My husband and I went on a 10-day trip of a lifetime to the Andalusia region of Spain last October. It was the most inspiring trip I have ever been on and I’m here to encourage you to book as soon as you can. If you’re looking for a good itinerary for 10 days in Andalusia, Spain, you’ve come to the right spot!
Day 1: DFW to Madrid, Spain (non-stop, overnight flight), immediate train to Seville
We opted to head straight to Seville upon arrival, and I can see both the good and annoying sides of this. Our flight arrived very early so getting on a 3-hour train in my opinion is the best option here: you’re not going to check into your hotel until the afternoon anyway, and you’re most likely jet lagged, and hopping on a train isn’t really that big of an ordeal. Our only problems were due to us: our Spanish is very limited, and finding the right train and right platform took a minute…. or 30… to figure out. Once we were on the train, there’s only one fairly simple connection to get to the Santa Justa Station in Seville, and once in Seville, we booked an Uber very easily to our hotel.
We stayed for 4 nights at the Radisson Collection hotel in Seville and we absolutely loved both the hotel and the neighborhood. You can literally walk everywhere from the hotel, and that’s what we did. Seville stole my heart; in my opinion, it’s the best place to begin your Spain adventure! I loved waking up early every morning and walking around to take photos of all the sights before the streets got crowded. I loved all of the cafes and people watching: the outfits alone were gorgeous, and the people of Spain are so vibrant! So much Enneagram 7 and 8 energy in the best possible way.
Days 2, 3 and 4: Falling in Love with Seville!
Oh, Seville. Is any city more lovely, walkable, safe-feeling, jovial, than Seville!??!! I think not!!
Our first day, we walked to the Setas (mushroom architecture), and then had a wonderful dinner at Casa Toni. It was lovely to explore and not be rushed and just take in the sounds and atmosphere of beautiful Seville on our first night – such a stark difference in the best way to our home base of DFW!
The next days, we spent many an afternoon at Syra Coffee (the best croissants – not vegan – and matcha lattes). I discovered my new favorite store (Oysho), absolutely loved getting juices and healthy bites at Milk Away (so many light vegan options!), ate my weight in Middle Eastern dishes at Al Wadi, and loved Plaza Nueva, Barrio Santa Cruz, La Giralda and the Cathedral, Mary Luisa Park, and oh my gosh Plaza de Espana. That plaza took my breath away! We ended our second night with a Flamenco Show that was wonderful and had my favorite meal of Seville at Sibuya Sushi which is a small chain but located no where near me and oh my gosh the flavors and entire experience were just incredible.
Our final day, we took a hop-on-off bus tour (skip this IMO but we were tired and it was nice to just sit) and stopped for a bit in the Triana neighborhood. The Mercado de Triana was just OK but the neighborhood was nice to explore. On our way there, we stopped in the absolutely adorable Balino Yoga Cafe and enjoyed our smoothie bowls and matchas/coffees. We spent the evening walking around the Cathedral and Barrio Santa Cruz again, just enjoying all the random activities Seville offers. I can see the case for 3 nights only, but we were really happy to have the 4th night to not feel rushed and to just have an extra day to take in the lovely sights of Seville.
Day 5 – Viator from Seville to Ronda to Granada
We chose to hire a driver to take us from Seville to Granada because we wanted to see more of the countryside and stop in Ronda on the way. We booked this tour from Viator and loved every minute of it. We had a private driver, who gave us enough info about Spain and Ronda but didn’t overwhelm us, and I valued not being on a group tour. Getting a private driver was an excellent choice!
The countryside of Spain is ridiculous: so much greenery, gorgeous olive groves, mountains, stunning terrain. It reminded me of the beauty of New Mexico but so much greener. It was unbelievable! And Ronda was gorgeous… for about an hour. Thankfully, we got there before the tour buses arrived. Once they arrived, the city became a zoo. I do not recommend going if you can not arrive by 9 a.m. And I highly suggest you leave by 10:30 a.m. It just gets nuts. But the city is cute and the views were stunning.
