opens Monday (almost everything)

Granada's Monday situation is the opposite of Córdoba's. Only one paid site closes: the Alhambra Fine Arts Museum inside Palacio de Carlos V. Everything else is open.

Alhambra complex Royal Chapel Granada Cathedral Arab Baths (El Bañuelo) Corral del Carbón Monasterio de la Cartuja Monastery of San Jerónimo Mirador de San Nicolás (24/7)

Opening hours: top 14 attractions

Hours below reflect the winter/shoulder season schedule (15 October to 31 March). For summer hours (1 April to 14 October), see the seasonal section below. The Alhambra's summer extension to 8:00pm is the biggest single change.

Alhambra (full visit)
Book 90 days ahead in summer
€22.27

Daily 8:30–18:00 (winter) · Night: Fri–Sat 20:00–21:30

Open daily*
€7

Mon–Sat 10:15–18:30 · Sun/hols 11:00–13:30 (limited)

Open daily
Granada Cathedral €5

Mon–Sat 10:00–18:30 · Sun 15:00–18:00

Open daily
Arab Baths (El Bañuelo)
Free on Sundays (Andalusí circuit)
Free

Winter: 10:00–17:00 daily · Summer: 9:00–14:30 & 17:00–20:30

Open daily
Corral del Carbón
Free on Sundays (Andalusí circuit)
Free

Daily 9:00–20:00 year-round

Open daily
Free

Mon–Fri 10:00–14:00 & 16:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00

Open daily
Dar al-Horra
Free for EU citizens
Free (EU)

Winter: 10:00–17:00 · Summer: 9:00–14:30 & 17:00–20:30

Open daily
Monasterio de la Cartuja €7

Mon–Fri & Sun 10:00–18:00 · Sat 10:00–13:00 & 15:00–18:00

Open daily
Monastery of San Jerónimo €4

Winter: 10:00–13:30 & 15:30–18:30

Open daily
Sacromonte Abbey €5

Winter: 10:00–13:00 & 15:00–17:00 daily

Open daily
Fine Arts Museum (Alhambra)
Free for EU citizens
Free (EU)

Tue–Sat 9:00–18:00 (winter) · Sun 9:00–15:00

Closed Mon
Hammam Al Ándalus From €35

Daily 10:00–22:00 · Reservation required

Open daily
Mirador de San Nicolás Free

24/7, no gate, no closing time

Open daily
Alcaicería market Free

Roughly 9:00–20:00 (individual stalls vary)

Open daily

* Alhambra closed 25 December and 1 January only. Hours verified for 2026. Always confirm on official websites before visiting, especially around public holidays.

The Generalife gardens and summer palace of the Alhambra, Granada, open daily as part of the full Alhambra ticket

The Generalife gardens stretch along the hillside above the Nasrid Palaces. Morning slots let you walk the cypress alleys before tour groups arrive.

Free entry options

Granada's free entry system works differently from Córdoba's. There is no free morning window at any paid monument. What exists instead is the Andalusí Monuments circuit (three sites free on Sundays) and the standard EU citizen concession at two sites within the Alhambra complex. See the full breakdown in our Granada on a budget guide.

Free on Sundays: Andalusí Monuments circuit

The Junta de Andalucía's Andalusí Monuments circuit makes three Granada sites free for all visitors every Sunday (and on public holidays within the circuit's schedule). No ID required, just show up.

Sundays (all day)
Arab Baths (El Bañuelo)

The 11th-century hammam on the banks of the Darro, built under the Zirid dynasty. Five rooms survive intact, star-shaped skylights casting pools of light on the tile floor. Always free in the sense that admission costs nothing at all, but Sunday free entry is part of the formal Andalusí circuit policy.

Sundays (all day)
Corral del Carbón

The only surviving Nasrid caravanserai on the Iberian peninsula, used as a market, theatre, and coal store across the centuries. Free every day, but worth noting as part of the circuit if you are visiting on a Sunday alongside the Bañuelo.

