53403SOU
Granada – Guided visit of the Alhambra and the Generalife Gardens.
Mijas – walking sightseeing with TM.
Sightseeing should include:
Alhambra Palace inside visit
Generalife Gardens stroll through
Summer Palace inside visit
· Call or text your local guide at least 48 hrs in advance to reconfirm the time of your visit. Entrances are purchased months in advance and are timed. It is impossible to make a change. **Please keep an eye on timing during the day to ensure you are punctual**
· If you are unavoidably detained, contact the area office immediately. IF YOU ARE LATE, YOU MISS YOUR TOUR.
· Everybody will need their passports to enter the Alhambra
· The fixed timed entry ticket is for the visit to the Palace complex buildings. The Generalife gardens can be visited either before or after the Palace – discuss with your guide in which order you want to visit the gardens – you may need to adjust your timings for the day if you do the Gardens first. If you intend to walk down into town after your visit (instead of using the bus) then visiting the gardens first saves you doubling back on yourself and avoids a lot of extra walking. However, check with your guide as this is may not be possible depending on the time of your entrance slot.
· Maximum group size is now 30 pax. If your group is larger, then they will be split up equally in two halves and will have two guides. Make sure your group is aware of which group they will be in prior to arrival.
· Please make sure everyone in your group has their whisper headsets before heading out on sightseeing ( and that you have the microphone/s for the local guide)
· The guide will have the tickets for the group Check the total number of entrance tickets allocated with the guide before starting tour to double-check whether the TM has been allocated one (Alhambra entrances have gotten even more complicated lately, so you might not have one). In that case, make sure the group knows where you are meeting once the guide leaves them.
· Alhambra tickets are now personalized with the name and passport number of each pax. Tickets need to be given out before you go to
the entrance gate. Help the guide to distribute them and maybe enlist the teacher´s help as they know the students better.
· Once inside the Alhambra the group must stay together and keep hold of their own passports throughout the visit as there are now guards on every door, scanning tickets.
· Guide is paid with voucher – please check the final numbers and sign.
On arrival the driver will leave you at the bottom of the turn-around in the parking. Arrange a meeting time with your driver (about 2.5 hrs later) and get their mobile number in case you need it. Your local guide will be in that area waiting for you. Please keep your ACIS folder out so you are easily visible.
If your guide has not arrived yet walk your group down towards the ticket office building. Give them time to use the bathrooms which are downstairs, just to the left of the ticket office. If your guide has already arrived, there are bathrooms just inside the Alhambra complex. The bathrooms in the ticket office building get very congested and it can take ages for the whole group to go.
If you are having lunch in the area, there are a few number of restaurants -. There is also a nice picnic spot in the area
Inside the ticket office, there is also an Andalucía tourist office. This is a great place for maps and other information.
As buses are not allowed to wait in the pick-up/drop-off area, call your driver when the group has finished their tour. It generally takes drivers 10 to 15 minutes from the time you call them until they arrive.
You can either have lunch in Mijas or Loja where there is a good roadside stop (Los Abades – 902 323800). This is only 45 minutes away from Granada
Mijas – visit
· There are sometimes local guides in Mijas who take offence to TMs showing their groups around. If this looks like a problem, give your group a meeting time & place. Let them know where to find shopping and restaurants.
· The bus drop off and pick up is in front of the Tourist Information Office on Calle de la Virgen de la Pena. The bus cannot stay here and will have to park in the bus park on the lower street behind the Tourist Office. Driver follows Av del Compas to the left and then takes first left to long stay bus park.
On arrival at Mijas, lead the group to the tiny Chapel of the Virgen de la Pena from where there are views of the Mediterranean. This is located next to where the bus drops you off, and right next to it are toilets and a tourist information where you can pick up some maps.
Afterwards, lead them uphill and past the donkey rides to the only purpose-built bullring that is square – (see map). To the left of the bullring, you will see a kind of little park with trees, overlooking the see – the views are spectacular from here and its worth making a stop. On a sunny day, you get to see Morocco. It also makes coming up more worthwhile than just seeing the bullring, as you only show it to the group from outside.
After seeing the bullring and the views, you walk down the hill and end up in one of the small squares of the town. Give the group free time for lunch and shopping and arrange a meeting time.
Those who are interested can take a donkey ride around the town. 20 min rides cost around €15 and the starting point is near where the bus drops you off.
