10 Things To Do In Seville (2022)

Seville is the city HOT on everyone’s lips at the moment. It blew up all over social media in 2022 and will very likely only become more popular in 2023.

I first visited Seville on a day trip as part of a Spanish Exchange programme when I was 16 and finally returned many (many) years later in September 2022.

I spent 2 and a half weeks there just soaking in the Andalusian atmosphere. I spent most of that time alone and rented an apartment, so got to know the city a little like a local. Spoiler alert: I LOVED IT and want you to love it to!

So, here are 10 things to do in Seville, all tried and tested by me (of course)!

Casa de Pilatos

Everyone knows about the Real Alcázar de Sevilla and yes of course that features on this list too. But, not everyone knows about its little sister, Casa de Pilatos.

Ok it’s not really its little sister before any history buffs come at me, that was just a turn of phrase, k?

Casa de Pilatos is just as beautiful as the Alcázar in my opinion, just much smaller and much less known. It’s located in the Barrio de Santa Cruz, a district of Seville you’ll know better as the Old Town, or the Jewish Quarter.

So whilst it’s not hidden away on the outskirts of the city or in some unknown neighbourhood, it definitely doesn’t get as much attention as the Real Alcázar de Sevilla.

From the outside, it doesn’t look overly spectacular, but inside is where the intricately patterned tiles and stunning courtyard shine. I mean hello, look at the photos!

The entrance fee is around €10 per person. You can opt to add on a little extra for a guided tour of the upper floor; only accessible via a tour.

La Plaza de España

I imagine you already know about this place if you’ve planned a trip to Seville, but it really is one of the top things to do!

La Plaza de España is the biggest square in the city, though there’s nothing square about it. It’s a huge semi-circle surrounded on one side by an impressive, ornate building and has a Venice-like canal running across the open plaza.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get to watch some live Flamenco dancing and listen to traditional Flamenco musicians and singers while you’re there, just under the arches of the building.

Make sure to head there early in the day to beat the crowds (it’s popular for a reason!).

While you’re there, be sure to head upstairs for views out across the plaza and over to Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park) too, it’s beautiful!

Oh, and on some days, the Military Historical Museum of Seville is open, located inside the huge building. Tickets to this are totally free!

One major tip for la Plaza de España is to check dates in advance for any events that might be being held there. It’s such a huge space that it’s often where gigs are held and you wouldn’t want to go all the way to Seville and not be let in to see it!

Las Setas de Sevilla

Or, “the mushrooms of Seville”. Excellent name if you ask me.

You may not recognise the name but I imagine you’ll recognise the photos! It’s the biggest wooden structure in the WORLD. Yep, the world. In relatively tiny Seville, in the south of Spain.

As you can see, it’s a pretty impressive sight from the ground.

But it’s also impressive from the top. You can actually walk on the top of this huge structure on its looped walkway where you’ll get uninterrupted 360 degree views of the city. If I’m being completeeeeely honest, I preferred the views from La Giralda Tower as you can actually see Las Setas from there, nestled in the city buildings.

If you decide to head up on top of Las Setas for sunset, get your tickets in the morning to avoid a huge queue in the evening and just go back later in the day. When you do go up for sunset, get up there a little early and nab a spot by the edge of the railings if you want to get photos of the city without other people in them, as it can get really busy! But, don’t go up *too* early as the walkway doesn’t take long at all and there are no seats or anything.

Tip if you fancy a Sangria in that area – head to Doña Encarna; there are outdoor tables with a view up to Las Setas and the Sangria is excellent!

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

AKA the Royal Alcazar Palace, in English.

What would a “10 things to do in Seville” list be if it didn’t include the Alcázar? It’s the most popular and well known sight in Seville (ok maybe joint with La Plaza de España).

This huge palace contains architecture and influence spanning millennia, multiple cultures and religions, but when you’re inside you’re most likely to notice the Arabic influence in all the decorative tiles and doors.

I visited this place three times in the two and a half weeks I was in Seville as it’s so worth visiting!

Yes there are queues to get in and yes it’ll be busy (even on the first entry slot of the day), but if you buy your tickets online in advance and go early in the morning, you’ll give yourself the best shot.

In summary, yes it’s a little touristy, but it’s absolutely beautiful and so worth adding to your “things to do in Seville” list.

Seville’s Oldest Tapas Bar

Now of course you’re going to want to seek out tapas when you’re in Seville and let me tell you, there are a LOT of tapas bars. But you’re definitely going to want to seek out El Rinconcillo, Seville’s oldest tapas bar.

It opened in 1670 and is just around the corner from Las Setas, so it’s an ideal place to head to for dinner after a sunset walk on top of Las Setas.

