Granada in 2 days

Morning

• Alhambra2h

  Arrive at the Alhambra 40 minutes before your booked entry and start with the Alcazaba fortress towers for the view. Everything else on the site bends around the fixed half-hour Nasrid Palaces slot printed on your ticket, so keep an eye on the time.

  TipGeneral tickets routinely sell out 2 to 4 weeks ahead, so book the instant you have firm dates on the official alhambra-patronato site, not a reseller. Your ticket carries a strict half-hour timed slot for the Nasrid Palaces that you cannot miss or move; aim for an early slot, arrive 40 minutes before it, and see the Generalife and Alcazaba around it.

• Generalife Gardens1h30

  Cross to the Generalife, the sultans' summer gardens included in your ticket, and take the terraced water courtyards while they are still cool. This is your buffer time before the Nasrid slot, so pace it to be at the palaces gate ten minutes early.

  TipThe Generalife is included in the general Alhambra ticket, so use it as your buffer around the fixed Nasrid Palaces slot rather than a separate trip. Do it in the morning when the terraced water gardens are cool and quiet; by afternoon the tour groups fill the Patio de la Acequia.

Afternoon

• 1h15

  Walk down into Realejo for a late lunch and order drinks at a Calle Molinos bar, where the free tapa arrives with each round and grows more generous. Two or three rounds is a full meal for a few euros.

• Carrera del Darro1h

  Stroll the Carrera del Darro along the river below the Alhambra, the prettiest walk in the city. Duck into the free 11th-century El Bañuelo Arab baths, which take ten minutes, on your way up toward the Albaicin.

  TipThis riverside street below the Alhambra is the prettiest walk in the city, lined with Renaissance bridges, the 11th-century El Bañuelo Arab baths and old carmenes. Walk it in the morning light going up toward the Albaicin, and duck into El Bañuelo, which is free and takes ten minutes.

Evening

• Mirador de San Nicolas1h15

  Climb through the Albaicin to the Mirador de San Nicolas and claim a spot on the wall at least 45 minutes before sunset, when the Alhambra glows against the Sierra Nevada. It gets crowded and pickpockety, so arrive early and keep a hand on your bag.

  TipThis is the postcard view of the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada behind it, and it is packed at sunset. Arrive at least 45 minutes early to claim the wall, or come at dawn for the same view almost alone; ignore the buskers passing a hat and keep a hand on your bag in the crush.

• 1h30

  Wind back down through the Albaicin for dinner at a carmen or a plaza tavern, away from the mirador's view-premium terraces. The lanes you shared with crowds at sunset are quiet and lamplit now.

Morning

• Capilla Real (Royal Chapel)45 min

  Start at the Capilla Real with a timed ticket to skip the midday queue, and find the marble tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella and Isabella's art collection in the sacristy. No photos inside, and about 45 minutes covers it.

  TipThis is where the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella are actually buried, and it is small, so book a timed ticket online to skip the frequent midday queue. No photos are allowed inside; look for their carved marble tombs and Isabella's personal art collection in the sacristy, and allow about 45 minutes.

• Granada Cathedral45 min

  Step next door into Granada Cathedral and its blazing white Renaissance interior, one of the largest in Spain. It is far quieter than the Royal Chapel, so linger under the dome before the day warms up.

  TipBuy the ticket at the door and go straight for the blazing white Renaissance interior, one of the largest in Spain. It closes on Sunday mornings for services and stays much quieter than the Royal Chapel next door, so pair the two and do the Cathedral second.

Afternoon

• Alcaiceria silk market1h

  Wander the Alcaiceria, the restored lanes of the old Moorish silk market beside the Cathedral, for lamps, ceramics and spices. Thread through to Plaza Bib-Rambla for the flower stalls and a coffee among the terraces.

  TipThe narrow lanes beside the Cathedral are the restored remnant of the old Moorish silk bazaar, now full of lamps, ceramics and spices. Go early morning for photos before the crowds, haggle gently, and step through to Plaza Bib-Rambla for the flower stalls and a coffee.

• Hammam Al Andalus baths1h30

  Take a pre-booked late-afternoon slot at the Hammam Al Andalus to soak yesterday's Alhambra climb out of your legs. The 90-minute bath circuit is around 40 EUR; bring flip-flops and book any massage in advance.

  TipBook online at least a day ahead and take a late-afternoon slot to soak the Alhambra climb out of your legs before dinner. The basic 90-minute bath circuit runs around 40 EUR; add the 15-minute massage only if you book it in advance, as walk-in slots fill fast, and bring your own flip-flops.

Evening

• Tapas crawl on Calle Navas2h

  Do the Calle Navas tapas crawl from about 9pm, one drink per bar with its free tapa, which gets more generous each round. Los Diamantes for fried fish is the local benchmark, though you will likely stand.

  TipThis pedestrian street off Plaza del Carmen is wall-to-wall tapas bars, and in Granada every drink comes with a free tapa, so a crawl doubles as dinner. Order one drink per bar and move on; the free plate gets more generous with each round, and Los Diamantes for fried fish is the local benchmark, though expect to stand.

• Paseo de los Tristes45 min

  Finish with a nightcap on the Paseo de los Tristes, directly beneath the floodlit Alhambra walls. Order one drink for the free tapa and the view before the long walk or bus back.

  TipWhere the Carrera del Darro opens out, this small square sits directly beneath the floodlit Alhambra walls and is the best spot for a drink at dusk. The terraces here charge a view premium, so order one drink for the free tapa and the photo, then move up into the Albaicin for dinner.