A process for the purification of galanthamine (I) comprising precipitation of galanthamine hydrobromide from a mixture of alkaloids obtained from a plant of the Amaryllidaceae family containing galanthamine, treatment of the hydrobromide with alkali, extraction and crystallization of galanthamine with a solvent of general formula (II), in which R.sub.1 is hydrogen or methyl and R.sub.2 is selected from n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl and t-butyl. The resulting pure galanthamine can be conveniently used for the preparation of galanthamine hydrobromide. ##STR00001##