Capilla Real de GranadaHow to Get to the Royal Chapel of Granada
Where is the Royal Chapel?
The visitor entrance is a door on Calle Oficios, on the north side of the Chapel. Calle Oficios runs between the Cathedral, to the east, and the Alcaicería, to the west. It is a pedestrian street inside the old mediaeval block, which is why so many people walk past it: there is no forecourt and no grand facade announcing itself, just a door in a wall on a narrow lane. The coordinates are approximately 37.1761, –3.5991 if you are using a map app.
Everything below is measured from that door.
- Granada CathedralShares a wall
- Plaza Isabel la Católica3 min walk
- Plaza Nueva5–10 min walk
- Plaza Bib-Rambla5–10 min walk
- Granada train stationAbout 20 min walk
- Granada airport (GRX)17 km — bus or taxi
Open the entrance in Google Maps →
How to get there
Granada’s old centre is small, flat in this part, and closed to traffic. For almost everyone reading this, the answer is that you walk. The rest of this section is for the cases where you cannot, or where you are coming from further out.
On foot
From Plaza Nueva, walk up Calle Reyes Católicos to Plaza Isabel la Católica, then bear right onto Calle Oficios beside the Cathedral. From Plaza Bib-Rambla, cut through the Alcaicería — the lattice of narrow shopping lanes — and come out facing the Chapel door. Both take under ten minutes. The streets are cobbled and uneven in places but level; the steep part of Granada is the Albaicín and the Alhambra hill, not here.
If you lose your bearings, aim for the Cathedral. It is far larger and visible from further away, and the Chapel is against its south-east flank.
City bus
City buses run along Gran Vía de Colón, the wide street on the far side of the Cathedral, roughly five minutes’ walk from the Chapel door. That is as close as a full-size bus gets. The small C-line minibuses that climb to the Alhambra, the Albaicín and Sacromonte board at Plaza Isabel la Católica, about three minutes away, so if you are combining the Chapel with the hill you can start and finish at the same stop.
A single ticket bought on board is around €1.60. The rechargeable Credibus card brings the per-trip cost down considerably and is worth it if you are in the city for several days. Note that the old LAC high-capacity line no longer runs, so ignore older guides that route you onto it.
Metro
The nearest metro station is Recogidas, roughly half a kilometre away, near Puerta Real — call it a ten-minute walk. Méndez Núñez is the other central underground stop. A single fare is around €1.35.
Be clear about what Granada’s metro is for, though: it is a light-rail line built to connect Albolote and Armilla to the city, with a short underground section through the centre. It is genuinely useful if you are staying out towards those suburbs. If you are already in the historic centre, walking to the Chapel will almost always be quicker than finding a station.
Taxi and rideshare
A taxi cannot reach the Chapel. The best a driver can do is drop you at the edge of the pedestrian zone — Plaza Isabel la Católica or Gran Vía are the usual points — leaving you a short, flat walk. Say “la Catedral” rather than the Chapel’s name; every driver knows it, and it is the same place for this purpose.
Ranks sit outside the train station, the bus station and the main squares. Uber and Free Now both operate in the city alongside the licensed taxis.
Car and parking
Do not try to drive to the Chapel. The nearest underground car parks are San Agustín, tucked behind the market a couple of minutes away, and Plaza Puerta Real, about five minutes off. Both are signposted from the ring road, and both are the sensible answer if you arrive in Granada with a hire car.
The centre is camera-enforced, and the fines are real
Granada’s historic core is a restricted-traffic zone. Cameras read number plates at the entry points, and driving in without authorisation brings a fine that starts in the low hundreds of euros and climbs from there.
The trap is satellite navigation. A map app routing you to “Capilla Real de Granada” will happily send you straight through a restricted gate, because it is the shortest way and the app does not know about the cameras. Set your destination to the car park by name instead — San Agustín or Puerta Real — and follow the signposted route in.
If your hotel is inside the zone and has parking, it can usually register your plate for access. Ask before you drive in, not after.
