Alhambra shore excursion difficulty

Hi - I have had at the top of my bucket list for a long time, a visit to the Alhambra Palace in Granada. I see a Celebrity shore excursion there from Malaga that looks perfect. My only concern is the notation in the description off the Activity Level being "Strenuous". I am not handicapped, but being a senior has slowed my pace somewhat. I don't have any limitations other than being a little slower than I used to be! If anyone who has done this excursion with Celebrity, could you comment on how "strenuous" you found that tour to be? I'd really like to be able to go!

The Alhambra (and nearby Generalife) is worth visiting. But you must keep in mind that your tour vehicle (or a rental car) must park outside the site...and then the rest is on your own two feet. There is quite a lot of walking and some stairs. If your tour includes walking over to the Generalife...there is a lot more walking since this is some distance from the entrance gate of the Alhambra.

Although I do understand this thread is about cruising, I should mention our experience with this site. There is actually a hotel inside the Alhambra...which is part of the quasi-government Parador system. In fact, it is the most popular Parador in Spain and must be booked far in advance. We once spent 2 nights in that Parador which means we actually stayed inside the Alhambra. It was the perfect way to visit this site and I highly recommend it to others. The funny thing was that to get to our Parador we had to drive our car right through the main gates and down the pedestrian packed street...to get to our hotel parking area. Only in places like Spain or Italy would they have such a situation.

Hank

Hi - I have had at the top of my bucket list for a long time, a visit to the Alhambra Palace in Granada. I see a Celebrity shore excursion there from Malaga that looks perfect. My only concern is the notation in the description off the Activity Level being "Strenuous". I am not handicapped, but being a senior has slowed my pace somewhat. I don't have any limitations other than being a little slower than I used to be! If anyone who has done this excursion with Celebrity, could you comment on how "strenuous" you found that tour to be? I'd really like to be able to go!

There is a lot of walking and a fair bit of climbing involved in a trip to the Alhambra - if you are on a guided tour the walking speed is quite quick too. I would think twice about going - especially if in high Summer when the heat makes the tour even more strenuous - but if the Alhambra is really a 'must see' for you I would suggest you just wander round on your own using one of the audio guides and just visit areas easily accessible to you.

An alternative would be to stay in Malaga and visit the Alcazaba which is a smaller - but still well worth visiting - citadel similar in many ways to the Alhambra but without the crowds. http://www.malagaturismo.com/en/tourist-resources/detail/alcazaba/6

We took a Viator excursion from Malaga to the Alhambra post-cruise a few years ago (our Celebrity Transatlantic ended in Malaga). Even though we weren't on a Celebrity excursion, I think our was pretty typical.

The tour was pretty strenuous. We were there in May, but it was unseasonably hot. Several people on our tour did not read the strenuous part and complained bitterly throughout the tour. There is a LOT of walking with uneven surfaces and stairs.

At first, we walked up in the old town to an overlook (very steep). Some folks sat on a bench and didn't make it up to the overlook (and that was the beginning of the tour). That was before the long tour at the Alhambra. I use a cane for balance, but was mostly able to keep up, although I did miss part of the gardens tour. It was a very long day. If you aren't used to lots of walking, then maybe reconsider, but if you're otherwise fit and don't have a medical limitation, then you're probably ok.

Finally, we've often asked the excursion manager about issues like this (we cruised on Celebrity in Europe with a friend who couldn't walk). So, you might ask when you get on board.

The greatest benefit of being on an organized tour is that tour guides have a special line and a system to move through the site without waiting in lines.

The Alhambra was not at all accessible prior to 2010. Spain has undergone a major transformation since then on the accessibility front.

I have visited on several occasions and it is certainly a site not to be missed even if the visit is limited in any way.

There is an accessible route through the site now.

http://granadainfo.com/alhambra/disabled.htm