Yes you can take your own food and drink into the Alhambra. You aren't allowed to take large bags into the Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba or Generalife though so you may need to use the storage lockers while you are exploring those.
How long does it take to visit the Alhambra? Normally, it takes between 3 and 5 hours to see the entire Alhambra complex. Many people spend all day; it depends on how fast you want to see things.
Day of the week: Anytime during the weekend is pretty crowded and you'll be waiting in queue for some time. To avoid this, visit the Alhambra during a weekday if possible.
Check Out the Non-Ticketed Areas in the Alhambra if You CanYou need a ticket to see the Nasrid Palaces, Generalife, and the Alcazaba, but there is more to the Alhambra than just those areas. The Alhambra Museum, Charles V Palace, Torre de las Cabezas, Puerta de la Justicia and more can be explored for free.
Dress in comfortable clothingWith the warm weather and the hours of walking ahead of you, I would definitely say to wear comfortable shoes and light clothing. If you're planning on walking to the Alhambra, you'll find a pretty large hill waiting for you, so make sure you don't wear sandals.
Alhambra tickets are nominative, so you MUST show your national ID (UE nationals) or passport to be granted access to the monument. Here we explain how to buy official tickets for the Alhambra, the different ticket types, areas included, prices and discounts, how to make changes, return policy and many other tips.
There is a church at the Alhambra. If you plan to see it, you need to follow the dress code: Dress code for churches: Shorts or bare shoulders are not allowed for either women or men.
You can also buy them on the same day of your visit (if any tickets left), up to two hours before the allocated time for the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces. Alhambra tickets are nominative, so you MUST show your national ID (UE nationals) or passport to be granted access to the monument.
Unlike many monuments in Europe, in my experience there was no specific dress code for the Alhambra – it's fine to wear clothes that don't cover your shoulders or knees. However, you will want to wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals.
Do not drink, eat or smoke (except in in designated areas). No photography with tripods or flash (not even for night time visits), without authorized permission. Respect and follow the instructions. No touching the decorations on the walls.
TICKETS FOR ALHAMBRA GENERALThe general daytime visit allows access to all the visitable spaces of the Monument: Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Generalife, Carlos V Palace, Public baths and the Mosque. This type of visit also includes the Gardens Visit.
You can access to every place inside the Alhambra (Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Partal and Generalife) just once. However, you can go in and out of the complex all the times you need.
Lots of people ask if there is a dress code at The Cathedral. The dress code isn't as strict as other places, such as La Mezquita in Cordoba or The Cathedral in Barcelona. You are allowed shoulders and knee showing, however, caps must be taken off and tops must be worn.
The best way to skip the line at the Alhambra is by buying your tickets online. Please remember that on a particular day only 6,000 visitors are allowed inside the fortress. Book your tickets in advance or risk the chance of tickets being sold out.
On a one-day trip to Granada you will not have time to visit the Alhambra Museum and the Forest of the Alhambra, for example. An unforgettable way to see the Alhambra is with a Alhambra Guided Tour. Approximate time 3-4 hours: from 08:30 to 12:00.
The Parador de Granada in Andalusia offers one of the most romantic opportunities of any hotel in the world: to sleep inside the Alhambra. So popular has this 36 bedroom Granada Parador become that rooms need to be booked up to six months in advance.