The Best Day Trips From Seville Spain

Seville is a delightful city – a vibrant haven of street festivities, food and art. It even plays host to the birth of flamenco, the archetypal music of Spain. However, if you’re fortunate enough to afford the time, Seville is just one of many exceptional regions in the south that demand your attention. It is very well connected, with the Santa Justa central train station providing regular and high-speed links all over Andalucía, making it an ideal location to take a day trip from. Read on to discover some of the best places to swing by during your visit.

Alhambra

Arguably Europe’s grandest paean to Moorish culture, Granada’s Alhambra palace complex is a breathtaking feat of 13th- and 14th-century Islamic architecture. Framed against the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, this UNESCO World Heritage site is brazenly opulent, with the Palacios Nazaríes widely regarded as its crown jewel. Due to popularity, you’ll need to book in advance.

For maximum efficiency, a twice-daily train from Santa Justa will arrive in Granada station in 2.5hr, where you’ll find plenty of taxis to take you on the final stretch.

Córdoba

By high-speed AVE train, the journey to Córdoba from Seville takes a mere 45 minutes, or by heading northeast on the A-4, 90 minutes by car.

Cádiz

The ancient port city of Cádiz is both modern and cosmopolitan, and incredibly scenic. Intimate, cobbled alleyways open out onto capacious, palm-lined promenades, and you’ll find plenty of picturesque places to dine along its bustling seafront.

With seven direct trains a day, Cádiz is within easy reach of Seville (departing from Santa Justa), and you should easily arrive in just over 1.5hr.

Ronda

Primarily known for its world-renowned 18th-century bullring, this relatively small town is the historical epicentre of this quintessentially Spanish sport. It sits either side of a vertiginous gorge, with three connecting bridges providing unparalleled views of the surrounding region.

With its manageable size making for a perfect day trip, ideally, you want to travel by car (around 90 minutes), although longer bus routes are available from Santa Justa.

Itálica

A historically significant destination, Itálica was the first Roman city in Spain, and its structures and mosaics have been meticulously preserved in a site within the contemporary town of Santiponce. While Game of Thrones fans may recognise the 20,000-seat amphitheatre, this is a destination often overlooked by visitors.

Located only 9km (6mi) northwest of Seville, Itálica is comfortably reachable by foot, although regular buses run from Seville’s Plaza de Armas station.

Gibraltar

Technically owned by the UK (you will need a passport), the island of Gibraltar is teeming with wild macaque monkeys, and a ride in its famous cable car offers a bird’s-eye view of the entire landmass. Alternatively, head beneath the waves to explore a Royal Navy shipwreck, or simply ease back by wandering one of its many encircling beaches.

This day trip is probably only worth it if renting a car, as the journey takes around three scenic hours along the N-4.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.