With whitewashed courtyards, colorful cobblestone alleys, historic monuments and a fascinating melting pot of Muslim, Christian and Jewish culture, Cordoba is bound to enchant. On this easy day trip from Seville, let an expert guide show you the highlights of this beautiful Andalusian city, crowned by the UNESCO World Heritage–listed city center (the second-largest old town in Europe). Stand in awe of the Mezquita and the Alcázar, visit one Spain’s few existing synagogues, explore the medieval streets of the Jewish quarter and take a snapshot of iconic Calleja de las Flores.
Board an air-conditioned coach outside your Seville hotel in the morning for your day trip to Cordoba, located about 1.5 hours away. The capital of the Cordoba province, this intriguing Andalusian city is a captivating mix of Christian, Muslim and Jewish history, culture and architecture, noticeable as soon as you step foot in the historic city center.
Following your guide, relish in Cordoba’s architectural wonders and compact cobblestone lanes lined with flowering balconies, old bodegas, boisterous bars and artisan craft shops. Delve into the city’s history, starting in the 10th century, when Cordoba was the world’s most populous city — or so experts think. In the centuries that ensued, the predominately Muslim society became the intellectual center of Europe, noted for its tolerance toward its Christian and Jewish minorities. Today Cordoba is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its pulsing epicenter remains the second-largest old town in Europe.
Visit the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a medieval palace-fortress of the Christian kings filled with beautiful gardens, fountains and striking architecture. Then enter Cordoba’s most important monument, the Mezquita (aka the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba), a symbol of the many religious changes the city has undergone over the centuries. Originally a Catholic church, it was converted into an Islamic mosque in the Middle Ages, then back into a church after the Reconquista. With its otherworldly architecture, the Mezquita is considered one of the most accomplished Moorish monuments in the world. Notice the mix of stately Roman columns, Baroque and Renaissance frescoes and Moorish tiles and arches as you stroll the interior.
Next, head over to the old Jewish quarter (Juderia), whose streets stretch out like capillaries and emerge onto tucked-away courtyards buzzing with locals enjoying post-siesta tapas. Listen as your guide points out the distinctly Moorish flair to these medieval alleys, reminiscent of the Jews' prosperity under the Caliphate of Cordoba. Here you'll visit the Cordoba Synagogue, one of the few synagogues existing today in Spain, built in 1315 in Mudéjar style.
Before leaving Cordoba, walk down the tiny Calleja de las Flores alleyway, one of the most popular streets in the city. Look back to see the Mezquita's tower peaking between the corridor — Cordoba’s most iconic sight. Then hop back in the coach for the 1.5-hour drive back to Seville.
I booked this tour based off of the glowing reviews, but I would have been better off staying the full day in Cordoba. First off, it's closer to a 2 hour drive and after you've picked up everyone from their own hotels note: it's a combination of groups that did not just book through viator and get to the city, you're not talking about a lot of time for the actual tour. We had a coach and a tour guide who gave her scripted commentary in Spanish then English mostly about crops or names of towns - which is very misleading based off of the booking information. She wasn't very good with any English off script. Once we arrived, we were greeted by another local group director who had to split us up based off of language we had two people who spoke French and were fortunate enough to have their own personal tour. We had one woman who spoke Spanish, but apparently understood English just fine. Regardless, after we broken up and met our actual local guide, we then spent the next 30 minutes in the gardens of the Alcazar waiting for everyone to make it through their bathroom visits. Our extensive visit of the palace included: the gardens, the baths, and the former room for the Spanish Inquisition now turned place for weddings and that was it. I couldn't believe we were leaving after having only seen that little of the palace. Then we got another 10 minute break so people could buy coffee and relax as if we had just done some strenuous walking in those compact places. We also picked up additional people to be on our English guided tour. We then walked the city to learn about the minimal Jewish synagogue was closed until September and Arabic influences before we made our way to the Mezquita where we picked up ANOTHER group of English speakers to our group. We then had to wait for the local group director to break us up into the original the people from the coach and the two dozen new people who were just joining us for the Mosque/Cathedral portion. We literally wasted another 30 minutes standing around the courtyard and our group was HUGE. We did spend a solid hour in the Mosque/Cathedral and our guide was very thorough, but you were left with about 1.5 hours of time for lunch and shopping. However, it was siesta time so everything is closed by 3pm and all of those cute little shops you passed through are not open for business. We had to meet the coach back at 4 PM so we could get back to our hotel by 6pm. The coach guide did not give any commentary on the way back it was your time for a siesta, but did expect gratuities when you exited.
