Granada is, by far, my favorite city in Spain. Due to its close proximity to nature, historical value, and even a more laid-back vibe than Seville and Madrid, this place made my southward trip worthwhile.
Granada is located at the foothills of the highest mountain in Spain, the Sierra Nevada. The Alhambra Fortress, the most renowned building of the Andalusian Islamic historical legacy, is also here in Granada, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area.
Yes, there are a lot of tourists in Granada, but fear not, I spent 5 days there and I can say that you can easily escape them if you know where to go. Without further ado, here are the 8 best things to do in Granada for solo travelers and all the information you need to plan a great trip there.
Granada Things to Do Map
Quick Summary
| 🏛️ Best Museum: | Alhambra Fortress |
|---|---|
| 🥘 Place to Eat: | La Riviera Tapas Bar |
| ☀️ Great Day Trip: | Los Cahorros de Monachil trail |
| 🛌 Place to Stay: | Hotel Exe Triunfo |
8 Best Things to Do in Granada
1. The Alhambra Fortress
- 📍 Location: Alhambra Fortress [Map Link]
- 🕐 Opening Hours: 8:30 AM - 8 PM (April 1 - October 14); 8:30 AM - 6 PM (October 15 - March 31)
- 💰 Entry Fees: 22.27 EUR for the Alhambra General ticket
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "This is one of the most stunning fortresses you will ever see. The outside may look intimidating, but the inside hides a beautiful garden, stunning architecture, and more. Be sure to book the ticket well in advance!"
One of the highlights of visiting Granada is exploring the Alhambra Fortress, a vast fortified palace complex overlooking the city. Its relatively austere outer walls hide the incredibly intricate Nasrid Palaces, courtyards, gardens, and the Generalife, which is what makes stepping inside so impressive.
Visitor capacity is limited, and tickets can sell out, especially during busy periods, so I highly recommend booking in advance. The most important thing to watch is your assigned entry time for the Nasrid Palaces: it is printed on your ticket, and if you miss that time slot, you lose access to that part of the complex.
When I visited, I went to the ticket machine in front of the fortress the day before and managed to get one of the only tickets left. I would not rely on doing that today, though. With demand remaining high, booking your ticket in advance is the much safer option.
- Granada Inn Backpackers (Budget)
- Hotel Exe Triunfo (Mid-Range) 👍 Top Pick
- Hotel Saray (High-End)
- Granada: Alhambra & Nasrid Palaces Tour with Tickets (3 hours) 🏅 Top Pick
- From Malaga: Granada Full-Day Trip with Alhambra (10 hours)
- Granada: Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces and Generalife Guided Tour (3 hours)
The fortress is massive, with several large palaces, cloistered courtyards, and gardens that will take you more than 3 hours to completely see them all. So, be sure to spare enough time for your visit. It is pretty incredible the amount of things you can see inside. Definitely worth the ticket price.
The Alhambra is open from 8:30 AM to 8 PM from April 1 to October 14 and from 8:30 AM to 6 PM from October 15 to March 31. The standard Alhambra General ticket currently costs 22.27 EUR and includes the Nasrid Palaces, Partal, Alcazaba, and Generalife. The Nasrid Palaces have their own timed entry, so pay close attention to the time printed on your ticket. You can
Where to Stay in Granada?
2. Go on a Walking Tour
- 📍 Location: Sacromonte [Map Link]
If you want to explore Granada while learning about its rich history, visiting the caves behind the city, and experiencing awesome viewpoints all in one go, I highly recommend you go on this sunset and cave walking tour.
The guide will take you around the old town, exploring the winding streets and visiting old neighborhoods while also telling you the history of each place you visit. If it hadn't been for the walking tour, I would have missed so many cool places!
After exploring the neighborhoods, you will then be taken to Sacromonte, one of the best viewpoints in the city. It offers a sweeping panoramic view of Granada and the surrounding mountain range. We will spend time there watching the sunset.
After Sacromonte, you will then be taken to the other side of the hill and make your way down into the backside of the hill where all the cave dwellings are. They were dug up by the locals to shelter themselves a long time ago, and you will still find people living in them even today.
It is one of the best ways to see Granada, so if you are interested, be sure to book the walking tour at least a day in advance, as it can get booked out pretty quickly. The tour usually starts around an hour before sunset, so be sure to spare some time for the tour.
2. Admire the Beauty of Alhambra from Mirador de San Nicolás
- 📍 Location: Mirador de San Nicolás [Map Link]
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "This is probably the best viewpoint in the city to see Alhambra from afar, so you can appreciate its scale!"
Alhambra is definitely beautiful from the inside, but to truly appreciate the scale of the fortress, you have to step back, way, way back, and see it from afar, and there is no better place to do it than at Mirador de San Nicolás.
Mirador de San Nicolás is a small but bustling town square located on an elevated hilltop in one of the old neighborhoods of Granada, and it offers a great unobstructed view of Alhambra in its entirety, which you cannot see from anywhere else in the city.
If you are planning to go on a walking tour, you will also be visiting this place on your way to the top of Sacromonte, but you won't have a lot of time at the viewpoint. So, I suggest you visit it separately later on. The best time is right before sunset when the light is at its best.
3. Watch sunset at Saint Michael Viewpoint
- 📍 Location: Saint Michael Viewpoint [Map Link]
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "I love coming here for sunset. In fact, I came here about three times when I was here with different people and never got tired of it."
If you are looking for the best sunset viewpoint in Granada, I have to give it to Saint Michael Viewpoint. It is an incredible lookout point located atop Sacromonte hill with an amazing vantage point over the city and the surrounding mountains.
From the viewpoint, you can also see the Alhambra and other tourist attractions in the city, making it a great photo spot, especially during the golden and blue hours. I highly recommend getting here right before sunset, grabbing a few beers, and witnessing the magic hour over Granada.
