Seville Tours

Nobody doubts the beauty of Seville. The capital of Andalusia is internationally famous and well deserved. If you are going to visit it, I recommend these guided tours with which you will learn local stories and legends while you visit the highlights of the city and its surroundings.

My first recommendation is that you get an overview of the city of Seville: what are its main monuments, what is the most important thing for any traveller to know in order to get around the city and what stories are behind its points of interest. This tour of the centre of Seville is the most suitable for this purpose. It lasts three hours and is available in English, French and Spanish.

What this tour consists of

This experience also has a peculiarity: it is based on the concept of a free tour. You've probably already been on a tour of this type in a city, but in case you haven't, I'll explain what it consists of. This is a "free" tour in which you are the one who sets the price for the guide's work at the end of the tour. The aim of this is that everyone adapts the payment to their possibilities and that no one is left without access to a quality tour for economic reasons.

This tour of Seville is in high demand, so you can book your place online for three euros. The meeting point with the guide is always a central location such as Puerta de Jerez, but the exact time and place will be confirmed once you make your booking.

Itinerary

If you are asked about the Jewish quarter of Seville, you will probably be a little puzzled, but if you are told about the Santa Cruz quarter, you will surely have a clearer mental image. Indeed, the well-known neighbourhood located just a few metres from the Cathedral of Seville, famous for its façades and its plants, is also the Jewish quarter of the city. On this tour you will discover one of the oldest areas of Seville focusing on its history.

If you are interested in the medieval period, you will really enjoy this tour of Santa Cruz with an expert guide who will fill the visit with entertaining explanations peppered with anecdotes. This tour costs £14, is available in Spanish, English and French and lasts about an hour and a half.

Itinerary

Ana's Traveller Tip

Be aware of the prices charged to tourists in Seville. Ask your guide before buying any snacks during the tour.

You've probably heard on more than one occasion about the charm of the villages of Andalusia, but locating them on your own is not always easy. When you make your online booking for the White Villages tour, you will be informed of the meeting point in the centre of Seville and the departure time of the tour.

You can choose between Spanish, English, French or Italian. The price of £67 includes both return transport from Seville and the services of a professional guide. The first of the villages is just an hour and a half from Seville, although the mountain roads and curves could delay the journey. At each destination you will have free time to relax and explore at your leisure.

Itinerary

Here you have another option to visit the Santa Cruz neighbourhood in depth. On this guided tour you will learn about the romances and legends of this historic neighbourhood, but it will also be a modern and fresh tour in which your local guide will give you details about how people live in this area of Seville today. Narrow streets, historic façades, courtyards adorned with flowers and an unmistakable scent of orange blossom are the hallmarks of this visit.

The tour costs 14, lasts two hours and is available in three languages: English, French and Spanish. A word of advice: this is one of Seville's most charming neighbourhoods and you'll want to take a thousand and one photos during the tour, but try not to lose sight of the group. The streets of the Santa Cruz neighbourhood can emulate a real labyrinth and, in addition to the views, it's worth enjoying the stories of love and hate that your guide will tell you.

It is no secret that there is healthy competition between the different provinces of Andalusia when it comes to vying for the position of best tourist destination in southern Spain. Each of the cities has important assets to play with, but it has to be said that the Alhambra in Granada is one of the strongest assets.

Whether or not you take the time to visit Granada on another trip, if you're passing through Seville and have the opportunity to take this day trip to the Alhambra, don't hesitate.

What this tour consists of

The drive time between Seville and Granada is approximately three hours, but I guarantee that the time is well worth it to see this monumental paradise. The tour, priced at £125, includes transfer to and from Granada in an air-conditioned vehicle, pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Seville, entrance to the Alhambra (including the Generalife and Charles V palaces) with no queues, and the services of a professional guide for the whole day.

On a voluntary basis you can extend the experience with a walking tour of the Albaicín, a district of Granada also considered a World Heritage Site.

