Seville + Córdoba + Granada 5-Day Andalusia Core

Activities

1. 09:30 Real Alcázar — UNESCO Moorish palace & gardens 2h30

   Open at 9:30 with a pre-booked timed ticket (€14.50). A living royal palace of Moorish and Mudéjar architecture with 700-year-old gardens — the Game of Thrones Dorne filming location. Allow 2-3 hours; the gardens are as much a highlight as the palace rooms.

   Cost: €14.50 (book online) TIP: Book the first morning slot online — same-day queues hit 90 minutes in summer. The free Monday-evening entry (6-7pm, Apr-Sep) is popular but has its own queue. Don't rush the gardens. Morning light and cooler temperatures make 9:30 ideal.
2. 12:30 Seville Cathedral + Giralda tower climb 2h

   The world's largest Gothic cathedral, home to Christopher Columbus's tomb, with the Giralda bell tower (€12 combined). The tower is climbed via 35 gentle ramps rather than stairs, ending in a sweeping Old Town view.

   Cost: €12 (combined ticket) TIP: The Giralda's ramps (built so a guard could ride a horse up) make it an easy climb for most people. The Cathedral is closed Sunday mornings for services. Go before the afternoon heat. A 2-minute walk from the Alcázar.
3. 14:30 Lunch — Santa Cruz tapas (Las Columnas) 1h30

   Lunch on classic tapas in the old Jewish quarter. Bodega Santa Cruz 'Las Columnas', a minute from the Cathedral, serves cheap montaditos de pringá and solomillo al whisky to a permanent street crowd.

   Cost: €8-15 per person TIP: Order at the bar and eat standing like the locals — there are almost no seats. Montaditos de pringá (€2.5-3) are the signature cheap bite. Bring small cash. A great anchor for an afternoon Santa Cruz wander.
4. 16:30 Barrio Santa Cruz wander + siesta break 1h30

   Lose yourself in the tiled, whitewashed alleys of the old Jewish quarter — orange trees, hidden plazas, and the Plaza de Doña Elvira. In summer this is the time to retreat indoors or to a shaded café during the afternoon heat.

   Cost: Free TIP: Santa Cruz is built for aimless wandering; the narrow lanes stay shaded and cooler. In July-August, use the 2-6pm window to rest indoors. Stop for an horchata or a cold drink. Watch your bag in the crowded sections.
5. 20:30 Dinner — tapas crawl (El Rinconcillo & Casa Morales) 2h

   Start the evening late, local-style. El Rinconcillo (since 1670, the city's oldest bar) for espinacas con garbanzos and jamón, then Casa Morales (since 1850) for wine poured straight from giant barrels.

   Cost: €15-25 per person TIP: Order one or two plates per bar and move on — that's the local rhythm. Stand at the counter for the classic experience. Dinner runs late here (9-11pm). Both bars get busy, so go before 9pm or be ready to squeeze in.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:30 Plaza de España — 1929 Expo showpiece 1h30

   A vast semicircular plaza built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, with a canal, tiled bridges, and 48 painted-tile alcoves for Spain's provinces (it played the planet Naboo in Star Wars). Free and always open.

   Cost: Free (canal boat €6/30 min) TIP: Go in the morning before the heat and crowds, or return at sunset for golden-hour photos. Find your home region's tiled alcove. A rowboat on the canal is €6 for 30 minutes — fun in cooler hours.
2. 11:00 Parque de María Luisa — shaded gardens 1h

   The leafy park surrounding Plaza de España — fountains, tiled benches, ponds, and shade. A welcome cool-down and an easy stroll between the plaza and the rest of the day's sights.

   Cost: Free TIP: The park's shade is a relief in warm months. You can rent a four-person pedal car. Combine it naturally with Plaza de España next door before walking back toward the center.
3. 13:00 Lunch — modern tapas (La Brunilda or La Azotea) 1h30

   Lunch on creative Andalusian tapas. La Brunilda in El Arenal (inventive, well-priced plates like pork-cheek carrillada and risotto) or La Azotea (tartares and ceviches) are both highly rated.

