The 5 main things you need to know before visiting Seville
- Sightseekr
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Find out all you need to know here...
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Seville is a city that we would go back to every single week if we could, it’s impossible to get tired of. The architecture, the food, the culture and the people all add up to make one incredible destination.
You’ll love it, whether you’re planning as a first time visitor, or it’s your tenth visit. So, here are our five main things you need to know before you visit:
For the full guide, which also includes a self-guided tapas tour and a full list of sightseeing stops, bar and restaurant recommendation and cultural information, see our Seville Travel Toolkit.
1) The best thing you can do while visiting Seville is get lost
Honestly - we mean it! The narrow, winding streets, and open plazas of Seville, would be worth flying there for, without any of the other attractions in the city. When you’re planning your trip, dedicate a good chunk of time on your first day to simply wander through the streets, stopping at shops, bars and cafes, and settling into the city.
Make sure to fit in all the different districts, including the Triana neighbourhood, which is aross the river from the city centre of Seville.
2) There are certain tourist spots that you just can’t miss
We’re all for finding local, hidden gems, but some of the busiest main attractions in Seville are busy for a reason, and really shouldn’t be missed. Wandering around the outside of the cathedral of Seville is an absolute must, even if you don’t want to pay the fee to go in.
If you’re paying to enter one tourist attraction in Seville, you need to book to visit the Real Alcazar. It’s stunning, and so much bigger than we expected.
You can spend hours just exploring the palace gardens, enjoying the huge variety of flowers, plants, statues and water features, and watching the peacocks wander freely on the grass. The interior is just as beautiful too!!
Another sight that you just can't miss is the Plaza de España, which is completely free to enter. Literally translating to “Spain Square”, this incredible area has sections dedicated to every region in the country. The architecture is fantastic, and the atmosphere is something else. Generally you can also catch a free flamenco show here too!
There’s a full list of must-see sightseeing spots and smaller hidden gems in our Seville Travel Toolkit digital download.
3) It’s an incredibly hot city
The area of Seville and central Andalusia is often referred to as “The Frying Pan of Spain” because it is just so (sometimes unbearably) hot. If you love the sun, you’re in luck, there are around 300 sunny days per year in Seville! But if you don’t like hot temperatures, be sure to visit in the winter months.
From May all the way to September, it’s possible to see temperatures of 40°C and above. In June 2025, they reached temperatures of up to 46°C.
Here are the average monthly high/low temperatures in Seville so you can plan your visit according to the weather you prefer
January: 16° / 6°
February: 18° / 8°
March: 21° / 9°
April: 22° / 11°
May: 26° / 13°
June: 32° / 17°
July: 36° / 19°
August: 35° / 19°
September: 33° / 18°
October: 26° / 14°
November: 20° / 10°
December: 17° / 8°
Here's the current weather in Seville right now:
4) Meal times are much later than in most other parts of Europe
In Spain, especially Andalusia, meals are enjoyed slower, and later, than in a lot of other countries. Meals are social events, Spanish locals love to eat together, and conversation at the table can last for hours, especially during lunch and dinner.
It’s good to know the typical meal times so that you don’t get caught out. Knowing this will prevent you from feeling starving in a small, traditional neighbourhood with no restaurants open at 6pm, or ending up in a tourist trap restaurant in the city (thinking it must be a local favourite because it looks busy, but it’s actually nowhere near the typical meal time).
The main thing you need to know is that most restaurants don’t open for evening meal until around 8pm, but some Spanish locals won’t head out until 10 or 11, especially in the height of summer when it’s still very hot in the streets in the earlier evening.
We’ve included a full guide to Spanish meal times as well as the culture around eating out in Spain, food and drinks to try whilst in Seville, and key words to understand in our Seville Travel Toolkit - take a look here.
5) A few of the final, main things to know before visiting Seville, to keep you safe & well
Seville is a generally safe city, but as with all tourist destinations, watch out for scams and pickpocketing.
It’s safe to drink the tap water, but it doesn't always taste the best. Bottled water is definitely the more popular choice
The city is walkable, but you definitely want to consider your shoe choices. The streets are mainly cobblestone, and can be uneven or slippery, so make sure you’re in something comfortable for the majority of your walking. Alternatively, there are lots of public transport options available and local taxis, as well as internationally recognised taxi apps like Uber and Bolt.
If you’re visiting in summer, join in with the “siesta” culture and head inside during the late afternoon part of the day, when the city is at its hottest. Drink plenty of water, and make the most of shade and air conditioning when you have access to it! No one wants to get heatstroke when trying to enjoy this incredible city.
From our perspective, it’s really hard to have a truly bad experience in Seville. But to plan your visit well and be prepared removes so much stress from the few days before your trip, and means whilst you’re in this gorgeous city, you spend all of your time exploring and experiencing as much as possible. That’s why we created a Seville Travel Toolkit that covers literally everything you could possibly need to know for your trip, even including a self-guided tapas tour, with content on sightseeing, bars and restaurants, culture, and practical information about the city. And best of all, it’s all saved to your phone in one, easy to navigate document.
Remember our main things to know before visiting Seville, do your research (or consider a personalised travel planning service), and be ready to walk, eat and drink for days on end, and you’ll have the trip of a lifetime!
