Seville + Andalusia in 4 Days on a Budget
Four days: the same spine, plus Cadiz
Four days extends the 3-day base , Italica, Cordoba, Granada, with a fourth day trip to Cadiz for an easy beach-and-old-town train ride. Nothing from the first three days changes; this just adds a stop before you fly home. It nests into the 5-day and 7-day versions the same way if you end up with more time.
Book these before you go
- Book Granada’s Alhambra tickets the day your travel dates are fixed. Peak-season slots for the Nasrid Palaces sell out weeks to months ahead.
- Check Seville hotel rates on Booking.com , ideally near Sevilla Santa Justa station, since three of your four day trips leave from there.
- Browse a Cordoba day tour on GetYourGuide or a Cadiz day tour if you’d rather not manage the train timing yourself.
| Day | Focus | Distance/time from Santa Justa | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, settle in, Italica | Bus ~30 min | Free (EU) / ~2 euros non-EU |
| Day 2 | Cordoba, the Mezquita | AVE ~40-45 min | ~20-50 euros return + ~13-15 euros entry |
| Day 3 | Granada, the Alhambra | Train ~2h35-3h | ~28-54 euros return + ~21-22 euros entry |
| Day 4 | Cadiz, beach and old town | Train ~1h25 | ~20-35 euros return |
Day 1: land, then Italica
Fly into Seville Airport (SVQ) and settle in first; the EA airport bus runs about every 15-30 minutes into the center for 4-5 euros, taking 35-46 minutes. Then take a bus toward Santiponce, about 30 minutes, to Italica, one of the earliest Roman cities on the Iberian peninsula and birthplace of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Entry is free for EU citizens and about 1.50 euros otherwise, according to the official Italica site ; closed Mondays. Half a day covers the amphitheater and the rest of the site comfortably.
Day 2: Cordoba and the free hour at the Mezquita
Take an early AVE from Santa Justa; the roughly 140km run takes 40-45 minutes, with dozens of trains daily and fares from around 10 euros booked ahead. The Mezquita-Catedral is free Monday through Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30am, no groups admitted, versus the standard 13-15 euro ticket afterward. Arrive by 8:15 to queue. This is the single best free-and-crowd-free move in the region. Spend the rest of the day in the Juderia and around the Roman bridge before the train back.
Day 3: Granada and the Alhambra
Granada sits about 250km out, roughly 2h35-3h by direct train. The Alhambra’s general ticket runs about 21 euros (22.27 euros online with the booking fee) and includes a mandatory timed Nasrid Palaces slot chosen at purchase. Book only through the official Alhambra site ; resellers charge more for a ticket that sells out on its own merits. If you’ve missed the window, a guided Alhambra day trip from Seville usually holds pre-booked tickets as a fallback. Budget the whole day for this one.
Day 4: Cadiz, the decompression day
Cadiz is about 99km away, and a direct train covers it in 1h25-1h40 with frequent departures, no advance booking needed for a reasonable fare. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, an old town wrapped around a narrow peninsula with beaches a short walk from the station. After three days of timed tickets and early trains, Cadiz has no headline sight to manage; the plan is walk the old town, sit on the beach, and eat seafood before heading back to Seville.
Is four days enough to add Cadiz to this Andalusia base trip?
Yes, and it’s the easiest addition on the list. Cadiz needs no advance booking, no timed entry, and no early alarm, which makes it the right fourth day after three days built around the Mezquita’s free hour and the Alhambra’s fixed slot. It’s the one day on this itinerary where showing up and figuring it out on arrival works fine.
Should Cadiz come before or after Granada?
After. Granada is the day with the fixed ticket and the longest travel time, so it should land while your schedule still has slack in case an earlier train runs late. Cadiz, with no booking to protect, is the safer day to place last, right before you fly out.
Buy the Alhambra ticket the day you book your flights. Every other day trip here, including Cadiz, can be decided the night before over dinner.