Do you need to buy Seville Cathedral tickets and are not sure where or at which time to pick your slot?
Should you buy them online or just get them on the spot?
How big are the queues for the cathedral?
I’ve already visited Seville Cathedral twice, and this article will give you all the answers and tips you need to save money, time and a lot of hassle.
Insider Tips for Seville Cathedral Tickets
This spring was my second trip to the Seville Cathedral, so I’m quite familiar with the whole process and how the crowds are managed at this landmark.
There are a few things you should know that is not that obvious from the information provided online, so I will share them here.
ENTRANCE TO THE CATHEDRAL
There is more than one entrance to the cathedral, and that’s for a reason – one for those who want to buy tickets on the spot, and one for those who have bought tickets online
You will see a long line of people waiting to get into the cathedral alongside it – that might put you off completely from visiting, but you don’t need to worry – these are the people who didn’t get the tickets online
If you buy your tickets online, you can access the cathedral from the entrance under the Giralda Tower
The online tickets have a dedicated time slot, so there will be no huge queues of people in front of you and you know exactly when to get there, saving yourself a lot of time
The entry to Giralda also has a dedicated time slot for an obvious reason – it’s a tight space so crowd control is essential.
AVOIDING CROWDS
The first entry is available from 9.45 am and the last access to the cathedral and Giralda is 5pm (Monday to Saturday, with limited hours on Sundays – 2.30pm to 7pm, with eviction 6pm). If you would like some photos without crowds, try getting the first available tickets possible.
School visits are quite common in the cathedral, and they are a bit of a headache if you happen to bump into one of them. This happened on my last visit when I arrived at the top of Giralda tower, only to find a huge group of Spanish teenagers on a school trip there. It was impossible to get into the bays to check the view, not even talk about the noise and commotion.
I think the best way to avoid such a scenario is to try to get the early morning ticket or the late afternoon ticket, when it’s less likely that you will encounter huge groups of school kids, especially in the Giralda where the space is quite limited.
CLIMB TO GIRALDA TOWER
The climb to Giralda is not suited for those with serious health issues – there are inclined ramps, not stairs, that will take you to the top, and it can take easily 15 – 20 minutes of climbing up to reach the top. Also if you have vertigo or don’t like tight spaces, you might want to skip this.
Avoid wearing high heels while visiting the Cathedral and Giralda tower
You should not be stopping while you go up or down the ramps in the tower, if you need rest you can get into one of the bay windows in the tower to take a break. I can’t count how many times tourists stop in the middle of the ramp to check the views from the window, or have a chit-chat about the weather with a friend, while blocking all the traffic up and down the tower.
Once you enter the line to get to Giralda tower, you cannot leave and re-enter. The same applies to the entrance to the Cathedral.
Seville Cathedral Tickets: Why Buy Online
As I mentioned above, there are a few very good reasons why you should buy your tickets to Seville Cathedral online, these include:
- dedicated entrance, saving you a lot of time in the queue (exact entrance location on the map here)
- dedicated entrance slot, which means less time waiting to get in and easier manage your trip schedule
- the tickets cost more on the spot than online (on my first visit I bought at the door and they cost a little more than online)
- ability to choose the time of the visit that suits you the best and get your tickets in advance of your trip
- as you get inside, you only need to scan your ticket at the gates and go straight into the cathedral
Where to Buy Seville Cathedral Tickets
There are two options to buy Seville Cathedral tickets:
- on the spot – in this case you will need to join the long line of people waiting to buy tickets at the door, this can take quite a long time, and they are also a little more expensive
- online – preferred option to save you a lot of time in the queue, you can choose a dedicated slot to enter and have a different entry point to the cathedral, right next to the Giralda Tower
What Happens at Seville Cathedral Visit
Once you got your tickets online, you should arrive at the Giralda entrance up to 15 minutes before your dedicated time slot.
There is a member of staff who will check that you have the ticket for the correct time slot, and after that, you will pass the security gates where you scan your ticket.
There is no need to print your ticket, it’s just a QR code you can easily scan from your phone.
Once you get in, you have the option to explore the courtyard with orange trees or head straight into the cathedral. Don’t forget to check your tickets as it indicates when you’re allowed to go up to the Giralda tower – in my case, it was 30 minutes after the Cathedral entry.
When it’s your turn to get to the Giralda tower, there is a dedicated line and checkpoint you need to pass and scan your ticket once again.
When you’re finished with the visit, which should take around 1 hour or 1.5 hours, you can use the dedicated exit behind one of the altars to get to the orange square, and from there back to the street.
Seville Cathedral Tickets: Frequent Questions
Do you need tickets for Seville Cathedral?
Yes, you do! The visit is not free and you can get the tickets either on the spot at the ticket office entrance (not recommended due to long queues and waiting time) or online.
How to buy tickets online to Seville Cathedral?
You can buy the tickets online here, and select the date and time for your visit.
The tickets are then provided as a digital copy with a QR code that you simply scan at the gates of the monument. With an online ticket, you also get a dedicated entrance point which is located under the Giralda tower.
How do I book a guided tour?
You can book these in advance online, which is the most convenient option available. I have listed some of the popular guided tours below:
- Seville Cathedral, Giralda and Alcazar entrance with guided tour
- Seville Alcazar and Cathedral guided tour with Giralda access
How do I visit the Giralda tower?
You will need a ticket to the Cathedral in order to visit the Giralda Tower, it cannot be visited independently.
The ticket to the Cathedral includes access to the tower, however, the access is for a specific time slot, so make sure you check it on your ticket and get in the checkpoint for access on time.
Explore More in Seville
The Monument of Controversy: Las Setas de Sevilla
Hidden Gem of Seville: Palacio de las Dueñas
The Gem of Andalusian Architecture: Casa de Pilatos, Seville
The Foodie’s Guide: Best Restaurants in Seville
The Venice of Spain: Plaza de España, Seville
Your Detailed Guide to Visiting the Royal Alcazar of Seville
20 Best Day Trips from Seville: Complete Guide by a Local
How to See Seville in One Day: The Perfect Itinerary for All Highlights
10 Gorgeous Photography Locations in Seville, Spain
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links – if you decide to book using one of the links, I will earn a small commission that helps me run this site. This is at no extra cost to you.
