Granada's Churches and Cathedrals Tickets and Tours

Granada is one of the most important cities in Andalusia where history, culture and art are intertwined. The city has witnessed great cultural and religious changes over the centuries. An example of this can be found in the different churches and cathedrals spread throughout its streets.

If you don't know what to see and do in Granada, consider visiting these religious temples, among which the Cathedral of Granada and the Royal Chapel stand out , full of splendour. I also recommend a visit to the Monastery of San Jeronimo, where Empress Isabella of Portugal lived, and the Sacromonte Abbey, which offers panoramic views of Granada and its wonders. Here is my list of must-see churches.

Granada Cathedral is one of the essential destinations when visiting the city. The building is representative of the Spanish Renaissance style mixed with Gothic elements. Construction of this structure began in 1523, on the remains of the old main mosque. Inside, the central nave stands out , with its altar and altarpiece that attract attention for its decorative richness.

On guided tours of the Cathedral of Granada, lovers of sacred art can find various exhibits inside this religious building, especially in the sacristy, which also houses various liturgical objects. Likewise, the cathedral is composed of side chapels, which house some works of art and have their own history.

On the other hand, if you climb the tower of the cathedral, it is possible to get beautiful panoramic views of the city and the Sierra Nevada, being ideal for capturing unique photographs. Visiting the Cathedral of Granada can even be the first activity in your itinerary, as it is located in an ideal strategic point to visit other attractions.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free. Approximate prices for guided tours are €5 per adult, €3.5 for accredited students under 25 and people with disabilities. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• Opening hours: Generally, access is from 10:00 to 18:15 Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays from 15:00 to 18:15. Opening hours may be modified for special dates and liturgies.

The Royal Chapel is the monument where the remains of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella rest. This pantheon was built between 1505 and 1517 and stands out not only for being a royal mausoleum, but also for its architecture and ornamentation, which mainly date back to the Spanish Renaissance.

This important site also houses a museum, which displays a large collection of sacred art with works and liturgical objects of great historical value. It is also possible to learn about the life and work of the kings, as some of their personal objects are on display .

This destination is always included among the best excursions and guided tours in Granada, usually combined with a visit to the cathedral due to the proximity of its location. In addition, the chapel is nowadays used for various religious services, so you could attend one if you are interested.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free. Approximate prices for guided tours are €6 per adult, €4.50 for accredited students under 25 and people with disabilities. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• Opening hours: Generally, access is from 10:00 to 18:30 Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays from 11:00 to 18:30. Opening hours may be modified for special dates and liturgies.

The Abadía del Sacromonte is a monastery located in the outskirts of Granada, specifically on a hill in Sacromonte, a famous neighbourhood of the city that also houses the caves where the gypsies used to live. The religious complex has a church inside and dates back to the 17th century.

To get to this destination, you can take advantage of the visit to Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada. When you enter the complex, the first thing that catches your eye is the main altar and its decoration. Inside, it is also possible to see some works of art with religious themes exhibited on the site.

In addition to the church, the abbey contains the catacombs. These are said to have housed the remains of the city's first Christian martyrs. Here you can learn about the history of San Cecilio and how he came to be named patron saint of Granada. In this way, you can get an insight into the religious evolution of the region.

Being located on a hill, the abbey functions as a viewpoint, from where you can see Granada in the distance and several of its most important attractions such as the citadel of the Alhambra. Thus, you can visit this place to get incredible panoramic views.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free. Approximate prices for guided tours are €6 per person for adults, €4.50 for accredited students under 25 and people with disabilities. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• Opening hours: Access is usually from 10:00 to 14:00 both in summer and winter (from 1 April to 27 October and from 28 October to 31 March). Also, from 15:30 to 19:00 in summer and from 15:00 to 18:00 in winter. The opening hours can be modified for special dates and liturgies.

The Basilica of San Juan de Dios is another of Granada's religious treasures that attracts hundreds of visitors with its bright and colourful interior. This temple has a representative baroque structure and inside it houses several impressive frescoes and sculptures.

The basilica was built in homage to San Juan de Dios, who founded the Hospitaller Order. Inside, the ochre and gold tones blend in with the frescoes around it. You can also visit the museum, which houses a collection of sacred art with various works by artists from the region.

In addition to a free visit to, for example, take part in one of the religious activities, you can get to know this church on an audio-guided tour or on a guided tour with a virtual reality experience, which will allow you to explore this place from a different perspective.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free. Approximate prices for guided tours are €10 per person for adults, €9.50 for over 65s. Children under 12 and people with disabilities are free or receive a 65% discount. Young people aged 12-18 and accredited students up to the age of 25 receive discounts of between 33% and 64%. Groups of at least 20 people can pay €5 per person.
• Opening hours: Generally, access is from 09:30 to 18:50 from Monday to Saturday and on Sundays from 09:30 to 11:50 and from 13:30 to 18:50. Opening times may be modified on special dates and liturgies.

The Monastery of San Jerónimo is another example of the Renaissance and Gothic styles. This religious complex dates back to the 16th century and has a church composed of a rectangular nave, with four side chapels.

As you walk through this sacred space, you can see the mural paintings on the walls and ceiling, which were added in the 18th century. This place has an important historical repercussion, as the Empress Isabella of Portugal, wife of King Charles V, lived in its cloister.

The monastery is named in honour of the Order of the Hermits of Saint Jerome and houses other common areas that can be visited, such as the refectory, where the monks consumed their meals. There is also the sala profundis, where Psalm 129 was intoned; the chapterhouse, where the tombstone of Pedro Ramido de Alva, archbishop of Granada, is located; and the sacristy.

