Granada Things to See: Alhambra, Sights and When to Go

Granada is a working city first, home to the University of Granada and a population of about 233,000, and it rewards travellers who come for history and architecture rather than sunbeds. The great draw is the Alhambra, the palace and fortress complex that most people mean when they search for a palace in Granada. Inside its walls you will find the Partal and the Renaissance Palace of Charles V, while the Generalife gardens and palace lie alongside.

If you are wondering what to do in Granada once you come down the hill, the city's top sights continue in the centre: the Catedral Metropolitana de la Encarnación, the Royal Chapel of Granada, the Madrasah and the Palacio de Dar-Al-Horra. The Puerta de Elvira gate, the Basilica of Saint John of God, the Monasterio de San Jerónimo and the Granada Charterhouse are all roughly half a mile to a mile from the centre, and the Archaeological Museum of Granada and the Granada Mosque round out a day. Slightly further out, the Alcázar Genil is about two miles away.

For first-timers asking about Granada's must-see list, the honest answer is the Alhambra, then the cathedral quarter. Anything beyond that depends on how many days you have, and a long weekend covers the essentials comfortably.

Most visitors stay in Granada itself, where almost every sight on this page is within about two miles and you can walk between the cathedral, the Royal Chapel and the climb up to the Alhambra. It is the obvious choice for a short break, and it is only 13 minutes by car from the airport.

Two smaller towns sit close by. Alfacar, with around 4,900 residents, lies about 4 miles from the city centre and is roughly 17 minutes from the airport. Monachil, home to about 5,800 people, is around 6 miles out and about 20 minutes from the airport. Both have tours and activities you can book here, and either suits travellers who would rather sleep somewhere quieter and drive or ride in for the sights, though for a first visit the city is the more practical base.

The best time to visit Granada is May, June, September or October. Highs range from about 24°C in October to 30°C in June, rain is limited to between three and seven days a month, and evenings stay mild enough for sitting outside. If you are after the best month to visit Granada, Spain, for sightseeing on foot, May and October are the most comfortable, at around 25°C and 24°C.

July and August are hot, with highs of 35°C and lows of 21°C, so plan your Alhambra visit for the morning and rest in the afternoon. March, April and November are shoulder months: temperatures of 17 to 20°C are pleasant, but March is the wettest month of the year, with around 115mm of rain over 12 days.

Winter is cool rather than mild, with January highs of 13°C and nights dropping to 3°C. That still works for a museum-and-cathedral weekend, as long as you pack a warm coat. School holidays tend to push up package prices, so travelling outside them usually gives you more choice.

Granada airport (GRX) has direct flights from the United Kingdom and is about 13 minutes by road from the city, 17 minutes from Alfacar and 20 minutes from Monachil. On a package, that means a short transfer and very little of your first day spent travelling.

If you are combining Granada with time on the coast or arriving another way, the nearest ferry ports are Motril, about 29 miles away, Málaga, roughly 55 miles, and Almería, around 63 miles. Car hire is useful if you want to reach the outlying towns or travel on afterwards, though within the city centre you will mostly be on foot.

Many British travellers book Granada as a package, with flights, hotel and transfers together, and on this page you can compare deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach. Check what board basis each offer includes: in a city full of places to eat, room only or bed and breakfast often suits better than half board.

You can also check hotel prices if you have already sorted flights, compare car hire for trips out to Alfacar or Monachil, and browse tours and tickets. For anything you consider a must do in Granada, the Alhambra above all, it is worth looking at tickets and guided visits before you travel rather than leaving it until you arrive.