Planning a trip to Spain and wondering how many days in Seville are ideal? Discover how many days you need for every type of trip and traveler!
So, you've decided to head to Spain for your next vacation. Excellent choice! I know you will fall in love with the Spanish culture, sights, food, and traditions just like I did.
Seville is actually my favorite city in Spain and in my TOP 5 favorite cities in the world. If there's a place to bake in extra time, it's here.
Seville offers plenty of sights and activities to keep visitors busy but is also the ideal place to slow down and really take in the culture and overall atmosphere. The food scene in Seville is incredible...yet another reason to linger.
When I'm planning a trip, step one is to decide which destinations to include in my itinerary. Step two is how long to spend in each city. How often do we travel planners agonize over whether we are spending too much or too little of our precious vacation time in a city? I know I do when I'm unfamiliar with the area or country.
Well, I'm here to help with step two and answer the question of how many days to spend in Seville. The answer depends on a handful of factors. What type of traveler you are, the style of trip you're looking for, and your overall budget.
We will consider all these things (and more) when discussing how many days in Seville will be right for you!
How many days to spend in Seville - the short answer
For the average tourist, three days is the golden ticket. In fact, I already have a 3 day Seville itinerary already made for you!
SEE ALSO:
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BEST ROOFTOP BARS IN SEVILLE FOR INCREDIBLE VIEWS
BEST TIME TO VISIT SEVILLE – IDEAL MONTHS & SEASONs
How many days in Seville for a first trip to Spain | 2 to 3 days
If this is your first trip to Spain, including Seville on your itinerary is not only a wise decision but a must. In my humble opinion. This city is a great way to get your feet wet in the Spanish culture without feeling overwhelmed.
Seville is entirely walkable as the city center is compact. There are spectacular sights like Alcazar Palace, Plaza de Espana, and Seville Cathedral. Not to mention the tapas scene is scrumptious.
Seville is more manageable than bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona. It offers a more authentic vibe where you feel like you've traveled back in time.
You could easily see all the major sights in two days. A very busy two days.
If you're trying to fit in a number of cities on your itinerary since it's your first trip to Spain, which is completely understandable, two days will allow you enough time to feel like you saw all the musts and then move to the next stop.
For those not squeezing too many places into your Spain itinerary, this is the place I would linger for a number of reasons. The city is absolutely beautiful and a joy to walk around and take in your surroundings. Stop by a shop here and there, sit by the river, find your favorite rooftop to sip sangria as the sun sets, and just take a break from reality and feel like you've been transported to another time and world.
Three days will allow you enough time to see all the sights, revisit a few favorite spots, enjoy a Flamenco show, join a walking tour, shop around Plaza Nueva, aimlessly wander the Santa Cruz barrio, and slow down a bit.
You could even fit a quick, half-day trip to Cordoba to see the mesmerizing Mezquita, aka the Great Mosque of Cordoba.
More than three days in Seville would be wonderful if you're looking to relax and explore every corner of the city, but if it's your first time in Spain, there will be other cities on your itinerary to visit.
On my very first trip to Spain, I spent two days in Seville. Even though I longed to stay an extra day, I had other places I wanted to see and was happy with my decision.
Consider joining a tour if you have limited time in Seville to make sure you get a good dose of history and sights
How many days in Seville to see the highlights | 1 to 2 days
If you're short on time and just want to see the highlights of Seville. Say you've been there and done that, then two days will be sufficient.
In fact, you could actually get away with Seville as a day trip from Granada or Madrid. If you're joining an organized day tour all the planning will most likely be done for you. If you prefer to do it on your own, you must plan in advance because you'll be fitting a lot into a very short timeline. Buying tickets the day of is just not an option as you'll risk precious hours waiting in line and having to forgo other sights. Skip-the-line tickets are a must in this situation.
In one day you could fit a tour of the Alcazar Palace and Seville Cathedral, a quick glance at the Setas de Seville (the quirky mushroom-shaped wooden structure), and a walk around a few historic areas like Barrio Santa Cruz, Maria Luisa Park, and along the river.
If you spend the night to allow two full days in Seville, you'll be able to enjoy a Flamenco show, do a tapas crawl, join a walking tour, and hit a few shops around Plaza Nueva.
How many days in Seville for the budget traveler | 4 to 7 days
Spain, in general, is very cheap...especially when you compare it to cities like London, Paris, and the United States. Seville is middle-of-the-line budget-wise. It's cheaper than Barcelona and Madrid but more expensive than lesser-known cities that aren't on the tourist map.
