The Royal Alcázar of Seville is one of the oldest and most visited monuments in all of Seville. The Royal Alcázar is over 1000 years old and holds so much history within the elaborate royal palace walls.
At the Royal Alcázar, you can roam through detailed courtyards, ornate bedrooms, museums, and chapels imagining what life was like here centuries ago. After exploring the interior of the palace, take a break and relax within the lush gardens featuring more than 20,000 plants.
If you’re planning a trip to Seville, visiting the Royal Alcázar should be on top of your list!
Due to its central location, you can also easily combine a visit to the nearby Archivo de Indias and Cathedral of Seville & La Giralda attractions on the same day. All three of these landmarks were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are a must-see in Seville!
Visitor Tip: Going on a guided group tour is a great option if you don’t want to spend hours waiting in line to purchase entrance tickets.
Our pick for the best Seville Alcazar tour: Seville Alcázar Guided Tour with Priority Entrance (Rated 4.8/5 stars out of 1100+ reviews)
If you plan to go on your own, this post covers all you need to know about visiting the Royal Alcázar of Seville including opening hours, ticket prices, and must-see attractions!
Some of the links used in this blog may be affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I earn a small commission when you book through these links which helps support this blog.
Guide to visiting Royal Alcázar of Seville in Spain:
Entrance Tickets & Cost
The general admission tickets for Royal Alcázar of Seville cost:
- 13.50 Euro for international travelers
- 6 Euro for E.U. Citizens with a student or youth card (14-30 years old)
- 6 Euro for retired E.U. Citizens that are older than 65 years
Free tickets are offered to:
- Seville residents
- Visitors under 13
- Disabled persons
- Unemployed residents in Seville province
- ICOMOS members
To purchase entrance tickets you have several options:
- Tickets can be purchased in person at the ticket office by Patio de Banderas. There is usually a line to get in-person tickets that can take anywhere from 30 minutes up to a couple of hours, depending on what day of the week and time you come to get them.
- You can make online reservations at the official website Alcazarsevilla.org, but it costs 1 Euro more. When purchasing tickets on the official website, you will need to enter each person’s passport information to complete the transaction. We tried purchasing the tickets on this website first, but the system kept crashing as we tried to enter the required information.
- To save the hassle, you can also purchase the Royal Alcázar Entry Tickets on Get Your Guide here. Get Your Guide has a very user-friendly website where you can easily select the time slot for your visit.
Visitor Tip: If you plan to visit Royal Alcázar in the low time of year (like winter or spring) or during the week, the in-person ticket lines will be fairly short. If you plan to come in the summer months or the weekend, be prepared to wait 1-2 hours to purchase tickets and enter the royal residence grounds.
Royal Alcázar Opening Hours
The Real Alcazar of Seville is open to visitors every day from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. This is a very popular attraction so we recommend coming as early as possible in the morning to avoid the crowds.
By 11 am tourist attractions in Seville start getting busy and it can be difficult to walk around, enjoy the location and take photos without people in them.
From March to October months, evening guided tours are also available to visitors. You can read more about Real Alcazar’s nocturnal schedules here.
Royal Alcázar Of Seville Location
The Real Alcázar of Seville is located at the center of Seville’s Old Town within Plaza del Triunfo. The main entrance is situated across from the La Giralda bell tower and Seville Cathedral which is the largest gothic cathedral in the world and home to the Christopher Columbus tomb.
On Google maps, you can find the Royal Alcázar of Seville entry point marked as ‘Puerta del León’. This is the main gateway into the royal fortress which is located just around the corner from the ticket counter.
At the entrance gate, you will need to pass your bag through a security check and walk through a metal detector to enter the palace grounds.
To learn about the royal palace's importance and history, I recommend signing up for the Seville Alcázar Guided Tour. With this tour, you’ll be able to skip the ticket lines and tour the palace's grounds with an experienced guide!
