This guide of what to see in sevilla in one day will help you not to miss any of the best places of interest in the city.
One day is not enough time to visit Seville, a city full of charm and good atmosphere, so you should try to make the most of the time available.
You will have to walk a lot, but following this itinerary you will be able to see the main monuments of Seville, such as the Real Alcazar, the Cathedral with the Giralda, the Barrio Santa Cruz, Plaza de España and another anchor.
At the end of the article you will also find the route map.
So, no more talk and let's start immediately with what to see in Seville in one day!
- Tips for visiting Seville in one day
- Itinerary Day 1: Morning
- Itinerary Day 1: Afternoon
- Itinerary Day 1: Afternoon
- Map of the itinerary of Seville in one day
- Other things to see in Seville in a day
Tips for visiting Seville in one day
Follow this list of tips to help you have a good first contact with the city.
Book this free tour of Seville: it will help you understand how to get your bearings and give you a lot of general information about the city.
To stay, I recommend that you book in advance theHotelLa Abadia de Giralda (cheaper) or theHotelDoña María, both located in the charming Santa Cruz neighborhood and with a fantastic value for money.
Another great option is to book at HotelRey Alfonso X, located a few meters from the Giralda: it is an icon of the city and offers the best services. You can learn more about hotels and areas I recommend you to read my post on where to sleep in Seville if you are going for the first time.
To go from the airport to your hotel, you have different means of transport: bus, cab or you can book this direct transfer (recommended).
Remember that if you arrive at Santa Justa station by AVE train, you can reach the center by bus 32, 21 or cab.
Here you will find many tours, experiences and guided visits. I even strongly recommend you to book online your cruise on the Guadalquivir!
Since time is short, an excellent (perhaps the best) idea is to book a guided tour in English to the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Alcazar: in 2 hours and 30 you will see everything accompanied by an English-speaking guide and entrance tickets are included.
Alternatively, a great buy is the Seville SUPER COMBI at 35 € which includes Seville Cathedral, Giralda and Alcazar.
Another tip is to buy the SEVILLE CARD PASS (55 €) which allows you to have all admissions included, the panoramic bus and skip the line (very important).
All months of the year are perfect to visit Seville, although the summer months are very hot. There best season is from March to the end of May.
Itinerary Day 1: Morning
If you have followed my advice on where to stay in Seville and have decided to sleep in the Barrio de Santa Cruz, you will have Seville's main attractions just a few minutes walk away.
In general, it is best to spend the morning visiting at two in the afternoon. Seville's main attractions: The cathedral with the Giralda and Real Alcazar. Both are worth at least 3 hours each, but if you are like me you can visit them in much less time.
First have a good breakfast: the Cathedral opens at 10, so you will have plenty of time.
Let's get started!
1 - Seville Cathedral and Giralda
There will be the first stop of our Seville itinerary in one day. Seville Cathedral, declared a World Heritage Site and the largest Gothic temple in the world, opens at 10 am.
After admiring its facade, you will enter inside to see the fantastic High Altar, the Patio de los Naranjos and the tomb of Christopher Columbus, then climb to the top of its famous Giralda and enjoy the view of the city: I assure you that you will be speechless.
A curiosity about the Cathedral of Seville and the Giralda: there is a law that requires that all buildings in Seville are built lower than the Giralda, which means that you will not have anything obstructing the view from the top.
If you want to know more you can read my post dedicated to curiosities about the Cathedral of Seville.
To know in depth the history of the cathedral, as I did before in this post, I recommend you to book this tour that also includes a visit to the Alcazar. and the entrance to the 3 of these wonders.
If you prefer to visit it alone, you can book your tickets in advance by clicking on the link below:
-> No-queue entrance for the Cathedral and the Giralda.
2 - Real Alcazar
The Real Alcazar of Seville is undoubtedly the best thing to visit in the city, especially if you are a lover of history and architecture.
Still the place where Spanish royalty stays when visiting the city, the palace is a splendid example of Mudejar style.
Also used as a set for the filming of Game of Thrones, the Real Alcazar was initially just a fortress. Over time, the rulers of Spain transformed it into a sumptuous royal residence, with ornate rooms, pretty courtyards and beautiful gardens.
Don't miss the Patio de las Doncellas, framed by arches and a sunken garden in the middle. Be enchanted by the Hall of Ambassadors, with its beautiful wooden ceiling.
Admire the enormous tapestries in the Hall of Tapestries. visit and Baths of Doña María de Padilla for that iconic bath photo.
Finish your visit with a stroll through the gardens that feature charming architectural elements, tall palms, scented vines, pergolas and fountains and formal plant clumps surrounded by boxwood hedges.
Insieme alla Catedral de Sevilla e all'Archivo General de Indias, theReal Alcazar of Seville is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most unmissable monuments in Andalusia!
