A Guide to Seville, Spain: Visiting The Royal Alcázar and Top Things to Do

seville, spain

Seville, Spain and What to Expect

☼

Is Seville, Spain worth visiting?

Why Seville is One of Our Favorite Destinations (Of All Time)

☼

How long you’ll need in Seville

24 Hours to Two Days in Seville

☼

Things to do in Seville

Visiting The Royal Alcázar and Five Other Things to Do in Seville, Spain

☼

Where to stay in Seville

Where We Stayed in Seville and Other Hotels in Seville to Book

☼

hola

If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.

We traveled to Seville in June 2019 and this Spanish city truly stole our hearts. In this Seville Travel Guide, we’re sharing all of our favorite things to do, places to shop, restaurants to eat at and hotels to stay in that are based in one of our favorite European cities ever: Seville.

seville, spain

Spain is like stepping into a romantic history novel of passion and dancing and flavors and vibrance, where every experience feels more dramatic than the next and each day turns the page to a rich story of who a country once was and who she has become.

Seville was my first experience in Spain and it was an incomparable one to say the least. We were met with those previously mentioned colors and flavors and vibrance and dancing, in addition to incredible architecture, rich culture and extensive history.

Seville is located in Southwest Spain and is the capital of the Andalusia region. It is the fourth largest city in Spain, but once within its city center, you won’t feel overwhelmed by the scale. According to Brittanica.com, Seville, also pronounced Sevilla, was once the capital of Muslim Spain, and was a center for Spanish exploration of the New World.

Is seville, spain worth visiting?

When planning a big international trip, I know there can be a lot of pressure to visit the “worthwhile” places. While all destinations have something to offer, some do provide a more robust experience than others.

If you’re wondering whether Seville is worth visiting on your trip to Spain or Europe, the answer is a resounding yes! I’ve been to 12 European countries and many cities within those destinations and Seville ranks in one of my favorite trips to date. Seville is really the perfect introduction into Spanish travels and you won’t be disappointed with your trip to the Andalusian city.

HOW LONG TO STAY IN SEVILLE

If you’re planning a trip to Seville and deciding how long you need to visit, I would recommend two days. When we visited in 2019, we only alloted 1.5 days to Seville, and I definitely wish I would have had more time to explore the city’s streets, culture and architecture.

Although you can always attempt to do a day trip to Seville, I would recommend staying at least one night in Seville to enjoy the cool evenings in the city, as many late night tapas as possible, and of course to catch a Flamenco show.

Things to do in seville, spain

Strolling through characteristic neighborhoods, discovering historic sights and soaking up the colors and architecture throughout the city will make up your “things to do in Seville” list. Oh, and eating tapas. And drinking sangria - all along the way.

Seville is a walkable city and you don’t need to take public transport to get around. Everything to see and do within Seville is within walking distance of each other, and whenever you need to take a break, or cool off, you can grab a bite to eat or go back to your hotel to take a siesta.

Highlighted in this things to do section is everything we did in our one full day in Seville. But again, I’d recommend two full days to be able to take things more leisurely and enjoy more of the culture and food Seville has to offer.

1) Visit The Royal Alcázar of Seville

If you only do ONE thing in Seville, it must be to visit The Royal Alcázar of Seville. The Royal Alcázar of Seville is a designated UNESCO world heritage sight and is the oldest royal palace in Europe that is still in use today (artsandculture.google.com). It also is one of the best examples of Moorish architecture in Spain.

Hands down this is one of my favorite historic places we’ve ever visited. So much of American history began within its walls and the exploration of Christopher Columbus is still celebrated there today. You could easily spend all day wandering through the palace and hanging out on the grounds of the palace gardens.

This is my number one and top thing to visit in Seville. You can figure out what time you want to visit and then plan your day/days in Seville around the visit. You should absolutely purchase early access/guided tour tickets in advance of your visit as the palace can get crowded very quickly.

You can book a basic entry ticket here, or purchase a guided tour with GetYourGuide like this highly rated one.

How long does a visit to The Royal Alcázar of Seville take?

The tour itself took around an hour and a half, but we spent an additional hour and a half exploring the grounds on our own. The grounds are pretty expansive, so I’d give yourself approximately 3 hours total to fully see and enjoy everything withing The Royal Alcázar of Seville. Don’t rush this one! 

2) Stroll along Sevilla’s PLAZA DE ESPANA

Erected in 1929 for the Ibero-American expo, this curving piece of architecture now welcomes millions of visitors from across the world. A visit to Plaza de Espana is really for viewing pleasure only, as there not actually anything to do here, other than soak in the Spanish tiles, gaze up towards the two imposing towers or row along the canal if your heart so fancies. 