   Cost: €15-28 per person TIP: La Brunilda is tiny and busy — arrive right at the 1:30pm opening or expect a wait. Both take cards. A step up from the old taverns in style and price, but still good value for the quality.
4. 16:00 Metropol Parasol (Las Setas) rooftop 1h30

   A giant modern wooden lattice in the Plaza de la Encarnación, nicknamed 'Las Setas' (the mushrooms). A rooftop walkway (~€15) gives 360° views over the Old Town rooftops — striking at sunset.

   Cost: ~€15 rooftop walkway TIP: Time the rooftop for late afternoon into sunset for the best light and views. The ticket usually includes a drink. The surrounding district has good shops and bars for an early evening drink afterward.
5. 20:00 Triana — riverfront, ceramics & dinner 1h30

   Cross the Isabel II bridge to Triana, flamenco's birthplace. Walk the riverfront for Old Town views, browse the hand-painted-ceramic shops, and dine on fried quail at Casa Ruperto or garlic mushrooms at Las Golondrinas.

   Cost: €12-20 per person TIP: Casa Ruperto's fried quail (codorniz) is the local must-order — it's a stand-and-eat spot with a line. Triana feels more local than the tourist core. Time dinner before your flamenco show.
6. 22:00 Flamenco show (Casa de la Memoria or Casa Anselma) 1h30

   End the night with flamenco. Casa de la Memoria is an intimate, serious show (~€25-30, book ahead); for the raw local version, Casa Anselma in Triana opens around midnight with spontaneous singing and dancing (no cover, minimum spend).

   Cost: €25-30 (tablao) / drinks (Casa Anselma) TIP: Book tablao shows 2-3 days ahead. At serious shows, stay quiet during the cante (singing) and save 'olé' for the climaxes. Casa Anselma is a bar, not a stage — informal, cash-based, and very local. Don't film the whole performance.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 AVE high-speed train to Córdoba 1h

   From Santa Justa station, the AVE reaches Córdoba in just 45 minutes (€25-45 round trip, roughly hourly). One of the easiest and most rewarding day trips in Spain.

   Cost: €25-45 round trip TIP: Book on Renfe 1-2 months ahead for the cheapest fares. Catch an early train to beat the heat and crowds at the Mezquita. The Córdoba station is a 20-minute walk or short taxi from the old town.
2. 10:00 Mezquita-Catedral — the mosque-cathedral 2h

   Córdoba's UNESCO masterpiece — a forest of red-and-white striped double arches over hundreds of columns, with a Renaissance cathedral built inside the former Great Mosque. Around €13 entry.

   Cost: ~€13 TIP: Go early (it opens around 10am, with free early-morning access on some weekday mornings — check current hours). The striped arches are the iconic photo. Allow plenty of time to wander the vast hall.
3. 12:30 Jewish Quarter (Judería) + flower-filled patios 1h30

   Wander the medieval Judería — narrow whitewashed alleys, the famous Calleja de las Flores, and Córdoba's signature flower-filled patios. The Synagogue and craft shops are along the way.

   Cost: Free (Synagogue small fee) TIP: Córdoba is famous for its patios — courtyards bursting with potted flowers (peak in the May Patio Festival). The lanes are tight and shaded. A good spot for a relaxed lunch of salmorejo (a Córdoba original) and Iberian ham.
4. 14:30 Lunch in Córdoba + Roman Bridge 2h

   Lunch on Córdoba specialties — salmorejo (which originated here), rabo de toro (oxtail stew), and Montilla-Moriles wine — then walk the Roman Bridge over the Guadalquivir for the classic Mezquita-and-river view.

   Cost: €15-30 per person TIP: Salmorejo and rabo de toro are the local dishes to try. The Roman Bridge at golden hour, with the Mezquita behind, is the postcard shot. Stay hydrated — Córdoba is even hotter than Seville in summer.
5. 18:00 Return AVE to Seville + farewell tapas 2h30

   Take the 45-minute AVE back to Seville. Round off the trip with a final tapas crawl and a glass of fino sherry in Santa Cruz or the Alameda.

