If you’are looking on the best things to do in Seville you’re in the right place!
As far as I am concerned in this beautiful cities of Andalusia I would even move there right away. I wouldn’t want to visit the best things of Seville in just two days, I would really live there! I call it the Pearl of Andalusia. That’s just what it should be called.
Getting to Sevilla is now very easy and very cheap. With daily low-cost flights it is only a few hours flight away. If you are already in Spain, just take an AVE train and take advantage of the Spain Pass. In just over two hours from Madrid you will arrive in Seville. Alternatively, you can include Seville as a stop on a road trip in southern Spain between Andalusia and Castile.
Best tour in Seville
To see Seville, two days is a short time. You need to optimize all your travel and plan your itinerary even before you arrive in the city. I will now point out what are the places of interest in Seville.
Small tip if you want to discover Seville at its best: CLICK HERE – you’ll find a number of experiences to do in Seville that you can already book online, including even a cruise on the Guadalquivir! You can choose between an economic cruise or one on the yacht (luxuy boat)!
From the airport to Seville city centre
Arriving from the airport? I recommend this transfers from the airport to the city center (also valid for groups of several people). It turns out to be cheaper than the cab companies.
Where to sleep in Seville?
I have been to Seville no less than three times and have always been comfortable in every hotel I have stayed in.
The best one? La Abadia de Giralda in the middle of the Barrio, a perfect location because within a 2-minute walk you have numerous tapas bars. At a distance of another 2 minutes you are at the Cathedral and adding another 1 minute you are at the Alcázar, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Having visited Seville 3 times, I have written an article on where to sleep in Seville, it will be most useful to you. Discover it here -> Where to stay in Seville?
Sevilla Card Pass: you can’t do without it
Another tip for seeing Seville is to buy at this link a purchase a SEVILLA CARD PASS which allows you to have all entrances included, the panoramic bus and skip the line (very important). The price is 59 euros well spent. With the Seville Card you can have peace of mind and not have to pay any more entrance fees because they are all included.
If you want something cheaper there is the Seville PASS (view online) at € 36,00 that includes Seville Cathedral, Giralda and Alcázar.
Did you know that there are also FREE tours of Seville, CLICK HERE for a free city tour Will you be visiting SEVILLE? Here are two interesting posts:
Best things to do in Seville – Day 1
Let’s start with a must-see, one of those things that if you go back without having seen, you necessarily have to immediately buy a new plane ticket to go back!!!
Plaza d’España
The queen of Seville is her. Plaza d’España must necessarily be put at the top of the list of things to see in Seville.
There is no doubt about it, you must see it in the morning, at sunset, in the evening, at night, in short, as many times as you can because I consider it a magical plaza. It is strange to think that such a square is relatively new.
Plaza d’España is one of the most interesting and most photographed places in Seville. It was built in 1929 for the World’s Fair that was held in the city.
The distinctive semi-circular shape is meant to signify Spain’s embrace of the new colonies. If you walk around it, you will notice that all along the semicircle there are 48 niches with seating. Each of them represents a province of spain.
The plaza turns its embrace to another plaza, namely the Plaza of the Americas.
Be careful if you want to visit Plaza d’España in the evening. The Parque Maria Luisa where it was built is closed at 10 p.m.
Seville Cathedral with the Giralda
Among the best things to do and see in Seville are undoubtedly Seville Cathedral and the Giralda, its bell tower.
Before reading this piece of article on Seville Cathedral, you might consider to buy -> this GREAT TOUR of all three attractions.
The history of the cathedral is a bit peculiar. It began as a mosque and later became a church due to the Christian reconquest. Due to its decaying state, the church was torn down in the early 1400s. The present cathedral is built afterwards.
The uniqueness of Seville Cathedral is that the exterior traces the structure of the ancient mosque, while the interior is typical of that of a basilica. This cathedral is recognized as the largest in the world in terms of volume; it is the greatest expression of the Gothic style. As a size it is the largest in Spain, but third largest in the world. It should be noted that together with the Alcazar and the Archives of the Indians it has become a Unesco World Heritage Site. Even from the outside you can see how mammoth this building is and, above all, you can admire the Giralda that towers above the whole city.
The Giralda is the former minaret turned into a bell tower. You can climb to the top; the ticket price includes a visit to the Giralda. You will have to walk up 34 small ramps that will take you to the top from which you can see all the beauty of Seville. In sequence, you will see the Alcázar, the Alcázar gardens, and the Plaza d’España.
Before leaving the Cathedral, when you are in the Patio del Los Naranjos, I recommend that you pause to look at the Giralda from this position, it is truly beautiful.
I will also reveal an anecdote about the Giralda: a law requires that all buildings that are built in Seville must be lower than the Giralda. If you climb the Giralda, you will therefore have a 360-degree view of the city without anything obstructing your view.
