We spent two full days in Granada (three nights) in mid-March 2024 while on our 2-week Andalusia road trip. While we felt this was enough time to see the city, you could arguably stay an extra day if you wanted to explore more outside of the city center.
There is a map of all our suggestions at the end of this post. If you want to check out where we ate during our 2 weeks, our gluten free guide for Andalusia is here. If you don’t want a pre-planned itinerary, but just want guidance of what to do (including extra things we didn’t get to), where to stay, and day trip suggestions, check out our Granada city guide.
Here is what we did during our 2 days (3 nights) in Granada:
Day 0: Arrive in Granada
Day 1: Explore Granada, Frances Garden, Alcaiceria, Carrera del Darro, Mirador de San Nicolas
Day 2: Alhambra
Day 3: Depart Granada (or a day trip!)
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DETAILS:
DAY 0:
Today you’ll arrive in Granada. For us, this meant driving from Cordoba to Granada.
You’ll stay in Granada for 3 nights. We stayed Hotel Andalucia Center, which wasn’t right in the city center, but we booked it due to its private parkade. It was a bit of a walk into the city center, so if you’re hoping to be more “in the stuff”, you might want to look more into the city center for accommodations. After you’ve checked into your hotel, you can explore the area you’re staying in and rest up for a longer walking day tomorrow.
DAY 1:
A long walking day is ahead of you, so wear comfortable shoes. Your first landmark to pass will be Plaza Isabel La Catolica as you make your way to Mirador de San Nicolas. There are many cute streets to explore, so make sure to take your time and take in the city’s vibe. The mirador itself is in front of a church, and there are bound to be buskers among the lively square.
Once you’re done at the mirador, you’ll make your way through the Alabacin neighourhood towards Saint Michael Viewpoint. Fair warning that this is quite the climb, so if you aren’t up for that you can save this for your departure morning and drive up here instead (we did both), or even do an e-bike tour. From the viewpoint, make your way through the Sacromonte neighbourhood back down the hill towards Carrera del Darro, which is a beautiful main street along the foothill of the Alhambra.
At the end of Carrera del Darro, you should reach Plaza Nueva de Granada. From here, make your way to the city’s bazaar, Alcaiceria. You will find any souvenirs you could dream of here! Nearby is Plaza de Bib Rambla which is a vibrant square surrounded by restaurants. This is a great area to explore for shopping if you’d like to!
If you still have energy and time in your day, it’s time to head up the hill towards the Alhambra, where you’ll find Frances Garden. It is a beautiful garden with a fountain and mirador, and a great escape from the heat (and it’s free!).
DAY 2:
Today’s main attraction is the Alhambra and Nasrid Palaces. You must buy tickets in advance or enter through a tour. Your entry time for the palaces will dictate the timing of your visit here, as well as the rest of your day. We highly suggest trying for an early entry time to the Nasrid Palaces to beat the tour group crowds. You’ll have a 30 minute entry window, and you’ll want to arrive a little early to line up. We started with the Nasrid Palaces, then did the other monuments atop the hill, and finished with the Generalife gardens. The whole area took us about 3.5 hours.
Following your Alhambra visit, make your way to the Nevada Shopping Center for some modern Spanish shopping. This is a massive, newer mall with air conditioning. This was the reason we visited, as we were tired from the Alhambra, and it was over 30 degrees Celsius. If you don’t want to spend time at the mall, you could easily find more to do in Granada (such as the Real Monasterio de San Jeronimo or the Hammam Al Andalus Arab baths).
DAY 3:
Today you’ll leave Granada, or if you’re here one more day you can take a day trip. If you opt for the day trip option, we personally visited the adorable town of Frigiliana. It is about an hour drive, and you’ll want to allow 2 – 3 hours to explore this lovely town full of sprawling valley views and whitewashed buildings. We also read that Jaen is a good stop (we didn’t visit). There are many other day trip options, which we go through in our Granada city guide.
Before departing Granada, we drove up to Saint Michael Viewpoint for one last view of the Alhambra and the city. Then you can say goodbye to Granada and make your way to wherever you’re off to next!
MAP of our Granada Itinerary
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the Wanderlog logo in the bottom right corner to open the full-size map up in a new tab. There, you can choose to just look at one type of activity at a time or see all the activities on the map at once (click the 3 squares in the top right to choose). You can also export the map to Google Maps, share the map with others, or save the map.
Helpful Planning Tips
I rely on these tools when planning my trips:
- Get Your Guide – skip-the-line or timed entry tickets to attractions such as the Alhambra, Hammam baths, or a Flamenco show
- Airalo eSIM – get Spanish data instantly on arrival, without roaming charges
- Stay22 – compare hotels across Granada at a glance
- Wanderlog – keep track of your trip details, organize your itinerary, and map out your stops