Review by: Frederick G, April 2018
Amazing city. The mosque/cathedral was breathtaking. Very knowledgeable guide in a tour that was well paced and full of information. Nice that we had some time at the end of the tour to explore on our own as well.
Review by: Kobrosly, March 2018
Tour guide was excellent!
Review by: JANET Z, March 2018
great tour
Review by: hstephano, March 2018
This tour led by our tour guide, Angel, was amazing. He's very knowledgeable and funny too. So our history lesson was not boring at all! Plus the facts that the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba was really a masterpiece!
Review by: Sam C, February 2018
Really well organised trip, although I still can't quite work out if it would be quicker to take the train there and organise yourself - Cordoba isn't that large. Really enjoyed the three sights - Palace, Cathedral and Jewish Quarter. The trip runs to time and people joined in between sights as they had paid for individual parts. This meant that the group in the Cathedral was rather large. If i were to do it myself I'd also go to the cathedral first to avoid the crowds. You also have free time to see the roman bridge, get lunch etc. Reason it isn't 5 star is that the group for the cathedral was rather large and for the money paid, i felt like it should be smaller.
Review by: Amjad H, February 2018
The tour was well organized. Transport was comfortable. Tour in Córdoba was well defined and our Guide Paki was great. She had extremely good knowledge and simple way to explain to tourists like us. She was not in hurry and give extended detail of History.
Review by: joe c, January 2018
Amazing tour, a lot of explanation, the timing is perfect, and the guide is very professional and it is apparent that he is doing his job out of Passion.
Review by: Lois M, January 2018
Absolutely wonderful guide devoted to Córdoba and its history! I have travelled a lot and a good guide makes all the difference! Rafael by name and approximate!
Review by: Gita, January 2018
Awful tour operator, didn't pick us up, but kept our money
Review by: David H, December 2017
I took this tour on what was a holiday there that I hadn't known about beforehand. Still we didn't have any long waits except for the Jewish synagogue. The wait was due to it's small size. Even so, it wasn't that long a wait. One thing that I liked about the tour was the tour guide would stop walking every several minutes for a short break in a place where we could sit down which was much appreciated and at the end, we had a nice amount of time to shop around or get a bite to eat.
Review by: Steve E, December 2017
Pickup was thankfully easy. The guide was well-informed. I was one of six from Seville. We were joined by another four or so in Cordoba, so the group was not too large. A worthwhile trip.
Review by: William R, November 2017
Fabulous tour. Breathtaking sites and good tour guides. Strongly recommend
Review by: agodinez10, November 2017
Well worth the trip to Cordoba, the Mezquita was well worth it!
Review by: Leonard L, November 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: malika_mika, November 2017
If you have time, you should do this. We learned a lot about the cathedral mosque from our very knowledgeable guide. The cathedral mosque is absolutely gorgeous, and the little town around it is very touristy but cute.
Review by: Toko I, November 2017
A must visit to Cordoba cathedral. loved it more than Alhambra. Good tour, guide, beautiful Spanish town... loved it.
Review by: Lisa M, November 2017
Great day trip from Seville to Córdoba - pick up was from a hotel close to the one We were staying at, but unfortunately not our own hotel. The journey was comfortable and took about 1 hour 20 mins. María José, the guide for the journey, was pleasant and informative. The tour itself took us to the Alhambra, the Jewish Quarter and Synagogue, and then to the amazing Mesquita - which truly was the highlight of my whole trip to Andalucía. It is the most incredible place - not to be missed! The guide in Córdoba was Angel, who was very knowledgable and entertaining. We had 1.5h for lunch following the tour, and there are many small restaurants to choose from.
