Alhambra tickets sold out: what to do and the options left

Alhambra tickets can be bought up to three months ahead, and in spring, on Spanish bank holidays and in summer the morning slots go early. "Sold out" on the official website doesn't mean you miss the Alhambra: there are several routes left, some official and some paid, and it pays to try them in this order.

What you can book now

1. Check the official website again (and when)

The official ticket site is tickets.alhambra-patronato.es. The general ticket costs €22.27 and covers the Nasrid Palaces at a fixed time, the Alcazaba, the Partal and the Generalife.

• Check several days in a row: cancellations and returned group tickets go back on sale.
• The evening before, between 20:00 and 22:00: according to Granada's tourist board, last-minute tickets for the next day may appear then.
• Be flexible with the Nasrid slot: the first morning and last afternoon slots go first; midday ones last a little longer.
• The ticket office on the day: a few sometimes remain, with no guarantee. It is not a plan.

2. The Granada Card

The Granada Card has its own allocation of Alhambra tickets, so it may have places when the official site doesn't. The 48- and 72-hour cards include the general ticket; the 24-hour card includes the night visit to the Palaces. You can check availability on the Granadatur website or by phone. It is worth it if you will also visit the cathedral, the Royal Chapel and other monuments.

3. A guided tour with entry included

This is the safest option when everything else fails: licensed operators book their allocations in advance and sell the tour with your Nasrid time already assigned. It costs more than the ticket alone (from about €50), but you skip the hunt and someone explains what you're seeing.

Before paying, check two things on the listing: that it clearly says "includes the Nasrid Palaces" and that the ticket is included. Some tours only cover the gardens or the free area.

4. The night visit or the gardens

If nothing is left by day, look at these two official tickets, which usually sell out later:

• Night visit to the Nasrid Palaces (€12.73): the Palaces lit up, without the Alcazaba or the Generalife. It lasts an hour and a half and is a very different, calmer experience.
• Gardens, Generalife and Alcazaba (€12.73): everything except the Nasrid Palaces. They are the biggest loss, but the Generalife and the Alcazaba are worth the visit.

5. What you can see without a ticket

Even if you get nothing, don't leave Granada without going up the hill:

• The Alhambra woods and the Cuesta de Gomérez, from Plaza Nueva.
• The Gate of Justice and the Wine Gate.
• The Palace of Charles V, free to enter.
• The Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albaicín, with the best view of the whole Alhambra.

And with the official Andalusian Monuments ticket (€8.48) you can visit other Nasrid sites in the Albaicín, such as El Bañuelo or the Dar al-Horra Palace.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Buying from sites that look like the official one. They add surcharges and sometimes sell tickets that don't work. The official site is tickets.alhambra-patronato.es.
2. Booking a tour without checking it includes the Nasrid Palaces. It is the most expensive mistake: you pay for a guide and don't get into the Palaces.
3. Arriving late for your Nasrid slot. There are 30 minutes' leeway, and it takes 30 to 45 minutes to walk from the entrance.
4. Forgetting your ID. Tickets are in your name and you'll be asked for it at the entrance.

In one sentence

If the official site is sold out, check the evening before and the Granada Card, and if that fails book a guided tour that includes the Nasrid Palaces; everything else is in how to visit the Alhambra.