   Cost: Train included + €15-25 tapas TIP: Confirm your return train time before lunch — services are roughly hourly but the last convenient ones fill up. Back in Seville, the city comes alive again in the cool of the evening for a final tapas night.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Seville → Granada (train or bus) 3h30

   Travel to Granada (about 3 hours by train or bus). Check into a hotel in or near the Albaicín or the center, dropping bags before exploring. This is an overnight, so pack light.

   Cost: €30-60 round trip TIP: Granada is too far for a comfortable day trip — one night lets you enjoy the Alhambra unrushed. Book transport ahead. The Alhambra ticket for tomorrow must already be reserved (they sell out 2-3 months out).
2. 13:30 Lunch + free tapas (a Granada tradition) 1h30

   Granada is famous for free tapas — order a drink and a tapa comes with it, unlike Seville. Lunch in the center or Realejo on the local custom of drink-plus-free-tapa.

   Cost: €8-15 per person TIP: The free-tapa tradition is a real difference from Seville — a couple of drinks can become a light meal. Calle Navas and the Realejo district are good hunting grounds.
3. 16:00 Albaicín — Moorish old quarter 2h

   Wander the Albaicín, Granada's hilly UNESCO Moorish quarter of narrow white-walled lanes, cármenes (walled gardens), and tea houses, with the Alhambra rising across the valley.

   Cost: Free TIP: The lanes are steep and cobbled — wear good shoes. Stop at a teteria (Moroccan-style tea house) on Calle Calderería. Keep an eye on the time for the sunset viewpoint.
4. 19:30 Mirador San Nicolás — Alhambra sunset 1h

   The famous viewpoint over the floodlit Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada behind — Granada's classic sunset panorama, with buskers playing flamenco guitar.

   Cost: Free TIP: Arrive 30-40 minutes before sunset for a spot at the wall — it gets crowded. The Alhambra glows gold then floodlit as the light fades. Watch your belongings in the crush.
5. 21:00 Sacromonte cave flamenco (optional) + dinner 1h30

   Optional zambra flamenco in the Sacromonte cave houses — a Granada gypsy tradition distinct from Seville's. Or simply dinner in the Albaicín with Alhambra views.

   Cost: €25-30 (cave show) / dinner extra TIP: Sacromonte's cave flamenco (zambra) is a different style from Seville's — book ahead. If you've already seen flamenco in Triana, a relaxed Albaicín dinner is just as good. Early night before the Alhambra.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 The Alhambra — Nasrid Palaces & Generalife 3h30

   Granada's UNESCO Moorish palace-fortress complex (around €20) — the intricate Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife gardens, and the Alcazaba ramparts, all overlooking the city. The highlight of any Andalusia trip.

   Cost: ~€20 (book months ahead) TIP: Your Nasrid Palaces entry is for a strict timed slot — don't be late, or you forfeit it. Tickets sell out 2-3 months ahead via the official site. Go early to beat heat and crowds. Allow at least 3 hours for the whole complex.
2. 12:30 Lunch + Granada centre (Cathedral, Capilla Real) 2h

   Lunch in the centre, then see Granada Cathedral and the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), the burial site of the Catholic Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand.

   Cost: €15-25 per person TIP: The Capilla Real holds the tombs of Isabella and Ferdinand — a key piece of Spanish history. Granada's free-tapa tradition makes lunch good value. Leave time to collect your bags.
3. 16:30 Granada → Seville (train or bus) 3h30

   Return to Seville (about 3 hours), arriving in the evening for a final night in the city.

   Cost: Round trip included TIP: Book the return ahead. Back in Seville, the evening is perfect for a last tapas crawl in the cool of the night.
4. 21:00 Final Seville tapas + sherry 2h

   A last evening of Seville tapas and a glass of cold fino sherry — Las Golondrinas in Triana or El Rinconcillo in the center make a fitting send-off.

   Cost: €15-25 per person TIP: Keep it relaxed and local — a couple of bars, a few plates, a glass of sherry. Dinner runs late, so 9-11pm is normal. A gentle finish to the Andalusia loop.

Meal Recommendations