Review by: Rebecca A, November 2017
Pros: Efficient way of getting to all of the major Cordoba sites on a very busy weekend with a very good guide for the Mosque portion of the tour. Cons: Although the tour promised narration and background on the bus trip to Cordoba, there was practically none, and the commentary that there was was of the most elementary nature. This part of the tour was very disappointing and did not live up to what was promised. Of the 8-9 hours we spent with the group, only about 2.25 were actually spent with a guide who had any information to offer. As noted, the bus ride there had no meaningful information. When we arrived, we spent about 20 minutes using the very limited restroom, and again very little meaningful information offered. The synagogue portion was rushed and perfunctory - perhaps we spent a total of 6 or 7 minutes in the building . The mosque, which is truly amazing and well worth the detour to Cordoba, was covered in more depth and this part was worthwhile. But, given that this tour cost over 225.00 for our party of two, I think we would have been better served if we had gotten to Cordoba on our own and hired a private guide for the sites. Would not recommend this for travelers who want an in-depth introduction to Cordoba, or, have an expectation of more than about 2.5 hours of any real content.
Review by: janie.dobbs, November 2017
It was more expensive than going on your own, but I think it was worth it. The best part was having a knowledgeable guide that walked us through the Alcázar, the Jewish quarter and the Mezquita. It was much more interesting than doing an audio guide. Along the way, we also saw the Calleja de Flores, Casa de Sefarad, the Synogogue, Almodóvar Gate, and the Seneca and Maimonides Statues. Our guide, Angel, was experienced and well versed in the history and culture of Córdoba. We had about an hour and a half on our own to choose a place for lunch or go shopping or revisit anything we wanted before rebounding the bus to take us back.
Review by: Remzterk, October 2017
Excellent tour and guide. Saw most everything we wanted to. Would of liked another hour to spend in the city area.
Review by: Marci, October 2017
Could have done this trip on our own. Interesting but the guide we had had a very strong accent even though her English was good but making it very hard to understand her.
Review by: trohr2, October 2017
We had a wonderful day trip to Cordoba. This was a great way to learn about the Christian, Muslim and Jewish history of this city. Our guide, Pakis, wealth of knowledge on the subject was amazing. The Mezquita was absolutely beautiful and the story behind it was very interesting. If we could change anything, we would suggest having a snack or lunch before going into the mosque as the time in there was lengthy. We would also prefer one central pick up and drop off rather than at the hotels as it adds 30 to 60 minutes to an already full day.
Review by: Laurel T, October 2017
We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Córdoba. It was very well organised and the bus trip was very comfortable and arrived at our hotel on time. Our guide, Angel was exceptionally knowledgable and gave us a great insight into each of the ancient sites we visited. He had a great sense of humour which kept everyone entertained and interested. The gardens at Alcazar de los Reyes Christianos were spectacular and it was interesting to learn about the ancient bath houses. We also loved the walk through the Jewish sector which we found very interesting even though it was quite busy with lots of other tourists. The highlight though was the Mesquita - it is just stunning and almost beyond comprehension. However, Angel thoroughly explained its main features and how it was constructed over many centuries. This is a great trip not to be missed.
Review by: Leanne L, October 2017
My husband who does not like big group tours even enjoyed this day. Other than being all together on the bus, once we arrived in Córdoba we were divided into groups based on language requested for the tour and that made for a smaller group size. The pickup location was just around the corner from our hotel. The drive to Córdoba was approximately 1 1/2 hours. The Roman bridge is not covered by the tour but you do get time to visit the bridge after the tour is over, you can see the bridge as you are walking towards the Alcazar which is the first stop of the tour. If you are a Game of Thrones fan the bridge was one of the reasons for coming to visit Córdoba. You don't have access to facilities until you enter the Alcazar gardens so keep this in mind. After the Alcazar you are given some time to grab a coffee and a snack and I recommend that you do as the lunch break is not until later in the afternoon. Our guide in Córdoba, I am sorry I forgot to write down his name was wonderful, he was so passionate about Córdoba an amazing guide, we learned a great deal. We next visited the Jewish quarter, and then lastly the Cathedral. The Cathedral must be seen to be believed, simply amazing and the size is quite astonishing. After the Cathedral you are given time to have lunch and wander around but it's not a great deal of time approximately just over 1 hour to eat and see the bridge and wander around. We got back to Sevilla around 6:30pm, a long day but well worth the visit.