This is one of the many reasons I like to spend extra time in Seville. Because it's extremely cheap by American standards and considerably less expensive than other popular Spanish cities. An outstanding meal in Seville can easily cost €15 to €20, whereas Barcelona is more like €25 to €40.
It's also extremely easy to find accommodations within your budget. You'll find a plethora of Airbnbs and hotels varying from luxurious to bare bones.
Seville makes for an economical and enjoyable home base while adding several day trips. Four days will allow enough time to fully explore the city while adding two day trips.
Also, keep in mind that many Airbnbs offer discounts for stays that are a week or longer. So, if you'd like to do a number of day trips, a week wouldn't be a bad idea.
Take your pick from an array of day trip options. See the Alhambra Palace in Granada, view the clifftop town of Rhonda, or enjoy scrumptious seafood in the coastal city of Cadiz!
Most of these day trips are available via an organized tour if you want to keep things easy.
How long to spend in Seville for the slow traveler | 4 to 5 days
If you've learned to love the art and pleasure of slow travel, 4 to 5 days in Seville will feel like time well spent. Pick two attractions a day and save the rest of your time for shopping the boutiques, enjoying multiple coffee stops, leisurely meals, walks along the river, and time to relax at Maria Luisa Park.
You'll have enough time to explore every neighborhood, corner, and street of Seville and even wander into the lesser-known Triana barrio across the river.
Four or five days in Seville also means you could fit in several day trips. Take your pick from Granada, Rhona, or Cadiz.
You'll know Seville like the back of your hand after four or five days and leave feeling like you've had a culture-filled vacation as opposed to a whirlwind tour.
In summary
I hope this post helps answer the question of how many days in Seville are ideal for your upcoming trip. See the highlights on a whirlwind day trip or get a decent feel of the city over two busy days if you have other cities to head to.
Spend three days for the perfect mix of sightseeing and slowing down to fully enjoy the culture. Or try the slow travel method and spend four to five days to explore the city inside and out with a few day trips!
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How Many Days in Seville, Spain Do You Really Need?
Hi Ash,
Loved your post. We are planning to go to Spain for first time. Seville is in our list of course. I booked a 3 night stay in a hotel very close to the main landmarks in Seville. Is this a good amount of time for 2 first time travellers? we are not planing to enrol in rigid tours but somewhat a mix of some touring and go with the flow. We also booked stays in valencia 3 nights, 2 nights granada, 4 nights barcelona 4 nights in Madrid as this the time we have before going back to reality and work 🙂
You certainly have a lovely blog.
Regards.
If it was me, I would take a night off of Valencia and add it to Seville. Fast paced travelers might think 4 nights is too long, but Seville is the BEST place to slow down and really enjoy the rooftops, restaurants, evening walks, etc. Valencia feels a bit more touristy to me and isn’t as thrilling. 2 nights is plenty there. Plus, adding a night to Seville means you have time to do a day trip to Cordoba.
Thank you Ash,
actually I followed your advice and booked 4 nights in seville and decided to stay 5 nights in Barcelona and not going to Valencia.
I want to enjoy and not have a feeling im rushing catching trains, checking in and out from too many different places.
Thank you kindly for answerimg my question.
Regards,
Maria
I’ll think you’ll be happy with your decision. Have so much fun!
Hello,
I have been reading all of your posts because we are visiting friends in Tavira, Portugal this April. Looking to add the Seville and Granada at least to our trip and then flying home from Madrid. We will have from the 10th to the 19th to travel through the southern spain region. Not wanting to rent a car though. One of the questions I have is about the April festival in Seville. This year it starts on the 12th, so will the time we are there (probably 10th through the 12th) be way overcrowded? We can see about going at a different time if it will be a huge issue. Also, would you add Malaga to your itinerary?
I see that April de Feria starts on the 14th, so you should be fine. Especially considering 10-12 is Wednesday – Friday (so you aren’t hitting the weekend). With 9-10 days in Southern Spain, you could easily add some time in Malaga since it’s a quick bus ride from Granada with frequent departures. Also, one thing to to think about, is that it’s just as easy to train from Malaga to Madrid as it is Granada to Madrid. In my most recent research, there were actually more departures from Malaga than Granada. So if you have an extra night or 2, I’d say go for it…BUT…if that means you are taking time away from Seville or Granada, then I would say no. Malaga feels more like a city. Lot’s of museums and shopping. Sky scrappers too. It’s also a cruise ship stop. It’s different than elsewhere in Southern Spain. It has less “soul” than Granada/Seville.
Where else are you visiting during those 9-10 days?