Day trip to Granada from Seville, Cordoba, Malaga or Marbella

A day trip to Granada should be a must in every trip to Spain. The city has an extraordinary Hispanic-Muslim legacy, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a fabulous tapas scene and some of the most evocative gardens and views that Andalusia has to offer.

Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Marbella make excellent departure points for a day trip to Granada and we are here to help you plan a memorable one!.

• Seville to Granada day trip
• Cordoba to Granada day trip
• Malaga to Granada day trip
• Marbella to Granada day trip

What to see and do in Granada in a day

We will now share all our favorite things to do and see in the city so you can choose what will make the best day trip to Granada for you. Then we can make it happen! We are a tour company based and specialized in Andalusia and every day trip to Granada we design and conduct is private and fully customized.

Granada UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Granada has three UNESCO sites: the Alhambra, Generalife and quarter of El Albaicin. Let’s learn about them all before uncovering other lesser known yet very interesting places to visit in Granada and things to do there.

• The Alhambra and Generalife

The Alhambra is the most beautiful example of Hispanic-Muslim architecture. Located atop the hill of la Sabika, the Alhambra was the palatial city where the last Hispanic-Muslim sultans together with their army, their court and some selected artisans.

Due to this, the Alhambra has several sections, all of which we strongly recommend you visit. These are the Medina, the palace of Charles the V, the Alcazaba and the Nasrid palaces (Mexuar, Comares, Palace of the Lions and Palace of el Partal).

The Generalife was the summer palace of the Nasrid Sultans. It was a place designed to get away from the hustle of life in the Alhambra. Because of this it has some of the most captivating gardens and inspiring views that Granada and Southern Spain have to offer.

• The quarter of El Albaicin

This section of Granada has an extraordinarily well preserved Hispanic-Muslim architecture and urban planning. This makes it one of the most charming quarters to explore in the city.

El Albaicin also treasures unique medieval buildings that allow the visitor to discover how people lived in this part of Granada centuries ago. The palace of Dar Al-Horra and the Arab baths of El Bañuelo are worth a visit.

Finally, a big plus of visiting the Albaicin is the gorgeous views of the Alhambra that one can enjoy from some selected viewpoints (miradores in Spanish). Mirador de San Nicolas, Mirador Placeta de Carvajales, Mirador de San Miguel and Mirador de Santa Isabel la real are our favorite.

The quarter of El Sacromonte

Quaint cave houses and flamenco venues are numerous in this iconic section of Granada also offering very impressive views of the Alhambra.

El Sacromonte even has a cave house museum. This makes a very interesting visit as it allows to learn about the gipsy history of the quarter and to see its cave houses inside. Another landmark from this part of Granada is The Abbey of El Sacromonte. This is a prominent religious building featuring exquisite Renaissance architecture as well as extraordinary Moorish cofferings.

The Royal Chapel and the palace of la Madraza

These are two landmarks right next to each other in downtown Granada that are very representative of the history and architecture of the city.

The Royal Chapel is where the Catholic Monarchs (Isabel and Fernando) are buried. These were the monarchs who led the Christian conquest of Granada in 1492 and their tombs are a stunning example of Spanish Renaissance sculpture.

The Palace of La Madraza was originally a Quran school which later became a noble Christian Residence. Today the visitor can see beautiful evidence of the Islamic architecture of the primitive building and the Moorish style of the first Christian mansions in Granada.

Jewish Granada: the quarter of El Realejo

Granada had a thriving Sephardic Jewish community until 1492 when the city was conquered by Christians. Most of the Sephardic community in Granada lived in what is known today as the quarter of el Realejo.

This is a delightful part of Granada to explore with a knowledgeable guide if you are interested in Jewish history. A couple of interesting stops during a stroll through el Realejo are Casa de los Tiros (a gorgeous palace from the 16th century) and the Sephardic Museum (which tells the story of the Jewish Sephardic community of Granada).

Majestic Christian temples in Granada

The Monastery of San Jeronimo, the Monastery of la Cartuja and the Basilica de San Juan de Dios are the the most impressive religious constructions in Granada. These are all hidden gems away from the usual itinerary that most visitors follow.

The Monastery of San Jeronimo was the first erected in Granada after the Christian conquest of the city and features a breath-taking collection of frescoes in its main church. It is a splendid Renaissance building, which contrasts in style with the grandiose Baroque Basilica de San Juan de Dios.

This Basilica, along with the Monastery of la Cartuja just outside Granada, are considered the best examples of Baroque architecture in Southern Spain and they are well worth a visit if you like art, architecture and venturing off the beaten track.

Shopping in Granada: antiques, art, vinyl records and ceramics!

We will now share some of our favorite shops in Granada. In these places you will be able to find great antiques, creations by local artists, vinyl records and something that we love: ceramics!

• Best antique shop in Granada

At Ruiz Linares antiques, you will find a wide variety of ancient treasures such as paintings, sculptures, furniture, old posters, postcards and more. Their address is Calle Estribo Nº6.

• Granada ceramics shops

Granada ceramics are known for their very distinctive style, which combines blue and/or green floral patterns over a clear background. They are a fabulous souvenir and can be found in many local workshops such as Albayzin Ceramica. Their address is Camino Viejo del Fargue 17B.

• A gallery selling works by local artists and fashion designers

Espina Estudio is a contemporary art gallery and concept store selling works by local artists (fashion designers, illustrators, photographers, painters and more). Their address is Calle Arriola 15.

