Seville Base: 4 Days in Andalusia

Four days keeps the 3-day spine , Cordoba, Granada, Italica, and adds Cadiz, an easy unticketed train day at the coast. Days one through three do not change. The 5-day and 7-day versions nest the same way on top of this one.

Book these before you go

Day Focus Distance/time from Santa Justa Cost
Day 1 Cordoba, the Mezquita AVE ~40-45 min ~18-50 euros incl. entry
Day 2 Granada, the Alhambra Train ~2h35-3h ~50-76 euros incl. entry
Day 3 Italica, Roman ruins Bus ~30 min Free (EU) / ~1.50 euros non-EU
Day 4 Cadiz, old town and beach Train ~1h25-1h40 ~20-35 euros

Day 1: Cordoba and the free hour at the Mezquita

Catch an early AVE from Sevilla Santa Justa; the roughly 140km run takes 40-45 minutes, with dozens of trains a day and fares from around 9-10 euros booked ahead, according to Renfe’s timetable . The reason to go early: the Mezquita-Catedral is free Monday through Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30am, no groups admitted, against a standard ticket of about 13 euros the rest of the day. Arrive by 8:15 to queue. It is the single best free-and-crowd-free move in the whole region. Spend what is left of the day in the Juderia and around the Roman bridge before the train back.

Day 2: Granada and the Alhambra

Granada sits about 250km out, roughly 2h35 to 3 hours by direct train. The Alhambra’s general ticket runs around 21 euros, 22.27 euros online with the booking fee, and comes with a mandatory timed slot for the Nasrid Palaces chosen at purchase. Book only through the official Patronato site ; resellers rank well in search and charge more for a ticket that sells out fine on its own. Missed the window? A guided Alhambra day trip from Seville usually holds a block of pre-reserved tickets as a fallback. Give the whole day to this one; it earns the travel time on its own.

Day 3: Italica, the Roman city everyone skips for the cathedral

Fifteen to twenty minutes by car, or about 30 minutes by bus toward Santiponce, sits Italica, one of the earliest Roman cities on the Iberian peninsula and the birthplace of emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Its amphitheatre held around 25,000 spectators, bigger than most Roman arenas still standing anywhere. Entry is free for EU citizens and about 1.50 euros otherwise, per the official Italica site ; it is closed Mondays. After two full days of timed tickets and early trains, half a day here, with nothing to book and no queue to manage, is close to a rest day.

Day 4: Cadiz, Spain’s self-declared carnival capital

Cadiz is about 99km away, and a direct train covers it in 1h25-1h40 with frequent departures, no advance booking needed. It is 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. It also calls itself Spain’s carnival capital, its February Carnaval famous for chirigotas, satirical singing troupes that roast local politicians in verse; outside carnival season the same irreverence shows up in the street art and the unfussy seafood shacks along the seafront. No headline ticket to manage here; walk the old town, sit on the beach, eat fried fish, head back.

Is four days enough to add Cadiz to this Andalusia base trip?

Yes, and it is 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 is 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 head home or move on.

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.