Be very careful: I have already told you about this in the post about the 10 interesting facts about Seville. At the exit of the cathedral there are almost always gypsies who try to put a twig in your hand with the excuse that it is free. Immediately after giving it to you, they demand to read your palm. Once the “reading” is over, they demand from you a minimum of 5 for the service, although not required. Do not be taken in by these characters who only risk tilting a city’s reputation and perception.
If you want to skip the queue and also have the audio-guide included while still spending 9 euros I recommend you buy the ticket for the cathedral and Giralda at THIS link or also the guided tour (IN ENGLISH) of the cathedral.
Hours (2021): Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday from 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Seville’s Alcázar and its gardens
The Alcázar also rises to the top of the list on what to see in Seville!
It is the Royal Palace. During its history it was expanded several times until it became what it is now.
The Alcazar was in fact commissioned by the Moors.
Later it was used by other different important families following the various conquests that took place in the city. For this reason, in the Alcázar of Seville there is a harmony of different styles due to the modifications that each sovereign affixed to it.
The interior has wonderful decorations, I invite you to rent an audio guide to better understand its history. Once you have visited the interior you can access the giant gardens of the Alcázar.
They are really huge and it is a pleasure to walk inside them.
On these cultural sightseeing days you can also take a two-minute break, right? With the Seville sun these gardens absolutely make you relax, just sit on a bench and enjoy some sun surrounded by history. If you want to have fun, inside the Alcázar gardens there is also a labyrinth.
My advice is to provide to CLICK HERE and book your skip-the-line admission ticket online, that way you will save yourself the queue. In fact, those who buy their tickets online enjoy a fast track without a queue.
Hours (2021): the Alcázar is open Monday through Sunday and observes seasonal hours, October through March from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. while April through September from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Would you like to discover the Alcazar with a guided tour in ENGLISH -> buy the ticket HERE.
Best things to do in Seville – Day 2
On the second day I recommend you experience Seville at its best by getting lost in its alleys, in the barrio, finally being completely enraptured in front of a flamenco performance.
Tower of Gold
The Torre dell’Oro looks a bit anonymous, but it is definitely one of Seville’s places of interest. In fact, it was once a watchtower. It is said to have had a golden tile covering, hence the name “golden.” It now houses the Seville Maritime Museum.
I recommend climbing to the top, from here you will have a beautiful view of the city where, quite distinctly, you will notice the Giralda towering above all the other buildings.
Another curiosity about the Golden Tower: there was once a chain that started from the tower and went all the way across the river, a chain that is not known where it ended up.
The Barrio de Santa Cruz and the entire historic center of Seville
This neighborhood is near the Alcázar; it is the old Jewish ghetto, the juderia.
It is the most characteristic neighborhood in Seville (find out here -> Seville’s other neighborhoods). It is a maze of narrow, tiny and very picturesque streets and several tree-lined squares with many tapas bars. The most characteristic and the one from which the whole barrio takes its name is Plaza de Santa Cruz.
Archives of the Indias
Located next to the cathedral, it is free of charge and contained within it are all the trade deals that took place with the Americas. There are also numerous photographs as evidence.
Metropol Parasol
This building located in Plaza de la Encarnacion is very peculiar, so peculiar that Sevillians do not see it as tasteful. It is the largest wooden building in the world. Its shape is reminiscent of a mushroom; if you want you have the opportunity to go up to the terrace and enjoy a very interesting view of the city.
Museo del Baile Flamenco de Sevilla
Of my experience with Flamenco in Seville I have already told you about it in the post I linked to at the beginning of this article. I can only include it in the list of things to do in Seville. To understand Spanish culture well, one has to go through all its traditions. Flamenco in the Andalusian tradition is fundamental.
I have finished the list of things to see in Seville, but I have not yet told you what the recommended sequence would be.
Since the two days have to be optimized as best as possible, I would devote the first of the 2 days to discovering the historic center, while the second I would devote to those facilities that are not quite so close to each other.
First piece of advice: if you want to experience and feel the warmth of Seville, you will have to try -> the BEST tapas and flamenco tours -> the Andalusian essence!
Second tip: Seville has also opened up so much to the world of cycling, for a few years now there are bike tour to discover the city That said I recommend:
- Day 1: Cathedral – Alcázar – Plaza de Espana – Plaza of the Americas
- Day 2: Barrio de Santa Cruz – Archives of the Indias – Torre de Oro – Metropol Parasol – Museo del Baile Flamenco with show
If you follow this itinerary you will be able to do everything in in the two days set. Read the post “Seville: 10 interesting facts and tips to know” that I linked to at the beginning of the post. I will reveal some special features of Seville that I discovered on my trip to Spain.