With impressive architecture, flower filled courtyards, fragrant orange trees and an abundance
of tapas bars, Sevilla, or Seville if you're an English speaker like me, is the perfect location
for a sun-drenched city break. Based on our own trip to southern Spain we've created this
three-day suggested itinerary covering some of the best things to see and do on your trip to Seville.
On your first morning visit Plaza de Espana. If you're looking for breakfast first then we
recommend L'Orangier. They had a variety of tostadas on offer so the friendly owner recommended a
couple for us to try. Not only was this Spanish staple a delicious way to start the day
but the welcoming owner was really wonderful. If you look on tripadvisor you'll see that it wasn't
just us who had a positive experience as almost every single review refers to the warm service.
After breakfast walk around 20 minutes to Plaza de Espana.
Built around 100 years ago this picture-perfect crescent-shaped building is an incredibly pretty
spot to while away a couple of hours. Feel the cooling mist of the giant fountain, listen to
the clip-clop of the horses and watch people row boats along the waterway which is crisscrossed
by four bridges representing the ancient kingdoms of Spain. The iconic plaza has hosted many events
and even featured in films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars Episode 2. Not only is this
plaza spectacular to observe from a distance but there's also so much beauty in the details.
Look down to see the tiles on the floor, enjoy the decorative ceramics and rest your feet in one of
48 alcoves, each one showcasing a different province in Spain. You might catch a free
flamenco performance while you're there so grab yourself a spot in the shade and enjoy the show.
After exploring the grand verandas walk the upper floor to take in the
views of the buzzing plaza and all the activity that's going on below.
Opposite the square is Parque de María Luisa, the most famous park in Seville .
With the tree-lined pathways, the water features, the colourful flowers and the wildlife this has
to be one of the most beautiful parks I have been lucky enough to have visited.
Take your time strolling around the shady park. It's the perfect place to
rest, enjoy a picnic lunch and listen to the sound of the birds singing all around you.
After spending the morning soaking in the plaza and the park enjoy the
pleasant walk to Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter of Seville.
This vibrant neighborhood is a warren of narrow streets, shops and tapas bars.
While you wander this colourful maze look out for the Callejón Del Agua, which translates to water
alley. Pipes in the wall of this street used to carry water to the Alcazar gardens, which is why
it's known as the water alley. At the end of the street is Plaza Alfaro you might see people taking
photos of this rather dreamy looking balcony, which is believed to have inspired the Barber of Seville.
i'll admit i know pretty much nothing about opera but it's still worth stopping to admire
Rosina's balcony. Around mid-afternoon visit the Royal Alcazar, a UNESCO world heritage site that
is a must do on your visit to Seville. The Alcazar is incredibly popular so book your ticket online
in advance to avoid the long queue. For over 1,000 years this site has been a royal residence and
is still used by the Spanish royal family today, making it the oldest active royal palace in Europe.
In its grand complex of palaces, courtyards and lush gardens there is a merging of Mudéjar, Islamic,
gothic and renaissance styles influenced by the different rulers over the centuries. More recently
the alcazar was understandably used as the stunning water gardens of Dorne in Game of Thrones.
While you explore notice the exquisite detail all around you including on the
floors and the ceilings. Take your time strolling the extensive gardens filled
with geometric pruned hedges, colourful flowers lush greenery and ornate tiles.
Linger around the peaceful ponds and listen to the gentle sound of trickling water. The gardens
are patrolled by royal peacocks. You might hear them before you see them. While we tried to not
go too close to the peacocks to avoid disturbing them this guy did not really give us a choice.
You're being followed! Before visiting I'd read to give ourselves around one to two hours at
the alcazar, however we were easily there for at least three.I would therefore suggest allocating
around three hours to your visit, especially if you opt for the additional ticketed option to
visit the upper royal room. By now you're probably ready for a rest whether that be relaxing in the
gorgeous Murillo gardens behind the Royal Alcazar, popping back to your accommodation to freshen up
or sitting at a bar with an ice-cold drink. If you're looking for dinner in the area then we
really enjoyed Bodagita Romero, a traditional tapas bar known for serving the best pringa in Seville.
This is a small sandwich filled with stewed pork chorizo and blood sausage. We also enjoyed stewed
beef cheek and this spinach and chickpea dish which ended up being a firm favorite of ours that
we ordered over and over at tapas bars throughout our trip. We'll be covering more local dishes to
try and Seville plus other tips and information for planning your trip in an upcoming video
so if you found this video helpful then do stick around for that. If you find you're covering our
itinerary at a quicker pace or you simply want to switch something that we suggested out for a
different activity then I will mention a couple of additional options at the end of each day
that you could look into further. On day one you could visit Hospital de los Venerables in Santa Cruz.
