Andalusia from Seville in 2 Days
2 Days: Seville and Andalusia
Two days from Seville buys exactly two easy train day trips, no car and no advance tickets needed for either. Cordoba’s Mezquita by a 45-minute AVE on day one, Cadiz’s old town and seafront by a 1h25 direct train on day two. Want Granada or Ronda in the mix? Jump to the 3-day or 7-day version, or read the full Seville, Spain guide .
Book these before you go
- A hotel near Santa Justa station , so two early train departures don’t turn into two rushed mornings
- A guided Cordoba day trip if you’d rather not time the free Mezquita window yourself
- AVE and Cadiz train times on Renfe , check them the night before, especially the earliest departures
Day 1: Cordoba and the Mezquita
Catch one of the early AVE departures from Santa Justa, the ride is 40 to 45 minutes covering roughly 140km, with fares from around €10 to €25 depending how far ahead you booked. Aim to walk into the Mezquita-Catedral during the free Monday-to-Saturday window, 8:30 to 9:30am, arrive by 8:15 to queue, no groups admitted in that slot. Outside that window, standard entry is about €15 adult, €12 reduced. Spend the rest of the morning in the old Jewish quarter around the mosque, then walk the Roman Bridge over the Guadalquivir before lunch. Catch an afternoon AVE back to Seville, you’ll have the evening free.
Day 2: Cadiz’s old town and seafront
A direct train from Santa Justa covers the roughly 99km to Cadiz in 1h25 to 1h40, with frequent departures all day and no advance booking required. Cadiz is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, so spend the day wandering the old town’s narrow streets and squares, then walk the seafront promenade and, if the weather cooperates, get beach time you won’t find in landlocked Seville. Grab a late lunch of fried fish, a Cadiz specialty, before catching a return train, plenty run into the evening.
Is 2 days enough to see Andalusia from Seville?
Enough for a genuine taste, not the whole picture. Two days covers exactly two easy, no-car train trips, Cordoba’s Mezquita and Cadiz’s old town, both doable without booking anything in advance beyond a hotel. It’s not enough for Granada’s Alhambra, which needs a longer day and weeks of ticket lead time, or for Ronda and the pueblos blancos, which need a car or a bus.
Do you need to book Cordoba or Cadiz train tickets in advance?
Not strictly, both routes run frequently enough for same-day tickets most of the year. Booking a day or two ahead does get you the cheapest AVE fare to Cordoba, since prices climb closer to departure, so it’s worth doing for your wallet even though it’s not a sellout risk like Granada’s Alhambra.
| Day | Distance / train time | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seville to Cordoba, 140km / 40-45 min AVE | Mezquita free window, old Jewish quarter, Roman Bridge |
| 2 | Seville to Cadiz, 99km / 1h25-1h40 direct train | Old town, seafront promenade, beach time |
Keep both return tickets flexible if your fare type allows it, a delayed Mezquita queue or a slow lunch in Cadiz is easy to absorb with a later train, not so easy with a fixed one.