travelplanner70
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Does anyone have a good tour to take in Granada? We will be driving there for a day trip from Marbella. Any suggestions?
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Granada Alhambra
- Thread starter travelplanner70
- Start date
I recall many 'tour guides', both authorized and informal, hanging around the entrance to The Alhambra. There's lots of parking, but arriving early is better than later.
Jim Ricks
Jim Ricks
225chs
TUG Member
There are guides there. I highly recommend you get tickets in advance as they limit admission
Jimster
TUG Member
tickets
Tickets are available on line- get them before you go. Most of the TS have a tour bus to the place- I'd far prefer that over driving. Also wear a money belt and watch out for the gypsies and a variety of scams.
Tickets are available on line- get them before you go. Most of the TS have a tour bus to the place- I'd far prefer that over driving. Also wear a money belt and watch out for the gypsies and a variety of scams.
Official tours can be expensive 90+ euros (last Nov) they tend to rush you around. I did the trip by publice bus 13 euros return from Marbella plus entrance. If you used your car it would give you a chance to take in the views of the Sierra Nevada at your own pace.
Good advice already given is to buy tickets in advance. The tickets are timed and you can split the tour in two parts one part is the garden and surroundings not to be rushed or missed the timing refers to when you can enter the inner part of the palace. Depending on entrance time you can either do all the other bits first or the inner palaces first. I bought the official tour book brilliant and very detailed then took aboout 3 hours to work my way around. I personally find this less rushed and I can stop and spend time looking at what I find most interesting - not having to look for the tour guide umbrella rushing off in front of me! I would suggest making a complete day of it and as the sun goes down take the 10 minute walk into town and find a genuine tapas bar - my favourite is in the main street straight down the hill from the palace turn left and about 75 yards they serve air dried ham, cheese and sherry on the wood the best flavours of Spain to die for. However you choose to organise your day I am sure you will have a wonderful time, whilst you are in Granada if your time allows there is a wonderful cathedral well worth a look. If you are looking for anything else in the area a trip to Ronda is also very worth while. Enjoy.
Good advice already given is to buy tickets in advance. The tickets are timed and you can split the tour in two parts one part is the garden and surroundings not to be rushed or missed the timing refers to when you can enter the inner part of the palace. Depending on entrance time you can either do all the other bits first or the inner palaces first. I bought the official tour book brilliant and very detailed then took aboout 3 hours to work my way around. I personally find this less rushed and I can stop and spend time looking at what I find most interesting - not having to look for the tour guide umbrella rushing off in front of me! I would suggest making a complete day of it and as the sun goes down take the 10 minute walk into town and find a genuine tapas bar - my favourite is in the main street straight down the hill from the palace turn left and about 75 yards they serve air dried ham, cheese and sherry on the wood the best flavours of Spain to die for. However you choose to organise your day I am sure you will have a wonderful time, whilst you are in Granada if your time allows there is a wonderful cathedral well worth a look. If you are looking for anything else in the area a trip to Ronda is also very worth while. Enjoy.
You should check out the official Alhambra web site here. By clicking through to "Alhambra Tours" and then to "Regular Guided Tours", you get to this web page. You'll see that the regular guided tour is 49 Euros, not 90.
That's the tour we took in September '07. It was a very good tour, with a knowledgeable guide, and they even picked you up and dropped you off at your hotel. So in that sense, it was worth the price.
Still, I ended up wishing we had just paid for general admission and the self-guided tape recorder. Why? The Alhambra has 4 separate and equally beautiful areas to see and visit. When you get tickets for the Alhambra, whether via general admission or via a tour guide, you get a separate ticket for each. Each separate ticket is valid for exactly one entry. As with any tour, they go at a steady pace, whether you'd rather explore that area further or not. The problem is, when the tour is done and you'd like to go back to the areas you're interested in, you can't, because you've used the ticket for that area.
I understand the necessity of this policy, due to the huge number of visitors they receive each year. But it makes the guided tour much less practical than you'd think.
-Bob
That's the tour we took in September '07. It was a very good tour, with a knowledgeable guide, and they even picked you up and dropped you off at your hotel. So in that sense, it was worth the price.
Still, I ended up wishing we had just paid for general admission and the self-guided tape recorder. Why? The Alhambra has 4 separate and equally beautiful areas to see and visit. When you get tickets for the Alhambra, whether via general admission or via a tour guide, you get a separate ticket for each. Each separate ticket is valid for exactly one entry. As with any tour, they go at a steady pace, whether you'd rather explore that area further or not. The problem is, when the tour is done and you'd like to go back to the areas you're interested in, you can't, because you've used the ticket for that area.
I understand the necessity of this policy, due to the huge number of visitors they receive each year. But it makes the guided tour much less practical than you'd think.
-Bob
ecwinch
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In clicking into the link, the price for tour plus transportation from Marbella, appears to be 71 euro, or 90 if you get the optional lunch. 49 euro is from Malaga.
Agree with you about going on your own pace. I think it is 8 euro to rent the audio player with the tour. Bring your own headphones, as it makes easier - rather than having to hold the weighty audio player up to your ear all the time. The audio player also has two headphone jacks on the top, so it is possible to share the audio player. Standard headphones work.
It is a long drive, especially if you leave early in the morning (which you should). Also, allot sometime to visit the city of Granada, as it is very nice also. A number of cathedrals, and a nice little museum next to the main cathedral.
You definitely must book the tickets in advance on-line if you are going during peak season (weekends, summer).
The drive up is very scenic also as noted previously.
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We were in Mijas-Costa and took the A-45 north from Malaga to the A-92 into Granada. This was before GPS and we were very confused when we go to Granada. We finally found our way after a couple of times getting off the route that goes around Granada. That was not a very scenic route.
However if you take the A-7/E-15 route all the way to Salobrena and then take the A-7-A44/E902 north to Granada, that is a very scenic route. The only caution is that it goes through the mountains and you could get snow (depending on when you go).
Just take a look at Google Maps which is where I got the route numbers.
Judie
However if you take the A-7/E-15 route all the way to Salobrena and then take the A-7-A44/E902 north to Granada, that is a very scenic route. The only caution is that it goes through the mountains and you could get snow (depending on when you go).
Just take a look at Google Maps which is where I got the route numbers.
Judie