Review by: Tony L, October 2017
Great day. Well organised tour. Group split into English and Spanish speaking when we arrived in Cordoba, English tour guide was very good. Tour of Mezquita was great, heaps of information. Spent way too much time at the Alcazar though, it was pretty basic, not much to see, but lovely gardens. Less time there with some extra time added to the free time would be a better option. The walk through the old town to the synagogue was a little boring. Was a full bus and the assigned pick up times were a bit later than advised.
Review by: marvelp13, October 2017
I personally found the Alcazar and the Jewish Synagogue to be a bit boring. It didn't help that it was deadly hot and humid with heavy crowds. The Mezquita, which was the reason I did the tour, was the last stop. It was very special, but I wish it had been first so I had had more energy. The bathroom situation is poor. It will be helpful to have a strong bladder. Our tour guide was charming, patient and knowledgeable but had a heavy accent. I recommend this tour, but not in the heat.
Review by: Vicki H, October 2017
If you do nat have time to stay in Cordoba then this is a great option. You see many sights and the Mesquita is not to be believed! Well organised with some are time at the end, perfect!
Review by: Jason V, October 2017
I have booked innumerable day trips and excursions via Viator over the past several years and this was by far the single worst tour I have booked. Cordoba is a beautiful town but this tour was long with an incredible amount of wasted time and the actual amount of time spent actually touring sites was maybe 1.5-2 hours max. There were way too many people on the tour, way too much time spent corralling people / waiting for people and in the end very little time left to explore Cordoba. Cordoba is very easy to access yourself via train from Seville and I highly recommend a self-tour over spending 8 hours on this tour with really only 2 hours of that useful time and barely so.
Review by: David C, October 2017
Our tour group was quite large but the guide did a great job of keeping us together. Very interesting place to visit. You won't be bored.
Review by: Nancy P, September 2017
This tour was long and poorly organised. It took 3 hours to collect guests in Saville and 1 hour to get to Córdoba. We were jammed in a bus with no communication and told be back to the bus by 3.45 or it would leave without us. The tour was amazing Castle and Mesquita. Make your own way by train!
Review by: Joshua B, September 2017
highlights of this trip are the beautiful streets, pedestrian zones, people of Cordoba, especially La Mezquita, and the guide who narrates the walk from the alcazar through the jewish quarter and ending at the la mezquita. The thumbnail does not do justice to the majesty of the building which historically has been a church and a mosque. lowlight was the delay by 1 hour plus in Seville because the bus guide, Chema took a call from a couple that was late at their pickup point. at my insistence, I asked the guide and driver to let people get off for a bathroom, coffee and snack break while we waited. also there was a bathroom break announced during the drive to Cordoba, but unbeknownst to Chema, the gas/service station intended for the break was closed. Other things of note, this is a big bus group, so as with similar bus tours it's a herding service to get big groups transferred between major destinations, also meaning guided big group service at major landmarks mezquita in this case are included. I honestly ditched the big group 15 minutes in so I could spend time taking pictures at my own pace however the narration was very good. the service came with audio devices so group could get narration if they got separated. I held on to it so I could track when the tour ended and eventually return my device to the guide. another tidbit, any GoT fans, don't miss the bridge, filming location for Volantis scenes.
Review by: Ruth A, September 2017
It was an ok trip. Even though the guide spoke good English his accent found him difficult to understand st times. Too many tours seem to be happening at once so very busy walking through small streets.
Review by: Marlaayotte1, September 2017
This was an amazing trip! You will not believe your eyes, such beauty!
Review by: Anna J, September 2017
The reason for only 2 stars is not the content of the trip, it was very good. The problem was the tour guide assigned to this trip, she was HORRIBLE and should not be used as a guide. She gave no information on our trip to Cordoba, could hardly speak english, did not know how to co-ordinate and control the group. Viajes Boreal S.A the local tour company should relook at their staff, it makes all the difference
Review by: Firas k yhya A, September 2017
excellent tour and the guide beautifully explain the history of the city. The best part is definitely the mosque, what a wonder!!
