Two-Night Itinerary Exploring Granada, Spain

Granada was a must-see destination for me while I was living in Madrid. It was passed through the hands of many empires, each of which left its own mark. This makes the city and its architecture a beautiful mezcla of its history.

One of the most famous sites in Granada for tourists is the Alhambra. I would suggest that you book far in advance if you want to get into the main section of the Alhambra. My friend and I planned our trip about two days before leaving, which meant we couldn’t get tickets to enter. However, you can still visit the grounds and areas outside the old palace.

The Alhambra of Granada as seen from a distance
The Alhambra from a distance (as seen at the end of our tour).

Day 1: Arriving in Granada

We chose to use BlaBlaCar, a carpool service that allows drivers to offer seats in their car while they make longer trips between cities. The drive from Madrid to Granada was about 4 hours due south. While it was an affordable way to travel between cities, I don’t think I would use this if I were on my own.

We arrived in Granada on Friday evening and first made our way to our hostel. We stayed at the LemonRock Hostel, which I cannot recommend because there were bed bugs (discovered during night 2). Obviously, this is a risk when staying in hostels or anywhere with a high volume of travellers. However, despite how much travelling I did in Europe, I only came across this issue once. Always check your bed, bed frame, and in the corners/crevices of your sleeping area at a hostel for any sign of creepy crawlies.

Granada's inner city streets at night.
Granada inner city streets the night we arrived.

We locked our bags away in our room and walked around the city in search of dinner. We decided a Moroccan restaurant, Restaurante Palacio Andaluz Almona, which was great for me as a vegetarian, as it provided many more options than typical Spanish cuisine.

Because of our late arrival, we didn’t explore much the first night beyond what we saw on our mission to find dinner. We also wanted to wake up early for the free walking tour!

Day 2: Walking Tour of Granada, Museums, and Sunsets

We met for the tour in Plaza Nueva around 10 am. We had a quick breakfast before the tour, then walked about 15 minutes to get there.

One of my favourite things about Granada was the walkability. Similar to many European cities, Granada’s city centre is designed around pedestrians, making travel by foot easier than by car.

Free Walking Tour

Free walking tours are one of my favourite ways to see a new city. Our tour was incredibly thorough and lasted almost 4 hours! We saw many famous landmarks such as the Catedral de Granada, the historic square of the Corral de Cabrón, the tiny winding streets of Alcaicería, and ending with an outstanding view of the Alhambra.

Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgable and had many fun facts. She taught us about the rich history of Granada as it passed through the hands of different empires and kingdoms. I would definitely recommend taking one of these walking tours to see Granada and get to know the city better. These tours are a type of pay-what-you-can, so make sure to tip your guide!

Corral de Cabrón in Granada Spain
Corral de Cabrón.

Refueling with Moroccan Tea and Chocolate con Churros

After our tour, since it was around 2 pm, we decided to get a snack. We ended up at a Moroccan tea shop, which was serving cherry cheesecake and had a large selection of teas. There, we also planned our list of things to see in our remaining 24 hours in Granada.

After our break, we toured around the city by ourselves, returning to the Alcaicería for some souvenir shopping, then wandering closer to the outskirts of the downtown area. We ate a second snack of chocolate con churros before our next tourist sight.

Next, we made our way to Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo. The small museum offers visitors a look at some of the Islamic architecture of the 1200s. It is similar to the details found in the muslim areas of the Alhambra, but accessible without planning for far in advance.

After touring the small museum, we wandered the gardens for a while. We saw more stray cats, which were quite common in the city, and at the far end we found granadas! Pomegranates that is, which share the same name as the city in Spanish. We each took a small fruit from the tree and began our ascent for our sunset view.

Pomegranates in Granada
Granadas in Granada.

Watching the Sunset at San Miguel’s Church

On the way to the city, our fellow carpool passenger recommended we go to San Miguel’s church for sunset. So, following his advice we began our journey through the winding streets of the Albaicín district (the old Arabic quarters) to get to the top of the hill where the church stood.

The area of the city was beautiful, with white walls and plants overhanging from gardens. We took our time walking up the sometimes steep streets, admiring small details as we went. When we reached the top, we had just enough time to find a place to sit and each eat our pomegranates when the spectacular sunset began. I have truly never seen anything quite as beautiful, and my pictures from this moment have remained some of my favourites that I have ever taken.

The sun setting over the city from San Miguel's church.
The sun setting over the city.

We ate tapas for dinner, including gazpacho for the Andalusian effect. We walked home from the restaurant feeling safe, the inner city was still busy enough to not worry as two female travellers.

Day 3: The Alhambra

The next morning, for our last day in Granada, we went to the Alhambra. We checked out of the hostel first and were able to store our bags in a locked room while we toured. Though we did not have tickets to enter the palace area of the Alhambra, we could still tour the grounds and outer areas of the fortress.

We spent about 2 hours in and around the Alhambra area. We wandered down the opposite side of the hill we arrived on, through the Mirador del rey chico. From there, we crossed the Darro River and walked along the adjacent street, stepping into shops as we went, until it was time for lunch. After lunch, we walked to our meeting place to catch our ride back to Madrid.

Walking the gardens on the outskirts of the Alhambra
On the outskirts of the Alhambra.

Granada was truly a magical city and I would love to return soon. It is highly recommended if you’re planning a trip to Southern Spain!

The view from the Alhambra.
The view from the Alhambra.

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