Castles · Tour

Private Alcázar First, Then the Cathedral and a Giralda Climb After

Both of Seville's UNESCO monuments, privately, and taken in the less usual order. Most combined tours start at the Cathedral because it is nearest the meeting point. This one starts at the Alcázar, and there is a case for it. The palace is quietest early, its courtyards are timed light rather than fixed light, and after an hour among Mudéjar arcades the Gothic mass of the Cathedral hits harder than it does cold. The Alcázar part covers the palaces and takes in the gardens. The Cathedral follows. The Giralda climb is left until after the guiding ends, so it is done at your own pace and with the option of skipping it if the legs have had enough. It is a ramp rather than a staircase, which is more forgiving than it sounds. Both monuments went on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987, and being a private tour, questions are welcome anywhere along the way. The group meets in the middle of the Plaza del Triunfo, by the statue of the Virgin.