Review by: Cameron D, September 2017
The visit to the three different areas was really interesting. Our guide Angel was excellent and particularly brought his enthusiasm for the Mesquita to the fore when guiding us through this overwhelmingly stunning place.
Review by: Francesca M, April 2017
I really liked our guide on the coach, who collected the tourists from the hotel he was really funny and had a great sense of humour. The tour of the Jewish Quarter was far too long, more time should have been spent in the Mezquita of Cordoba or the Roman bridge.
Review by: Michael, April 2017
This was a good tour with well informed guides. The only criticism was the fact we had 3 different guides and kept getting handed off for each segment. They were all good, but different styles and presentation. Also no guide was on the tour bus from Seville and given it was a long ride and went by many interesting points it would have added to the tour experience. Cordoba is a must see if you go to Spain.
Review by: saroshasad, March 2017
The best thing about the trip is visit to the Cordoba Mosque. It is beautiful and a must visit if you are in Spain! The trip was organized nicely. The only problem I faced was that the bus came almost 25 minutes late to pick me up in the morning. Apart from that, I will definitely recommend this trip!!
Review by: Dorothy M, March 2017
Another one of those must sees if you are in the area of Seville, Spain. The attraction is the Mezquita which is a large beautiful mosque that dates back to the late 700 BC. The grounds and gardens around the historical sites are very well kept. The tour of the mosque was superb. We had an English guide that spoke very clearly and had excellent knowledge of the history and traditions of the cultures of that time. She was very engaging and added humor as we went all._br/_ We had another guide to tour us thru the old section of Cordoba. She tried to explain herself as well as she could I believe the interest in that part of tour was low. It would have been more beneficial if we had free time on our own to explore. _br/_ Its nice to have someone else do the driving. They picked us up and dropped us off at the designated spot. The day was very smooth and organized.
Review by: rsmulson, March 2017
I enjoyed the tour, and would recommend it, but the guides were very good but not great.
Review by: Roy T, March 2017
Very professionally done from the timing of each phase to the excellent info from the guide. The Córdoba mosque that becomes a cathedral is not to be missed.
Review by: Sonia B, January 2017
My husband and I did this day trip on our honeymoon and it was one of the best days of the entire trip! Our guide was informative, entertaining, and incredibly smart. We so enjoyed going around the city with her and learning about this extraordinary city. Would highly recommend this to anyone.
Review by: Michael S, January 2017
Incredible tour! Highly recommend!
Review by: Sharif A, January 2017
Amazing trip
Review by: John W, January 2017
Enjoyed every minute of this tour, the coach was comfortable our guide was informative and friendly. Cordoba is so different from other cities and has a rich history. The architecture and gardens are stunning so well worth a look
Review by: Rosane, January 2017
Awesome tour! This was the best tour I had in my Andalusian stay by far! The guides were the very best!! Top service started with the pick up, staff was very courteous, friendly and helpful. Then we had a guided tour with our guide Angel in the Alcazar which was amazing! Angel was extremely knowledgeable and very funny, great sense of humour which made the tour even more enjoyable! We then headed to the Mezquita where we had a lovely guided tour with a lovely lady called Paqui. She was also very knowledgeable and the place was truly impressive! I totally recommend this tour, it's a top quality one!
Review by: Rosslyn T, December 2016
Mind blowing tour,expert tour guide brilliant day
Review by: Mark S, December 2016
Amazing tour! Our trip began with the van picking us up directly from our hotel and driving us to Córdoba. As advertised, the tour took us through the Alcázar, the absolutely AMAZING Mezquita-Catedral, and finally a walking tour of the old Jewish quarter. We met our tour guide Paqui there, and she was incredible - funny and extremely knowledgeable. Our group was relatively small, which worked to our advantage as we had plenty of direct interaction with Paqui throughout all the sites we visited. If I have one complaint, it's honestly that we didn't build in an overnight visit to Córdoba, because I would like to have spent another day there.
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