View of Seville from the top of the Giralda, with the Alcázar walls and the river in the distance
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Seville in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 7.7 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

One day is enough to take in the essentials of Seville if you plan it well: postcard sights in the morning, history in the afternoon and legends as the sun goes down. It adds up to about eight kilometres on foot across the three routes, with stops to eat, so wear comfortable shoes. You come away with the river, the Giralda, the Alcázar and the Seville people tell in whispers.

One day in SevillePostcards, centuries and legends

Start early with “The best of Seville: from Triana to the Plaza de España”: Triana Bridge, the Maestranza, the Giralda, the Alcázar and Santa Cruz, finishing at the Plaza de España before the heat bites. Have spinach with chickpeas at El Rinconcillo, near the Setas, and set off from there on “From Hispalis to the 1929 Expo”, taking in El Salvador, the Archive of the Indies and the Torre del Oro. When the sun drops, “The Seville of King Peter, Susona and Mañara” leads you from Santa Inés to Calle Cabeza del Rey Don Pedro. Have fried fish at Freiduría Puerta de la Carne for dinner.

  1. Morning

    The best of Seville: from Triana to the Plaza de España

    Mixed · 2.7 km · 2 h

    1. Triana BridgeSpain's oldest iron bridge still marks, between its arches, the border between two cities with souls of their own.
    2. Maestranza BullringA bullring that took over a century to finish, and a gate every bullfighter dreams of being carried through.
    3. The Giralda and the CathedralAn Almohad minaret crowned with a Renaissance weathervane: the tower that sums up Seville.
    4. Royal AlcázarA thousand years of palaces behind a battlemented wall, and still the royal family's residence whenever it visits Seville.
    5. Plaza de Santa CruzA square born from the demolition of a church where Murillo was buried, and whose remains no one has ever found.
    6. Plaza de EspañaA bench for every province, four bridges, a boating canal and a «Star Wars» set: the square everyone wants to photograph.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Spinach with chickpeas at El Rinconcillo. Calle Gerona, 40

  3. Afternoon

    From Hispalis to the 1929 Expo: Seville in Six Layers

    History · 2.8 km · 2 h

    1. Setas de Sevilla and the AntiquariumA 21st-century wooden structure built, quite literally, on top of Roman Seville.
    2. Church of El SalvadorA Baroque church raised over Seville's first great mosque, whose minaret still stands inside the bell tower.
    3. Seville City HallA façade carved like a book in stone, where Hercules and Julius Caesar boast of founding the city.
    4. General Archive of the IndiesAn exchange built to get merchants out of the cathedral that ended up holding the written memory of an empire.
    5. Torre del OroAn Almohad tower that guarded the river, anchored a chain and never stored a single bar of American gold.
    6. Plaza de EspañaThe grand stage Seville built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, which took fifteen years to finish.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    The Seville of King Peter, Susona and Mañara

    Mysteries & legends · 2.2 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Convent of Santa InésThe house founded by María Coronel, the noblewoman who, legend says, disfigured her own face to escape a king.
    2. Calle Cabeza del Rey Don PedroA king promised to display the culprit's head at the scene of the crime. And he kept his word: he put up his own.
    3. Casa de PilatosA Sevillian palace that, according to tradition, copied the house of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem.
    4. Calle SusonaA tile panel recalls the young woman who, legend says, betrayed her own father.
    5. Cathedral: Columbus's bones and the lizardBehind this door lie the remains of Christopher Columbus… or so the DNA says, because another city claims them too.
    6. Hospital de la CaridadThe hospital founded by a repentant nobleman who asked to be buried under the doorway so that everyone would walk over him.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Pescaíto frito at Freiduría Puerta de la Carne. Calle Santa María la Blanca, 36

The map

Seville in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Seville in 1 day

  • Book the Alcázar ahead and, if you want to climb the Giralda, your Cathedral ticket too: in high season time slots sell out. If you can’t fit everything in, pick a single interior and enjoy the rest from outside with the audio guide.
  • Seville is flat, but summer heat is no joke: do the best-of route first thing, carry water and make use of the shade in the lanes of Santa Cruz and in the courtyards.
  • It’s a long walk between the Plaza de España and the centre: a bus, the city-centre tram or a Sevici bike will save you some kilometres. Check the fry shop’s opening hours before you plan dinner.

Questions

Seville in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Seville in one day?

You can see the essentials: the Giralda and Cathedral, the Alcázar, Santa Cruz, the Arenal and the Plaza de España. What you can’t do is go inside everything. Choose one or two interiors (the Alcázar is usually the favourite) and see the rest from outside with the audio guide.

How far do you walk in one day in Seville?

The three routes add up to about 7.7 km, plus the walks between them and to your meals. Expect roughly 10 km in all and 8 to 9 hours with breaks. The city is flat, but in the heat the day feels long.

What time should you start?

As early as you can: mornings are quieter at the Alcázar and the Giralda, and the heat is manageable. Save the central routes and the legends for the afternoon and evening, when the light is softer and the streets calmer.

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