No matter where you are traveling to, one day is never enough time to enjoy the whole experience. Who has not been in a place for less than a day and at the end of the trip be thinking, “why didn´t I choose to stay longer?” Well that´s what happened to us in the historic city of Granada in Spain. Instead of worrying about it the whole day, (we knew we needed more time for Granada) we decided to get the most of it and we prepared our list of “Things to see in Granada in one day” and we went for it!
Plan a one day trip to Granada
If you´re going just for a day, you probably don´t want to spend that much money, therefore you should find a cheap way to get there. There are many ways to go to Granada if you´re traveling from Spain. You can find cheap busses that travel to Granada for just between 10-20€ round tickets. Another way to do it, is taking a BlaBlaCar to Granada, where you´ll share someone else´s car and just pay a low price for it.
Sometimes it´s not just about having a cheap trip, but about having an amazing experience. In this case, we recommend you stay at the parador of Granada, inside the Alhambra. The experience there is unique and worth it. Other than that, be ready with comfortable clothes, as you may be walking the whole day. Be aware that you won´t sleep much that day, because “Grenadians” are the party gods.
What to see in Granada Spain in one day?
Before travelling to the beautiful city of Spain you need to know what to see in one day in Granada. Of course you could be in Granada for a week, but you will still have many places to visit and things to see, but this are the ones that you can not miss.
San Nicolas, Granada, Spain:
Our favorite parts of traveling are sunrises and sunsets. That´s why if you´re going to see Granada in one day, you need to see both (sunset & sunrise). Granada has many viewpoints to see the sun shining over the Alhambra: San Miguel bajo, San Miguel alto and San Nicolas are some of the main Granada points of interest for sunrise and sunset.
Although San Miguel Bajo viewpoint is the favorite for most Grenadians, it doesn´t open until 10 am, so your best option is San Nicolas. The view from San Nicolas, is straight to Alhambra. Depending on when you visit it, you´ll either see the golden light reflected in the historical building or a view of it with a purple- orange sky that will leave you speechless.
A walk through Granada streets
The next thing you should do, before it gets really crowded, is going to la Alhambra (which is just about 15-20 minutes walking), and after sunrise mission you will still have some time to make it before the big crowds come. But on your way there, want it or not, you will have to make a stop and walk a little bit through the beautiful and colorful streets which will be empty at that time of the day. What we liked the most, was that almost all of them have a stunning view of the Alhambra as a background. It´s the perfect scenery to get some Alhambra photos.
Best time to visit Alhambra!
First, you need to make sure you book the Alhambra palace tickets some months before going, the price is about 15€ for the whole Alhambra, if you don´t get them, you will either not get the time you want, or even worst, miss the opportunity to visit it. That said if you book them with enough time ahead, you will be able to take the schedule you want, and we really advise you to go at 8:30 am. Remember the Alhambra is probably the best thing to see in Granada in 1 day. Everyone wants to visit it!
Nazaries Palace Alhambra
Once you arrive to the box office, get the tickets (already booked) and go straight to the Palacios Nazaries. If you get the right schedule, you are lucky, as it may be the only time of the day where you will find them without many people (there will always be some, as we are talking about the most visited monument in Spain). But if you don´t get them, it is not such a big deal, don´t worry so much about it. Even though you will not get El Palacio de los Leones (the most beautiful spot of la Alhambra) for yourself, if you wait until the big guided groups are gone, you will have some time to take some photos or just enjoy it without big crowds.
Generalife Gardens Granada Spain
As soon as you finish visiting the palaces go to The Generalife, which you will be amazed by their beautiful gardens and the view you can get of the Alhambra and Granada from its highest point.
The Alcazaba of the Alhambra
Another of the places to see in Granada is the Alcazaba of Alhambra. We recommend you living it to the end, as it´s where you will find less tourists. There is another outstanding viewpoint in the top of it. If you are a photographer don’t ‘bring the tripod, as it´s not allowed.
Although the official website says, three hours should be enough to see everything, we would at least spend 5 hours here, so you can enjoy it, take some photos and not have to be running from one place to another.
Where to eat in Granada in one day?
One of our favourites things to do in one day in Granada, is trying the delicious food of the area. And as there are thousands of different bards and restaurants is normal to ask yourself where to eat in Granda when you just have one day!
The most famous Bars in Granada, and the places where every Grenadine go are Bodegas La Mancha and Bodegas Castañeda.
The difference? One includes free tapas and the other one doesn´t, but anyway both provide the best and authentic Spanish food!!
Visit the Cathedral of the Incarnation
Once you finish eating, you could do something more relaxing and just go for a walk through the center. It will be really hard to miss the cathedral of the Incarnation on your way.
The cathedral of Granada is on the center of the city and it´s a must while visiting Granada. It is designed in baroque and renaissance style, and is one of the most popular attractions in Granada.
The fee to the entrance is affordable 5€ for adults and 3.5€ for students. Visiting one of the largest cathedrals in Europe is a great option on your trip to Granada.
Nightlife in Granada, Spain
After a long and busy day, there is no better way to end your things to see and do in Granada in 1 day than the spanish way, which means party time! The locals in Granada, are some of the nicest people you could ever meet. If you mix them with tasty wine and more food, they will make you not want to leave the next day!