I am traveling to Seville next month and am wondering if it's worth signing up for a tour of the Alcazar with a tour company vs just buying entrance tickets? Is it one of the sites that you really miss a lot by not having a guide or is it fine to have the flexibility of just wandering around on your own...?
Thank you!
That’s a personal preference question. Yes you will probably get more information, but for how long you remember it is separate issue. I like the flexibility of moving along at my pace rather than that of a tour guide.
If you’ve ever had an audio guide at some site and found yourself not listening to it or skipping parts of it the longer you’re at the site, you’ve answered your own question.
I have a strong antipathy towards tours and tour guides, but I suppose that's just my personal bias. I don't even get audio guides, even when they are free. I find the constant chattering in my ear distracting. Including the Alcazar (visited in '24), I would much rather wander, stop, and look as I please. Honestly, I only care for the 'look' of a place and hopefully take a few satisfying photos. If you enjoy information, then by all means, look for a tour guide.
I’ve been there multiple times and always just do it without a guide. When you’re choosing your ticket, select one that includes the royal rooms. For those, you are escorted with a guard and given an audioguide, so I guess you could have a bit of tour plus all of the rest on your own.
You must be at the entrance to the royal rooms before your specified time states, so if you pick the first time of the day, walk up to the front of the long entrance line & show it to the guards, or you will be late. I think that section took us about 30 minutes to tour & well worth it!
We used to always tour without guides, but in the last two trips we learned that guides can add a lot to a visit--they are generally more engaging than an audioguide and easier to follow than a guide book. We had a good tour of the Alcazar with Concepcion Delgado's Sevilla walking tours, recommended in the Rick Steves Guide: https://www.sevillawalkingtours.com/
Note that you still have to buy your entrance tickets.
We also did the city introduction tour with Sevilla walking tours. Both were excellent, and I thought they were reasonably priced.
Are you on a tight schedule? Do you like to explore on your own? Do you prefer learning a lot of details about a site, or just want an overview?
I usually prefer a completely guided tour when I have limited time in a location. Often the guides will obtain entrance tickets in advance, or can go through the tour group line, which might be much shorter.
I do try to preview maps, highlights, and information of a site before I arrive, so I have a general understanding in advance.
We were just in London this Summer, and visited the Tower without a guide, and were able to wander alone by ourselves for more than four hours, enjoying all the different sights. Yet when we went to Westminster Abbey for a few hours, it just felt overwhelming to locate all the different tombs, and we were lucky enough to connect with one of the volunteers inside who acted as a de facto tour guide for us. (Yes, I was in both places before, but decades ago.)
I am okay with audioguide devices, but not my favorite, especially as all information is prerecorded.
I do have to say, even though I am completely bilingual in Spanish and can read all the signs, I often enjoy the tour guides because they add their own unique perspectives, and can usually answer our specific questions of interest. We really enjoy history, and want to know a lot of details. The guides also usually know where specific items are located on a property and can find them quickly, and can navigate through crowds.
The ideal mix would be to first take a tour, and then afterwards have some free time to explore on your own.
Have a wonderful visit!
Don't buy the ultra crappy Artymax audio tour app/download that is sold at the entrance
Thank you for your recommendations!