Ana's Traveller Tip

As a general rule, few places will be hotter than Seville: sun protection and plenty of water are the keys to any walking tour in summer.

If you think that during the day the atmosphere in the city of Seville is unbeatable, get ready to experience it when night falls. When the high temperatures take a break, Sevillians take to the streets and terraces in search of a beer and a tapa. This night-time tour of Seville is all about tasting some of those tapas and getting to know some of the most typical places to order them.

What this tour consists of

Doing this tour is like visiting the city with a friend and getting his wise advice on how to get around the city like a local.

You'll visit around four bars and what you'll eat in each one will depend on the season, but there's sure to be a good wine, a good Iberian ham, fried fish and the obligatory tinto de verano. If you want more information, when you make your reservation online you can ask any questions or queries you may have via email.

You've probably noticed the bike lane that runs practically the entire length of Seville. The Andalusian capital is one of the most cyclist-friendly cities in the world, and it would be a shame if visitors didn't also take advantage of it. This electric bike tour of Seville includes bike and helmet hire and the services of a local guide.

The price of this tour is £40, it lasts two and a half hours and you can choose between Spanish, English, Italian or French. Best of all, by using the bike, you'll cover a greater distance than any walking tour would allow. Electric bikes will be used on the tour, so don't worry about getting tired. However, when booking online, avoid selecting the middle of the day to avoid the heat.

Itinerary

If your image of El Rocío is one of carts and dusty roads or of fervent followers of the Virgin trying to overturn the pass as she leaves the church, there is much more behind this village in the province of Huelva. On this excursion you will discover it and, in the second part of the tour, you will go on a 4x4 tour through the Doñana Park, home to animal species such as the Iberian lynx.

The joint excursion to Doñana and El Rocío gives you the opportunity to get to know two places near Seville in the same day that form an important part of Andalusia's cultural and natural heritage. You can do this tour in Spanish or English and includes transfers from the centre of Seville in an air-conditioned vehicle with WIFI connection, as well as the respective tours of Doñana and El Rocío.

A day trip to Cordoba is one of the most popular day trips to Seville. The price of £83 includes round-trip transfer from Seville in an air-conditioned vehicle, entrance tickets to the famous Mosque of Cordoba without queuing and the services of a professional guide. Before returning to Seville you will have time to explore the city of Cordoba at your leisure. Lunch is not included in this tour.

What to see in Cordoba

Another of the guided tours that depart daily from Seville is the excursion to Cadiz and Jerez, two emblematic cities located just an hour and a half from the Andalusian capital. More than 3000 years of history bathe these places and on this excursion to Cadiz and Jerez you will have the opportunity to discover them thanks to the explanations of an expert guide.

In case you're wondering, yes, the tour also includes free time on Cadiz' s La Caleta beach. You can also add to the experience the pick-up at your hotel in Seville (if not, a central meeting point will be provided upon booking) and a wine tasting at the destination. Apart from this, the transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle and the services of the guide are included in the price of £84

Ana's Traveller Tip

If you want to do the trip to Cádiz, avoid weekends as you may encounter delays on the roads.

By taking any of the tours of Seville and its neighbourhoods you will discover how far back in history this city goes. A medieval and romantic world is hidden behind the beauty of its architecture and streets. The most comfortable way to explore them is on board its tourist bus. I tell you all about its use and advantages in my article about Seville Hop-On Hop-Off Buses.

And you haven't seen anything yet... A place where this story is multiplied and that will leave you with your mouth open, even surpassing the impression that the Cathedral and the Giralda will make on you, is the Alcázar.

From the outside it goes unnoticed and many visitors to Seville make the big mistake of leaving a visit to the interior for the next trip, but this would change if they knew what they would find when they walk through its doors; a landscape comparable only to the beauty of the Alhambra in Granada. If you would like to visit the Alcazar on a guided tour take a look at this article on Alcázar of Seville Tickets and Tours.