• Buy some Spanish music vinyl records at Discos Bora Bora

Discos Bora Bora has a wide selection of vinyl records by local and Spanish artists, which may make a great souvenir / present to take home. Their address is Plaza Universidad Nº1.

Eating in Granada: a tapas paradise in Spain

Granada has one of the best tapas and wines scenes in Spain. We believe this local custom is definitely worth trying on a day trip to the city. The quarter of El Realejo has fabulous tapas bars. There are also a variety of restaurants overlooking the Alhambra in El Albaicin. These may be a better choice for travelers looking to have a rest from sightseeing during lunch. El mirador de Morayma is a classic.

Planning your day trip to Granada

With all this information on what to do and see in Granada, you may already have an idea of how you would like to spend your day in the city. Now it is essential to estimate how long it will take you to get to Granada and back.

This way you will know how many hours you’ll have to explore the city. All our private day trips to Granada include private transportation in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver. This will help to optimize your time as you will be picked up straight from your accommodation, driven to Granada city directly and viceversa on your way back.

• Seville to Granada day trip

Seville is 2h40min (250km) away from Granada by private car (one way). Therefore, the total driving time for a Seville to Granada day trip is 5h30min. If you don’t mind a 12 hour day trip with an early departure and a late arrival, you will have a good 6h30min to explore Granada.

Our recommendation in this case would be to spend 3 hours exploring the Alhambra and Generalife with a private guide, then have lunch at leisure (we can give you recommendations) and finally enjoy some free time in the city to maybe stroll around the quarter of El Albaicin and / or do some shopping. Then your driver will pick you up to take you back to Seville.

The price of this Seville to Granada day trip starts at 215 Euros per person for a private group of 7 people.

This price includes:

• Private transportation throughout the journey in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver just for you and your travel party.
• Private tour of the Alhambra and Generalife with a knowledgeable and personable fully licensed guide just for you and your travel party.
• All entrance tickets and admissions for the Alhambra and Generalife private tour.
• All taxes.

This price excludes:

• Lunch (we will give you recommendations of places to go for food in Granada and book a table for you if you wish).

Book your Seville to Granada day trip now

• Day trip from Cordoba to Granada

Cordoba is 2h15min (205km) away from Granada by private car (one way). This makes a total driving time of 4h30min for a day trip from Cordoba to Granada. Then our recommendation is spending no less than 6h30min in Granada exploring the city.

So if you don’t mind an 11 hour day trip, you will have time to see the Alhambra and Generalife with your own personal guide at a reasonable pace (3h), have lunch at leisure enjoying the fabulous gastronomy of the city and still enjoy some free time to see other sites of your choice and/or maybe do some shopping.

The price of this Cordoba to Granada day trip starts at 215 Euros per person for a private group of 7 people.

This price includes:

• Private transportation throughout the journey in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver just for you and your travel party.
• Private tour of the Alhambra and Generalife with a knowledgeable and personable fully licensed guide just for you and your travel party.
• All entrance tickets and admissions for the Alhambra and Generalife private tour.
• All taxes.

This price excludes:

• Lunch (we will give you recommendations of places to go for food in Granada and book a table for you if you wish).

Book your Cordoba to Granada day trip now

• Malaga to Granada day trip

Málaga is only 1h35min (127Km) away from Granada by private car (one way). This makes Granada a very easy day trip from Málaga with a very reasonable total driving time (just over 3 hours).

With a day trip from Malaga to Granada of around 10 hours in total, you will have time to see the Alhambra and Generalife with your own personal guide at a pleasant pace (3h), to enjoy lunch at leisure and to explore other areas of Granada of your interest and/or maybe to do some shopping.

The price of this Malaga to Granada day trip starts at 190 Euros per person for a private group of 7 people.

This price includes:

• Private transportation throughout the journey in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver just for you and your travel party.
• Private tour of the Alhambra and Generalife with a knowledgeable and personable fully licensed guide just for you and your travel party.
• All entrance tickets and admissions for the Alhambra and Generalife private tour.
• All taxes.

This price excludes:

• Lunch (we will give you recommendations of places to go for food in Granada and book a table for you if you wish).

Book your Malaga to Granada day trip now

• Marbella to Granada day trip

Marbella is 2 hours (180km) away from Granada by private car (one way). This results in a total driving time of 4 hours for a day trip from Marbella to Granada.

If you allow 10,5 hours in total for this day trip, you will have a good 6,5 hours to see the highlights of the city (Alhambra and Generalife) at a pleasant pace, to enjoy lunch at leisure and to explore other sections/sites of the city and/or do some shopping before returning to Marbella.

The price of this Marbella to Granada day trip starts at 205 Euros per person for a private group of 7 people.

This price includes:

• Private transportation throughout the journey in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver just for you and your travel party.
• Private tour of the Alhambra and Generalife with a knowledgeable and personable fully licensed guide just for you and your travel party.
• All entrance tickets and admissions for the Alhambra and Generalife private tour.
• All taxes.

This price excludes:

• Lunch (we will give you recommendations of places to go for food in Granada and book a table for you if you wish).

Book your Marbella to Granada day trip now

We are a Spain trip planner based and specialized in the Southern region of Andalusia. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any special request or requirement for your day trip to Granada. Everything we do is private and fully customized. So we will be delighted to adapt to your preferences and expectations for this trip.