The Plaza is an easy walk from both The Royal Alcázar and from the Triana district (details below), so you can tack it on as the next destination from either route.

If you have time, try visiting the Plaza de Espana more than once during your time in Seville. We actually visited twice, once in the evening and once in the afternoon, and I highly recommend doing both as the space is equally beautiful in both settings. 

3) admire modern architecture under the SETAS DE SEVILLA

Another top thing to do in Seville is to visit the Setas des Seville (or Metropol Parasol). Setas des Seville is a wooden structure, the largest in the world, that you can climb to the top of for views over the city.

As a short lived architecture major, I can distinctly remember seeing this structure a handful of times in my studies and getting to experience it in real life was even better than I’d imagined. It’s an architect’s, photographer’s and tourist’s dream, with rolling wooden structures leading to incredible city views. If you can go during golden hour, even better.

You do not need to purchase tickets in advance to enter Setas des Seville. You do need to pay to get in, but tickets are 3 euros per person, and you can purchase at the site. You can also purchase an online ticket here if you like having things in advance.

4) wander towards the Triana district

Known for its azulejos (ceramic tiles), the Triana District of Seville is simply a neighborhood of the city worth wandering through. It’s made up of workshops where the tiles are made. We didn’t do much here other than wander around and take some photos, but wandering through the Triana District gives a different feel to your Seville explorations.

The Triana District is, however, known for it's Flamenco, so this would be a great neighborhood to book a show in. Below are a few highly rated shows on GetYourGuide in Triana.

5) GO TO AN AUTHENTIC FLAMENCO SHOW

Speaking of Flamenco, you can’t visit Seville without attending an authentic Flamenco show.

As you can see above, in Seville, your flamenco choices are as plentiful as Spanish tile, but it’s important to find one that’s small and private. Our hotel recommended one right next door, Sala Fabiola,  and we enjoyed a lovely intimate show the evening of our trip.

6) EAT TAPAS & DRINK SANGRIA

Another must-do while in Seville is the joy of eating tapas and drinking sangria. Seville is said to have some of the best tapas in Spain, and the Andalusia region is where sangria became popular.

My husband and I love food, but don’t really consider ourselves foodies, so we didn’t do a tapas crawl (but this one on Viator looks amazing). We did book a nice lunch reservation after our tour of The Royal Alcazar of Seville at the posh El Pinton and enjoyed the following menu:

• (1) Red Sangria* 

• (1) White Sangria*

• (1) Fish Fried from Cadiz

• (1)  Iberian sirloin stuffed with mushrooms and mushroom sauce

• (1) Brownie with Ice Cream and Lime  

• (1) Espresso

One of our favorite food experiences to date, and the interiors are just the most beautiful and aesthetic.

where to stay in seville

If you plan to stay a night or two in Seville (which I highly recommend), there are beautiful and authentic hotels and properties available to enrich your Spanish experience even further. For your stay in Seville, I recommend staying in the center to have accessibility to all of the landmarks you plan to walk to, and to be able to come back to your room and take a siesta if the day gets too hot.

Suites Machado

During our one night in Seville, we stayed at the lovely and authentic, Suites Machado. Once a 17th century palace, it now lives on as a hotel fit with luxury suites and a rooftop with views.

The stunning views from the roof were irresistible and we found ourselves there more than once. I even spent the night of my 26th birthday there, opening presents, reading cards and listening to the Cathedral bells (which we could see)!

Image is from Suites Machada website and is not my own.

Plácido y Grata

A bright, beautiful and modern hotel in the heart of Seville, set within a historic Sevillian building and offering a calm, relaxing experience for your reprieve from your Seville explorations.

Casa del Rey Sabio

A highly rated hotel in the heart of Seville, its rooms set within ancient and historic walls, yet offering a modern, bright and calming atmosphere. Walking distance to all of the main Seville highlights.

STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE

Traveling through Spain or headed to Portugal?

This Seville trip was part of a larger trip through Spain and Portugal and from Seville, we drove to the Algarve Coast in Portugal, which you can read about here. You can also read our Ibiza Travel Guide if you’re planning a trip to an Iberian island while in Spain.

FOLLOW ALONG

For all of our live travel content and BTS, be sure to follow us on social media. You’ll get to see what our life looks like as expats and get to virtually come along with us whenever we are exploring somewhere new.