Due to its location close to the city centre, you can take advantage of your visit to the monastery to join other interesting activities, such as a guided tour of the Alhambra and the Generalife, a private tour of Granada, etc.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free. Approximate prices for self-guided tours are €6 per person for adults and groups of minimum 15 people, €4.50 for accredited students under 25 and people with disabilities. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• Opening hours: Access is usually from 10:00 to 13:00 both in summer and winter from Monday to Saturday. Also, from 16:30 to 19:00 in summer and from 15:00 to 18:00 in winter. Opening times may be changed on Sundays, as well as on special dates and liturgies.

Another must-see church that is included as one of the stops on the Granada tourist train is the Cartuja Monastery. This religious complex also dates from the 16th century and is described as the greatest exponent of the Baroque movement in Spain.

This church, whose name is in honour of the Carthusian Order, has a long nave with the ceiling and walls decorated with plasterwork and various religious paintings, which give the building a unique atmosphere. The cloister, which dates from the 17th century and provides access to the other common areas, can also be seen during the visit.

The tabernacle area is also another point of interest in the church, as it brings together a mixture of paintings, architecture and sculpture. In the sacred art objects, you can see marble with golden, brown and bronze tones.

It is important to mention that the exterior of the Carthusian monastery also has a great attraction: it is surrounded by the vegetation of the gardens and welcomes visitors with a double marble staircase and a neoclassical style façade, which dates back to the 18th century.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free. Approximate prices for self-guided tours are €6 per person for adults and groups of at least 15 people, €4.50 for accredited students under 25 and people with disabilities. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• Opening hours: Access is usually from 10:00 to 18:30 from Sunday to Friday. In addition, on Saturdays, visits are from 10:00 to 12:15 and from 15:00 to 17:30. Opening hours may be modified for special dates and liturgies.

The Church of Santo Domingo is another of Granada's interesting shrines. This church attracts visitors for its architectural beauty and mixture of Baroque, Renaissance, Gothic and Romanesque styles in its different elements.

The façade has two sections, one with three arches on columns and the other with a window composed of two columns that are framed by a larger arch. Inside, the main chapel stands out , consisting of a Latin cross and five chapels on each side. Above it are the ribbed vaults, rose windows and small columns. There are also Baroque and Byzantine arches and decorations.

The church is also located in the Realejo neighbourhood, one of the best known in the city, and houses three important altarpieces: that of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, San José and Santa Escolástica, each one of great spiritual and artistic value. On the other hand, the Camarín de la Virgen del Rosario stands out , whose decoration and structure are a great example of the Baroque style.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free.
• Opening hours: The opening hours are usually from 08:30 to 09:30 and from 19:30 to 20:30 from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, from 09:30 to 1:30 and from 19:30 to 20:30. Free visits to some spaces are scheduled from Monday to Friday from 18:30 to 20:00. The timetable can be modified for special dates and liturgies.

Although for some people the Church of San Pedro and San Pablo does not have the majesty of others mentioned so far, it still has features that make it worthy of being included in your visit to Granada in 3 days or more. The first is its façade, which presents a predominant renaissance style with an adjacent tower.

Above the main arch there are two sculptures corresponding to the apostles Peter and Paul that welcome visitors. Inside, the interior features a Latin cross design and a nave with a Mudejar coffered ceiling , showing the influence of Islamic culture.

The Church of San Pedro and San Pablo is richly decorated with various works of sacred art created by Spanish artists over several centuries. There are also five chapels on each side, which house images and other religious figures.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free.
• Opening hours: Opening hours are usually from 11:00 to 13:00 and from 16:30 to 18:30 from Tuesday to Friday. On Sundays, from 10:00 to 17:00. Opening hours may be modified for special dates and liturgies.

With a historical value accumulated since the 18th century, the Iglesia del Sagrario is another of the references of religious temples in Granada. This temple is considered mainly representative of the baroque style and is located very close to the cathedral. In fact, it is always included in the route of private tours of Granada, thanks to its proximity to the main Catholic precinct of the city.

From the entrance its striking elements begin to appear, such is the case of the sculptures carved in stone on the façade, belonging to San Juan Nepomuceno, San Ibón and San Pedro. Inside, many works of art decorate the walls, corridors and rooms. The altarpiece of San Cecilio and the baptismal font, representative of the Renaissance, stand out.

If you look at the ceiling, you can see the dome decorated with images of some of the apostles. Furthermore, in some chapels lie the remains of great figures of the past, such as Archbishop Hernando de Talavera and Queen Isabella's captain, Hernán Pérez de Pulgar.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free.
• Opening hours: Opening hours are usually 10am-1pm and 6-9pm Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00. Opening hours may be modified for special dates and liturgies.

If you want to appreciate the beauty of sacred art in Granada, another must-see destination is the Church of Santa Ana and San Gil. This church is located in the central area of the city and is very close to the starting and finishing point of private bicycle tours in Granada.

The church is considered representative of Granada' s Mudejar style and, like many other Catholic buildings in the city, was built on the site of a former mosque. Its structure comprises a single nave with side chapels, and its tower stands out among the surrounding buildings for its Mudejar-influenced decorative style.

However, the façade is Renaissance, very similar to that of other Granada churches, such as the Church of San Pedro and San Pablo. The interior has a coffered ceiling, which contrasts with the white and golden mouldings on the walls.

This church has also served as a burial place throughout history, where the remains of the painter and sculptor José Risueño, as well as the historian Francisco Bermúdez de Pedraza, are buried.

Useful information

• Admission: Admission is free.
• Timetable: The timetable for visiting this temple is mainly on days of worship, at 18:00 hours from October to April and at 19:00 hours from May to September (except Mondays). On Sundays, from 12:30 to 18:00 hours and until 19:00 hours, respectively.