The Royal Alcazar of Seville is one of the best attractions in the city! However, depending on the time you go, it can be packed wall to wall with tourists. We recently had the chance to see the Seville Alcazar before it opened to the public… And you can, too! Here’s everything to know about the Alone in the Alcazar Seville tour, how to buy tickets, and all about our guided visit.
Picking the Right Seville Alcazar Tour
If you’re up for an early morning, we highly recommend taking the “Alone in the Alcazar” tour by Walks. The start time is due to the fact that you’re literally the first people let into the Seville Alcazar!
Can you imagine having this Unesco World Heritage Site all to yourself?
That’s exactly how we felt on our trip to the Royal Alcazar of Seville. Our official guide took us through the famous palace before any other visitors were allowed in.
This one of a kind tour gave us a unique window into the Seville palace that not many people get to experience. As you’ll see in this article, anyone can visit the Alcazar before it opens. You just have to book the right tour!
Alcazar Seville Tour vs Self Guided Visit
Let’s jump right into it. We’ve taken endless historical tours around the world, and visited many epic castles and palaces on our own. Typically, we don’t have a preference as it depends on the tours and which are available.
Whether we’re on a guided tour or not, we ALWAYS try to go to popular attractions early. It’s so easy for a magical place to be ruined if it’s too crowded with tourists. That is one of the reasons why this Seville Alcazar tour was so special!
Honestly, having the entire palace for our small group of ten felt like we had a cheat code. While there are an abundance of amazing historical sites around Spain, this the only time we’ve seen a tour advertised like this.
If you plan to do any Seville Alcazar tour, this is hands down the one we recommend! However, if it’s not in your budget (or you can’t make the early start time), then you can book entrance tickets on the official website. Just make sure you buy them well in advance so they don’t sell out for your dates.
Starting Our Alcazar Seville Tour
We met our guide at 8:15am in Plaza del Triunfo right in front of the imposing Lion Gate. As soon as our entire group arrived, we headed into the palace to start our Seville Alcazar tour.
Our Walks guide took us right past where there is normally a queue of people, and we were through the gate in the blink of an eye. We knew that the tour promoted visiting before it opened, but seeing it for yourself is another thing!
History of the Royal Alcazar of Seville
Our Alcazar guided tour took us through the unbelievable history behind the architecture. The Moors originally built the fortress in the 10th century.
They were the Arabic rulers of Seville during this time period, and responsible for many great structures that still stand today. Yet, this was just the beginning of the Alcazar’s story.
Over the next few centuries, it would undergo an incredible transformation with additions being continuously added on. It’s almost like the succeeding King’s and Queen’s were constantly trying to outdo each other!
Some of the most significant construction came with the Christian conquest in the 13th century. King Peter of Castile (King Pedro I) added many spectacular features during his reign, which beautifully combined the Christian and Islamic architecture.
This is known as the Mudejar style where muslim art was adapted by the Christians that came after. Another one of our favorite examples of this in Spain is the Alhambra de Granada.
After that, the Alcazar of Seville underwent more additions through the different eras. This includes the popular Baroque and Renaissance style designs that can still be seen in many Spanish cities.
As we made our way through the different rooms and gardens, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The complex is very well preserved, and taking this tour without other travelers was something we’ll never forget.
What You’ll See On a Guided Alcazar Tour
It’s hard to pinpoint our favorite areas of the Seville Alcazar as the entire fortress is so stunning. How unbelievable is it that this was used as both a military base, and royal palace over the last 1,000 years?
One thing that led to its more recent popularity was a hit television show. If you recognize some of these pictures, that’s because it was actually used in the filming of Game of Thrones.
That’s right! This was the setting for scenes from the Kingdom of Dorne. We had recently been to Klis Fortress in Croatia, so it was fun to see another location used in the HBO series.
Below are a few of our favorite rooms and gardens inside the Royal Alcazar of Seville. To help you navigate the large palace, we’ve listed them in the order we saw them on our Seville Alcazar tour.
Our Favorite Parts of the Seville Alcazar
Lion Gate: The main gate to enter the Alcazar of Seville. On both sides stand two historic 11th century towers.
Hall of Justice: A fascinating space with plasterwork dating back to the 14th century. The hall opens up into a room with a large dome that you could spend all day looking up at.
Patio del Yeso: Rectangular courtyard with a pool and arch on the far end. It was discovered in the 19th century and retains its beauty to this day.
Admiral’s Hall: The former headquarters of the Castilla Court with many stunning paintings hanging throughout the long room. This was used by Queen Isabella I as a place of trade after the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus.
Palace of King Pedro I
This starts off a magnificent section of the Seville Alcazar built by King Peter in the mid-1300’s. You enter through the hunting courtyard which is worth spending some time in as well.
The royal residence has a bedroom that’s surrounding by several more detailed rooms with gorgeous arches. The most amazing part of this for us was seeing Filipe’s ceiling.
Maidens Courtyard: The outdoor public area built for Peter the Cruel with a long flowing pool in the center. The water is surrounded by arches and is a great place for photos.
Hall of Ambassadors: Our absolute favorite room was saw on the Alcazar Seville tour! The immense dome was built by Diego Ruiz in 1427, and shows off the artistic vision of its time.
Garden of Galley: The first of many extensive gardens we would come across inside the Alcazar. Orange trees will hang from both sides on your short walk through here.
Baths of Doña María de Padilla: The bathing area of Peter’s lover Dona Maria. This long cave-like pool was a place to hide from summer heat back in the day.
Gardens: The Alcazar gardens include La Danza, Las Damas, Las Galeras, and El Rústico all from different time periods. If you can believe it, there are over 170 exotic plant species inside the Royal Alcazar of Seville!
Should You Take a Seville Alcazar Tour?
Yes! This was our favorite thing we did on our trip to the city. The Seville Alcazar tour (book it here) is just over an hour, but you get to experience the palace like few others have!
While it’s worth visiting anytime, we highly recommend getting your Seville Alcazar tickets to go before it opens. Seeing it without the crowds was an unreal morning that we can’t say enough about. Hopefully, our photos give you a small glimpse of what it looks like before it opens to the public.
Where to Stay in Madrid
- On our last visit to Seville we stayed at Intelier Casa de Indias. It’s located right across from the Setas de Sevilla which is the large art piece that looks like mushrooms!
- Hotel Fernando III is in the middle of the lively Santa Cruz neighborhood. It has a beautiful rooftop terrace with a swimming pool to enjoy.
- If you want to stay near the Royal Palace, then Hotel Legado Alcazar is a great pick. Some rooms even have views of the stunning gardens.
- Traveling on a budget? Check out La Banda Rooftop Hostel. Just as the names states, it has an epic rooftop overlooking the city!
Quick Seville Travel Tips
- 🌍 Consider getting a Spanish e-sim before you arrive to stay connected.
- 🌇 Check out Get Your Guide for thousands of activities around Spain.
- 🚗 Discover Cars is the best way to find deals on Spain rental cars.
- 🎒 Get inspired for your trip with our Amazon packing lists.
- 🏥 Never travel abroad without insurance like SafetyWing.
- 🇪🇸 Check our all our Spain articles to help plan your next adventure!
Have any questions about this article or want to share your own experience on a Seville Alcazar tour? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
Thank you so much for this guide! We’re heading to Seville this month, and I was debating whether we should take a tour. You convinced me. Your photos are SO beautiful! Can’t wait to see it!
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Thanks for reading! So glad it was helpful and this tour is so worth it. Have a great visit to Seville!