El Rinconcillo is where you’ll find a truly authentic, traditional tapas experience. If you head upstairs there is a seated restaurant, but the best experience is downstairs. Find a windowsill to perch on, a tall barrel table to stand at or, preferably, a slot at the bar.

Order your drinks and tapas as you fancy them and watch the barman tally your order in chalk on the bar in front of you.

As you can imagine being Seville’s oldest tapas bar, this place gets BUSY. In the evenings it opens at 8pm and your best bet is to get there for then. You’ll literally find people hanging around outside waiting for it to open, so get there much later and you could struggle to find space.

I ate in there a few times and will definitely be eating there again when I go back! Make sure to try the chickpea and spinach dish “espinacas con garbanzos” – it’s delicious!

La Giralda Tower

As I mentioned above under the Las Setas section, I loved the views from La Giralda. It’s a bell tower attached to the Seville Cathedral (la catedral de Sevilla) and is the second tallest structure in the city!

There’s no lift up the tower, but don’t panic too much about the thought of those thighs burning, as the tower is almost exclusively sloped the entire way up! There are 35 brick ramps spiralling up to the top, with one staircase for the final climb at the top.

I personally didn’t hugely rate the cathedral itself. Yes it’s impressive, massive and holds Christopher Columbus’ tomb which is pretty cool, but it isn’t unlike many other European cathedrals. It isn’t La Sagrada de Família in Barcelona, let’s just say!

BUT, the Giralda Tower is still so worth it.

Just one thing – it’s a working bell tower. A bell will ring every 15 minutes so, y’know, be warned. When I tell you I jumped a foot in the air…

Rooftop Cocktails at La Terraza de EME

After a full day of wandering the cobbled streets, nibbling on tapas and checking out the sights, you’re gonna be in need of a cocktail, am I right?

I’ve got JUST the place for you. Head to the EME Catedral hotel and ask to go to their rooftop bar, La Terraza de EME. You’ll be escorted in the lift up to the roof, where you’ll be greeted and shown to a table. There are a couple of different rooftop areas, both with views across to the cathedral.

As you can see by the photos, it looks pretty spectacular lit up at night!

They don’t take reservations at this bar so you may have to wait for a table to become free as there’s no standing, so just keep that in mind.

Another thing to note is that it’s not the cheapest bar – cocktails are around €16 each. But, after lots of cheap tapas and cervezas during the day, why not splurge on a cocktail? Go on, you deserve it!

Triana Food Market

Triana is a neighbourhood just over the river from the old town and all the main sights. It’s so worth a visit just to get a glimpse at a less touristy area and to mix with the locals a little more. It definitely has a totally different feel to the rest of Seville!

The food market, or El Mercado de Triana, is right on the edge of the Triana Bridge and is filled with food stalls selling olives, fruit, vegetables and other local delicacies.

It also has a handful of small restaurants serving typical Andalusian dishes. Highly recommend a visit as there were definitely a lot of locals in there eating, a good sign that the food is decent!

Mercado Lonja de Barranco

I know I know, I keep switching from Spanish to English, sorry! Just keeping you on your toes.

This is the second of two markets on this list of things to do in Seville, and it totally different to El Mercado de Triana.

Forget the traditional, small, local tapas bars for just a second and head to Mercado Lonja de Barranco on the banks of the river. It’s actually located just over the bridge from El Mercado de Triana so you could hit up both in one afternoon easily.

It’s quite an upmarket market but surprisingly, you can get a Cruzcampo beer at the bar for under €3!! There’s a selection of deli counters, but the buzzy little bar at the back is the main event. Sit inside in the air con (if it’s 40 degrees like it was when I went!) or nab a table outside under the shades.

It’s such a handy spot to know about if you happen to be in Seville when it’s super hot as there aren’t a lot of air conditioned bars around!

The Bullring

Hear me out. I know this one can be controversial.

Spain has a long history with bullfighting and regardless of your opinion on it, it’s steeped in tradition and forms a big part of the culture in certain areas.

You might be surprised to hear that bullfighting still exists. Still happens. I was, when I visited La Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. Bit of a mouthful right, so let’s just call it “La Plaza de Toros”, or “the bullring”!

Bullfights still take place in Seville every year, from the end of Easter (known as Semana Santa in Spain) to the end of September.

You might not be willing to go and watch one, but did you know you can still tour the ring on non-fight days?

Tickets on the door are just €10 and include a guided audio tour, which you actually access on your own phone – so bring headphones!

I found it really interesting listening to the audio and learning about the famous matadors, so I’d definitely recommend being open-minded to it and adding it to your itinerary.

10 Things To Do In Seville

So there you have it, 10 things to do when you’re in Seville! These were some of my favourite things there and I hope you love them! If you go and use this blog post, I’d love you to let me know in the comments!

Have the BEST time!

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