During the summer there are also night entrances. Check the official website to check the days and times of the night entrances.
Also in this case it is highly recommended to book a visit to the Alcazar (1 hour and 30 minutes).
If you just want the entrance ticket you can find it by clicking below:
⇒ S eville Alcazar online ticket without queues.
If you want to know more Read HERE my tips for visiting the Alcazar where you will find a lot of useful information about things to see, tickets and guided tours.
3 - Lunch in the Barrio Santa Cruz
By the time you finish these two visits, it will be past lunch time.
After all that walking you will be hungry and probably want to sit down and rest for a while.
There is nothing better than going to Barrio Santa Cruz for your lunch break: it is located near the Alcazar and is one of the most characteristic neighborhoods of Seville: it is actually the old Jewish ghetto, the Jewish quarter.
Among its narrow streets, small and very picturesque, and several tree-lined squares with many bars you will find fantastic places to eat such as cantina Las Columnas, Taberna Alvaro Peregil or Bar Las Teresas.
Itinerary Day 1: Afternoon
After lunch and a little rest, our Seville in a day itinerary starts with a walk through the Barrio Santa Cruz, starting from Plaza de Santa Maria and Calle Mateos Gago with views of the Giralda.
During this walk, you will pass by places like Casa de Salinas, Calle Mesón del Moro, the old synagogue and the Church of Santa María la Blanca, until you stop in the tourist area. Calle Cruces, which has three wrought iron crosses.
From here, you can continue the itinerary through Plaza de Santa Cruz with the famous tablao di flamenco Los Gallos, to then explore fascinating places such as Callejón del Agua, Calle Pimienta, Plaza de Doña Elvira, Calle Reinoso, the Patio de Banderas, the Plaza de los Refinadores and the Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes.
4 - Piazza di Spagna
After all, she is the true queen of Seville: Plaza de España, an imposing monumental square and one of the most beautiful in the country.
It was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The characteristic semicircular shape signifiesSpain's embrace of thenew colonies.
Curiosity: If you are a movie buff, the square appeared in Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars!
An impressive semicircular brick structure with tall towers at each end dominates the huge plaza: the building is a mix of architectural styles.
Stroll around the square to see the architecture from every angle. Admire the beautiful bridges over the moat, with their decorative tiles. Take a boat ride on the water.
People watch the huge fountain in the center of the square. Visit the various niches decorated with tiles along the wall of the building, each representing a province of Spain.
5 - Maria Luis Park
Seville's largest green space, Maria Luis Park, is a splendid oasis of trees, plantings, architectural elements and water features.
Strolling through the park you will see beautiful buildings, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Today they house several museums.
The park is a botanical garden, with species from all over the world. The numerous palm and citrus trees, characteristic of many Andalusian gardens, add an exotic touch.
Spend between 30 and 45 minutes in the park.
6 - Torre del Oro and Guadalquivir Cruise
The next stop in Seville in 1 day is the Torre del Oro (closes at 18:45 pm), another of the icons and the best viewpoints of the city that I recommend you to visit even if it seems a bit anonymous.
In fact, you have more options here. If you follow this itinerary, you will probably arrive here around sunset, so you have 2 options:
- Visit the Golden Tower.
- Take a river cruise (which honestly for me is the best option) that starts from here and allows you to relax and have beautiful views from the water (Gold Tower included). You can see the details (and book) of the river cruise here.
Alternatively, if you don't feel like doing one or the other, you can make it a romantic walk along the banks of the Guadalquivir to Ponte Isabella II, to see how the Torre del Oro is reflected in the river.
Itinerary day 1: Afternoon
To finish this Seville in a day, I recommend that you cross the Isabel II Bridge to enjoy the good atmosphere of the Triana neighborhood, stroll through the neighborhood and enjoy excellent tapas at Bar Triana or at the nearby bodega Sol y Sombra.
And of course participate in a flamenco show!
7 - Flamenco show
There is no better way to end your Seville itinerary in one day except with a flamenco show.
To participate in a flamenco show is not only to participate in a flamenco show: it is to get to know one of the fundamental traditions of this city,
Flamenco is a dance that developed among the gypsies as a way of expressing the sadness of their oppressed lives, but we don't know much more about its origins as this art form has only been documented in the last 200 years. Everything we know about flamenco comes from stories and tales passed down from father to son.
What we do know, however, is that flamenco is an essential part of Andalusian culture!
Below you will find 3 fantastic flamenco shows in Seville, but if you want to learn more, I suggest you read my post on best flamenco shows in Seville.
Flamenco show in Triana: at the Baraka Sala Flamenca, one of the most famous flamenco clubs in the Triana neighborhood of Seville. On the stage ("tablao") of this venue there will be a show performed by four local artists that they sing, dance and play. Their skill will leave you speechless.
