Seville Itinerary: 1 Night in Andalucia
Seville is a romantic city in the heart of Andalucía. From exploring the Alcázar to the gorgeous Plaza de Espana wandering through the lively streets, Seville promises a memorable experience. Arrive in the morning and plan to stay overnight to enjoy everything in this Seville Itinerary.
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How to Get to Seville
Seville is well-connected by train, with Santa Justa being the main station. High-speed trains from Madrid and other major cites make the journey quick. I visited Seville from Madrid and it took just 3 hours! . From Santa Justa, you can take a short taxi ride or a 20-minute walk to the city center (and your accommodation).
How Long to Spend in Seville
My sister and I only spent one night in Seville. Although the city is gorgeous, I felt like we did everything we wanted in the time we had. You can easily spend 3 days or more. If you’re on a full Spain holiday and are packing in several different towns and cities, then just one night to visit the Seville’s highlights is okay!
Where to Stay in Seville
To make the most of your stay, choose a hotel in the Centro area. There are a ton of options that range from $100 to $400. On the lower end, I like the options Hotel Murillo, Welldone Sierpes Boutique, and Sercotel Las Casas de los Mercaderes. For under $200 Petit Palace Santa Cruz, Limehome, and Suites Murillo Plaza Sta Cruz look great.
I suggest opting for a hotel instead of an Airbnb so that you can leave your backpack when you arrive to then walk around without it. Or drop off your luggage asap, check out Bounce… This luggage story company has locations all over and I use it everywhere (from France to Turkey). My sister and I didn’t take my own advice and instead waited around to drop off our bags at our Airbnb for 2 hours (granted, we were having brunch), before deciding to explore Seville. But, we did use it to leave our backpacks on the second day.
Walking around Seville
A Little History of Seville
Seville’s origins go back to the Roman era when it was known as Hispalis. The city gained prominence under Moorish rule in the 8th century, becoming a major center of culture and commerce in Al-Andalus. Later, the reconquest of the city by Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248 marked a new chapter, that lead to the construction of many of Seville’s iconic landmarks, including the Gothic Cathedral and the Giralda tower. The 16th century was a golden age for Seville, as it became the gateway to the New World, thriving on trade and exploration. Today, Seville’s architecture and charm is well preserved, making it a perfect destination while in Spain!
Seville Itinerary
Day 1: Plaza de Espana
Morning
After you arrive at the train station in Seville, drop off your overnight pack at your hotel.
Get brunch at Mokambo. The coffee is great, as are the breakfast bagels! You can also head straight here as I did, then check into your hotel.
The espresso bar next door, La Gatae n Bicicleta, also looked very cool if you want another option.
Afternoon
Wander the streets of Seville, heading towards the Plaza de Espana.
Plaza de Espana is just pure magic. When I visited during a random weekday in September, the plaza was basically deserted. It can get crowded in the high season but wow. Just look at this.
Take time to walk around, go on the cute bridges, take pictures…
Designed by Aníbal González in 1929, the plaza features a grand semicircular building covered with ceramic tiles that represent different Spanish provinces.
You can stand in line to go on a boat ride around the canal too.
My sister and I spent 40 minutes wandering around, including a peak into a flamenco show that took place.
Evening
Head over to Dos de Mayo when it opens at 8pm, if not you’ll likely be standing in line for a while. We arrived 15 minutes early and scooped out the competition (the other diners…) who were also loitering around waiting for the restaurant to open. Why bother? Dos de Mayo is one of the best restaurants in Seville. It has over 7,000 reviews and deserves to be on your Seville Itinerary. Plan to get a few tapas for the vibe. We only spent €28 on water, queso viejo, shrimp, and olives.
Day 2: Royal Alcázar of Seville
Morning
Bring your appetite to Milk Away, a cute spot that has a great breakfast combo with juice, granola bowl and a sandwich.
Wander around a street market if you’re visiting on a Thursday or Sunday. By chance our 2nd day of this Seville Itinerary was on a Thursday and so we passed by the Feria Street Flea Market which you can visit around this location.
Afternoon
Royal Alcázar of Seville
Now it’s time for jewel of the city: the Royal Alcázar of Seville. The original grounds of this Morrish palace date back to 913. It was developed into a larger palace complex by the Abbadid dynasty (11th century) and the Almohads (12th to early 13th centuries). After the Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces and gardens. Among the most important of these is a richly-decorated Mudéjar-style palace built by Pedro I during the 1360s. (thanks, Wikipedia for the help explaining this).
Book your tickets online in advance and show up at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time slot to stand in line. Tickets are €14.50. Bring your ID or passport that used to book the tickets to enter. We picked the 12pm entry slot and stayed almost 2 hours.
The palace is incredible and now I’ll spam you with some pictures. We followed the map to see the palace.
Be sure to visit everything!
Wander all the gardens.
It’s all gorgous!
Walk along the River
After exploring the Alcázar cross the river toward Plaza de Cuba. Then walk along the river. A lot of the restaurants along the water seem very touristy and don’t have that great reviews but we stopped to get a sparkling water to enjoy the view.
Then, walk into Mercado de Triana, an indoor food market with fresh fruits, veggies, and meats. There are also some stalls with prepared meals if you want to get lunch here. We were still stuffed from our breakfast combo…
Late Afternoon
Get tapas at Bar Casa Morales, another classic Seville spot (with over 5,000 reviews!). There are only a few tables inside the bar. It’s a must! My sister and I got lucky with a table after standing around for a moment.
We got the patatas bravas with an incredible sauce and some grilled octopus. It was delish!
End your Seville Itinerary with a flamenco show. My mom kept insisting that I go to a flamenco show. I really didn’t get it. As I typically prefer to explore city streets (though I love plays and musicals), I thought this wasn’t going to be that interesting. I WAS WRONG. Even if you don’t end up going to Seville, you must make time during your trip to Spain to see a flamenco show.
The dancing, music, and singing were incredibly moving, beautiful, and jaw- dropping.
You can book online or see which theater is convenient for you. We went to a 5:30pm show at Teatro Pathe because I saw a deal on a bus as it drove by while walking back into the old town from Plaza de Espana. I also like the look of this highly rated show.
Some tickets come with a drink and tapas but we got a simple ticket, which is around €20-30.
Then, head back to the station to take your train onwards to the next city to end this Seville Itinerary.
Souvenirs in Seville
There are a ton of touristy shops in Seville. I’m always on a lookout for unique items and I thought the classic Spanish souvenirs at Artesania de Sevilla were lovely. You’ll probably pass this store when you walk from the train station to the old town as it’s a little bit outside the center.
The ceramic goods and the fans were the most intricate that I saw during my one night in Seville trip.
For unique Spanish clothing, check out Laura Lopez. I loved the dresses, especially those that take inspiration from the flamenco dancers. I bought the black dress in the window. Although I haven’t worn it yet, it’s just gorgeous and was the only “souvenir” I purchased while on this Spain trip.
