Granada Spain in 2 Days on a Budget (Day Trips)
Two days out of Granada: Sierra Nevada, then Cordoba
Two days covers exactly two of Granada’s six real day trips: the Sierra Nevada, 45 minutes out and free outside ski season, and Cordoba’s Mezquita, under 2 hours away by AVE and about EUR 13 to enter. Neither needs a scarce ticket the way the Alhambra does back in the city. Need a third day for Guadix or the Alpujarras? The 3-day plan keeps both these days and adds one more; the full six-trip breakdown sits in the Granada as a base guide .
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from Granada | Rough spend (per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sierra Nevada | About 45 min | EUR 20 in hiking season; EUR 65-90 with a winter ski pass |
| Day 2 | Cordoba (the Mezquita) | 1h20-2h by AVE | About EUR 55 (train, ticket, lunch) |
Book these before you go:
- A guided Sierra Nevada trip on GetYourGuide : worth the fee if you would rather not manage bus timetables and lift-ticket lines yourself.
- A Renfe AVE seat on renfe.com : book a few days ahead for the cheaper fare tiers, not a walk-up ticket at the station.
- A room in the Albaicin or centre on Booking.com : puts you within walking distance of both the bus station and the train station.
Day 1: Sierra Nevada
Catch an early ALSA bus from the Estacion de Autobuses (or drive), about 45 minutes and 31km out, to Europe’s southernmost ski resort. In winter (roughly mid-December through April, snow-dependent) a day pass runs from about EUR 47 at its cheapest to around EUR 66 over the Christmas holidays; buy it online through sierranevada.es rather than at the ticket window. Outside ski season the same ride buys a genuinely free day: hike from the Borreguiles plateau toward Mulhacen, mainland Spain’s highest peak, paying nothing beyond the bus fare. Check the mountain forecast that morning either way; conditions above 2,000m close roads and lifts on short notice.
Day 2: Cordoba and the Mezquita
Book an early AVE or Avant seat on renfe.com a few days ahead, not months ahead like the Alhambra back in Granada. The fastest run covers Cordoba in about 1h20, slower services closer to 2 hours. The Mezquita, a working cathedral built inside a former Great Mosque’s forest of horseshoe-arch columns, costs about EUR 13 for adults, or nothing at all Monday to Saturday roughly 8:30-9:30am (that free window skips the nave and choir, so treat it as a bonus rather than the full visit). Spend the rest of the morning in the Juderia, check current hours at turismodecordoba.org , and catch an afternoon train back.
Do these two day trips need a car?
No. Sierra Nevada runs on a regular ALSA bus from the Estacion de Autobuses, and Cordoba runs on the AVE from Granada’s own train station. Neither needs a rental car or a booked tour, unlike the Alpujarras or Antequera later in this family, so this two-day version is the cheapest possible way into two of Granada’s six real day trips.
Is 2 days enough for Granada’s day trips?
Two days covers the closest trip (Sierra Nevada) and the most rewarding one (Cordoba’s Mezquita), but it skips Guadix, the Alpujarras, the coast, and Antequera entirely. If any of those matter, the 3-day or 5-day plan has the room. The Alhambra and the Albaicin sit outside this itinerary family; they have their own 2-day Granada city plan .
Book the Sierra Nevada bus and the Cordoba train first, since both run on a timetable rather than a walk-up basis; the free tapa on Calle Elvira or Calle Navas back in Granada is the cheapest part of either evening.