4 Days: Seville and Andalusia
Four days is the point where Granada’s Alhambra actually fits: settle in, Cordoba, Italica, then a full day given entirely to Granada rather than squeezed into a shorter trip. Tighter on time? The 3-day version drops Granada and keeps the easier wins. Got a fifth day? The 5-day plan adds Ronda’s gorge.
Book these before you go
- Granada’s Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces slot required, sells out weeks to months ahead: book via tickets.alhambra-patronato.es
- Real Alcazar timed entry, if you’re also seeing the city itself: book via alcazarsevilla.org
- Santa Cruz or Triana hotel: check rates on Booking.com
- A guided Cordoba day trip if you’d rather skip the train logistics: browse tours on GetYourGuide
Day 1: Land in Seville, get oriented
Seville Airport (SVQ) sits about 10km northeast of downtown; the EA bus runs to the centre in 35-46 minutes for EUR4-5, a taxi is a fixed EUR25-30 fare, 20-25 minutes. Check into a hotel near Santa Cruz, Triana or El Arenal and spend the evening on the river rather than front-loading sightseeing: walk the Puente de Isabel II into Triana as the light drops, and have dinner at a bar rather than a sit-down restaurant. If you’re also planning the Real Alcazar in the city itself, book it now, peak-season timed slots sell out days to weeks ahead and there’s no walk-up option.
Day 2: Cordoba and the Mezquita
Santa Justa station puts Cordoba 40-45 minutes away by AVE, dozens of trains a day, fares from roughly EUR10-25 depending on how far ahead you book. Get the early train: the Mezquita-Catedral is free Monday to Saturday 8:30-9:30am (no groups admitted), arrive by 8:15 to queue, otherwise adult entry is EUR15 (hours and prices ). Spend the rest of the morning in the Juderia’s whitewashed lanes before an early-afternoon train back to Seville.
Day 3: Italica, then a free afternoon
Italica is the shortest day trip on this whole list: 15-20 minutes by car or about 30 minutes by bus toward Santiponce. It’s one of the Iberian Peninsula’s earliest Roman cities, birthplace of Trajan and Hadrian, with one of the empire’s largest surviving amphitheatres; entry is free for EU citizens, roughly EUR1.50 for everyone else at most sources (verify on site). It’s a half-day outing, so use the afternoon back in Seville for whatever day one’s evening didn’t cover, rather than treating today as two half-planned things.
Day 4: Granada and the Alhambra
Granada is 250km southeast, 2h35-3h by direct train or about 3h by ALSA bus (EUR14-27), roughly 2.5 hours if you drive instead; this is the one day on the whole trip that wants an early start and a late return, not a half-measure. The Alhambra needs a booked timed slot for the Nasrid Palaces (general admission EUR21, EUR22.27 online) chosen at the moment of purchase; peak-season dates sell out weeks to months ahead, so this is the one booking on this trip you cannot leave until you land. A guided Alhambra day trip holding a pre-reserved ticket block is the fallback once general release is gone.
How far ahead should you book the Alhambra?
Weeks to months ahead, not a few days before. General admission runs EUR21 (EUR22.27 booked online), and every ticket carries a mandatory timed slot for the Nasrid Palaces; only 6,600 tickets are sold each day, and peak-season dates sell out as much as 90 days out. Book directly through tickets.alhambra-patronato.es , never a reseller, the official site is routinely undercut in price by markup sites that outrank it in search.
Is Cordoba doable as a half day trip?
Technically yes, the AVE is fast enough that you could be door to door in under five hours. In practice, give it a full morning at minimum. The free 8:30-9:30am Mezquita window means an early train out, and the Juderia’s courtyards and the Roman bridge deserve an hour beyond the Mezquita itself, so plan to be back on an early-afternoon train rather than a lunchtime one.
The distances, side by side
| Day trip | Distance from Seville | Train or bus time | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordoba (Mezquita) | ~140km | AVE ~40-45 min | Train ~EUR10-25; Mezquita EUR15 (free Mon-Sat 8:30-9:30am) |
| Granada (Alhambra) | ~250km | Train ~2h35-3h, or bus ~3h | Train/bus ~EUR14-27; Alhambra EUR21-22.27, book weeks-months ahead |
| Cadiz | ~99km | Direct train ~1h25-1h40 | Frequent service, fares vary by how far ahead you book |
| Ronda | ~100-130km | Bus ~2h15 (no useful direct train) | Bus fare plus Real Maestranza bullring EUR9-12 |
| Jerez de la Frontera | ~90km | Train or bus ~1h | Bodega tours and tastings bookable same-day |
| Italica | ~10km | Drive 15-20 min, or bus ~30 min | Free (EU) / ~EUR1.50 (non-EU), verify on site |
| Pueblos blancos (Arcos) | ~90km, ~1h20 drive | Self-drive or organized tour (public bus is sparse) | Car rental or tour cost varies |
Book the Alhambra the day your Seville dates are fixed; every other stop on this itinerary can be rearranged around a delay, a sold-out Alhambra cannot.