Book Seville To Granada Day Trip: Expert Tips [2024]

Are you looking for the best options for Seville to Granada day trip?

In that case, you’re at the right place!

I’ve already been to Granada four times now, and as a local resident in Southern Spain, I am able to share lots of local practical insights that you won’t find anywhere else!

Are you ready to explore your options?

Below you will find a detailed breakdown of all the different options to do a day trip from Seville to Granda – if you prefer to book one with a tour company right away, I have included the bestselling option below – just click the link to see prices & availability.

PS: this article contains affiliate links, I will earn a small fee if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping me run this blog!

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I highly recommend booking this local tour which includes a guided tour of the famous Alhambra and Albaicin in Granada.

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Why Visit Granada on a Day Trip from Seville?

Granada is one of the most beautiful and historically important parts of Southern Spain. It’s the home of the old Nasrid Kingdom with the Alhambra standing as a majestic testimony to its glory.

It’s the place where you can watch a Flamenco performance in an old cave carved into a mountain, go hiking in the surrounding hills, or watch a beautiful sunset casting a light show on the walls of Alhambra, from Mirador St Nicholas.

It’s hands down my favorite city in Andalusia and one that has so much to offer.

If you should only choose one place to see while staying in Seville, I highly recommend sticking to your pick of Granada. The visit to this city will certainly leave a lasting impression.

Your Options for Seville To Granada Day Trip

Here is a quick breakdown of the available options for this day trip – I included detailed information for each of these in the sections that follow.

Day trips with a local travel company – are usually the most convenient and often also a cost-effective option, especially if you want to have a tour of Alhambra with a local guide. Tickets to Alhambra can be very hard to get on your own, no matter what the season, so this option guarantees you can get inside the palace on your trip to Granada. Click here to check the prices & availability for this day trip option.

Day trip with a rental car – if you have already rented a car in Seville, the most convenient option for you will be to drive the car. The only thing you need to remember is that you should get your tickets to Alhambra as soon as possible as they tend to sell out really fast, and you don’t want to miss seeing Alhambra if you’re already travelling to Granada.

Day trip with public transport – Seville is well connected with Granada with buses and trains, which makes this also an easy alternative for exploring the city. It’s important to check your arrival times in advance to ensure you can get to your Alhambra tour on time, as the tickets have a dedicated time slot (read more below).

Day trip with a taxi or uber -for those who prefer private transport, getting a taxi or uber is also certainly an option. Check below for price estimates.

1. Seville To Granada Day Trip with a Local Travel Company

One of the most popular ways to see Granada on a day trip from Seville is by booking a trip with a local travel company. It eliminates the hassle of navigating the local traffic in a car, or using public transport, and you’re guaranteed to secure tickets to Alhambra as they are included in the trip price.

Below is the bestselling tour option for this day trip, and I have also listed some practical advantages of using this as your day trip option:

• Convenient pick up and drop off locations in central Seville
• FREE cancellation up to 24 hours before the trip, giving you lots of flexibility in case your plans will change
• Reserve now and PAY LATER option
• Skip the Line tickets to Alhambra included in the price of the trip
• Runs 7 DAYS PER WEEK, giving you lots of options to pick the day for your trip
• English-speaking guide
• Free time to explore Granada
• Travel in a comfortable air-conditioned bus
• Book online in just a few clicks – all you need is your ID and payment card
• The tickets to Alhambra are issued as personal ones and checked against the ID at the entrance, don’t forget to bring your ID with you for this trip

For this trip, I would recommend securing your spot as soon as you know the details of your stay in Seville, as it’s very popular and it could be already sold out for the dates you were planning to visit.

IS IT SOLD OUT?

If you checked the day trip option and you don’t see available dates anymore, you still have the option to go to Granada on your own, with a rental car or train/bus, BUT you should get your Alhambra tickets as soon as possible if you want to see the palace, as the tickets do sell out quite fast.

2. Seville To Granada Day Trip with Rented Car

If you already rented a car for your stay in Seville, it makes the most sense to do this day trip with the car. I have outlined the journey in the map below.

