candj83

Working on our itinerary for our first trip to Spain and currently the Seville leg of the journey (plan to visit Seville, Granada and Madrid). A little bit about us -- We love to stay busy and see a lot, we like to plan a full book and omit lesser priority things if we run out of time or energy. We're in our early 30s and enjoy food, wine, history, ruins, architecture, culture, socializing, etc. We will fly out October 6 and return October 16th, in and out of Madrid.

Friday: Arrive Seville early afternoon from an early morning arrival in Madrid. Visit Cathedral and Giralda tower during the siesta time. Go ceramics shopping in Triana and possibly visit a few other shops in the afternoon to early evening. Then tapas! Maybe take in a view from a rooftop bar?

Saturday: Royal Alcazar and Apartments first thing in the morning (get pre-booked tickets). Visit Palacio de las Dueñas and Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Librija in the afternoon. Catch a flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria or La Casa del Flamenco Auditorio Alacantara. Explore Barrio Santa Cruz via a RS walk in the evening/night time and eat more tapas. Maybe a horse drawn carriage ride if they operate into the evening/night?

Sunday: Check out the art for sale at the Plaza del Museo Art Market in the morning. Visit the Museo Arqueológico (quick visit), Parque de María Luisa and the Plaza de Espana. Explore and eat in the evening, maybe a nicer dinner this night?

For Sunday, do you think there would be time after the art market and before the Plaza de Espana area to visit Italica? I have contacted Paul McGrath (The Other Spain) and he said he could do a 2.5 hour trip (total time) to Italica. I definitely don't mind paying a little extra for the knowledge of a guide and to avoid any potential transportation hiccups with public transportation. I'm thinking we might have time for it but I don't want to make the day too packed. I had originally planned to do some shopping and putting around Seville this day until I realized that most shops will be closed, so I was thinking Italica could be a interesting way to spend part of our day.

Thank you!!!

maitaitom

I would highly recommend Hospital de los Venerables. Here's our day at the Alcázar and Hospital de los Venerables (with photos).

http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chap...death-marches/

RonZ

Big lines for the Cathedral and the Alcazar when we were there in May. Perhaps this will help:

http://devoursevillefoodtours.com/ho...es-in-seville/

tower

CandJ: Here's Sevilla during Holy Week...visit bull ring in Ronda. We found the Barrio a good place to stay while in https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...villaHolyWeek#
Las Casas de la Juderia is a very Spanish hotel, big rooms, fair prices.

kimhe

Itálica is a good idea, and you can also take a taxi here in no time, some 20-25€. A guide would be helpful to take it all in what you're actually seing.

Egbert

A tour of the bullring in Sevilla is cool as is a drink or two at La Carboneria if you can find it. The good tapas bars are all at ground level.

stokebailey

If you only have only short time for Museo Arqueológico, move quickly towards the Roman art at the end. We made the mistake of lingering too long at the prehistoric beginning, then having to rush out before closing time. Was very impressed with that collection. Skip Folklórico.

Try to go to Arqueológico before a trip to Itálica, but afterwards works, too.

candj83

Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations! I am having so much fun planning and am so excited for Spain! The more I read about Seville the more time I wish we could spend there.

Maitaitom, love your trip report, sounds like your group travels about like we do. We consistently logged about 12-15 mile days in Paris when we were there, busy but fun! Paris was much cooler though, not crazy hot! Your pictures of the Alcazar are fantastic, I'm really looking forward to experiencing it.

RonZ, thanks for the tips on the cathedral and Alcazar!

Kimhe, I think the guide would be helpful, too. I've read that all the site information is in Spanish, which we don't speak, but we could try our google translate app. I'd prefer to have someone explain and give history though.

Egbert, I thought the bullring would be interesting, too! Can you go for a drink at La Carboneria without paying for flamenco?

Stokebailey, thank you for the very helpful suggestions for Museo Arqueologico. It's good to know that the museum is very interesting (maybe we need more time) and about the Roman art at the end. Maybe we could visit the museum in the morning after the art market and our guide could pick us up from there. I'll have to see what he says.

maitaitom

"sounds like your group travels about like we do..."

Yes, even Tracy now subscribes to the "we can rest when we're dead "motto, although on some of our busiest days I think she might wish me "rested."

Robert2016

candij83m
You've done some very good planning.
I'd just add for Sunday, after visiting the market on the Plaza del Museo, if you're art history buffs, you may not want to miss the somewhat unsung but very impressive Museo de Bellas Artes right there.
If you have any interest in Spanish Baroque, it's collection is world class, with paintings of native sons Diego Velázquez, and Murillo, plus Zubarán, Ribera and the Baroque sculptors, and the attached church is beautiful. Entrance fee is only 1.50 euros.
It's open until 3:30 pm on Sundays and closed Mondays.

If you do love Baroque, you might find more pleasure here than in a trip out to Itálica, especially if it's a warm day (and it can be warm mid day in Seville in October.) But if you're more attracted to Roman ruins than Baroque, then squeeze in a trip to Santiponce with Paul McGrath.

