Alhambra: Night Visit to Nasrid Palaces

Like many people you come to Granada to see Alhambra. Other people had the same experience in not realizing how hard it would be to get tickets to Nasrid palace which is a separate ticket. We decided we wouldn’t have another chance to see Nasrid. So we paid 75euro for these tickets that are 10euro from the official site. We understood this didn’t come with a human guide but only audio guide. The audio guid is horrible as half is narrated in a computer voice. Of course after paying for these 2 tickets came available on the official site. Shucks. This just felt like ticket scalping. The positive is they did give us tickets so it wasn’t a scam in that sense. I gave the extra star for that.

Viator is the classic "middleman" one finds at historical sites. We needed entrance into the Alhambra as visitors are strictly controlled and our time in Granada was decided last minute. The official Alhambra site for tickets was sold out. So we booked the Viator night tour at a premium price. On the evening of the tour, our entrance tickets were not available due to the link on Viator's website/email not working. Several of us found ourselves in that situation. After losing thirty minutes, the glitch was resolved by a stressed Viator guide (and WhatsApp communications) and we were able to enter the Alhambra. The tour does not allow enough time to see the three core sites (we only saw one) and, to further add insult, I had to pay for the audio headsets even though that was supposed to be included. In summary: buyer beware - try to visit the Alhambra using the official website and, perhaps, hiring a local guide on site. Only use Viator if you have an emergency situation and, even then, be prepared for stress and hassle.

Afternoon of the night visit had not received our tickets. Could not get thought on the number given for the local provider. Went through main customer service number to get someone to send our tickets. They finally were sent as well as a link to the general audio guide of the Alhambra. Tour suppose to start at 9:30. At 9:30 PM we meet the guide who told us to just go on ahead as he only gives the tour in Spanish. We knew this however, had thought that for $84.00 we might go through faster with a guide. Waited in line from 9:30 to 10:20 to get in to the Palace. For $84.00 ($177.00 for 2 people) all we got was our tickets that we had to chase after. No advantage whatsoever to going through Viator. Earlier in the day we had a beautiful 3 hour guided tour that cost less was better organized and helped us maximize our visit. The guide was unreachable and then dismissive and provided zero service. This was not a guided tour or any sort. You are basically on your own. The Alhambra by night is beautiful, but I would be hard pressed to recommend Viator.