Formally a hospital, today it houses a collection of masterpieces from the Spanish golden age.
A second option is back in Maria Louisa park where you could visit the Museum
of Popular Arts and Traditions, dedicated to the ethnological heritage of Andalusia.
Let's kick off day two by exploring the laid-back Triana district. The birthplace of famous flamenco
artists, bullfighters and potters, this charismatic neighborhood feels worlds away from the tourist
hub of Seville center. Start by crossing Triana bridge that connects the center of Seville with
Triana. This is currently the oldest iron bridge in Spain. After crossing the bridge drop down into
Triana market. We would advise starting your day here as even though on Google the market shows as
being open until 5 pm when we arrived after 12 pm several stalls had already closed down. The local
food market is packed with vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and fish with some
restaurants available if you want to try the food. we were really happy to find a store selling fresh
mango juice - perfect on a hot day. Walk about two minutes from Triana market to the ceramics museum.
Set in a restored ceramics factory here you can learn about the history of Triana's tile
production. I particularly enjoyed looking at these unique ceramic advertising signs. This is
a fairly small museum so you'll probably only spend about an hour here. Entry is included with
your Royal Alcazar ticket and it's still valid the next day so make sure you bring it with you.
Close by is St George's castle which is also included in your ticket, however it was closed
during our visit. You can still walk down the Alley of Inquisition, formerly a part
of St George's Castle where prisoners used to be taken to be judged by the courts of inquisition.
Follow the river and cross back over the next bridge to see Torre del Orro. This military
observation tower offers lovely views down the river and there's even a small naval museum inside.
From Torre del Orro have a pleasant stroll along the river back up towards Triana bridge.
From this side of the river you'll have great views of Calle Betis, a street made
famous for its picturesque colourful facades and lively bars and restaurants.
It's a lovely place to stop and relax with a drink and views over the river if you do get the chance.
If you're looking for food while exploring Triana, while Calle Betis is a popular option.
Our favorite meal of the trip was Bar Triana a small friendly tapas bar offering excellent
food for great value. The chicken with whiskey sauce that our server recommended was so good.
We enjoyed it that much that we actually returned here for our final night.
Once you've had a leisurely lunch and rested your feet meander through the beautiful streets
to the 15th century Palacio de las Duenas. This palace is a mixture of gothic and mudejar
style and was a much loved home of one of Spain's most famous aristocrats: Duchess De
Alba. As you enter you'll be greeted with lush gardens and the jaw-dropping palace facade.
While it is interesting to walk around the palace rooms filled with various paintings
and tapestries and memorabilia, for us it had to be the gardens that were the highlight.
Stroll past citrus trees, flowers, water features and this absolute whopper of a tree.
Just take a seat and enjoy the tranquility. Included in the cost of your ticket is an audio
guide that you can access using your phone so you might find it helpful to take headphones with you.
After spending around two hours at the palace walk just five minutes to the Antiquarium; an
archaeological museum that sits below the Metropol Parasol, more commonly known as
Las Setas, which we'll come back to shortly. Like the Ceramic Museum and St
George's Castle the antiquarium is also included with your Royal Alcazar ticket.
This small museum showcases the Roman and Moorish ruins that were unearthed when the Metropol Parasol was
constructed. Raised walkways and glass flooring allow you to get a good view over the remains.
Here you'll see houses with columns, wells and intricate mosaics.
You will probably need around 45 minutes for your visit.
At this point you could either head straight up Las Setas or stop for a food and drink break first.
If you are looking for food and drink in the area then we would recommend La Sede. This small
tapas bar is run by three brothers who serve up a mouth-watering tuna tartar on a bed of guacamole.
Shaped like interconnecting mushrooms Las Setas claims to be the largest wooden structure in the
world and offers some great views over the rooftops of Seville. If you visit once the
sun has gone down then the wooden walkways are transformed with an ambient sound and light show.
It does cost a little more to visit at night than during the day so if you're really not
bothered about the light show then you could go earlier and save a bit of money. We managed to
accidentally time our visit to catch both sunset and the light show which was pretty awesome, but
i'll cover attraction ticket options in more detail in our upcoming planning and tips video.
Once back at ground level if you're looking for somewhere for drinks and perhaps something else
to eat then in under 10 minutes you could be at Alameda De Hercules. This popular tree-lined plaza is
filled with bars and restaurants so grab yourself a beer and enjoy the lively atmosphere. A couple of
extra popular attractions that you could consider for day two are the Seville Museum of Fine Arts or
the bull ring where you could tour the arena and museum without needing to watch a bull fight.
