Andalusia in a week: Seville, Córdoba and Granada
These three cities trace Andalusia's Moorish history in order — Seville's grand, riverside sprawl; Córdoba's compact, single unmissable monument; Granada's hilltop palace above a warren of old streets — and they're joined by one of Spain's best rail corridors, so you never need a car. With seven nights, split them 3 in Seville, 1 in Córdoba, 3 in Granada. Córdoba only needs one full day; don't be tempted to give it more at the expense of Granada, which rewards a slower pace.
The train, solved
Renfe's high-speed and regional-express services run this whole route. Seville Santa Justa to Córdoba takes about 45 minutes on the AVE or the cheaper AVANT, with departures roughly every hour. Córdoba to Granada takes around 1 hour 45 minutes since the high-speed line via Antequera opened, a huge improvement on the old cross-country route. Book both legs a couple of weeks ahead for the lowest fares — Renfe's cheapest tickets are non-changeable but can be a third of the walk-up price. Stations are central in all three cities, so there's no airport-style transfer to add to your journey time.
| Day | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seville | Arrive, Barrio Santa Cruz, Seville Cathedral and La Giralda |
| 2 | Seville | Real Alcázar (timed entry), Plaza de España, tapas crawl in Triana |
| 3 | Train to Córdoba (~45 min) | Mezquita-Catedral, the Judería, Roman Bridge at sunset |
| 4 | Córdoba, then train to Granada (~1h45) | Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and courtyard patios, afternoon train, evening in Granada |
| 5 | Granada | Alhambra and Generalife (timed entry, half-day minimum) |
| 6 | Granada | Albaicín wander, Mirador San Nicolás at sunset, Sacromonte flamenco |
| 7 | Granada | Capilla Real, free-tapas crawl, depart |
Why Córdoba is a one-day stop
Córdoba's old town is small enough to walk end to end in under half an hour, and its reason for being here is essentially one building: the Mezquita-Catedral, the former Great Mosque with its forest of striped double arches and a Renaissance cathedral built straight into the middle of it. Pair that with a wander through the whitewashed Judería and a sunset stop on the Roman Bridge, and a single overnight covers it properly. If you're tight on time, Córdoba also works as a day trip from Seville by the same 45-minute train — but breaking the journey here, on the way to Granada anyway, avoids backtracking.
Granada gets the most time
The Alhambra alone justifies a slower pace: it's a palace-and-fortress complex big enough to fill a half or full day, and the surrounding Albaicín — Granada's old Moorish quarter of steep lanes and hidden courtyards — is best explored without a schedule. Climb to the Mirador de San Nicolás in the late afternoon for the classic view back across to the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada behind it, then drop into Sacromonte, the old cave-house district, for a flamenco show in one of its cuevas. Granada is also the one city on this route where bar culture works in your favour: order a drink almost anywhere and a free tapa arrives with it, which makes wandering between bars a legitimate way to plan dinner.
What sells out (book these first)
- The Alhambra — this is the one to sort first. Daily visitor numbers are capped, tickets for the Nasrid Palaces carry a fixed entry time, and popular dates sell out weeks to months ahead in spring and summer.
- Real Alcázar of Seville — timed entry, and while less scarce than the Alhambra, midday slots in summer do sell out.
- Mezquita-Catedral — general entry rarely sells out, but the early-morning free-entry window and any night-visit tours have limited capacity.
- Trains between the three cities — not a ticket in the attraction sense, but book Renfe seats ahead too; walk-up fares on the day are noticeably pricier and popular departures do sell out.
When to go
Spring (April–May) and autumn (late September–October) are the sweet spot — Andalusian summers regularly push past 38°C inland, and Córdoba and Seville, sitting low in their river valleys, feel it hardest. If you do go in July or August, front-load outdoor sightseeing into the morning and treat the early afternoon as siesta time, the way the locals do.