Morning (9:00–1:00pm)
Deep Albaicín
Walk up from Plaza Nueva via Cuesta del Chapiz. Visit the Palacio de Dar al-Horra (free, residence of Boabdil's mother), stroll around San Miguel Bajo, and wander down through the alleyways to Placeta del Abad.
Viewpoint chain
Do the route San Nicolás → San Cristóbal → Mirador de la Lona. Each has its angle. San Nicolás is the postcard, San Cristóbal is the panoramic, La Lona is the local secret.
Vermouth at Plaza Larga
Head down to Plaza Larga for a vermouth or a beer with tapa. Bar Aixa has a terrace with morning sun. Order the red vermouth on tap.
Midday (1:00pm–3:30pm)
Monumental center
Cathedral (enter through the side door on Gran Vía), Royal Chapel, Madraza (former Islamic university, free), Corral del Carbón (oldest Arabic building in the Iberian Peninsula). All within 200 meters.
Tapas lunch
Get off the tourist circuit: Bodegas Castañeda (barrel wines + montaditos), Los Diamantes II on Navas (Granada-style fried fish), or La Tana in Realejo (natural wine + creative tapas). 3-4 beers = full meal.
Afternoon (3:30pm–6:30pm)
Realejo: art & gardens
The mural neighborhood. Find the works of El Niño de las Pinturas and Raúl Ruiz. Go up to Carmen de los Mártires (free gardens, peacocks, fountains) — one of Granada's best-kept secrets.
Paseo de los Tristes & Sacromonte
Walk down to Paseo de los Tristes, Granada's most photogenic terrace (literally below the Alhambra). Walk up the Sacromonte path to the Cave Museum — whitewashed caves where Roma communities lived.
Evening (6:30pm–9:00pm)
Sunset at San Nicolás
Return to the viewpoint for sunset. At this hour the Alhambra lights up and Sierra Nevada turns pink. Arrive 20 min early because it gets crowded.
Cave flamenco
If you booked ahead, end the day with a flamenco show in Sacromonte. Cueva de la Rocío or Venta El Gallo are authentic (not the bus tour shows). Book at least 2 days in advance.