Free things to do in Seville: sights, free entry times and tips

The short answer

We think Seville is one of the best cities in Spain to visit on a tight budget. Its most photographed sights are free, and several of the big monuments have free slots.

• Always free: Plaza de España, the Parque de María Luisa, Santa Cruz, Triana, the Castillo de San Jorge, the Archivo de Indias and most parish churches
• Free on Mondays: a limited free session at the Real Alcázar (book online)
• Free for EU citizens: the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares (about €1.50 for everyone else)
• Free with a tip: free walking tours, paid with a tip of your choice

The list

1. Plaza de España

The great semicircle of brick and tiles built for the 1929 Exposition, with a canal, four bridges and an alcove for each Spanish province. Free and open every day. We’d climb to the upper gallery for the view. Only the rowing boats cost money. See Plaza de España.

2. Parque de María Luisa

Seville’s main park: palm trees, fountains, tiled benches and ponds, from Plaza de España to Plaza de América. The shadiest place in the city on a hot afternoon.

3. Santa Cruz

The old Jewish quarter is free to wander: Plaza de Santa Cruz, Plaza de Doña Elvira, the Callejón del Agua along the Alcázar wall, and the Jardines de Murillo. We think it is best early or after dark. See Santa Cruz.

4. Triana and its market

Cross the Isabel II bridge to the potters’ and sailors’ neighbourhood. The Mercado de Triana, the ceramics shops of Calle Alfarería and the painted houses of Calle Betis cost nothing to see. See Triana.

5. Castillo de San Jorge

Under the Mercado de Triana, the remains of the castle that was once the seat of the Inquisition now house exhibitions. Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–17:00. Free.

6. Archivo de Indias

The archive of Spain’s empire in the Americas, in a Renaissance building next to the cathedral, with a marble staircase and changing exhibitions of maps and documents. Free.

7. Real Alcázar on Monday

On Mondays the Alcázar releases a limited number of free timed tickets (Lunes Gratuito) on its official ticket website. Check the times there and book ahead: they go fast. See Real Alcázar tickets.

8. The cathedral’s free slot

The cathedral is free on Sundays (subject to the church calendar): free tickets are handed out in person at the Puerta del Príncipe ticket office from 17:00 until closing, with a limited number of places. You can also attend mass for free, but not visit during services. See cathedral tickets.

9. Torre del Oro

The 13th-century Almohad watchtower on the river houses a small naval museum with a rooftop view. A €3 voluntary contribution. See the Torre del Oro guide.

10. Museo de Bellas Artes

One of the best painting collections in Spain, with Murillo, Zurbarán and Valdés Leal, in a former convent. Free for EU citizens with ID, about €1.50 for everyone else, so almost free anyway.

11. Plaza de América museums

At the south end of the Parque de María Luisa, the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares (folk arts, costumes and crafts) has the same rules as Bellas Artes: free for EU citizens, about €1.50 otherwise. The Museo Arqueológico opposite has been closed for a long renovation; check before you go.

12. Churches

Many of Seville’s churches are free to enter outside mass. Three that matter during Semana Santa:

• Basílica de la Macarena: home of the Virgen de la Macarena (the museum has its own ticket)
• Basílica del Gran Poder: on Plaza de San Lorenzo, home of Jesús del Gran Poder
• Capilla de los Marineros: in Triana, home of the Esperanza de Triana

Dress modestly and keep quiet during services. Some bigger churches, like the Iglesia del Salvador, charge entry (the Salvador is included in the cathedral ticket).

13. The Setas, at street level

The rooftop walkway of the Setas de Sevilla costs from €16, but walking under the giant wooden canopy and around Plaza de la Encarnación is free, and so is the market on the ground floor (best in the morning).

14. Free viewpoints

• Calle Betis and the Puente de Triana: the classic view of the Torre del Oro and the old town
• The upper gallery of Plaza de España
• The river walk from the Torre del Oro to the Puente de Triana, which we think is best at sunset
• Plaza Virgen de los Reyes: the Giralda from below, lit up after dark

15. The old tobacco factory

The Real Fábrica de Tabacos, where Bizet set Carmen, is now the main building of the University of Seville. On weekdays you can usually walk through its courtyards and corridors.

16. Palacio de San Telmo

The Baroque palace by the river, now the seat of the Andalusian regional government, has run free guided visits on set days. Check the Junta de Andalucía website, juntadeandalucia.es, for current dates and booking.

17. Contemporary art at La Cartuja

The Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, in a 15th-century monastery on La Cartuja island, has free entry at certain times each week. The monastery, where Columbus often stayed, is, we think, as interesting as the art.

18. Free walking tours

A guided walk of the centre, Triana or the legends of Santa Cruz, paid with a tip at the end. See free walking tours in Seville.

19. Flamenco for the price of a drink

Entry to La Carbonería, a bar in Santa Cruz known for live flamenco, has traditionally been free: you just buy a drink. Check its social media for the current programme. Street performers also dance around Plaza de España (leave a tip). See flamenco in Seville.

20. Semana Santa and the Feria

Watching the Semana Santa processions costs nothing, and entry to the Feria de Abril fairground is free, although most of its tents (casetas) are private.

If you only have one day

Morning: Plaza de España and the Parque de María Luisa, then the Archivo de Indias. Lunch: tapas in Triana (about €3–5 each, see where to eat). Afternoon: the Castillo de San Jorge, Calle Betis and the river walk. If it is Monday, we’d try for a free Alcázar ticket. Evening: Santa Cruz after dark and a drink at La Carbonería. More ideas in things to do in Seville and one day in Seville.

Where to stay nearby

To walk everywhere and save on transport, we’d stay in the historic centre. Good-value picks are in cheap hotels in Seville and where to stay in Seville. Hotel prices are lowest in July, August, January and February.

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