1. Go on a Free walking tour
I recommend going on a free walking tour in every new city. It’s a good way to get a brief overview of the city, to see some of the main public monuments and to learn a few interesting facts. There are many people who run them but the quality of the tours do vary considerably depending on who is the tour guide. Free Walking Tour Sevilla is a popular one. Highlights include Plaza de Espana and Torre del Oro.
2. Visit the Real Alcazar de Sevilla
Every visit to Seville should include visiting the Royal Palace made famous by Game of Thrones. The architecture is amazing and the gardens are beautiful! There’s also quite a lot of shaded garden areas which makes it a good place to go on a hot day.
HOT TIP! Buy tickets beforehand if you can. It’s worth skipping the long wait to enter.
3. Visit Seville Cathedral and La Giralda
Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in the world. It is also where Christopher Columbus was buried. This is the biggest building ever. You can’t miss it and you definitely need to go inside and see it. You should also walk up to the top of La Giralda for great views of the city.
HOT TIP! There are usually huge lines to buy tickets to enter Seville’s cathedral but there’s a loophole to skip the line. Head to the Church of El Salvador first and ask for a combination El Salvador Church + Seville Cathedral ticket. Visit the Church of El Salvador first and then go to Seville Cathedral afterwards and slide right past the huge queue on your way there.
4. Visit the Bullring: Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla
The Bullring in Seville is very much part of this city and Spain’s history and culture. They still use the arena for bullfighting from April to September with the most important bullfights occurring during the Seville Fair in Easter. However, the bulls used in bullfighting are all slaughtered during these bullfights and there are significant animal welfare concerns. I personally did not want to see this but I did want to learn more about bullfighting in Spain and see the bullring. For anyone with similar views, the best option is to go on a guided tour of the bullring and the museum next to it. It was a really informative and interesting tour. You can pay €10 to access the museum and bullring but the tour is worth paying for in my opinion.
5. See a Flamenco Show at Museo Del Baile Flamenco
Seville is known for its flamenco dancing so experiencing a flamenco show should be near the top of things to do in Seville. If you are going to see only one flamenco show then I highly recommend going to The Flamenco dancing museum founded by Cristina Hoyos, a world famous flamenco dancer. They run flamenco shows regularly but make sure you book in advance as they book out quickly.
HOT TIP! The seats are allocated on a first-in-first-serve basis so make sure you get there 30-45minutes early to get a good seat. I would recommend sitting in the second row. Close enough to get up close to the action but not too close. I sat in the first row which was a great experience but it might be too much of an experience for some. One of the dancers was dripping with sweat and unfortunately during the dance he flicked his head and I saw sweat spray into the faces of the two girls sitting next to me hahaha.
6. Eat Tapas at Bodego Santa Cruz
Bodego Santa Cruz is a humble, local pub. Unless you checked the google reviews you would have no idea it is one of the best tapas bars ever! The tapas is cheap, authentic and the orders come out quick. I think I ate there three times while I was in Seville!
7. Check out Seville’s Nightlife
If you want to have a night out and want to party, I highly recommend going out on La Banda Hostel’s pub/club crawl. Seville is home to a big university so there’s lots of students which makes for a very lively night scene. Just be prepared for how hard the Spanish like to party. I remember turning up at 12am to a dead club but by 4am when I left it was pumping and packed full of people. It was a weekday too.
FAQs:
When is the best time to visit Seville?
March to May is the best time before it gets too hot. You may want to visit in Easter to be there during the Seville Fair.
How many days do you need to see Seville?
Two to three days is more than enough to explore the city and see all the main attractions.
Where should you stay in Seville?
If you are backpacking then I highly recommend La Banda Hostel. It’s a great place with a friendly bunch of people running it. They win a lot of hostel awards for good reason.
How do I get to Seville?
The best ways to get to Seville are plane, train and bus.
Plane
Seville has one airport located approximately 30 minutes by car from the city centre. Once you arrive at the airport you can hire a taxi or Uber to get to the city centre (taxis may charge extra for luggage). However, there is a good bus service, the Urban Bus Transport Line (Line EA) which will transport you to the city centre in 35 minutes and costs only €4.00. Bus tickets are sold on board by the bus driver. You can get off at Paseo Colón (near Torre del Oro) or Plaza de Armas depending on where you are staying. This bus also stops at Santa Justa Station (the main train station in Seville).
Train
The main train station in Seville is the Santa Justa Station. Once you arrive you can catch a taxi or Uber into the city centre. There are several public transport options to get to Seville’s city centre. The easiest is to take bus number 21 to a bus stop near the city centre, for example Torre del Oro on Paseo Colon.
Bus
If you are travelling by bus (Flixbus) you will usually arrive in Seville at Prado de San Sebastian bus station or Plaza de Armas bus station. Both are quite close to Seville’s city centre and are within walking distance. However, if you have a lot of luggage, from Prado de San Sebastian bus station you can take a tram (Tramway T1) to Plaza Nueva which is in the city centre of Seville. From Plaza de Armas bus station you can catch bus number 21 and get off at Plaza de Toros (the Bullring) on Paseo Colon.
Do the locals speak English in Seville?
Some locals can speak English but many cannot or choose not to. I noticed a distinct difference in the level of English spoken by the locals between Barcelona and Seville. Most people will only speak a little bit of broken English unless you are in the touristy areas. I actually liked it because it just seemed more authentic and less affected by main stream tourism. Remember, you are the visitor in Spain who should be trying to speak Spanish to the locals instead of the other way round. Luckily the locals are quite friendly and they were happy to try and understand my terrible Spanish.