What To See At The Royal Alcázar of Seville
The Royal Alcazar of Seville is the oldest royal palace in Spain that consists of many different buildings, rooms, plazas, and extensive gardens. There are 53 attractions marked on the palace’s map so you could spend hours at this location and not see it all!
A few of the must-see attractions are:
- Patio de la Montería / The Monteria Hunting Courtyard
- Cuarto Real Alto / Upper Palace
- Patio de las Doncellas / Courtyard of the Maidens
- Baños de Doña María de Padilla / Maria de Padilla Bathrooms
- Jardín del Laberinto / The Maze Garden
- Galería de los Grutescos / Grotto Gallery
You don’t have to see everything in a certain order as this place feels like a giant labyrinth.
Once you get started, it can take a while to get back to the main entrance/exit gate. I recommend grabbing a bite to eat beforehand and bringing plenty of water for your visit.
Fun Fact: The Royal Alcázar was the filming location of Game of Thrones show Kingdom of Dorne scenes from season 5!
Here is a detailed breakdown of what we explored during our visit:
Patio de la Montería / The Monteria Hunting Courtyard
Patio de la Montería is the main courtyard of the Seville Alcazar. From here you can easily access several different buildings including the Mudéjar Palace, the Gothic Palace, and Admiral’s Hall.
The plaza consists of large black and white flooring surrounded by old ruins and ornate buildings. This used to be the gathering place for hunting during King Peter I ruling earning it the name ‘The Hunting Courtyard’.
The origins of the Royal Alcázar Palace palace date back to the year 913. Each king that lived at this palace expanded the grounds and added new elements to it up until the 19th century.
Most of the buildings within this courtyard were built over different centuries so you can see many different architectural influences in one place.
Salón del Almirante / Admiral’s Hall
From the main courtyard, you can walk into the Admiral’s Hall. This courtyard consists of a bright yellow interior and a beautiful water fountain at the center of it.
The Admiral’s Hall was an essential meeting point where the Spanish planned sailing trips across the Atlantic Ocean after Christopher Columbus landed in America in 1492. This is also where the first map of the world was made.
Exploration, trade, and colonization are some of the main reasons why Spain became one of the richest and most powerful countries during the 1500s.
Cuarto Real Alto / Upper Palace
From Admiral’s Hall, you can take an ornate staircase up to the second floor of the palace. The upper floor offers excellent views of the entire Patio de la Montería.
The Upper Palace is the official residential area of the King of Spain whenever he visits Seville. Real Alcazar is the oldest palace in Europe that is still used today!
Patio de las Doncellas / Maidens Courtyard
Patio de las Doncellas is the main centerpiece of the Alcazar palace. This is the most beautiful location in the entire palace complex where visitors spend the majority of their time.
The Court of the Maidens consists of ornate rooms, arches, and a courtyard that showcases Mudéjar architecture. Mudéjar is a mix of Moorish and Christian styles that was incorporated into local buildings once the Spanish took over the Iberian peninsula.
As you explore the royal palace grounds, you will see a mix of Islamic, Baroque, and Renaissance architectural influences throughout.
Patio de las Doncellas is a great place to come for photography (if you can catch moments of the courtyard without any people in it).
Patio de Los Levíes / Levies Courtyard
Patio de Los Levíes is a smaller, scenic courtyard with a green pool and lush plants that surround it. This patio feels like a hidden gem tucked away from the tourist crowds.
Photography Tip: I recommend using the Sony a7C camera and a wide lens for photographing city landscapes. A wide lens is great for city photos because you can capture more into a single frame!
Baños de Doña María de Padilla / Maria de Padilla Bathrooms
Baths of Dona Maria de Padilla is a vast underground tunnel with grand gothic arches. This bathing area consists of a long swimming pool that used to offer an escape in the summer months from the scorching heat.
Jardín de las Damas / Ladies Garden
The centerpiece of Jardín de las Damas is an elaborate water fountain with the Neptune statue on top of it. From this geometric garden, you can also head into the magnificent Royal Garden which has over 200 different plant species from all around the world!
