Alhambra from Malaga - which excursion?

[scotlady]

Hi. Will be on a Celebrity cruise in May that includes Malaga.

Definitely want to see the Alhambra, and I am going with a ship's excursion due to the distance from the port to Granada.

They offer a guided tour, or a do-it-yourself option.

Just curious - those people who went on a guided tour from their ship - how much time did you get at Alhambra?  Did you feel it was enough time.

And those who did it on their own - how long did you spend at the site?

Thanks!

[ollienbertsmum]

Do you mean that with DIY you still get tickets included?  It is important that your timed tickets coordinate with your time of arrival.   Not sure if you want to DIY because you don’t want to have to hang around with a large group or because you want to see something of Granada.  
 

i have spent a couple of great weekends in Granada which have not included the Alhambra (visited about 40 yrs ago), there is plenty to see.  I go DIY wherever I can, but  On a ship tour so far away from the port I would be so anxious about getting back to the transport on time that I would be doing the guided tour.  
 

Does that answer your question? 

[edinburgher]

On 8/25/2023 at 11:58 AM, scotlady said:

They offer a guided tour, or a do-it-yourself option.

Visiting the official Alhambra Palace website will explain the different ways of visiting the site, so reading about these options will help you decide.

 

We only visited twice, once on a shorex, once when on a land trip when we spent 3 days in Granada. On our shorex, which I think is typical but others will advise, is that,  once the coaches arrive,  pax are put into smaller groups for the guided visit. There is also usually a short amount of free time to explore the outside areas, gardens etc then back on the coaches for the return to ship.

 

The fixed entry time on the tickets is strictly adhered to.  Arrive late and you need to wait for the next timed entry and will only be admitted if there are spaces in that group.

[scotlady]

Thanks.  Yes, mostly answers my questions.  I AM concerned about not being on a ship's excursion at a destination so far from the port.

I have booked Celebrity's excursion for now. 

The only thing that concerns me, though, is when I read the description of the tour it says "From the Albaicín, view the breathtaking Alhambra Palace", which almost makes it sound as if there isn't an actual tour of the palace, so I'll have to research that.  No way I would go all the way to Granada and not tour the Alhambra palace!

[edinburgher]

21 minutes ago, scotlady said:

From the Albaicín, view the breathtaking Alhambra Palace"

 

I too  would be concerned about that as the  Albaicin is the oldest quarter of Grenada, (the Moorish quarter) which we explored on foot on our land trip,  and from there, there are indeed views across to the  Alhambra Palace from some viewpoints from where some visitors gather to watch the sunset over the Alhambra.  Unless the tour specifies that you will visit the Palace itself, you may not be going there.   Is  it one of these "take you to Grenada, free time to explore, return you to ship" tours? You would need to read the exact wording of the tour description very carefully, and  if in doubt, contact  the shorex dept to ask, and/or maybe even ask on the Celebrity Board if any others have done this tour.

Edited August 27, 2023 by edinburgher

[ollienbertsmum]

3 hours ago, scotlady said:

Thanks.  Yes, mostly answers my questions.  I AM concerned about not being on a ship's excursion at a destination so far from the port.

I have booked Celebrity's excursion for now. 

The only thing that concerns me, though, is when I read the description of the tour it says "From the Albaicín, view the breathtaking Alhambra Palace", which almost makes it sound as if there isn't an actual tour of the palace, so I'll have to research that.  No way I would go all the way to Granada and not tour the Alhambra palace!

Does not sound like a tour of the palace to me either.  The view is lovely - the photo shows the old buildings between the viewing point and the palace.  You don’t really notice it in real life.  It is especially lovely when the mountains on Sierra Nevada are covered in snow in the winter or spring.  

 

If you are only going to get the outside view, you would be better off going to Ronda or even staying to explore Malaga.  

[edinburgher]

I  had not noticed you were going from Malaga, a longer journey than from Motril.

 

Should you cancel the shorex,   you have the advantage of being in Malaga with many options for DIY sightseeing from Malaga, in addition to staying in Malaga itself.

 

You could look at past threads  about Malaga for ideas.Use the SEARCH tool under your user name and insert the word Malaga before hitting the little spy glass, but do that on the GENERAL Spain Ports forum, not an individual thread.

[VMax1700]

Not only do you require timed tickets to enter Alhambra and you will see Generalife and gardens. You specifically need additional timed tickets to enter Nasrid's Palace, which is really fantastic building.

Make sure to use only the official website

https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/

 

Bring plenty of water, high spf sun protection and a hat.

You would need to allow 2 to 3 hours inside the grounds to see it.

 

If the Celebrity tour does not mention timed tickets for admission or timed tickets for Nasrid's Palace, then it seems unlikely that you will be going inside.  Driving from Malaga to Alhambra takes 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic etc.

[Hlitner]

I will toss out a related suggestion which is to plan a couple of nights at the Parador de Granada...which is actually located inside the Alhambra.  It is arguably the best Parador in Spain, and rooms must generally be booked far in advance.  Of course this is not an option for cruisers that are simply visiting Malaga for the day, which is just one more reason why land tours (or driving trips) to Europe can give a perspective not enjoyed on a cruise.

 

Hank

[JerseyBird]

On 8/28/2023 at 3:47 PM, Hlitner said:

I will toss out a related suggestion which is to plan a couple of nights at the Parador de Granada...which is actually located inside the Alhambra.  It is arguably the best Parador in Spain, and rooms must generally be booked far in advance.  Of course this is not an option for cruisers that are simply visiting Malaga for the day, which is just one more reason why land tours (or driving trips) to Europe can give a perspective not enjoyed on a cruise.

 

Hank

I am debating this question.

I have always longing for Granada, I believe it deserves a couple days/nights there. But we are arriving Malaga on Nov. 14 on NCL.   If it is summer time, we would stay in Malaga, and just leave Granada for another land trip later. But November in Malaga, I heard most places will be closed.  So I am thinking to hire a transportation company (we are a group of 10), ship ducks at 6am, hoping we can get on the road by 7am, then I book the 9:30am guided tour of the Palace etc, maybe even have time left to tour the old town part.  The ship leaves at 6pm, so we should leave Granada around 3pm, to be back by 5pm?

 

Does this sound reasonable?

 

TIA!

 

 

 

[Hlitner]

33 minutes ago, JerseyBird said:

I am debating this question.

I have always longing for Granada, I believe it deserves a couple days/nights there. But we are arriving Malaga on Nov. 14 on NCL.   If it is summer time, we would stay in Malaga, and just leave Granada for another land trip later. But November in Malaga, I heard most places will be closed.  So I am thinking to hire a transportation company (we are a group of 10), ship ducks at 6am, hoping we can get on the road by 7am, then I book the 9:30am guided tour of the Palace etc, maybe even have time left to tour the old town part.  The ship leaves at 6pm, so we should leave Granada around 3pm, to be back by 5pm?

 

Does this sound reasonable?

 

TIA!

 

 

 

Yep :).  That assumes you can arrange the private transport for such a large party.