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The Alhambra palace on the hill above Granada, approach road visible below
Parking guide

Parking in Granada

One car park sits 100 metres from the Alhambra ticket pavilion. Everything else requires a bus or a ten-minute walk. Here is what costs what, where it is, and what the ZBE means for your visit.

Parking near the Alhambra comes down to a simple choice. The official PARKIA car park on the east side of the hill charges €3.30 per hour and puts you 100 metres from the entrance. Every other option is cheaper, further away, and requires a bus — but the saving for a full day can be €7 or more. The ZBE low-emission zone affects how you reach the city centre, though the Alhambra's own access road sits outside its boundary.

One thing the maps get wrong: the PARKIA car park is on the east side of the hill, reached via the southern ring road. Puerta de las Granadas — the stone gate on the western slope above Plaza Nueva — is a pedestrian entrance, not a car access point. These are opposite sides of the Alhambra. Getting this wrong adds twenty minutes to your approach. For detailed guidance on driving to Granada and navigating the ZBE, see the driving guide.

The official Alhambra car park (PARKIA)

Closest to the entrance ~100m from ticket pavilion

Parking La Alhambra (PARKIA)

The car park at Camino Viejo del Cementerio s/n sits on the upper east side of the hill, not far below the ticket and access pavilion. You reach it via the southern ring road — take the A-395 toward Sierra Nevada and follow the brown signs for the Alhambra rather than trying to climb from Plaza Nueva. Cuesta de Gomérez on the western slope is pedestrian-only.

Four zones (P1–P4): P1 is at the pavilion itself and fills first. P2 has spaces for reduced mobility. The car park is the only one in Granada that accepts tourist coaches. A dedicated caravan area sits on the adjacent Camino Tramo de Unión. The site is monitored 24 hours.

In July, August, and Semana Santa it fills before 10:00 on busy days. If you need a guaranteed space, book in advance via Parclick or parking.ai — both let you reserve a specific zone.

Rates

Per hour (car) €3.30
Full day (car) €22.90
Per hour (coach) €5.26
Full day (coach) €35.15

Address

Camino Viejo del Cementerio s/n
18009 Granada
Tel: 958 226 474

Pre-book via

Parclick · parking.ai

  • Arrive before 9:00 on weekends and peak-season days — P1 fills fast
  • Pre-book in summer — the car park sells out in July and August on most mornings
  • Approach via the southern ring road — not via the city centre or Cuesta de Gomérez

City-centre car parks

If the Alhambra car park is full or you want to spend less, city-centre underground car parks are the practical alternative. You park, then take bus line C3 from Plaza Isabel la Católica to the Alhambra — a 10-minute journey, €1.50 per trip. See the getting around Granada guide for full bus network details, including the C1 and C2 routes into Albaicín.

La Hípica

from €0.90/hr

Fontiveros area. Cheapest in the city — €13 for a full day. The trade-off is distance from the centre; bus connections to the Alhambra still run from nearby stops.

Palacio de Congresos

€1.30/hr

City centre, 329 spaces. One of Granada's more affordable central options — better placed for the bus routes to the Alhambra.

Méndez Núñez

€1.40/hr

Arabial area. Day rate €14. Central location, straightforward access, and reasonable rates for longer stays.

Severo Ochoa

€1.70/hr

Commercial zone near the Cathedral. 504 spaces — rarely fills entirely. Good option if you are splitting time between the Alhambra and the city centre on the same day.

The maths on park-and-bus vs. Alhambra car park

A full day at PARKIA costs €22.90. Parking at La Hípica (€13 day rate) and taking the bus twice (€3 total) comes to €16 — a saving of nearly €7. On a multi-day visit, this adds up fast. The bus journey from the city centre to the Alhambra takes about 10 minutes and runs every 10–12 minutes, so you lose very little time.

The ZBE low-emission zone

Granada's Zone 1 ZBE (Zona de Bajas Emisiones) has been active 24 hours a day since 1 October 2025, enforced by cameras at the zone boundaries. The restricted area covers Gran Vía, Plaza Nueva, Albaicín, and Sacromonte — the streets most visitors want to reach on foot. Private car access here is now restricted for most vehicles.

Vehicles banned from Zone 1 now

  • Petrol vehicles registered before 2001 (no DGT label)
  • Diesel vehicles registered before 2006 (no DGT label or label A)
  • Label B vehicles: phasing out through 2026

Tourist exemption

Tourists with compliant vehicles may drive through the ZBE to reach an authorised underground car park, provided they stay for a minimum of one hour. This allows you to reach a city-centre car park without penalty — but not to park on street or circulate freely.

The PARKIA Alhambra car park approach road is outside the ZBE boundary, so you can reach the monument's car park directly via the southern ring road without passing through restricted streets at all.

Fine: approximately €200 for entering without the correct DGT label. Camera enforcement operates around the clock — no grace period. Most rental cars comply through 2026 if registered post-2014 (petrol) or post-2020 (diesel). Check the sticker on your rental before driving into the city centre. See driving in Granada for a full breakdown of the sticker categories.

Taking the bus instead of parking

If you have an older vehicle that does not comply with the ZBE, or you simply want to avoid parking costs entirely, leaving the car outside the restricted area and using the bus is the simplest option.

