Night visit to Gardens and Generalife – Alhambra of Granada

A bit back, I had a long weekend and I decided to take a train and go to Granada from Barcelona. If there is one place to visit in Granada it must be the Alhambra. By lack of planning, we ended up having to purchase the ticket for the “Night Visit to Gardens and Generalife”. At the end, stars aligned and we also made it to visit the Granada during the day, but I will be discussing with you today about the night entry and the beauties of the gardens.

Why choosing the “Night Visit to Gardens and Generalife” over the regular Alhambra ticket

Let me start by telling you that if you can, you shuold book the regular ticket for the Alhambra and the additional ticket for the Gardens, the Generalife and the Alcazaba. You can find the official ticket website here. With this ticket you can visit the whole palace and surroundings. And the Alhambra is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful sights worldwide, so it is worth a visit.

In my case, because I only tried to book the tickets a month in advance, these were sold out. I was planning on visiting Granada during a long Easter weekend and it was all booked. But an alternative was still available: the Night Visit to Gardens and Generalife.

Unsure of what to expect, we decided to give it a go and try to enjoy the visit. And that we certainly did.

Why visit the Alhambra using the “Night Visit to Gardens and Generalife” tickets

I visited this palace in the late spring of 2012. Back then, the day temperatures were in the mid 30ºC (95ºF) and it was at night when being outdoors was actually enjoyable.

Doing the “night visit to Gardens and Generalife” allowed us to enjoy the surroundings of the Alhambra at a much more relaxed pace. And at much more breathable temperatures.

In addition, because it was in the late spring, and flowers are the most fragrant during sunrise, this visit was not only a delight to the eyes but also a sensorial feast. The smell of thousands of flowers surrounded us with fragances ranging from sweet roses to fresh oranges… and much more in between.

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Depending on where you were in the gardens, the composition of the fragrances in the air would change immensely. That, combined with the colorfull sunset in the background and the sound of the water running in dozens of fountains across the gardens made out for an exceptional evening.

Should I visit the Gardens of the Alhambra at night?

My gut tells me to tell you yes, of course. But considering this coldly, I think I would recommend you this visit if you are going to Granada between mid-April and early October.

Even though Granada is in the South of Spain, people have the missconception that Spain is warm all year long. That is not the case, specially in this town. Granada gets snow almost every year and gets freezing temperatures for an important part of winter. Considering that the Alhambra is in an elevated area of the city, it gets even colder there. Besides, when the plants are not flowering I believe that the experience won’t be as rich as it could be.

What can I do if the tickets for the Alhambra are sold out?

I had read online in several forums that a small percentage of the tickets are not sold online but on the cashiers every morning. That same people also said that there were no more than 100 tickets a day and that even by being there before the offices opened it was sometimes complicated to get them. I can atest that it was the case.

Because of the small number of tickets available every day, if you are in this situation, make sure you book well ahead your tickets. If like me, you think a month will be enough but it was not… Buying the tickets for “Night visit to Gardens in Generalife” is a good option. But if you can, get this ticket additionally to the general entry ticket. The Alhambra is one of the most unique and majestic constructions in Spain and it is well worth a day of exploration.

Tips to visit the Alhambra at night

Like I’ve said before, the Gardens of the Alhambra are beautiful themselves, but at night they get even better. One of the best things of visiting the gardens of the Alhambra at night is also that you will find much less people around you than during the day.

You will be able to take pictures of parts of the gardens like they were designed to be. And, with a little bit of practice, you may be able to get some long exposure shots free of poeple. If you want to do this remember to bring a tripod!

Another important consideration to keep in mind when buying the tickets for the night visit to gardens and Generalife is to bring along a jacket or a pashmina. Unless you are in the hottest months of the summer, the temperature around the Alhambra can drop a few dozen degress as the sun goes down.

My last tip may seem a bit stupid for some but… if you are allergic to plants, or to some flowers, take an antihistaminic a couple of hours before starting the tour. The fragances, specially if you visit during spring, are very intense. And you don’t want to spend half of your evening sneezing and crying.

Have you visited the Alhambra at night before? Did you like it? Please, let me know about it in the comments section!