What to see in Seville in 1, 2 or 3 days

What to book before you go

• Royal Alcázar. This is what sells out first. Buy a timed ticket on the official website; the Patio de Banderas ticket office opens at 9:00 with a very small same-day quota. A standard ticket costs €15.50 and cannot be changed. Everything is in our Royal Alcázar guide.
• Cathedral and Giralda. It costs €13 online and €14 at the ticket office, so buying ahead pays (official website).
• Palacio de las Dueñas, Monday afternoon. The free tickets for non-holiday Mondays must be booked on its website; without one you will not get in.
• Setas de Sevilla. Sold on its website and at the ticket office, from €16. Only buy ahead if you want a specific time.

Flying in? See our airport to city centre guide. For concerts, flamenco, exhibitions or football during your stay, check the Seville events calendar.

Day 1: Royal Alcázar, Santa Cruz, Cathedral and Setas

Morning (about 3 hours). Go into the Royal Alcázar first thing: it opens at 9:30 and, from October to March, closes at 17:00 (19:00 from April to September). Allow two to three hours for the palaces and gardens.

Midday. You come out into the Santa Cruz quarter, the old Jewish district: narrow lanes, small squares and patios. An hour of aimless walking is enough to get a feel for it.

Afternoon (about 2 hours). The Cathedral is opposite. It opens 10:45 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday and 14:30 to 19:00 on Sundays, with the ticket office closing at 18:00. The visit takes a little over an hour, starts with the Giralda, which you climb by ramps, and includes the church of El Salvador. Outside, the Archivo de Indias stands on the same square.

Sunset. Walk about 15 minutes north to the Setas de Sevilla on Plaza de la Encarnación. It is open from 9:30 to 1:00 (last entry 0:15) and the visit takes 60 to 90 minutes according to its website, with a viewpoint over the rooftops of the old town.

Day 2: Plaza de España, the river and Triana

Morning (about 2 hours). Head to Plaza de España and María Luisa Park, south of the centre. Both are open spaces and free; early on there are fewer people and less heat.

Midday. Carry on to the river and the Torre del Oro, about 20 minutes on foot, and walk along the bank towards the Isabel II bridge, known as the Triana bridge.

Afternoon. Cross into Triana, the district of ceramics and flamenco. Look in at the market by the bridge, the old potters' streets and the Centro Cerámica Triana, which is included in the standard Alcázar ticket if you visit on the same day or the next. Late in the day, Calle Betis on the riverbank has the classic view of Seville across the water.

Evening. Walk back over the bridge. If you want to see flamenco, check the events calendar for those dates.

Day 3: palaces and museums, or a trip to Itálica

In town (a full day). Three palace houses and a museum for an easy day:

• Casa de Pilatos: open daily 9:00 to 18:00; the main floor costs €12 (Medinaceli Foundation). Allow an hour.
• Palacio de las Dueñas: 10:00 to 18:00 from October to March and 10:00 to 19:00 from April to September. Free on non-holiday Mondays from 16:00 with booking. It may close when winds exceed 50 km/h.
• Museum of Fine Arts, on Plaza del Museo: Golden Age painting from Seville. Free for EU citizens.
• If you skipped it on day one, go up the Setas.

Trip to Itálica (half a day). The Roman city where Emperor Trajan was born lies in Santiponce, on the edge of Seville. It has an amphitheatre, streets and mosaics in the open air. Check opening hours, prices and transport on the Andalusia Tourism page before you go. Córdoba and Carmona are other common day trips.

Where to watch the sunset

• Setas de Sevilla: the viewpoint is open until 1:00, so sunset falls within opening hours all year.
• Calle Betis and the Triana bridge: the sun sets behind Triana and the light falls on the river.
• By the Torre del Oro, walking along the city-side bank.

The exact time for each day is on our Seville events calendar.

What to do if it rains

Put indoor sights first: the Cathedral, the Museum of Fine Arts, Casa de Pilatos and the Setas, whose ticket includes the film 'Feeling Sevilla'. The CAAC contemporary art centre in La Cartuja is another option, free in the early evening. A word on the Alcázar: the gardens can close without notice in bad weather, with no refund, although the palaces stay open. Las Dueñas may close in strong wind.

Two ways to save money

1. Use the free hours. According to the official websites:

All the free hours, day by day, are on our free museums in Seville page.

2. Get more from your Alcázar ticket. The standard ticket includes the Antiquarium (under the Setas), Casa Fabiola and the Centro Cerámica Triana, on the same day or the next. Children up to 13 go free at the Alcázar and the Cathedral with an adult. We have not verified any Seville tourist card, so we do not recommend one.