Sevilla or Granada?

Three nights in Seville wouldn't really provide enough time for a side trip to Cordoba, so I, too, would vote for Granada on this trip.

The Alhambra now sells out way in advance, so check availability for your travel dates immediately.

It is unfair to use such an old report, but our 2005 night visit to the Alhambra was so poorly "lit" it was wasted time. Perhaps they have invested in glamorous night lighting?

I would also vote for Granada for the 3 nights because 3 nights is not much in Sevilla, but I personally would not stay up by the Alhambra. I'd choose a more central location-- probably near the Cathedral, and take a taxi to the Alhambra. This way you will be able to walk around and enjoy the city during the majority of your stay. I of course enjoyed our visit to the Alhambra, but it is comparatively remote, and I was happy to be able to stay more in the center of things.

To me, three nights is good for Granada. I agree that Sevilla could use more time. As you were in each city in 1981 you won’t notice much difference in the historic centers. If you haven’t been to Spain since 1981, you’ll notice it’s completely different.

While I agree with miuccia that the Parador, right at the Alhambra complex, would be nice to stay at, it is very pricey and not within most people’s budget. There are more affordable hotels in town. If you’re intent on staying at the Alhambra complex, there is Hotel América. It’s between the palace and Parador and is a no frills hotel. We stayed there in 2014 and took the bus into town. I will add that the 2014 visit was our 4th visit to the Alhambra. The other times we stayed in the main part of town. Our first visit there was in 1977.

I’m going to weigh in in favor of Sevilla.

1) The Alcazar is so lovely. Yes Alhambra is impressive. Alcazar is too, in its own way.
2) The ambience and wandering in Sevilla is just so nice.

One other idea … Granada for one night — just for Alhambra and then head to Cordoba and enjoy the patios and the Mezquita. Cordoba is a lovely city for 2-3 nights.

My vote is for Sevilla and Cordoba. The Mezquita was the most impressive site we saw in all of Andalucia (the food in Cordoba was exceptional!) and a couple of days in Sevilla is enough to get a good taste of the city. While the Alhambra is awesome especially from a distance, for us, Granada would be third choice.

I have to agree with mml on Seville and Cordoba for all the reasons stated above. Of our four city stop last May (Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Seville), Granada was our least favorite. I actually enjoyed the Seville Alcazar more, but that is probably influenced by the fact I tend to be disappointed in a site when visiting a place is so crowded you really can't see anything and are shuffling along for much of the visit as the Alhambra experience was for us.

Decisions, decisions...good problem to have....We recently spent 2 nights/3days in Granada, 5 nights in Sevilla (with a day trip to Cordoba from Seville - 45-ish minutes on high speed rain). We loved each city and Sevilla was the favorite but all three are gorgeous in different ways. We will return to Cordoba on a future trip. We extensively toured the Alhambra (Granada), Royal Alcazar (Sevilla) and the Mezquita (Cordoba). Like the previous post from Joann, we enjoyed the Royal Alcazar the most but all three sites and cities are deserving of your time and attention, and therein, lies the rub. The Royal Alcazar (and Mezquita) were just more serene visits for us than the Alhambra...but all three are mesmerizing and mind blowing experiences.

With only three days perhaps planning to return to visit one or two of the cities at a future date would provide a better overall experience ? The historic sites are great but soaking in the atmosphere and the pace of the life of a place is the sweet spot for us. Enjoy your planning and trip!