Sundays (all day)
Dar al-Horra

15th-century Nasrid palace that once belonged to the mother of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada. Small, quiet, and largely missed by visitors who spend their entire morning at the Alhambra.

Always free for EU citizens

Bring your national ID card or EU passport. These concessions apply at all opening times, not just specific slots. One caveat on the Fine Arts Museum: you still need an Alhambra ticket (full or Gardens-only) to enter the complex. The museum free entry waives the museum charge but not the gate fee.

Fine Arts Museum (inside Alhambra)
Dar al-Horra

Always free (no restrictions, no ID)

Arab Baths (El Bañuelo) Corral del Carbón Carmen de los Mártires Mirador de San Nicolás (24/7) Paseo de los Tristes All plazas & parks
“Book the 8:30am slot in July or August. The walk from Alcazaba to Generalife in the afternoon heat is not the Alhambra you came for.”

Seasonal hour changes

Winter schedule 15 Oct to 31 Mar

  • • Alhambra day visits close at 18:00. Night visits Friday and Saturday only, 20:00–21:30
  • • Arab Baths and Dar al-Horra open continuous hours (10:00–17:00), no midday break
  • • Carmen de los Mártires: weekday afternoon opens at 16:00 (not 18:00)
  • • Sacromonte Abbey: closes at 17:00, afternoon session from 15:00
  • • Fine Arts Museum inside Alhambra: closes 18:00 (not 20:00 as in summer)

Summer schedule 1 Apr to 14 Oct

  • • Alhambra extends to 20:00 closing. Night visits expand to Tuesday–Saturday, 22:00–23:30
  • • Arab Baths and Dar al-Horra shift to split hours with a midday break: 9:00–14:30, then 17:00–20:30
  • • Carmen de los Mártires: afternoon hours push to 18:00–20:00 on weekdays, until 20:00 on weekends
  • • Sacromonte Abbey: opens until 19:00, afternoon session from 15:30
  • • Fine Arts Museum: extends to 20:00 on Tue–Sat

July and August: the 8:30am Alhambra slot is the only one where the walk from Alcazaba to Generalife doesn't feel like a forced march. Plan everything before noon.

For month-by-month temperature guidance and the best windows for each type of visit, see our Alhambra booking guide which covers seasonal timing in detail.

Public holiday closures

Spain has 14 public holidays a year. Most Granada sites stay open through national holidays with normal or slightly reduced hours. The two exceptions are the complete Alhambra closures on 25 December and 1 January, and the Semana Santa window where churches adjust access.

Key dates to check before visiting

Complete closures

  • 25 Dec Alhambra: Christmas Day (the only annual closure)
  • 1 Jan Alhambra: New Year's Day

Reduced hours or special schedule

  • 6 Jan Epiphany: Royal Chapel and Cathedral reduced
  • Good Fri Semana Santa: most sites have special hours
  • 1 May Labour Day: Royal Chapel and Cathedral reduced
  • Holy Week Variable hours at churches and chapels

Royal Chapel and Cathedral

Both are active churches with liturgical calendars. During Semana Santa, timed public visits are suspended entirely on certain days as the spaces are in use for services. Check capillarealgranada.com before visiting around Easter.

Alhambra on public holidays

The Alhambra is open every day except 25 December and 1 January. Spanish national holidays do not affect its opening. If your visit coincides with a holiday, the bigger concern is ticket availability. Holiday weekends book out faster than ordinary summer days.

Frequently asked questions

What time does the Alhambra open?

The Alhambra opens at 8:30am every day except Christmas Day (25 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). Summer hours run 8:30am–8:00pm from 1 April to 14 October. Winter hours run 8:30am–6:00pm from 15 October to 31 March.

Night visits are separate tickets: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00pm–11:30pm in summer; Friday and Saturday 8:00pm–9:30pm in winter. Tickets sell out far in advance. Knowing the opening time matters less than booking your slot 3 to 4 months ahead for any visit between April and October.

