Seville + Andalusia in 5 Days on a Budget
Five days: the same spine, plus Ronda
Five days extends the 4-day version , Italica, Cordoba, Granada, Cadiz, with a fifth day trip to Ronda, the one stop on this list with no useful direct train. Days 1 through 4 don’t change; this just adds the gorge before you head home. The 3-day and 7-day versions share the same first four days too.
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 car rental rates for Seville on Discover Cars if you’d rather drive to Ronda than take the bus; it’s also the only way to add a pueblos blancos stop.
- Check Seville hotel rates on Booking.com , ideally near Sevilla Santa Justa station.
- Browse a Ronda day tour on Viator if you’d rather not manage the bus schedule 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 5 | Ronda, the gorge | Bus (Damas) ~2h15 | ~22-48 euros return + ~8-12 euros bullring |
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. 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. No headline ticket to manage here; walk the old town, sit on the beach, eat seafood, head back.
Day 5: Ronda, the gorge with no useful train
Ronda is 100-130km out depending on the route, and the rail option, via Antequera at about 3h50, is too slow to bother with. A direct bus (Damas, roughly 2h15) or a 1h40 drive is how everyone actually gets there. The payoff is the El Tajo gorge, a 120-meter drop spanned by the Puente Nuevo, plus Spain’s oldest bullring, the Real Maestranza , which runs about 8-12 euros including its museum. If you rented a car for this day, the drive also opens up a stop in the pueblos blancos on the way back.
Is Ronda reachable without a car?
Yes, the Damas bus covers Seville to Ronda in about 2h15, several times a day, for roughly 11-24 euros one-way. A car only earns its cost if you plan to add the pueblos blancos, Arcos de la Frontera and the villages inside the Sierra de Grazalema, since public buses between those towns are too sparse to string together without one.
Should you rent a car for the whole five days instead of using trains and buses?
No. Cordoba, Granada, and Cadiz all run on frequent, cheap trains that beat driving on both cost and stress, especially into Granada’s traffic and one-way old town. A car earns its keep only on the Ronda day, and only if you’re using it to also reach the pueblos blancos, which have no useful public transport between them.
Buy the Alhambra ticket the day you book your flights. If you’re renting a car for Ronda, book it once your dates are fixed too; rates climb and the best pickup slots near Santa Justa go first in peak season.