Seville to Cádiz: train, bus, car and day trip guide

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Is it worth it? How long?

Yes. We think Cádiz is one of the best day trips from Seville: about 1 hour 45 minutes by direct train, with a compact old town almost surrounded by the sea, a gold-domed cathedral, beaches you can walk to and some of the best fried fish in Spain. One day is enough to see the highlights. We’d stay a night if you want to watch the sunset over La Caleta, or combine it with Jerez.

• Our pick: the regional train from Santa Justa, about €17 each way.
• Time needed: a full day (leave around 8:00, back in the evening).
• Good all year: in summer it is cooler than Seville; in winter it is mild and quiet.

Options: tour vs train vs car

Seville to Cádiz: comparison

By train

We think the train is the easiest way from Seville to Cádiz. Regional trains (Media Distancia) leave Santa Justa roughly every hour or two and run direct, stopping at Jerez on the way. The last stretch crosses the salt marshes and runs along the narrow strip of land into the city. Cádiz station is at the edge of the old town, about 10 minutes’ walk from the cathedral.

You don’t usually need to book far ahead, but trains fill up on summer weekends and during Carnival. Compare times and fares on Omio or on the Renfe website. The trip back, Cádiz to Seville, works the same way; check the time of the last train before you go. See our full guide to Cádiz to Seville and back.

By bus

Comes buses leave from the Prado de San Sebastián bus station (not Plaza de Armas), as listed on the operator’s booking page. Check times and fares with Comes; the bus is a good backup when trains are full.

By car

Cádiz is about 125 km from Seville, around 1 hour 30 minutes on the AP-4 motorway, which has been toll-free since 2020. We think driving makes sense only if you continue to Jerez, Vejer, Tarifa or the white villages. We’d park in one of the underground car parks at the entrance to the old town rather than driving into its narrow streets. See car hire in Seville.

Guided day tour

A tour saves you planning and usually adds a sherry bodega in Jerez, which is hard to fit in by public transport on the same day. Cádiz and Jerez day trip from Seville.

One-day plan

1. 7:45: train from Santa Justa. Arrive around 9:25 and walk into the old town.
2. Cathedral. The Catedral Nueva, with its gold-tiled dome, took more than a century to build (1722–1838). See the crypt, where the composer Manuel de Falla is buried, and climb the Torre del Reloj, the clock tower, for views over the rooftops and the sea. Allow 1 hour.
3. Barrio del Pópulo: the oldest quarter, just behind the cathedral, with the medieval arches and the Roman theatre.
4. Torre Tavira. The tallest of the old watchtowers, from which merchants once looked out for their ships. Its camera obscura projects a live, moving image of the city onto a dish. Visits last about 45 minutes and are booked for a set time on Torre Tavira’s website.
5. Mercado Central. The covered market is busiest in the late morning, with fish stalls and a ring of food stands around it. Good for an early lunch or a snack.
6. Lunch in the Barrio de la Viña. The old fishermen’s quarter, around Calle Virgen de la Palma, is the place for pescaíto frito (fried fish) and tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters). Or take a paper cone of fried fish from one of the freidurías near the market.
7. La Caleta and Castillo de Santa Catalina. Walk down to the small beach between two castles, with its fishing boats and old bathing huts. The Castillo de Santa Catalina, a star-shaped fortress on one side, is usually free to visit.
8. The seafront: follow the Campo del Sur, the sea wall with the view back to the cathedral, or the gardens of the Parque Genovés.
9. 18:00–20:00: train back to Seville.

In summer, swap some sights for the beach: La Caleta in the old town, or the long Playa de la Victoria in the new town. In February, Cádiz holds the most famous Carnival in Spain, full of satirical songs and costumes (the main week ends around Ash Wednesday, which falls on 10 February in 2027). It is great fun, but trains and hotels fill up fast.

Combine it with Jerez

Jerez de la Frontera is on the same train line, about an hour from Seville and 40 minutes from Cádiz. We’d go to Cádiz first, then stop in Jerez on the way back for:

• A sherry bodega tour, such as Tío Pepe (González Byass) or Lustau. We recommend booking ahead.
• The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, with its horse show on certain mornings of the week.
• Zambombas in December, the Christmas singing gatherings Jerez is famous for. See Christmas in Seville and Seville in December.

Doing both well in one day is tight by train. A tour, or a night in Cádiz, makes it easier.

Tickets for the main sight

The cathedral is the only sight most people pay for, and you can buy tickets at the door.

Buy the cathedral ticket on its official website or at the ticket office. You don’t need to book the cathedral in advance, but Torre Tavira asks you to book a time on its website.

Stay over instead?

We’d say yes, if you can spare a night. Day-trippers leave in the evening, and we think Cádiz is at its best at sunset over La Caleta and at dinner in the old town. A night also lets you do Cádiz and Jerez without rushing, or continue south along the coast to Vejer and Tarifa. See our guide to Cádiz and things to do in Cádiz.

• Hotels in Cádiz old town
• Parador de Cádiz, a modern parador by the Parque Genovés with sea views and a pool.

For other ideas, see all day trips from Seville and our Andalusia road trip.

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