The Perfect 7-Day Route for Spain

Seven days in Spain works best when you pick one region and go deep, and Andalusia is the strongest choice for first-timers who want Moorish palaces, tapas bars and late nights without spending half the week in transit. The pace is steady but unhurried, with three bases linked by fast trains, plus a local shuttle bus to the ruins outside Cordoba.

Days 1-3: Seville

Give Seville three nights, because the heat and the late dinners slow you down in the best way. Book the Alcazar of Seville online for the first entry of the day (roughly €15 to 20) so you see the tiled courtyards before the tour groups arrive, then wander the orange-tree gardens. Spend the afternoons across the river in Triana, where ceramics workshops still line the streets, and the evenings at a small flamenco venue rather than a dinner show. In July and August, temperatures regularly pass 40°C, so plan sightseeing for the morning and after 7 p.m.

Day 4: Cordoba

The AVE takes about 45 minutes to Cordoba, and one night is enough … read more 👉

Seven days in Spain works best when you pick one region and go deep, and Andalusia is the strongest choice for first-timers who want Moorish palaces, tapas bars and late nights without spending half the week in transit. The pace is steady but unhurried, with three bases linked by fast trains, plus a local shuttle bus to the ruins outside Cordoba.

Days 1-3: Seville

Give Seville three nights, because the heat and the late dinners slow you down in the best way. Book the Alcazar of Seville online for the first entry of the day (roughly €15 to 20) so you see the tiled courtyards before the tour groups arrive, then wander the orange-tree gardens. Spend the afternoons across the river in Triana, where ceramics workshops still line the streets, and the evenings at a small flamenco venue rather than a dinner show. In July and August, temperatures regularly pass 40°C, so plan sightseeing for the morning and after 7 p.m.

Day 4: Cordoba

The AVE takes about 45 minutes to Cordoba, and one night is enough if you start early. Take the shuttle bus about 8 km west to the Caliphate City of Medina Azahara, the ruined palace city of the 10th-century caliphs, where horseshoe arches stand in open fields. Back in town, the forest of red-and-white arches in the Mezquita and the flower-covered patios fill the rest of the day.

Days 5-7: Granada

The train to Granada takes about 1.5 hours. Reserve the Alhambra several weeks ahead (around €20) since tickets for the Nasrid Palaces sell out, and give it a full morning. Watch sunset from the Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albaicín, then make a tapas crawl dinner: in Granada, a free plate comes with every drink. On Day 7, fly out of Granada or take the 1.5-hour bus to Málaga airport.

If you can stretch the week by a night, take the bus from Granada to Guadix, where families still live in whitewashed cave houses dug into the clay hills.