And since you'll be close by (10-minute walk), when visiting the Palacio de las Dueñas on Sat. morning, you may want to visit the lower rooms filled with beautiful, intricate tile work and the gardens of the Casa de Pilatos.
http://www.fundacionmedinaceli.org/monumentos/pilatos/

We enjoyed visiting the Antiquarium under Las Setas and a walk around the top of Las Setas for the sunset views. Might want to add to your list. It's the largest wooden structure in the world. The Antiquarium closes at 2:30 on Sundays and is closed Mon. but open on Fri/Sat until 8.
http://setasdesevilla.com/antiquarium-setas-sevilla/

I'll give a big thumbs up too to maitai's suggestion of the Hospital de los Venerables (as you can read about in marigross's trip report) and its attached Centro Velázquez, with a small but very important collection of canvases of Velázquez and Murillo and Baroque sculptures by Montañés.
On Sunday mornings in the beautifully decorated chapel we've been lucky to hear the organ being played. And the audio guide for the site is excellent.

It's located on a very pretty square, the Plaza de los Venerables, where you can stop and have a glass of wine and a plate of Iberian ham at Casa Román, one of the most atmospheric bars for a ham- centric snack.
We've been coming here for a long time, and it's one of our favorites for jamón.

http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...08/casa-roman/

In Triana you'll find the old time ceramics shops below the lively Triana market and the Castillo de San Jorge (the Inquisition Museum, with signage in English, very well done). They're centered around San Jorge, Alfarería and Antillano Campos, below the Isabel II bridge.
Nearby they've opened a Museum of Ceramics that traces the history of ceramics production in Triana.

After a visit to Triana and its two beautifully decorated churches, Nuestra Señora de la O and la Esperanza de Triana (whose images are so venerated during Holy Week), we like to stop for tapas at Casa Cuesta, with nice outdoor terrace, decorated with vintage bullfight posters and more Iberian ham.

There's no cover charge at La Carbonería.
The EME cathedral has a chill out roof top bar, which is about as close to the cathedral as it gets.

Have fun.

Taltul

I don't know if any mentioned this but many restaurants are closed on Sunday evening. As far as food is concerned you will be spoiled for choice!!!
I second visiting Hospital de los Venerables and also Museo de Bellas Artes. Murillo is connected to both of them and I was glad that I saw both places - it added a lot to understanding his paintings.
Another place we really enjoyed was the Bullfighting museum and ring. (Although I wouldn't want to go to a bullfight.) You can only visit by guided tour, it isn't big or take a long time but it was very interesting. You just show up and go on the next tour.

Robert2016

Here are some tapas bars that we like that are open on Sunday nights:

The 3 Bodeguitas Antonio Romero (great piripi and pringá)
http://www.bodeguitaantonioromero.com/es/contacto/
Closed Mondays

Open both Sunday and Monday:
El Rinconcillo, oldest bar in Seville, established in 1670, highly atmospheric
La Azotea branches at Mateos Gago, near cathedral, and at Zaragoza
Las Columnas, with a crowd always spilling out into the square, across from the Hotel Casa 1800
La Vinería de San Telmo in Santa Cruz neighborhood
Las Teresas in Santa Cruz
(They open for dinner between 8-8:30 pm)

For bistro dining on Sunday night there's the downstairs casual café of the Taberna del Alabardero that's open daily. Upstairs is the gourmet restaurant, also open daily and Michelin recommended.
http://tabernadelalabardero.es/cafeteria.asp

For more formal dining with a Moorish touch, there's Az-Zait at Plaza San Lorenzo with a very good chef, open on Sunday and Monday. Recommended both in Michelin and Repsol.
www.az-zait.es

Dee_Dee

Bookmarking for (maybe) May 2017! Some really good information. Thanks to all the contributors.

candj83

Robert2016, we aren't huge art history buffs, and our tastes don't run towards a lot of Baroque, but we do enjoy a little art museum time. We plan to do that in Madrid at the Thyssen and Prado possibly. One or the other or both, depends on how we feel, so I think we'll pass on the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville. Sounds like Italica would be time well spent for us and we are excited to see it, so we're planning on that! Thank you for all of your other great suggestions on sites and food, especially Sunday night restaurants; I've made lots of notes in my planning and really appreciate the tips!

Taltul, we are interested in the bullfighting museum, too. I've made a note for it for Sunday if we have time.

kimhe

The bus to Itálica leaves frequently from the Plaza de Armas bus station, just by the river a little north-west of the Santa Cruz district. Itálica’s amphitheater seated 25,000 spectators, the third largest in the Roman empire, and it's very much intact. Roman emperors Trajan - allegedly the best of them all - and Hadrian were born here. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

Open until 3.30 pm on Sundays, and last entrance 30 mins ahead of closing time. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/seville/italica.htm

A perfectly fine tapas bar and asador right across the street from the entrance, Ventorillo Canario: http://www.ventorrillocanario.es/

Taltul

By the way, we were in Andalucia at around the same time of year and we had several days of rain in Sevilla. So take umbrellas.......