Bicycle and scooter
Granada has no public bike-share scheme, so there is no equivalent of the racks you may have used in Seville or Valencia. Private hire shops and e-scooter rentals exist, but the last stretch to the Chapel is pedestrian and cobbled, and you will be pushing rather than riding. For this particular destination it is not worth the trouble.
Arriving in Granada
If you are coming into the city rather than crossing it, these are the three ways in and what each leaves you. All three drop you within walking distance of the Chapel, or one short connection from it.
| Arriving at | Best way in | Time | Leaves you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport (GRX) | Airport shuttle bus, around €3.10 | 40–60 min | Gran Vía / Puerta Real, then a 5 min walk |
| Airport (GRX) | Taxi | About 30 min | Edge of the pedestrian zone |
| Train station | Walk | About 20 min | The Chapel door |
| Train station | City bus along Gran Vía | About 10 min | 5 min walk from the door |
| Bus station | City bus line 33 | About 15 min | Gran Vía, then a 5 min walk |
Fares and journey times are indicative and change; check the operator or the ticket machine on the day. The airport shuttle is timed to arriving flights rather than running to a clock timetable.
What else is within reach
The Chapel takes thirty to forty-five minutes. That is the single most useful fact for planning, because it means the visit is half a morning at most and the rest of the day has to come from somewhere else. These four are the obvious companions, in order of how far you have to go.
Granada Cathedral
Its own door, its own ticket, and the building the Chapel was swallowed by. Most guided visits do both together.
Read more ›The Alcaicería
The lattice of narrow lanes right outside the door, all that survives of the Moorish silk market.
The Alhambra
The reason most people come to Granada. Walk up the Cuesta de Gómerez, or take a C-line minibus from Plaza Isabel la Católica.
Read more ›Mirador de San Nicolás
The Albaicín viewpoint that faces the Alhambra across the valley. Steep, stepped, and best at sunset.
See opening hours and when to visit, what is inside, and what to wear.
Tours that meet you at the door
Every guided option below starts within the pedestrian block, so the walk described above is the walk you make anyway — the difference is that somebody is waiting at the other end of it. Meeting points are confirmed on booking; most gather by the Cathedral facade a few steps from the Chapel entrance.
Best reviewedGranada: 3-Hour Cathedral and Royal Chapel Tour
Lowest priceGranada: Royal Chapel and Historical Center Walking Tour
Small groupGranada: Cathedral and Royal Chapel Guided Tour with Tickets
Can’t make these dates?
Browse more available Royal Chapel of Granada tours and find one that fits your schedule — all with instant confirmation and free cancellation.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the entrance to the Royal Chapel?
A door on Calle Oficios, between the Cathedral and the Alcaicería. It is pedestrian-only. Coordinates approximately 37.1761, –3.5991.
How far is it from the city centre?
5–10 minutes on foot from Plaza Nueva, Plaza Bib-Rambla, or Plaza Isabel la Católica. The old centre is compact and walkable.
Can I reach it by car?
No. The surrounding streets are pedestrian-only. If arriving by taxi, ask to be dropped at the Cathedral and walk from there.
Is there public transport?
The nearest metro station is Recogidas, about ten minutes away on foot. City buses run along Gran Vía, five minutes from the door. Granada’s metro mainly links the outer city, so from anywhere in the old centre walking is faster and more direct.
Can I drive into the historic centre?
Not without authorisation. The old centre is a camera-enforced restricted zone and fines start in the low hundreds of euros. Park at San Agustín or Plaza Puerta Real and walk in, and set your navigation to the car park rather than to the Chapel.
Where is it relative to the Cathedral?
Beside it. They share a wall. The Cathedral is larger; the Chapel is smaller. They are two separate monuments and two separate entrances.
You have found the door. Now decide how to go in.
The ticket office is on Calle Oficios and sells a €7 entry on the spot. Booking ahead fixes an entry time, and a guided visit adds the Cathedral through the door next to it.