If you are planning to go on a walking tour, you will also be taken to this place at sunset, so there is no need to make your way up here by yourself. That said, I loved this place so much that I decided to visit twice and loved every moment of it.
4. Dance to the Flamenco show at La Alboreá
- 📍 Location: La Alboreá [Map Link]
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "You can often see Flamenco shows for free just off the streets. The performers often come out in the late afternoon, so keep an eye out for them."
You haven't been to Spain if you haven't seen a Flamenco dance show. It's intense, sexy, and awesome, and there is no better place to witness it than at La Alboreá.
To gain access to its venue and witness its elaborate flamenco shows, you can book the ticket here. Additionally, you will be provided with snacks and a glass of wine, as well as reserved seating for the flamenco show.
You might also stumble upon street flamenco shows, where you can watch for free as you explore the old neighborhood, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
5. Eat and drink at the La Riviera Tapas Bar
- 📍 Location: La Riviera Tapas Bar [Map Link]
- 🕐 Opening Hours: 12:30 PM - 12 AM
- 💰 Entry Fees: 2 EUR / Beer
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "2 EUR beer, plus one tapa of my choice? Who can say no to that!"
One of the best bars I frequented when I was in Granada was La Riviera Tapas Bar. When I visited, I could get a beer and a tapa of my choice for only 2 EUR, which made it an incredibly cheap place to eat and drink. Treat that as what I paid on my trip rather than a current menu price.
When I was there, 2 EUR got me a beer and one tapa of my choice, and I especially liked the fried octopus legs. Three tapas and three beers came to just 6 EUR, which was ridiculously cheap for Spain. Prices will have changed since my visit, but the experience is one of the reasons I remember the place so fondly.
The place was actually suggested to us by one of the hostel staff, and I loved it so much I went there every evening for 3 straight days. Opening hours can change, so check the current listing before you go, but this remains one of my favorite food memories from Granada.
6. Hike the waterfall trail (Los Cahorros de Monachil)
- 📍 Location: Los Cahorros de Monachil trail [Map Link]
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "This is one of my favorite hikes to do here. It's a day trip from Granada, but it is so worth it! I came here twice, in fact!"
If you want to get away from all the tourists in the city, I highly recommend you spend a day hiking the Los Cahorros de Monachil trail. You can take a bus out to Monachil and walk along the river until you reach the start of the trail. You can rely on Google Maps to get the bus numbers and schedule to get to Monachil.
To get there by public transport, head to Paseo de los Basilios near Puente Blanco and take metropolitan bus 183 on weekday and Saturday mornings. On Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and holidays, bus 181 serves Monachil instead. Once in Monachil, follow the route toward Los Cahorros de Monachil trail, where the hike follows the river through the gorge and across its famous suspension bridges.
The trail is quite rugged sometimes, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and pack lots and lots of water, especially if you are hiking in the summer. It can get pretty hot along the way.
There is no clear-cut end to the trail, so you will have to rely on your judgment when you want to return. I returned when I found a small waterfall and a body of water where I could freshen up and rest, away from other hikers.
Be sure to check the current metropolitan bus timetable before setting off, especially for your return to Granada. Service varies by day of the week, and the relevant line can switch between 183 and 181, so I would plan the hike around the current schedule rather than relying on the timings from my trip.
7. Summit the Sierra Nevada
- 📍 Location: Sierra Nevada [Map Link]
- 🥾 Best For: Experienced hikers prepared for high-altitude mountain conditions
- ⚡ Pete's Take: "It's one of the highest mountains here, and you can make a day trip to climb it from here."
I have not done this myself, but I met a kiwi who climbed Sierra Nevada when I was in Granada, and he said it is one of the coolest things you can do here if you like hiking and want to spend a day exploring the incredible mountains around Granada, away from the tourists.
Sierra Nevada is a mountain range rather than a single mountain. Its highest peak, Mulhacén, rises to 3,478 meters and is the highest peak on the Iberian Peninsula. The area is famous for its ski resort in winter, while the warmer months open up a wide range of high-altitude hiking routes.
When I was in Granada, the friend I met used the limited out-of-season bus service to reach Sierra Nevada and completed his hike before waiting for the return bus. I would not use those old timings to plan the trip today: bus schedules and seasonal mountain services change, and the time required depends entirely on which peak and route you choose. Check the current transport schedule and route conditions before attempting a high-altitude hike.
How to Get to Granada?
Granada has its own airport, Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén Airport, about 17 km from the city center, with an airport bus taking roughly 45 minutes into town. Depending on where you are coming from, it can also be convenient to fly into Málaga or Madrid and continue to Granada by train or bus. I would recommend you browse through
How to get around Granada?
Granada is compact enough that walking is still the easiest way to see most of the historic center. For steeper areas or longer trips, the city buses are useful, including the small C30/C32 buses serving the Alhambra and C31/C34 for the Albaicín and Sacromonte. A standard city-bus ticket currently costs 1.60 EUR and includes free transfers between lines for 60 minutes.
For trips outside the city, including Monachil and Sierra Nevada, use the relevant metropolitan or intercity bus service and check the current timetable before traveling. These services are separate from Granada's urban bus network, so schedules and fares vary by route.
Daily Budget
Traveling here will typically cost you more than visiting most other countries. You can expect to spend around $45 - $65 USD per day per person, including food, accommodation, and transportation.
Please keep in mind that these are suggested daily budgets based on my own style of travel, which leans more towards the budget side of things. If you aim to stick to this budget, anticipate sleeping in dormitories, dining out only occasionally, and being comfortable with the cheapest and most convenient modes of transportation, which often involve a considerable amount of walking.
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