Seville · Spain
Seville Cathedral and the Giralda
A practical guide to Seville Cathedral and the Giralda: how we visited on a combined tour, what not to miss inside, what the ramp climb is like and what they ask you to wear at the door.
Yes, it's worth it, and with a guide it makes a lot more sense. Combining it with the Alcázar on one tour saves you lines, though some reviewers feel a few stops are too short.
Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, built where the city’s great Almohad mosque once stood. Its tower, the Giralda, started out as that mosque’s minaret. Together with the Royal Alcázar, it’s the main visit in Seville and the one with the longest line.
Our experience
We visited on Monday, May 18, on a tour in Spanish that combined the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Royal Alcázar, with skip-the-line entry and headsets to hear the guide. The meeting time was 12:40 in Plaza del Triunfo and the tour started at 13:00.
We chose the combined tour for three reasons: tickets are timed and they ask for ID, the two monuments are right next to each other, and at one in the afternoon in May we’d rather be indoors. What we read before booking was that the guides are the strong point and that some stops feel rushed. So we didn’t book anything right after: we went up to a rooftop terrace with a view of the Giralda.
A bit of history
The cathedral was built between 1402 and 1506 on the site of the Almohad mosque. The cathedral chapter of the time is credited with the line about building a church so big that anyone who saw it finished would think they were mad.
From the mosque they kept the minaret, finished in 1184, and on top of it they added the Renaissance bell tower that crowns the Giralda today. In the 1755 earthquake the Giralda cracked and the All Saints’ Day Mass carried on outside, in the square that has been called Plaza del Triunfo ever since.
In 1987 the Cathedral, the Royal Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How it fits into your day
The Cathedral is steps from Santa Cruz, the Alcázar and Casa de Pilatos, so it works as the center of a long morning on foot. You can see our full order in day 9 and continue with the guide to the Royal Alcázar.
What to see, in order
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The Giralda from Plaza Virgen de los Reyes
Before you go in, look at it from below. The lower part is the minaret of the Almohad mosque, from 1184; the bell tower on top is Renaissance.
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The nave
The scale is the first thing that hits you: it's the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, with more than 80 chapels around it.
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The main altarpiece
The huge gilded altarpiece of the Capilla Mayor, considered the largest of its kind.
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The tomb of Columbus
The coffin is carried by four bronze kings who represent Castile, León, Aragon and Navarre.
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The Giralda climb
It's 34 zigzag ramps instead of stairs. Tradition says they were built so you could ride up on horseback.
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The view from the top
The most recognizable view of Seville, with the rooftops of the center at your feet.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Dress code: no sandals or flip-flops, tank tops or short skirts. They enforce it at the door.
- Drink water before you go in. Eating and drinking aren't allowed inside the monuments, and the Giralda climb is hot.
- Photos are allowed, but no flash. It's a working church: they ask for silence.
- Get to the tour meeting point about 30 minutes early. Ours was next to the Immaculate Conception monument, in the middle of Plaza del Triunfo.
Do
- Bring your passport or a clear photo of the ID you booked with.
- Before or after, stop by the Patio de Banderas: you see the Giralda between orange trees and there's hardly anyone there.
- Save some energy for the Giralda if the Alcázar is on the same tour.
Don’t
- Don't bring suitcases or large bags: they won't let them in.
- Don't take the sprig of rosemary or stop to sign petitions around the Cathedral. It's the worst area for pickpockets in Seville.
- Don't get on the horse carriages at the door: about €45 for 45 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need to see Seville Cathedral?
We didn't do it on its own: we saw it as part of a two-and-a-half-hour tour that included the Giralda and the Alcázar. Just going up and down the Giralda takes about 30 minutes.
Does the Giralda have stairs?
No. You go up 34 ramps. It's tiring, especially in the heat, but there are no steps.
Is Columbus really buried there?
Partly. DNA tests in 2006 confirmed that some of the remains are his, but many historians believe most of him is still in Santo Domingo.
Is there a dress code?
Yes: no sandals, tank tops or short skirts. On a tour they check at the entrance.
Is a combined tour with the Alcázar a good idea?
For us, yes: tickets are timed, the lines are long and the two monuments are right next to each other. The downside is the fast pace.