2-Day Granada Travel Guide
In December 2021 / January 2022 we made a 10-day trip to Andalusia. Granada was our second stop in South of Spain right after Seville and a 1-day trip to Cordoba.
Granada is the capital of the province of Granada and is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, so you can expect the weather to be a bit colder than Seville. He city has around 237 000 inhabitants and rank as the 13th largest urban area of Spain.
Historically, Granada was settled since ancient times by Iberians, Romans, and Visigoths. Later becoming a major city of Al-Andalus in the 11th century during the Zirid Taifa of Granada. In the 13th century it became the capital of the Emirate of Granada under Nasrid rule which stands at the last Muslim-ruled state in the Iberian Peninsula. But Ultimately Granada was conquered in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs and progressively transformed into a Christian city over the course of the 16th century
So, let’s discover this unbelievable city with this 2-day Granada Travel Guide.
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
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Getting there
The easiest and most comfortable way to get to Cordoba in by train but you can also get there by bus which has more schedule available
- There are lots of ALSA bus running the line. The journey takes 3h. You can buy your ticket here
- If you prefer the train that may be more comfortable and just a bit faster but has less option, check out The Spanish railway company website: RENFE
Moving Around
Once in Granada, you can do everything on foot and won’t need any transportation. You just may want to take the bus N°33 to get from the bus station or train station to the city center.
When to Visit
Granada, like Seville or Cordoba can be visited year-round. We visited it in winter and the weather was amazing for Europe with temperature up to 20°C. Yet the peak season are around near year and during the summer holidays.
Where to Stay
- (€): Apartamento moderno en el céntrico Barrio ‘El Realejo’ de Granada
- (€€): La Tinaja del Realejo
- (€€€): Mirador del Zenete
We personally stayed at La Tinaja del Realejo, the apartment was really nice and super well located. We couldn’t ask for more. Only it could get a bit noisy at night due to the proximity of the street. But it is hard to get everything. We still strongly recommend this one.
What to Eat
As we are plant-based diet, Spain is not the best option for food for us, but some of the nice things to try are:
- Sangria
- Spanish omelette
- Smoked Ham/Prosciutto
- Paella
But there are also really nice plant-based diet option in Granada. We tried Wild Food and it was super nice.
Things to do In Granada in 2-Day
Alhambra
The Alhambra is the most visited monument in Granada and even in Spain. It’s a monument where many tours are coming from Seville, Cordoba or Malaga as a day trip. This is how famous it is.
The Alhambra is an UNESCO World Heritage site, also called “Red Palace” and was erected in the 13th century by Moorish rulers to serve as their residence. The whole complexe cover more than 140 000km² and is made of:
- The Nasrid Palaces, an opulent Palace with Moorish-style courtyards, reception halls & royal quarters. It was the former palace of the Sultan.
- The Generalife, the summer residence of the Sultan as well as guest house and the place where all fruits, vegetables were cultivated
- The Alcazaba, is a 11th century military fortress which is the oldest part of the Alhambra.
The complete visit takes 3h and it would be better to get your ticket in advance as The Nasrid Palaces has limited access and must be visited at a specific time. For the rest is can be visited freely with the ticket.
Also, you have the option to have audio-guide, guided tour… We took the audio guide but it wasn’t that special. We had the 8h30 ticket for the Nasrid Palaces and were early there (maybe 20min earlier) and were in front of the line. But the audio-guide must be taken from another point which will then make you be at the end of the line.
Alcaicería
Time to visit the most famous shopping and touristic street in town. The Alcaicería market is the big bazar of Granada with tons of souvenirs. It’s made of a couple streets and is quite small but still is a nice place to see.
Cathedral de Granada & Royal Chapel of Granada
The Cathedral was built in the 16th century and is made of an architectural mix of renaissance, baroque, and Gothic style. Next to it is the Royal Chapel of Granada built in the 15th century and serves as a burial place for Spanish monarchs.
Both places can be visited but with separate tickets that cost 5€ each. We would recommend to just pop by them in your way as the cathedral is not the most impressive one and the royal chapel is not that much either. At least we thought so.
Plaza Nueva & Iglesia de San Gil y Santa Ana
On your way around the city, you will certainly stop by the plaza Nueva, one of the nicest squares in Granada due to the San Gil y Santa Ana Chruch around it. The church was closed but made such a sight for the plaza.
Corral del Carbón
Part of the Andalusian monument but with a free entrance, it used to be a Moorish-style residence. Constructed in the 14th century, it was used as a storehouse and point of sale for wheat, as well as accommodation for the merchants who brought it to Granada.
El Bañuelo
For 5€ you can get a ticket than allow you access to the Andalusian monument (El Bañuelo, Palacio Dar al-Horra and Casa Horno Del Oro).
El Bañuelo is an ancient and well-preserved Arab bath. Built in the 11th century it was a place where people would not only clean themselves but also socialize and conduct business
Palacio Dar al-Horra
Also known as the home of the honest, it was part of the large palace of Zirid King Badis. Its upper floor offers an amazing view of the Alhambra. Most probably our favourite one.
Casa Horno Del Oro
Small Nasrid house with one floor, it’s a cool place to visit as it is included in the Andalusian monuments tickets and allow you to see how where houses in the Moorish era.
Sacromonte
Let’s keep on with the gipsy neighbourhood of Sacromonte. Famous for its troglodyte houses, called “cuevas”. There you can also enjoy a beautiful walk through this unique area, some top views of the Alhambra and even some flamenco show if you feel like it.
Mirador de San Nicolás
There are lots of Mirador or viewpoint in Granada and they all stand for an amazing view of the Alhambra and the city. San Nicolas is the most famous one.
Mirador Placeta de Carvajales
You can actually make a kind of Viewpoint Crawl, going from one to the other to get more and more views.
Mirador Ojo de Granada
We put a few of them on the map, so it is up to you.
Carmen de los Mártires
A less famous place in Granada is the Carmen de los Martires garden. It has a free entrance and his made of:
- A French garden
- A British garden with its 3-floors fountain
- A Nasrid patio and its maze
- A lake
It’s a nice place to get away from the crowd. It is open from 10h to 14h and 16h to 18h
2-Day Granada Itinerary
Day 1:
- Start with the Alhambra in the morning
- Lunch Break
- Alcaicería
- Catedral de Granada & Royal Chapel of Granada
- Spend the afternoon at Carmen de los Mártires
Day 2:
- Start with some strolling around the
- Plaza Nueva & Iglesia de San Gil y Santa Ana
- Then visit :
- Corral del Carbón
- El Bañuelo
- Casa Horno Del Oro
- Palacio Dar al-Horra
- Go all around the Sacromonte
- And then crawl to all the miradors:
- Mirador de San Nicolás
- Mirador Placeta de Carvajales
- Mirador Ojo de Granada
- Carmen de los Mártires
El que tiene boca se equivoca (The person who has a mouth makes mistake) – Nobody’s perfect
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