All that said, I would not go back. I am really glad we visited, but it was a toss-up between Ronda and Cordoba. We didn’t think we’d have enough time to see all of Cordoba, so we saved it for next time. I think this was the right decision, but on our next visit, we’ll be sure to hit up Cordoba for a few days!
After Ronda, our driver took us right to our hotel in Granada: Hotel Palacio de Santa Paula, a lovely hotel, although they put us in the original side and I would have much preferred the new, modern side. That’s just me: I’m not into quaint and old when it comes to places to stay: I want fresh and modern. So maybe request that if you agree; and otherwise, the hotel was lovely and in the best location. We spent our first evening walking around, loving the narrow, steep streets, and found a good tapas bar for dinner.
Days 6 and 7: Granada
Seville was already such a show-stopper that I did not know what to expect with Granada, and oh my word, it was simply the best. If I could just retake this trip every year, I would be absolutely smitten. Granada was magical. Three nights was not long enough. The walking, the climbing, the narrow, secret passageways, the pomegranates literally everywhere… the ALHAMBRA… the night time views of the Alhambra and the city itself… my goodness, how can you not fall in love with Granada???
The Alhambra was the most magical place I have ever toured. Don’t forget your passport!! And get there early (we booked afternoon tickets), and give yourself enough time to see the sights and just walk. We walked so much we got lost in the best way multiple times. It’s truly unbelievable. Watch some YouTubes before you get there so you can understand how it was built and what its use was, and then just get there and take it all in. The Alhambra is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will love it.
I don’t know if the nighttime views of the Alhambra were better than actually touring the Alhambra, or if I was just in this love-filled cloud, but the view from Mirador San Nicholas (and other less-popular stops on your way there that I do not know the name of) and the view from Calle de Elvira were simply unbelievable.
The Albacain was my favorite neighborhood to stroll through, walking through the original Arc of Elvira was really cool. and some of our favorite cafes throughout Granada were I Need Coffee, Sur Coffee Corner, Caravan Coffee and Tea, Bonnevie Coffee, and Epicureum (for brunch). We enjoyed a delicious Middle Eastern lunch at Castillo de Aleppo, and my favorite (due to the ambiance and people-watching) was a lovely, quaint courtyard dinner at Saint Germain.
On our final day, we enjoyed a leisurely morning walking around the hotel’s neighborhood, and caught an afternoon train to Madrid.
Days 8, 9, and 10: Madrid
I had heard from some to skip Madrid, and some to skip Barcelona, and after reading many books and travel blogs, we chose to end our trip in Madrid. I am so glad we did! I am certain Barcelona will be fabulous on a different trip, but we didn’t want that many crowds and that much hustle on our last few days. Madrid was lively and gorgeous and easily walkable, and we loved having the vibrancy of a big city, with lots of fantastic food, on our final days in Spain.
We did no tours in Madrid, just walked the lovely city, people watched, and ate at delicious cafes. We went to the rooftop bar at Circulo Bellas Artes for fantastic views, loved the coffee/matchas at Ambu and Gosto (PB/banana toast for the win!!), enjoyed vegan/healthy lunches at both Coco House and Honest Greens, and had two different, outstanding, Michelin dinners at La Bien Aparacida and the fully-vegan 10-course meal at El Invernadero.
Aside from that, we enjoyed an afternoon at Retiro Park, loved seeing the Palace and walking through all the gorgeous neighborhoods, and absolultely loved seeing Jaume Plensa’s Julia sculpture – my second time to see his work in person and both times now I’m just in awe with his faces!
Madrid was not as action-packed as Seville and Granada were and we both loved the juxtaposition of that: we chilled more in the big city and took advantage of every inch of the smaller, simpler, more relaxed Seville and Granada.
When I say this trip was once in a lifetime, I truly mean it. Spain is magical. There’s no doubt about it. I hope you enjoyed this recap of our 10 days in Andalusia, Spain, and I hope you and yours get the chance to visit this beautiful land someday.
With love,
Jen