Are you planning your first Andalusia trip and have you realised you only have 3 days to visit Seville? You needn’t worry too much: if you’ve already had a look at our complete guide on what to do in Seville, you’ll have seen that this length of time is a good period for visiting the best sights and savouring the typical Andalusian atmosphere of the city in its most important historic neighbourhoods. Here are our tips on what to see in Seville in 3 days and how to organise the perfect itinerary.
Contents
3-day Seville itinerary: Preliminary Tips
- The airport is located just a few kilometers from the center of Seville and is very well connected to the city by bus and private transfers.
- You can easily get around on foot in the city, while Seville’s public transport may be useful for reaching the more outlying neighborhoods.
- Check whether you can save time by purchasing organized tours or skip-the-line tickets for the city’s most popular attractions. Here is a detailed guide dedicated to Seville passes with skip-the-line tickets.
- If you are planning your trip, you may find some tips about where to stay in Seville useful: if you like this itinerary, choosing the best neighborhood to stay in will be important!
Tips on where to stay in Seville
First day
Seville in 3 Days: Day 1 Map
Morning
After a breakfast of churros and hot chocolate, the itinerary begins with a visit to the heart of the city: the Cathedral and the Giralda. La Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede de Sevilla is the largest church in Spain and a splendid example of Gothic architecture with Arab and Mudéjar elements, such as the renowned Patio de los Naranjos, which dates back to 1172. Since 1987, moreover, the Cathedral of Seville has been a World Heritage Site. Inside you will find the tomb of Christopher Columbus and a majestic altarpiece.
Near the Capilla Real is the entrance to another iconic Seville monument: the Giralda. Today the cathedral’s bell tower, it was once an ancient minaret that allowed the muezzin to ascend to the top on horseback (inside the Giralda there are, in fact, no steps, but as many as 34 circular ramps). Built between 1156 and 1568, the year in which the statue known as the Giraldillo was placed atop the bell tower, the tower rises to a height of 104 metres. I recommend climbing to the top to admire the breathtaking view.
One of the best places to admire the exterior of the Giralda is the adjacent Plaza de los Reyes, with its carriages and historic palaces. If you have time, the Hospital de los Venerables is not far away, an old retirement home for elderly priests built in the seventeenth century that now houses important works of art, majestic frescoes and a sunken patio unlike any other.
Guided tour of the Cathedral + Alcázar
Afternoon
During the hottest hours of the day – especially in summer – you can visit the Museo de Bellas Artes, one of the most beautiful art museums in Spain. Admiring paintings and sculptures by Spanish and international artists, from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, you’ll walk through the rooms of this 17th-century former convent, characterised by three splendid patios with trees, ornamental plants, arches and azulejos.
After a couple of hours at the museum you can stroll along the river and reach Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, the 18th-century bullring, one of the oldest in Spain. If you’re interested in bullfighting, you can check whether there are performances or simply visit the adjoining museum. Along the riverbank you’ll also see the famous Torre del Oro, a watchtower built in 1220.
Evening
For dinner you can cross one of the two bridges, Puente Sant’Elmo or Puente de Isabel II, and eat on one of the restaurant terraces along Calle Betis with a magnificent view of the River Guadalquivir. You are in Triana, one of the neighbourhoods of the Seville nightlife, so don’t miss a stroll through the barrio’s narrow streets, enjoy a beer or a cocktail on Calle San Jacinto and take the chance to see a flamenco show in the very neighbourhood where it was born. Here are our tips for an itinerary in Triana!
Second day
Seville in 3 Days: Day 2 Map
Morning
Spend this morning on a pleasant stroll through one of Seville’s most famous historic neighbourhoods: the barrio Santa Cruz. Among the various places to visit, make your way to the Casa de Pilatos, one of Seville’s historic noble palaces where the azulejos will leave you speechless. For lunch, the choice in Santa Cruz is varied: delicious tapas served in its many lovely squares or down its little alleyways. Read our tips on where to eat in Seville to choose the right place.
Afternoon
Seville is a city that continually recalls and bears witness to its past linked to the conquest of the Americas: you’ll be surprised by the number and significance of the documents housed in the sixteenth-century library of the Archivo General de Indias, in Avenida de la Constitución.
Not far away is one of Seville’s fairytale places: the Real Alcázar. Inside this majestic royal palace, finely decorated with azulejos and stucco, you’ll find lush gardens, halls hung with tapestries, typically Arab or horseshoe arches, gilded domes and courtyards that will leave you open-mouthed.
Guided tour of the Alcazar (tickets included)
Evening
After all that splendour the evening can end with a relaxing stroll through the Jardines de Murillo and a visit to one of the venues in the Barrio Santa Cruz, perhaps at one of the historic tablaos where you can watch Seville flamenco performances. Together with Triana, Barrio Santa Cruz is, in fact, the heartland of venues renowned for flamenco.
Third day
Seville in 3 Days: Day 3 Map
Morning
Today you can spend time in the neighbourhood of La Macarena. I recommend stopping at the Basilica de la Macarena to admire not only the early 20th-century neo-baroque church, but above all the statue of the Virgen de la Esperanza Macarena, one of the most venerated icons in the city. Here you can also see the processional floats used during the famous Semana Santa to carry the statue of the Virgin through the streets of the city.
Just outside the basilica, on Calle Muñoz Leon you’ll find the Murallas, the remains of the ancient city walls dating back to the 12th century with over one hundred towers, of which today only seven still stand in the city. Strolling through the La Macarena neighbourhood you’ll discover an impressive number of splendid churches.
Head down to Plaza de la Encarnación to admire one of the most important contemporary art monuments in Seville and Andalusia: the Metropol Parasol. Also known as Las Setas de Sevilla, here you’ll find a museum housing archaeological finds, a historic market and an elevated walkway from which to admire all of Seville.
Afternoon
Spend this afternoon at the Parque María Luisa with its vast gardens, colourful ceramic benches and finely decorated fountains. Last but not least, Plaza de España is perhaps Seville’s most beautiful square: enormous and adorned with arches and majolica tiles, it even contains a navigable canal and brightly coloured bridges. You can visit the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares and the Museo Arqueológico. Both are free for European citizens and well worth a visit.
Evening
Walking around Seville you’ll no doubt have seen a place, a restaurant or a venue you’d like to return to: your last evening in Seville is free so you can make the most of this wonderful city, a symbol of the most authentic Andalusia.