Bus to the Alhambra

C3

The Alhambra circular. Departs Plaza Isabel la Católica and stops directly at the ticket offices. 10-minute journey. Runs every 10–15 minutes. On weekday mornings it runs nearly empty — most visitors walk up or take a taxi without realising the C3 exists.

Single fare €1.50

The combination of a city-centre car park (La Hípica at €0.90/hr is cheapest) and the C3 bus is the most cost-effective approach for a full-day Alhambra visit. The getting around Granada guide covers the full LAC bus network, including routes to Albaicín and Sacromonte.

Practical tips for parking in Granada

Arrive early

The PARKIA Alhambra car park fills before 10:00 in peak season. Aim to arrive by 8:30 if you have a morning Alhambra slot. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends from June to September.

Pre-book in summer and Semana Santa

Parclick and parking.ai both allow advance reservation at the PARKIA Alhambra car park. In July, August, and Holy Week (March/April), pre-booking is the only reliable way to guarantee a space. Without a reservation, you may find all zones full.

Use the right approach road

Sat-nav set to Camino Viejo del Cementerio, 18009 Granada. The approach is from the south via the ring road (A-395), not from the city centre. Follow signs for Sierra Nevada at the ring road, then the brown Alhambra signs. Do not try to follow pedestrian routes uphill.

Check your rental car's DGT sticker

Before driving into the city, confirm your rental carries a C, Eco, or Zero sticker. Most post-2014 petrol vehicles qualify. If the sticker is missing or your car is older, use P+R facilities on the outskirts rather than risk a €200 ZBE fine in the city centre.

Frequently asked questions about parking in Granada

Frequently asked questions

Where is the official car park near the Alhambra?

The official car park is Parking La Alhambra (PARKIA), located on Camino Viejo del Cementerio s/n on the east side of the hill — roughly 100 metres from the ticket pavilion. It has 500 spaces across four zones (P1–P4).

P1 sits closest to the ticket pavilion and fills first. P2 has dedicated reduced-mobility spaces. This is the only car park in Granada where tourist coaches may park.

How much does the Alhambra car park cost?

The PARKIA Alhambra car park charges €3.30 per hour and €22.90 for a full day. It is monitored 24 hours. You can pre-book in advance via Parclick or parking.ai — strongly recommended in July, August, and Semana Santa, when it fills before 10:00.

Can I drive into Granada city centre?

You can, but Granada's ZBE (Zona de Bajas Emisiones, or Low Emission Zone) restricts older vehicles in the city-centre area. Zone 1 has been active since 1 October 2025.

Vehicles without a valid DGT environmental sticker — petrol registered before 2001, diesel before 2006 — cannot enter and face fines of around €200. Most rental cars comply. Tourists with compliant vehicles may drive through the ZBE to reach an authorised underground car park, provided they stay at least one hour.

What is Granada's ZBE and how does it affect my visit?

The ZBE (Zona de Bajas Emisiones) is Granada's low-emission zone, active 24 hours a day since October 2025. It covers the city centre, including Gran Vía, Albaicín, and Sacromonte.

Vehicles with no DGT sticker (petrol pre-2001, diesel pre-2006) are banned. B-sticker vehicles phase out through 2026. The Alhambra car park approach road — Avenida Santa María de la Alhambra and Camino Viejo del Cementerio — is outside the ZBE, so you can reach the monument's car park directly without passing through the restricted zone via the southern ring road.

Is there a park-and-ride option for Granada?

Yes. Granada has park-and-ride (P+R) facilities on the city's outskirts, letting you avoid the ZBE and city-centre congestion entirely. From these points you connect to the bus network to reach the Alhambra or city centre.

Alternatively, many visitors park at a cheaper central car park (from €0.90/hr at La Hípica) and take bus line C3 to the Alhambra from Plaza Isabel la Católica. A single ticket costs €1.50 and the journey takes around 10 minutes.

What is the cheapest parking option near the Alhambra?

The cheapest approach is to park at La Hípica (Fontiveros area, €0.90/hr or €13/day) or Palacio de Congresos (€1.30/hr, 329 spaces) and take bus line C3 to the Alhambra from Plaza Isabel la Católica. A single bus ticket costs €1.50.

A full day at the PARKIA Alhambra car park costs €22.90. Parking at La Hípica for the same period comes to €13, and adding two bus tickets brings the total to around €16 — a saving of roughly €7, more on longer stays.

Planning the rest of your trip?

Parking sorted — now lock in your Alhambra tickets before they sell out. In peak season, slots fill weeks ahead.

Alhambra tickets guide Driving in Granada guide Getting around Granada

Further reading

Sources and references

  1. Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife (opens in a new tab)

    Official Alhambra authority — access, transport, car parks

  2. PARKIA La Alhambra via Parclick (opens in a new tab)

    Rates, capacity, and advance booking for the official Alhambra car park

  3. Granada ZBE — Supportparclick (opens in a new tab)

    Tourist exemption rules and ZBE parking requirements

  4. Granada ZBE — Andalucia.com (opens in a new tab)

    Overview of the ZBE boundary, sticker categories, and fines

  5. Apparkya — Entering Granada by car (opens in a new tab)

    City-centre car parks, ZBE exemption, and approach routes