Now for day three before heading to your first attraction let's grab breakfast stop at Bar El
Commercio, a popular choice for churros which you can dunk in their mugs of warm melted chocolate.
Be warned these churros are absolutely huge but it will help fuel you up for the busy day ahead.
Once you're stuffed full of churros roll to the enormous Seville Cathedral. Built on the site of
the city's former mosque, Seville Cathedral is the largest gothic church and the third largest church
in the world. It took over 100 years to build and houses over 80 different chapels.
Not only is the sheer scale of this UNESCO World Heritage Site impressive,
but the ornate interior is completely breathtaking.
Gaze up at the magnificent gold altarpiece and look out for the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
Climb the bell tower of the cathedral known as La Giralda. La Giralda used to be part of the great
mosque of Seville before it was transformed into the Moorish bell tower that we see today.
Instead of steps leading to the top La Giralda has 35 steadily inclining ramps.
This was so the sultan could ride his horse to the top rather than taking the stairs, so
if you're happy you don't have to climb a load of steps on your visit then that's
who you can thank. While visiting the cathedral you could pay extra to book onto a rooftop tour.
During this 90-minute tour a guide covers the history and architecture of the cathedral while
giving you plenty of time to walk around and take in the panoramic views. Not only is walking around
on the roofs of the cathedral a unique experience but you will also see the cathedral's interior
from a different perspective as you cross the walkways from one staircase to another.
There are only a limited number of small group tours per day so if you would like to take a
rooftop tour then I would recommend booking in advance. You may have to be flexible about when you
fit the tour into your itinerary as it will only be available at a few set times throughout the day.
We thought it was worth the extra cost as it was one of the highlights of our trip to Seville.
If you do decide to skip the rooftop tour then you could instead spend more time exploring the shop
lined streets of the historic city centre. Around five minutes from the Seville cathedral is the
Church of the Divine Saviour, which is included in your cathedral and your giralda ticket. Built on the
site of a former mosque it is now a roman catholic church. The pink church overlooks the lively Plaza
Del Salvador and inside there are beautiful stained glass windows and an elaborate altar.
Next walk around 10 minutes to the breathtaking Casa de Pilatos. The 16th century civil palace
was built on the order of Don Pedro Enriquez and later his son Fadrique Enriquez De Ribeira. Casa de Pilatos
was named after Pontius Pilate, inspired by Fadrique's pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This gem of a
building is a blend of Italian renaissance, mudejar and gothic styles. Once you arrive you'll enter an
absolutely stunning courtyard flanked by marble statues and busts of spanish kings, roman emperors
and other historic figures. From here explore the beautifully decorated rooms and serene gardens.
Look out for the coats of arms on the ceiling of the praetor's room, the extravagant ceiling
in the golden room, and of course this amazing staircase made of marble and surrounded by tiles.
Just like Palacio de las Duenas, entrance includes an audio guide that
you can listen to using your phone. Plan to spend around an hour here.
if you enjoyed your taster Plaza de Espana then we would recommend ending
your night to the flamenco show. You are in the birthplace of flamenco after all.
We went to see a show at the Casa del Flamenco in the Santa Cruz neighborhood. Set in an intimate
courtyard, no microphones or amps were used so the sound was raw and natural. We were blown
away by the talent of the artist and I found myself completely drawn in by the performance.
Alternative options for day three could include the flamenco museum
or the archive of the Indies, where the records of Spain's colonial history are held.
If you're spending longer in Seville and are up for venturing just outside of the city then the
roman ruins of Italica are well worth the half-day visit. Walking through the excavated remains
of the old Roman city is fascinating but the highlight has to be the 25,000 seat amphitheatre.
In imperial times shows held here would last for several days. In the mornings there would
be animal fights, where prisoners sentenced to death would be pitted against wild hungry animals.
In the afternoons, following an intermission of executions and burlesque shows, would be the
brutal gladiator fights. This amphitheater was also another Game of Thrones filming location; it was
transformed into the dragon pit in King's Landing where the dragons of House Targaryen were held.
If you do decide to visit Italica it's an easy bus ride from the Plaza De Armes bus station in Seville
and there's no need to book a ticket in advance. If you enjoyed this video
and want more information for your trip to Seville then I'll link our planning video
here once it's ready. We also have a video coming up from the beautiful city of Cordoba,
which you might be interested in if you're looking for day trips from Seville or for more
destinations to add to your Andalusia itinerary. Thanks for watching, I hope this video was helpful.