Today I’m sharing our 2 day Seville guide.
My husband and I took our daughters on a two week trek through Spain and Portugal this past May (see the full itinerary here). We wrapped up the Southern Spain portion of our trip with a day in Seville (or Sevilla–using them interchangeably on this post!).
We had such a fabulous time in Seville. This city is ridiculously vibrant and quintessentially Spanish. There is so much to take in, and the energy is infectious. And although Seville isn’t necessarily “kid-friendly” in the traditional sense, our girls loved exploring with us.
The Perfect 2 Day Seville Itinerary
In today’s guide, I’ll share some tips for planning your trip to Seville. Then, I’ll walk through a straightforward 2 day Seville itinerary that will allow you to experience the best this sparkling Spanish city has to offer.
Seville Travel Guide
The fourth largest city in Spain and home to 700,000 residents, Seville is the crown jewel of the Andusian region. With its rich and diverse history, Seville is a non-negotiable on any Southern Spain itinerary. (For more Southern Spain inspo, make sure to bookmark my guides to Granada and Ronda too).
Seville is as much a visual feast as it is cultural. Between the staggering architecture (the city is home to the largest Gothic cathedral in the world!), winding charming alleyways, fragrant jasmine and orange trees, flamboyant flamenco scene, and world-class tapas offering, Seville is the heartbeat of Southern Spain. The atmosphere is as welcoming as it is intoxicating, a wonderful place to wonder for a few days.
How many days in Seville?
We originally intended to spend 2-3 nights in Seville but ended up shaving off some of that time to make room for a longer stay in Ronda. We had just one day to explore Seville before flying to Portugal the next morning, and we definitely crammed a lot in that one day.
Seville is a busy and bustling city, and it was a long and hectic day for our girls (ages 3 and 5). For our family and on this particular trip, one day was enough. However, this definitely left me wanting to return to Seville and spend some more time soaking up the charm and colorful atmosphere.
In an ideal world, I’d reserve three nights for Seville on your itinerary which would allow you to enjoy two full days in this beautiful city. If you are traveling with small kids or aren’t a “city person,” though, you can definitely see a lot in one very full day.
The best time to visit Seville
I have said this several times now in my blogs from this trip: spring in Southern Spain was remarkable. We went in mid May and couldn’t have asked for better weather or scenery. It was *perfect* in every way.
That said, I think you could certainly enjoy Seville any time of the year. The only months I would go out of my way to avoid would be July and August when the temperatures average in the mid-90s.
How to get to Seville
By plane: Flying into and out of Seville is simple enough. We drove in but flew out the following morning from Seville’s San Pablo Airport (SVQ) which was about 15-20 minutes away from where we stayed in the city center. Many low-cost airlines service the airport in Seville, making this an easy landing hub for a trip to Southern Spain. In my research, I saw cheap, direct flights from Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and more.
By train: Seville is extremely accessible by train. In fact, the high speed train from Madrid to Seville takes just two and half hours and costs between 40€ and 80€ depending on the time of day and season. If you train into Seville from another major city, you’ll get off at the Santa Justa station. If you’re traveling regionally, you’ll hop off at the San Bernardo station.
By bus: If you’re using Spain’s buses to tour Southern Spain, your stop in Sevilla will be either The Plaza de Armas for long distance destinations such as Madrid or Lisbon. If you’re traveling regionally, you’ll use El Prado de San Sebastián bus station which is about a 15 minute walk to the city center.
Driving + parking in Seville
The parking situation in Seville was a bit tricky. Our Airbnb host recommended a garage in the city center that would have been a 5 minute walk to our apartment. When we pulled up to the garage, however, it was full. So we drove around for a long time before finally finding street parking that was about a 10 minute walk from our rental. A 10 minute walk on cobblestones with suitcases and two small kids is certainly not something I’d recommend, lol.
The takeaway here is that I suggest mapping out a few different parking options.
And on top of the parking situation, the streets were quite narrow and confusing to navigate. If you don’t need a car, it’s better to go without! You definitely don’t need one to get around the city. We had ours with us because we had just finished up our road trip through Southern Spain, but it would have made our visit easier if we hadn’t.
Where to stay in Seville
In my opinion, you’ll want to stay as close to the action as possible to get the full Seville experience. I would search for something within a 15 minute walk to the Cathedral or Barrio Santa Cruz and lean on reviews from previous travelers to help you get a sense of the location.
We stayed in a gorgeous Airbnb adjacent to the Plaza Santa Isabel. This location was great–just a 15 minute walk from the Cathedral and Barrio Santa Cruz and very much in the heart of Sevilla’s charming city center. The street and area itself was quiet at night, and I definitely recommend it.
2 Days in Seville, Spain
In this 2 day Seville itinerary, we’ll spend our first day getting oriented with a self-guided walking tour of the city center and Barrio Santa Cruz and enjoy a traditional flamenco performance. On day two, we’ll tour the Real Alcazar and the historic Sevilla Bullring and museum. We’ll have tapas both days because, after all, this is Seville we’re talking about.
