What to do in Granada in 2 days

By Roberto (Updated Apr 26)
⏱️ 6 min

If you have Granada on your bucket list or you’re planning your visit, congratulations on your decision because Granada is one of the best cities in Spain! After spending 3 days in this wonderful city we bring you this post about visiting Granada in 2 days, which’s the minimum amount of time that’s recommended to visit this wonderful city. 

Granada, in the South of Spain (Andalucia) is home to the Alhambra, but is also a superb city with tons of restaurants for tapas and also hosts centuries of history. You’ll find anecdotes from the Moorish culture and their amazing architecture to the beginning of the Spanish Golden Era. If you like cultural mixes, wars, and medieval stories, Granada will surpass your expectations. 

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When to go to Granada

In another post, we talk about when to go to the Alhambra and the best moments to visit Granada. This would be, from Spring to Autumn, avoiding July and August (due to the insane heat in this region).

In addition to these months, Winter is also another great moment to visit Granada for one reason: the snow. The beauty of the mountains and the city when there’s snow is charming. And also it’s a good moment to practice snow sports. Sierra Nevada Sky, located in Sierra Nevada Natural Park, offers sky/snowboard options in Winter and other snow activities.

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Day 1. City Tour and explore old-town 

Start the day with a powerful breakfast to have energy, because you’ll need it to walk a lot this day.

Explore the city center with a tour

In the morning, we did a lovely walking thanks to Nazarí Tours Granada, by the hand of Sumaya. This is a 2-hour (Spanish) tour around the city, starting at 11:00, where she explains perfectly some buildings, fun facts, and the general history of the city. I can’t imagine a better introduction to Granada than doing a tour like this. Check Free Tours for other alternatives.

Lunch in a tapas bar

In Spain, usually you pay for what you order, but there are certain regions like Andalusia, where they give you a tapa for free when you order your drink or a bigger plate. Granada is famous for this. The tapa can be a small toast, patatas bravas (Spanish-style potatoes), or croquettes, but it can also be a portion of an elaborate plate, like paella or lentils.

For lunch, we recommend going with the flow and to check tapas bars as you walk while checking other reviews. There are hundreds of decent bars in Granada where you can stop and have some beers, unas cañas, and order tapas. Below there is a map ofthe best areas to have tapas in Granada.

On our trip, we went to some bars and restaurants in zona Catedral (in green) and Acera del Darro (in red) and we were happy with the options.

Albaizyn and Mirador de San Nicolás, another must do in Granada in 2 days

After lunch, a good option is to visit two of the most famous districts of Granada: Albaizyn and Sacromonte. Albaizyn is a much bigger neighborhood than Sacromonte, but both are a good option if you are wondering what to do Granada in 2 days.

Albaizyn is formed by dozens of chaotic streets and white houses that give a beautiful view wherever you go. In this labyrinthine scenario, there are plenty of details, or cute plazas to have ice cream, decorated windows, tiles, huge houses with patios or gardens, and tons of hills. The GPS doesn’t even work here! What we suggest is to get lost in their streets to get the essence of the lifestyle.

This neighbourhood was the area where the Muslims lived over centuries in Granada. During the Nasrid Dynasty, the Albaizyn was one of the most populated centres in the world. After the arrival of the Catholic Kings and the forced conversion of Muslims to catholicism, the area changed a lot. Still, since then, the Albaicyn remains with the same vibe and style.

Another must-stop in this area is the lookout called Mirador de San Nicolás. The views of the Alhambra from here are breathtaking and you can buy a drink nearby while listening to people playing the guitar. I can’t imagine a more chill plan!

Sacromonte

Sacromonte is known as the gypsy quarter, next to Albaizyn on the hills above Granada. With just a few houses it’s famous for music and dancing flamenco shows after dark. The houses are built into the rocks and host caves where they perform the shows. There are a few shows to check, with similar prices and spectacles. Some of them offer dinner + show, which is a great idea to end your first day of exploring Granada in 2 days.

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Day 2. Alhambra and City Center

For the second day, we highly recommend visiting the Alhambra and exploring other monuments and plazas in the city. Another option would be to relax in a Hammam.

The Alhambra

If there is something you must do if you visit Granada in 2 days, is go to the Alhambra. This magnificent place is so unique, that we have another post talking specifically about it with all the info.

We highly recommend visiting the Alhambra with a tour guide, to understand more about its history and about its iconic architecture and design. The visit to the Alhambra can easily take you 3 hours.

After the walk in the Alhambra, and all the steps from the previous day, it is time to get some rest at the city centre and try some local food for lunch.

Maybe a cute tea house?

In addition to the restaurants and tapas bars, there are very kindly decorated teterías or tea houses. There are many options around the city center that serve good quality teas and desserts. We don’t remember the name of the one we went (sorry!) so we can’t recommend you a specific one.

To finish the visit, we strongly suggest to spend the day doing some sightseeing while checking street markets, trying food, and just walking around. Do you like a cold beer in a sunny square with someone playing the guitar in the background? or perhaps a hot coffee in front of a monumental cathedral?

Places or plans you can’t miss while being in the city center of Granada:

Granada’s Cathedral

Another good stop for your visit to Granada in 2 days, is the Cathedral. It doesn’t seem big when you are around it, because it’s surrounded by houses and streets, instead of having a dedicated square. But this HUGE monument is one of the biggest cathedrals in Spain (#4 or #5 depending on the metric you consider).

Its construction started the same year as the discovery of America and it was going to be similar to the cathedral in Toledo, but things happened and it ended up with a Renaissance style.

Granada’s Royal Chapel: tomb of the Catholic Monarchs

As Sumaya (the tour guide) said to us, “There are many cathedrals around the world, but only a place where some of the most powerful monarchs of human history lay”. With King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Spain began its expansion, created the word colonisation, started globalisation, and the world concluded the Middle Ages and moved into the Modern Era. Both of them rest in this chapel, and for 5 €, Monday to Saturday, 10:15 to 18:30 and Sunday, 11:00 to 18:30, you can visit the monument.

Find all the info on the official site

Extra: Relax in a hammam

Muslims in general were much cleaner than Christians. Thanks to their good habits, they mastered the control of the water in the city and built steam baths called Hammams. It works like a Roman thermae or a current spa, with pools to relax. In Granada, there are a few options that will provide good rest for your tired body.

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