Granada Day Trip
This day trip is designed for people who’ve already visited the Alhambra and want to see more of the rest of Granada. It takes in the key sights in the historical centre and Lower Albaicín.
If you do want to include the Alhambra, see our Granada with Alhambra day trip. And if you can spare more than a day, check out our 3-night Granada itinerary.
One day isn’t long to see Granada, so why not try out our Enchanting Granada audio tour? It will guide you on one of our favourite routes through the Lower Albaicín and historic centre while filling you in on the sights you pass and telling the story of Isabella and Ferdinand, who ended almost 800 years of Muslim rule in Granada.
Morning
Lower Albaicín
Soak up the atmosphere of the World Heritage-listed Albaicín district while you weave through the medieval alleyways created under the city’s Moorish rulers. Head up the picturesque Carrera del Darro to El Bañuelo ($) (the Arab baths), Casa de Zafra ($), Paseo de los Tristes and return via the Mirador de los Carvajales for a great view of the Alhambra.
Lunch
In the area around the cathedral there are plenty of good options for lunch. Here are a few suggestions:
- Sample tapas based on local produce at Granada’s central market, the Mercado San Agustín, or Taberna Palo Cortao opposite.
- Two of the city’s classic seafood restaurants are Restaurante Bar Oliver and Restaurante Marisquería Cunini. Conveniently, they’re right next door to each other in Plaza de la Pescadería.
Afternoon
Granada’s Historical Centre
Explore Granada’s historical centre, which is home to the city’s Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Sights include Plaza Bib-Rambla, the Corral del Carbón, the Cathedral ($) and Royal Chapel ($), the Basilica of San Juan de Dios ($) and St. Jerome Monastery ($). Much of the centre is pedestrianised, and there are plenty of pleasant squares where you can stop for refreshment at a café or bar with a terrace.
Granada Cathedral
Work on Granada’s massive cathedral started in 1523, but it was only completed 181 years later in 1704. It was originally intended as a Gothic cathedral, but in 1528 the architect Diego de Siloe was brought in to redesign it in the more modern Renaissance style, which was just beginning to become popular in Spain. Tastes continued to evolve while the cathedral was being built, so the main façade and many decorative elements inside the cathedral are in the Baroque style.
Royal Chapel
Having conquered Granada in 1492, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragón decided this is where they should be buried. The Royal Chapel (1505-17) was built right next to the former main mosque, which had been temporarily consecrated as the city’s cathedral. The chapel is generally considered the pinnacle of Gothic and Mudéjar architecture in Granada, and it is worth going inside to admire the beautiful craftsmanship and to see the tombs of Isabella and Ferdinand.
Madraza
FREE
Opposite the Royal Chapel lies the Madraza, which was built by the Nasrid Dynasty in the 14th century as a madrasa or university. After the Christian conquest it became the city’s town hall. Very little of the original structure remains, but you can visit the mihrab, or prayer niche, which is decorated in a similar style to the Nasrid Palaces in the Alhambra. As the colours are much better preserved, it gives you an idea of what the Alhambra once looked like.
Related audio tours
Questions and answers
In a day you can see the main sights in the historic centre and lower Albaicín, including the Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Corral del Carbón, Banuelo and Casa de Zafra. You should make time for at least one viewpoint for a panoramic vista of the Alhambra. The easiest to get to is Placeta Mirador de las Carvajales, and if you don’t mind a steep climb to the top of the Albaicín you can head to Mirador San Nicolás.
If you aren’t also visiting the Alhambra, a day is enough time to take in the main sights in Granada’s historic centre and the lower Albaicín. However, we do recommend allocating more time if you can – check out our 3-Night Granada itinerary for more ideas.