Here are a few things you should know:

• first of all, get your tickets to Alhambra well in advance before you get to Granada
• Get the best rental car deals from Discover Cars
• the distance to Granada is about 253 km, which would be a nearly 3 hour drive one way – I have outlined the journey on the map below
• due to the duration of the one-way trip, I recommend leaving very early in the morning from Seville to avoid rush hour and get to Granada in good time to have lots of time to explore (ideally leaving Seville around 7am).
• some of the roads may be toll roads (the ones with “P” in the name), so have some cash ready in the car in case you hit the toll booth
• be mindful of your speed, there are traffic cameras everywhere
• check parking options in Granada in advance, and especially so if you’re planning to get to Alhambra – in that case it may be much easier to park somewhere in central Granada and take a local taxi there

3. Seville To Granada Day Trip with Public Transport

For those who are on a tight budget, this may be the most cost-effective option. The only thing you need to remember is to check your travel connections early, and secure your tickets to Alhambra well in advance.

The entrance to the Nasrid palace has a dedicated time slot you can’t miss, so give yourself plenty of time when checking your bus or train arrivals in Granada.

Here is everything you need to know:

• There are regular travel connections leaving from Sevilla Santa Justa train station, and arriving at Granada’s main train station.
• The cost of the tickets is from 20 euros upwards, depending on how far in advance you book, the day of the week and travel time. You can save a lot of money if you book your tickets well in advance. With a few days’ notice, the one-way ticket can cost 60 euros upwards.
• The train travel time between Seville and Granada is around 2.5 hours or a bit longer, depending on which connection you take.
• The other public transport option is taking a bus – the Alsa bus from Seville to Granada costs as little as 12 euros one way, with roughly 10 departures throughout the day from the main bus station in Seville.
• The journey takes either 2 hrs 45 mins or 3 hrs 15 mins depending on which connection you take. Most of these buses are direct, with no need to change.
• The first departures are around 9am and last ones around 8pm. If you are only planning to do a day trip, it’s worth trying to take the first bus to Granada and the last bus back to Seville to make sure you have enough time to see the city.
• Once you get to Granada, just take a local taxi to Alhambra to get to the entrance of the Nasrid palace on time, within your dedicated time slot. The journey should take about 15 – 20 minutes directly to the Alhambra entrance.

4. Seville To Granada Day Trip with Uber or Taxi

The final option is the most costly one – a trip from Malaga to Granada would cost you between 250 euros to 300 euros, depending on the company and time of travel.

Practical Tips for Your Seville To Granada Day Trip

Here are some of my tips for making the most out of your trip:

• Granada is pretty big and beautiful – if you have free time I would recommend exploring the Albaicin district and Sacromonte
• Granada is one of the last remaining places in Andalusia where you get free tapas with every drink, so do a bit of restaurant hopping and tapas tasting to enjoy this old tradition – I would recommend sitting down in any of the restaurants at Paseo de los Tristes so you can enjoy your drink with nice views of Alhambra
• Wear comfortable shoes for exploring Alhambra and the gardens, the complex is pretty big
• Don’t forget to bring your IDs with you when entering Alhambra – the tickets are issued against your ID number and they do check them as you get in!
• Take water with you to keep hydrated, especially in the summer months. There are some vending machines between the Nasrid palace entrance and the Alcazaba courtyard, that’s where the toilets also are
• No food is allowed inside the complex, you can have a snack in the courtyard between the Charles V palace and Alcazaba, there is also a small kiosk to buy coffee, drinks and snacks
• No backpacks are allowed inside the Alhambra complex (bigger than 40×40 cm), there are lockers near the vending machines but the number of available ones is pretty limited – please keep this in mind!
• Baby prams are also not allowed inside the complex, you will have to leave them in the luggage storage room

Seville To Granada Day Trip: Frequent Questions

Is this trip suitable for kids?

I would not recommend taking very small kids on this trip, especially the organised tour as the one way travel is a bit too long. If you’re driving by car, then you can make some stops along the way and should be fine taking kids with you.

What should I do in my free time in Granada?

There is some free time in Granada included in this day trip, I think with the limited time you have, the best use of it is to take a stroll through the streets of Albaicin and take in the views of Alhambra from one of the higher points.

You can also sit down for a drink and enjoy the old custom of free tapas with every drink served, pretty much anywhere in the city. If you’re looking for some restaurant recommendations, my favourite ones are in this article.

Is there barrier-free access in Alhambra?

As far as I remember there isn’t and this day trip is not recommended for wheelchair users or people with reduced mobility.

Can you do this trip in bad weather or on a rainy day?

You can easily see Alhambra even if the weather is not great, as most of the exploring is indoors. The only issue is seeing the Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba fortress.

I hope this article provided a good overview of what you can expect on this recommended online booking for a day trip to Granada! I hope you will enjoy this trip and will be keen to hear your feedback in the comments section.

Recommended Tours and Experiences in Granada:

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