Cordoba or Granada

It depends on whether you want to see the Alhambra in Granada or the Mezquita in Cordoba. Public transportation works well for either.

We visited both this past November and they are both amazing.

There's no right or wrong answer. As Barbara said, it's a choice between two excellent sights and two interesting cities. Personally, I'd give Córdoba the edge, as I found the Mezquita to be one of the truly extraordinary religious buildings anywhere. But the Alhambra is also great, and the Royal Chapel is magnificent.

How many days do you have in Valencia and Barcelona? I liked Valencia, but I'd rate both Córdoba and Granada above Valencia, so if you have the option of cutting days there so you can see both, it might be worth considering.

Agree. Both Cordoba and Granada are amazing; each unique and very special. Cordoba was my favorite, but the Alhambra is breathtaking as well. If you can take a day from Valencia, recommend you do both.

Another vote for public transportation . We’ve been able to do everything with trains and saves the hassle of navigating old town and or looking for parking .

Of the two which is more authentic and less touristy? How many nights?
Thank you

I agree with prior posters. One night in Cordoba to see the mosque in the early morning 8:30 before the tour groups and two nights in Granada we saw the Alhambra both day and night.

You have some great destinations. In Seville, we took the walking tour with Concepcion, whom Rick Steves made famous. Valencia was charming. Delightful walkable easy. Seville, Cordoba, Grenada and Barcelona were pretty walkable, too.

If you have one more night and don’t mind flying: Bilbao. The museum is a bucket list sight. Well, it was for me. We flew from Valencia.

And public transportation worked for us Seville, Cordoba, Granada. I must admit I am remembering from three trips 2006, 2017, 2025…so not as recent as some.

Maribel, who contributes on Fodor, is the Spain expert!!

This is what I did. Spend an extra night in Sevilla and do Cordova as a day trip so you can see the Mezquita and part of the old city. Then take a bus or train to Granada and spend two or three nights there to see the Alhambra and Albazin. From Granada, you can decide how you want to reach Valencia either by plane or train. We used public transportation.

When someone asks if a town is authentic, I’d like to know what is really being asked. People live and work in each of the cities. They’re their home, so they are authentic. They are not Disney World.

Both are popular tourist destinations so will be crowed around the main tourist sites. If you want to get the feel of either city from a non tourist perspective, explore parts of the cities away from the main sites. Most of the time you’ll only need to walk a short distance to reach a quieter part of town.

As already stated, public transportation works for either place. If you decide to rent a car, select a hotel not in the center of town. Most historic centers are vehicle restricted with a number of pedestrian only streets. On our most recent trip we stayed at the Parador in Córdoba. It’s away from the historic center and had its own onsite parking. Other than the other guests, there were no tourists in that part of town. To get to the historic area we took the bus from a stop very near the hotel.

On the recent trip in May, we spent 3 nights in Córdoba and it was our 4th or 5th time visiting it. Our 4th visit to Granada was in 2014 and we spent 3 nights there too. Which to spend more time in is a toss up.

Like Lane, I have a slight preference for Cordoba because I just loved the Mezquita and exploring nearby. We spent 3 nights there and 2 nights in Granada. However, as others have mentioned, the Mezquita can be done as a day trip from Seville. You really can’t go wrong, whichever you choose. My trip report from November might be helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-analucia-and-madrid-in-november

We went to both places in February 2026. As others have said, you can’t go wrong with either. My take is that Granada is more of a traditional European city, while Cordoba has very narrow lanes in parts that give it an older feel than Granada. Cordoba is much flatter than Granada so getting around is a bit easier. Another edge that Cordoba has over Granada is that it is closer to Sevilla and is on the main high speed rail line both North and South. Granada is at the end of the train line and has less train service then Cordoba. When we were there, the crowd in Al Hambra was more intense than in the major site in Corboda. I would not try to do both cities in 2 nights. Each deserves at least two nights.

On our trip earlier this year we did not visit Granada. However on our next trip, hopefully later this year, it will be a priority. But we did spend two nights in Cordoba. And loved it. The Mezquita is fantastic - a real highlight of our two week trip. We went one afternoon to the Mexquita and the next day I went to the morning Mass there. I am not Catholic but the sung Spanish liturgy was moving. Be certain to climb the bell tower - the view over the Mezquita towards the bridge, the river and the nearby country-side is not to be missed. Plus the city is very walkable with plenty to see. There are no other “world class” sights there besides the Mezquita. But we loved walking the neighborhoods, interacting with locals looking in on the patios, etc. I will for sure go back to Cordoba. Good luck on your trip.

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I would visit both Granada and Cordoba. If you can take a night away from Valencia, that would be even better. Spend 2 nights in Cordoba and 2 nights in Granada. If you only have 3 extra nights, then 2 nights in one and one night in the other. Cordoba is magical at night, and there is more to see in Cordoba than just the amazing Mezquita. You won't experience the wonderful ambiance of Cordoba if you only visit as a daytrip.

Some other sights to see in Cordoba: the Alcazar gardens, the Roman Bridge, the Palacio de Viana, and wander around the Juderia. Visit the Victoria Market.