Day 3: Madrid to Córdoba
Train · About 1¾–2¼ hours
Use the booked high-speed service from Madrid Atocha to Córdoba. Add the local arrival journey and a margin before a Mosque-Cathedral visit.
Compare this journeySeven days from Madrid through Córdoba to Granada
A busy first Spain route with art, Andalusian cities and time set aside for the Alhambra.
Spain · Published planning example
- Duration
- 7 days
- Travel style
- Backpacker
Day-by-day itinerary
Open a day to read the plan and its spending notes.
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Day 1Arrive in Madrid and settle in
MadridChoose the airport journey for your terminal: Cercanías starts at T4, while other terminals have bus and metro options. Drop your bags, walk around your neighbourhood and leave the Prado for a day when a delayed arrival will not shorten the visit. Read the menu before ordering tapas; a drink does not guarantee a free meal.
€40.00 for one bed, €28.00 for meals, €6.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €80.00
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Day 2Prado, Retiro and a relaxed evening
MadridGive the Prado a proper morning if art is a priority, then walk through a manageable part of Retiro. Boats cost extra and the Crystal Palace interior is under restoration. Choose dinner near your evening route instead of crossing the city again for another short stop.
€40.00 for one bed, €28.00 for meals, €6.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €80.00
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Day 3Travel to Córdoba and stay the night
Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain Take a suitable high-speed train from Madrid and leave your bags at your accommodation. Visit the Mosque-Cathedral with the right admission product, then walk towards the Roman Bridge. This plan sleeps in Córdoba tonight; travel to Seville tomorrow, so you can enjoy the evening without a second train.
€30.00 for one bed, €25.00 for meals, €4.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €65.00
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Day 4Continue to Seville and explore the riverfront
Seville
Seville, Spain Take the train from Córdoba to Sevilla Santa Justa, then reach your room before starting the city walk. Keep this afternoon for the river and a short section of the centre. Save the Alcázar’s timed visit for tomorrow, when the journey cannot eat into the entry window.
€32.00 for one bed, €25.00 for meals, €5.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €68.00
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Day 5Alcázar, Triana and an optional performance
SevilleUse a booked general Alcázar entry and leave time for the gardens. Cross to Triana later if you still feel like walking. If flamenco interests you, choose a specific venue and read the current programme, price and seating arrangement; the evening plan does not depend on an unconfirmed free show.
€32.00 for one bed, €25.00 for meals, €5.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €68.00
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Day 6Travel to Granada and walk along the Darro
GranadaCompare the direct train and coach, remembering that Granada’s railway and coach stations are different places. Leave your bags before a gentle walk along Carrera del Darro. The Albaicín climbs beyond it, so use a local bus for part of the hill if that suits you.
€30.00 for one bed, €25.00 for meals, €5.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €66.00
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Day 7Alhambra visit and onward travel
GranadaOnly place the Alhambra here if your booked Nasrid Palaces time and departure leave several comfortable hours. Alhambra General is €22.27; the gardens-only product does not include those palaces. Bring the required original ID. Add a Granada night or move the visit earlier if the connection would make you rush.
No overnight stay; €25.00 for meals, €5.00 for local travel and €6.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €36.00
Six nights, with Granada as the final stop
This is a one-way trip: two nights in Madrid, one in Córdoba, two in Seville and one in Granada. It does not return to Madrid. Check the final departure before booking the first room, especially if your flight home leaves from a different city.
The tightest part is day seven. Only put the Alhambra there when the Nasrid Palaces time, the rest of the visit, bag collection and onward travel fit comfortably. Otherwise add a Granada night, move the visit earlier with enough arrival margin, or remove a destination. An early departure and a full Alhambra visit are not a workable final morning.
Book these three moving days
Swipe the table to compare all columns.
| Day | Journey | What to keep clear |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Madrid to Córdoba | Station transfer, bag drop and the approach to the Mosque-Cathedral |
| 4 | Córdoba to Seville | Check the reverse direction of our Seville–Córdoba guide; save the main Alcázar visit for day five |
| 6 | Seville to Granada | Confirm rail versus coach arrival and leave the first walk flexible |
Use the Renfe planner for the actual dates. Compare Alsa on the final leg if its departure and stations suit you better. These links are ways to check a journey, not a promise of a particular fare or connection.
Fix the important tickets before the small extras
Start with the Alhambra if the Nasrid Palaces matter most. The official visitor instructions require the palace time printed on the ticket to be respected. Carry the required original identification and allow for the approach inside the grounds.
Next fit the Seville Alcázar and Córdoba Mosque-Cathedral around the nights above. Choose the actual product you want: a garden ticket, tower or special-room visit may not include the same spaces as ordinary admission. Keep Madrid's main museum on day two, away from arrival uncertainty.
Read the €463 subtotal correctly
The seven day figures sum to €463 for one traveller, including six simple-stay overnight allowances and no overnight on the final day. They are chosen spending amounts, not available room quotes or measured averages. Replace the stay allowances with your actual booking costs, including any taxes or cleaning charges.
Add the three intercity tickets, airport journeys, paid visits and optional activities separately. The daily city budget cards are alternative examples, not extra charges to add to this subtotal. Missing transport prices do not mean free travel. A seventh hotel night changes both the schedule and the budget.
When a slower version is the better choice
For a shorter trip, keep Madrid and Seville, adding Córdoba only if the stop fits. If the Alhambra is the priority, compare Seville and Granada rather than squeezing both into too few nights.
For more time in the south, the ten-day Andalusia plan omits Madrid and finishes in Málaga. In spring, check festival dates and accommodation terms before buying restrictive tickets.
Use the Madrid, Córdoba, Seville and Granada guides for the local journeys and visits.
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Journeys between stops
How to get from one stop to the next. Journey times are approximate; use the ticket and timetable links to choose a departure for your travel date.
Day 4: Córdoba to Seville
Train · About 45–60 minutes
Take a suitable direct train from Córdoba to Sevilla Santa Justa. Check the service and fare conditions, then continue to your room by local transport or a walk that suits your bags.
Day 6: Seville to Granada
Train · About 2½–3 hours
Use the selected direct Avant from Santa Justa to Granada railway station. Include local travel at both ends and avoid a tight Nasrid Palaces entry on arrival.
Compare this journeyIf you have fewer days
Choose Madrid and Seville for a shorter trip. Add Córdoba only if the visit and luggage arrangements leave enough time. Do not squeeze the Alhambra into an unsuitable departure morning.
Make this trip cheaper
Compare your room and daily spending choices in the cost calculator. Check each journey fare, including local transfers, and count tickets covered by a pass only once.
Make the itinerary fit your trip
Change the days in each city, leave out stops, and update the estimate without changing the published itinerary.