The Royal Garden is an amazing location to go for a relaxing walk and enjoy the sights of orange trees, lemon trees, rosemary, and many other plants that were brought over and planted here for their pleasant scents.
I recommend setting aside plenty of time for the Royal Garden as there is so much to see here! As you roam around, you might even run into the colorful peacocks that reside at the Royal Palace.
Jardín del Laberinto / The Maze Garden
The Maze Garden is a great location where you can walk into a labyrinth made of myrtle, cypress, and other plants.
Once you head in, you can explore endless rows of narrow pathways – some of which lead to dead ends. This can make it hard to find the exit – but that’s part of the fun!
Cenador del León / Lion Pavilion
As you walk through the main garden, you will come across many different buildings. The Lion Pavilion consists of a small 17th-century pavilion with a pool and a lion sculpture at the end of it.
This is a great spot for photography where you can capture the lion statue reflected in the water.
Galería de Los Grutescos / Grotto Gallery
Galería de Los Grutescos was one of my favorite areas in the entire palace grounds! Here you can take stairs to a second floor for better views of the Alcazar garden and the maze from up top.
From the second-floor covered walkways, you can enjoy the scenery of the gardens, ponds, pavilions, and other surrounding buildings. This is also an excellent location for photography where you can snap a photo standing on the extended balcony overlooking the garden.
FAQs On Visiting Royal Alcázar:
Here are some frequently asked questions about visiting the royal palace in Seville to help you more with trip planning:
Is Royal Alcázar Worth Visiting?
If you’re planning a trip to Seville, the Royal Alcázar is so worth visiting! This is one of the oldest and most popular monuments in the entire city so be sure to set aside a few hours to visit the royal palace grounds and discover all that it has to offer.
Should I Book a Tour For Visiting The Royal Alcázar?
You can visit the Royal Alcazar on your own, but for the best experience, we highly recommend going on a guided group tour like this one. A guided tour will take you to all the top highlights of the royal palace so you’re not wasting your time wandering around aimlessly.
Without a tour, this palace can feel a bit overwhelming and you’ll miss out on a lot of background stories that add context. There is very little information explaining the meaning of the different buildings, rooms, and architectural styles within the palace grounds.
How Long Does It Take To Visit Royal Alcázar of Seville?
There are over 53 notable attractions within the Royal Alcázar. We recommend setting aside 2-3 hours to see all the top stops at a comfortable pace.
Royal Alcázar of Seville is an enormous palace with various courtyards, residential chambers, arches, museums, and extensive gardens that visitors can explore during the opening hours from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Where To Stay In Seville
When planning a trip to Seville, we recommend booking a hotel in the historic center so you can walk to all the nearby landmarks, restaurants, bars, and shops.
Here are some of the best places to stay at the heart of Seville:
Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel
If there is one hotel in Seville that stands out above all others, it’s Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel! Situated just a 5-minute walk from the Royal Alcazar, the Hotel Alfonso XIII is a renowned cultural icon in the Santa Cruz Neighborhood.
The property boasts elegant Andalusian style throughout the lobby, inner courtyards, outdoor pool, and gardens. All of this offers a peaceful escape in the heart of the busy Seville town!
Hotel Colón Gran Meliá
The Hotel Colón Gran Meliá is a highly-rated hotel in Seville that showcases a mix of historic and modern architecture. The Colón Gran Meliá has upgraded, modern rooms with a contemporary design that sets it apart from other hotels in the city.
The on-property El Burladero restaurant is popular for its delicious tapas and traditional Andalusian cuisine. The hotel also has a terrace with a rooftop pool and a wellness area with a spa.
Hotel Casa Del Poeta
Hotel Boutique Casa del Poeta is located at the center of Old Town Seville just a few minutes walk from the Alcazar Palace and other iconic landmarks. The hotel is housed in a gorgeous 17-century building that has been renovated with modern furniture and appliances.
During your stay, you can take advantage of the hotel’s private terrace, which offers views of downtown Seville. There are plenty of fun tapas bars and restaurants nearby if you wish to head out for a fun night in town.
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