⇒ BOOK the Flamenco show in Triana
Flamenco show at the Palacio Andaluz: in the heart of the emblematic La Macarena neighborhood of Seville in an old 19th century building, whose structure is a typical Sevillian house-palace, one of the best flamenco shows in the city is held, as indicated by the reviews on Tripadvisor that place it among the first in the ranking.
⇒ BOOK the flamenco show at the Andalusian Palace.
Flamenco show at the Casa de la Memoria: undoubtedly one of the best places to see flamenco in Seville. For me it is one of those fantastic experiences that I will always remember: the stage is small and intimate, the show is a balance of guitar, singing and dancing.
⇒ Discover or book the flamenco show at CASA DELLA MEMORIA.
9 - Tour of the mysteries and legends of Seville.
This is a very polar tour: more than 1,600 ratings with a very high average score: 9.4 out of 10!
The tour first passes through the Santa Cruz neighborhood, an area witness to a multitude of legends related to the Roman, Arab and Jewish past of the city, where you can discover the daring stories about it.
Later you will visit Calle Fabiola, artistic and cultural heritage of this splendid Andalusian city and then continue to other destinations that have given rise to bloody duels, legends and mysterious stories.
In short, this is a tour of the dark side of the capital of Andalusia, to put chills down your spine.
You can learn more about the Mysteries and Legends of Seville tour by clicking here.
Map of the itinerary of Seville in one day
Other things to see in Seville in a day
As I told you, Seville deserves more than one day to visit, so if you have time, try to plan at least two or three!
What I wrote here is the best itinerary of what to see in Seville in one day, but if you want, there are many other things to discover!
1 - General Archive of the Indies
For 100 years, most of the wealth of the Spanish Empire passed from America to Seville, until the river began to accumulate in the early 16th century.
The Archivo General de Indias is a historical archive that contains an incredible amount of historical documents dating back to the time of Spanish rule over the Americas.
There is not much to see, but it is worth walking through the corridors and this is the largest library in all of Spain: in addition to volumes and documents, it also contains a large amount of old historical maps.
Opening hours and prices: 9:30 to 17:00 Mon-Sat; 10:00 - 14:00 Sun / free of charge
Address: Avenida de la Constitución
2 - Metropol Parasol
Il Sombrilla Metropol (known locally as "Las Setas"), is a "canopy" that claims to be the largest wooden building in the world. Take the elevator to the top and walk along its undulating walkway to admire the city.
In my opinion it's not that great, I love cities, culture and tradition and get lost in the streets, but if you like views and more technological things you might like it, especially for the views.
Hours and prices: 9:30 - 17:30 - Price: 5 €.
Address: Plaza de Encarnación
3 - Triana Market
With a totally different atmosphere from the city center, Triana is famous for its azulejos (decorative tiles).
If Metropol Parasol isn't great for me, I'm really crazy about markets!
Il Mercado de Triana is the market that more than others is faithful to tradition. The Triana market is located just beyond the bridge over the Guadalquivir river.
The market was built on the remains of what was once the Castillo de San Jorge, which from 1481 became the court of the Inquisition.
In the Triana market you can buy and taste typical products but there are also international dishes.
Stroll among the stalls of fresh produce, meats, cheeses and prepared foods - try a fruit smoothie or a freshly squeezed juice!
4 - Bullring
The Plaza de Toros is not a square, it is the arenawhere bullfights takeplace.
Bullfighting is a tradition throughout Spain, but Seville has a special place in this tradition: the Plaza de Toros de Sevilla is the oldest bullring in Spain and together with that of Ronda fights for the primacy of the first bullfights on foot.
Also part of the Plaza de Toros de Sevilla is a museum on the practice of bullfighting which is really very useful to understand the culture of this practice, why it has become a tradition and curiosities related to bulls, bullfighters and bullfights.
Visiting hours of the Plaza de Toros: from 09.30 to 19.00 in winter and from 09.30 to 21.00 in summer.
Please note that during the bullfighting season the visiting hours are reduced. Consult the schedules here.
5 - Casa de Pilatos
Even if you have seen the Alcazar, it is worth a visit. Casa de Pilato, a beautiful palace built in a mixture of Renaissance and Mudejar architectural styles and is considered the prototype of the Andalusian palace.
The palace contains a large collection of tiles, with bright colors and beautiful designs. You will also see paintings, including some by Goya, and some frescoes.
There is a magnificent bougainvillea that provides a riotous display of color on the courtyard wall when in bloom, and the gardens are beautiful. Sculptures from the Roman ruins of Italica adorn the courtyard.
In short, a beautiful Andalusian palace and a must-see in Seville!
Address: Pl. De Pilatos, 1, 41003 Seville, Spain
If you have more time to visit, read my post on what to see in Seville in 3 days.