Seville Itinerary Day 1: Seville self guided walking tour + flamenco show
Start your day with breakfast at cute Cafe Otto. We ordered green smoothies, crepes, bagels, and coffee, as one does, and fueled up for a long morning of walking.
Setas de Sevilla
The first stop on our self-guided walking tour of Seville is the iconic Setas de Sevilla landmark, located in La Encarnación square. Feel free to grab a cold brew at Syra Coffee before you head up the steps if you need more caffeine. We always need more caffeine.
Constructed in 2011 and made entirely of laminated timber, Las Setas (“mushrooms”) is the largest wooden structure in the world! We were delighted to find a little playground at the top which the girls loved.
Walk down the steps, head south over the square, and begin walking down Calle Puente y Pellón. Let yourself wander the shops and explore. This is such a cool area, and we have plenty of time in today’s itinerary for you to take your time. The streets will change names a few different times but just continue on straight down to the cathedral.
Seville Cathedral
The next official stop on our walk is the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, otherwise known as Catedral de Sevilla.
I definitely recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time because the line gets really long. Admission for adults costs 30,90€, children ages 6-12 cost 12,50€, and infants from 0-5 cost 6,00€.
You’ll have a 60 minute window with your time slot, so make sure to plan the first part of your morning accordingly. You can purchase tickets to the cathedral here, and there is an option to bundle and buy your Alcazar tickets at the same time too.
After your visit through the cathedral, loop back around to Calle Mateos Gago, a beautiful tree-lined street bursting with unique tapas bars.
You might be ready for some lunch at this point. We ordered a bunch of tapas at Bar Catedral Sevilla. This was such a fun spot, and Tyler said it was one of his favorite meals of the entire trip.
After lunch, make your way back to the Plaza de la Virgen and take in the stunning views of La Giralda. This beautiful tower was originally a minaret of the Arab mosque but has since been converted to the cathedral’s bell tower.
Head through Plaza del Triunfo to the Patio de Banderas. Cross through the courtyard diagonally and exit out to a small path on the opposite corner that you entered. This path will take you to Calle Agua which runs along the exterior wall of the Alcazar (we will tour this on day two of your itinerary!).
Jardines de Murillo
Turn right onto Antonio el Bailarín, the path through the Murillo gardens. We took our time here, staring up at the giant fig trees (these are hundreds of years old!) and wandering through the grounds.
When you reach the end of this path, turn right again and head south through the paseo, another classic Seville walk. You’ll want to cross the street when you reach the end of the promenade. If you have kids with you, take a break and let them play at the shady playground at the park’s entrance (you’ll see it right away when you cross the street into the park).
Plaza de España
Continue on through the park towards the Plaza de España, yet another of Seville’s stunning architectural marvels. Sevilla’s Plaza de España was built over the course of 15 years in anticipation of the Ibero-America Exhibition in 1929. The site is a great example of Spain’s distinct Mudéjar architecture which is a fusion of Christian (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance) and Islamic styles.
You made it to the end of our walk! Take a siesta this afternoon and regroup for your evening at a flamenco show.
Flamenco in Seville
Flamenco dance is a pillar of the culture in Southern Spain and an absolute must on any Seville itinerary. We really, really wanted to attend a flamenco show, but once we switched up our itinerary, we knew it would be too hectic for the girls with our early flight the next morning. We read great things about Teatro Flamenco Sevilla and Casa de la Memoria.
Seville Itinerary Day 2: Real Alcazar Tour + Seville Bullring
Alcazar de Sevilla
On the second day of your Seville itinerary, plan to tour the Real Alcazar, the oldest active royal palaces in Europe. I recommend booking the first time slot of the day (9:30) in order to enjoy the palace and grounds in peace and quiet. You can plan on covering the palaces and gardens in a couple of hours.
You buy your tickets and accompanying audio guide to the Alcazar here. Adult tickets cost 33,80€, children 6-12 cost 10,00€, and infants 0-5 cost 5,00€.
After your tour, head to either Bar Santa Cruz “Las Columnas” or Cervecería Giralda Bar by the cathedral for a tapas lunch.
Sevilla bullring or “La Maestranaza”
In the afternoon, it’s time to head to La Maestranza, Sevilla’s iconic bullring. Construction on the bullring (plaza da toros) began in 1761. The ring itself has a unique oval shape, and the architecture is the same Mudéjar style as the Plaza de España. General admission cost 10€, and seniors, students, and youth ages 12-16 cost 6€. Children ages 7-12 cost 3.5€, and children under 7 are free. You can buy tickets and the audio guide at the door.
End your day with a scoop (or two) of gelato from Olmo Heladeria Artesanal. The flavors here are so unique. I ordered the limon hierbabuena (lemon and mint) which was so refreshing after a long day of walking around.
Thank you for checking out my Seville itinerary! I hope you have a fabulous trip, and please let me know how it goes!
Seville Packing List
On that note…
Our 2 week Spain and Portugal itinerary
For more city guides, inspo, family travel advice, our favorite tips and tricks…click here.