Which Granada attractions close on Monday?

Granada is unusual compared to most Spanish cities: almost nothing closes on Monday. The one exception is the Alhambra Fine Arts Museum (Museo de Bellas Artes) inside the Palacio de Carlos V, which is closed on Mondays.

Open on Mondays: the Alhambra complex, the Royal Chapel, Cathedral, Arab Baths, Corral del Carbón, Monasterio de la Cartuja, San Jerónimo, and the Sacromonte Abbey. This is a genuine advantage over cities like Córdoba, where Mondays close over ten major sites.

Are there free entry slots at the Alhambra?

No. Unlike some Spanish monuments, the Alhambra has no free entry window at any time of day or week. The standard adult ticket costs €22.27, the Gardens-only ticket €12.73, and night visits €12.73. Children under 12 enter free but still require a named ticket at booking.

The budget-friendly equivalent in Granada is the Andalusí Monuments circuit: on Sundays, the Arab Baths (El Bañuelo), Dar al-Horra, and Corral del Carbón are free for all visitors. EU citizens can also visit the Fine Arts Museum and Dar al-Horra free with a national ID at all opening times.

Which Granada museums are free for EU citizens?

Two sites are free for EU and EEA nationals (bring your national ID card or passport):

  • Alhambra Fine Arts Museum (inside the Palacio de Carlos V): free for EU citizens, small fee for others. Closed Mondays. Requires an Alhambra complex ticket or Gardens-only ticket to enter the site.
  • Dar al-Horra: free for EU citizens. Open daily.

The Arab Baths (El Bañuelo) and Corral del Carbón are free for all visitors at all times, not just EU nationals. See the Granada on a budget guide for the full picture.

Do opening hours change in summer in Granada?

Yes, most sites extend their hours significantly. The main shift happens on 1 April (to summer) and 15 October (to winter):

  • Alhambra day visits: extend from 6:00pm to 8:00pm closing. Night visits shift from Friday–Saturday (winter) to Tuesday–Saturday (summer), 10:00pm–11:30pm.
  • Arab Baths and Dar al-Horra: adopt a split schedule with a midday break, open 9:00am–2:30pm then 5:00pm–8:30pm in summer.
  • Carmen de los Mártires: afternoon closing extends to 8:00pm on weekdays, 10:00pm on weekends.

Unlike Córdoba's Junta museums (which reduce to morning-only in summer), Granada's paid monuments generally get longer summer hours rather than shorter. July and August heat means the 8:30am opening slot is the only practical Alhambra window. The afternoon walk from Alcazaba to Generalife in 37°C is rough.

Is the Granada Card worth buying?

It depends on your itinerary. The Granada Card comes in 48-hour (€40) and 72-hour versions, and includes the full Alhambra visit, Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Monasterio de la Cartuja, Monastery of San Jerónimo, approximately 10 other monuments, 9 city bus rides, and a tourist train ride.

The maths work in your favour if you're planning to visit three or more paid sites over two or three days. A full Alhambra ticket (€22.27) plus the Royal Chapel (€7) plus the Cathedral (€5) already totals €34.27, close to the 48h card price. Add Cartuja (€7) and you are clearly ahead. The card does not cover night visits or the Sacromonte Abbey.

One caveat: the Granada Card still requires you to pre-book your Alhambra time slot through the official Patronato portal (or by phone), so it does not solve the advance-booking problem. See our Granada Card guide for a full calculation.

Further reading

Official sources

  1. Alhambra Official (opens in a new tab)

    Official hours, ticket prices, seasonal schedule and night visit availability

  2. Capilla Real de Granada (opens in a new tab)

    Official Royal Chapel hours and visitor information

  3. Turismo de Granada (opens in a new tab)

    Official tourism board with current hours and Granada Card details

  4. Junta de Andalucía (opens in a new tab)

    Andalusí Monuments circuit, EU free entry policy and Sunday free access