Real Alcázar of Seville: visitor guide, tickets and route

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The short answer

The Real Alcázar is a royal palace that is still in use, and in our view the most beautiful building in Seville. It mixes Islamic, Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance styles across a chain of palaces, patios and gardens.

• Time needed: 2 to 3 hours, gardens included
• Price: about €15.50 for general admission (reduced and free tickets below)
• Book ahead: yes. Timed tickets sell out on spring days and weekends, and the queue without one can take an hour
• Best time: the first slot of the day (9:30), or the last two hours before closing
• Where: Puerta del León, Patio de Banderas side, across the square from the cathedral

The palace, the cathedral and the Archivo de Indias together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Opening hours and prices

Buy on the official website, alcazarsevilla.org. Our Alcázar tickets guide compares the official ticket with audio guides, guided tours and combined tickets.

Free entry on Mondays

On Mondays the Alcázar releases a limited number of free timed tickets (Lunes Gratuito) on its official ticket website. Check the times there, book ahead, and expect them to go fast. We’d use one for a second visit or if you only want the patios and gardens.

Tickets: official or guided?

The palace is easy to visit on your own with the free map and signs, and the official ticket is the cheapest option. We think a guided tour is worth it if you want the stories behind the rooms (Pedro I, the Catholic Monarchs, Columbus’s contract with the Crown) and skips the ticket queue, which helps on busy days.

• On your own: the official ticket, optionally with the official audio guide
• With a guide: Real Alcázar guided tour (about 1.5 hours)
• Two sights in one morning: Alcázar and cathedral combined tour

What to see: the best route

The visit is a one-way loop from the Puerta del León. This order follows the building’s history and leaves the gardens for the end, when you want shade.

1. Patio del León and the Sala de la Justicia. The oldest parts, from the Almohad palace and the 14th century. The small pool in the Sala de la Justicia is where the tour really starts.

2. Patio de la Montería. The square in front of the Palace of Pedro I, with its famous carved façade.

3. Cuarto del Almirante and the Casa de la Contratación. Where voyages to the Americas were organised. Look for the Virgen de los Mareantes altarpiece, one of the first paintings to show the discovery of the New World.

4. Palace of Pedro I. The heart of the visit, built in the 1360s by craftsmen from Granada and Toledo. We wouldn’t miss:

   • the Patio de las Doncellas, with its sunken garden and pool;
   • the Patio de las Muñecas, named after tiny faces hidden in the arches;
   • the Salón de Embajadores, under a golden wooden dome.

   

   

5. Gothic Palace (Salones de Carlos V). Huge tiled halls and the tapestries of the conquest of Tunis.

6. Baños de Doña María de Padilla. Vaulted rainwater cisterns under the Patio del Crucero, among the most photographed spots in Seville.

7. The gardens. Start at the Mercury pond, walk the Galería del Grutesco (an elevated walkway with views over the gardens), then get lost in the maze, the palm gardens and the English garden. Peacocks wander everywhere.

   

   

Game of Thrones fans: the Alcázar was the Water Gardens of Dorne in seasons 5 and 6. The Baths of Doña María de Padilla and the Patio de las Doncellas are the most recognisable spots. The amphitheatre of Itálica, just outside the city, was the Dragonpit.

The Cuarto Real Alto

The upper floor of the Palace of Pedro I is still the Seville residence of the Spanish royal family. It can be seen on a short timed guided visit with a supplement. We think it is worth it on a second visit or for history lovers, but it is not essential.

Tips for your visit

• We’d go early or late. Tour groups arrive from about 10:00. The first hour is the quietest, and the gardens are at their best in the late-afternoon light.

  

• Summer: from June to September, we’d see the palaces first and the gardens last. Bring water. The gardens have shade, but it is hot after midday.

  

• Entrance check: tickets are named, so bring your passport or ID card. Food and drinks are not allowed, except water.

• Night visits: the Alcázar runs theatrical night visits (about €15) and, from June to September, the Noches en los Jardines concerts in the gardens (about €7). Tickets are sold on the official website; the concert tickets go on sale in June.

• Accessibility: most of the ground floor and the gardens are accessible. Some areas have steps.

Nearby: combine it with

• The cathedral and the Giralda: 2 minutes away. Alcázar in the morning, cathedral in the afternoon is the classic plan. See the cathedral guide.
• Santa Cruz: the old Jewish quarter starts at the Alcázar’s walls. Leave by the Patio de Banderas and walk the lanes. See Santa Cruz.
• Plaza de España: 15 minutes on foot through the Jardines de Murillo. See Plaza de España.
• Where to stay nearby: Santa Cruz is the closest area. See where to stay in Seville.

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