In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Take the train: AVE, Avlo and Avant run from Santa Justa to Córdoba Central in about 45 minutes. The Mezquita-Catedral is €15, and free from 08:30 to 09:30, Monday to Saturday (no groups; entry stops at 09:20). A tour from Seville is a 10-hour day from €79: Córdoba and the Mosque-Cathedralad and Córdoba, the Mosque and Carmonaad both drive about 1½ hours each way, and the Mosque-Cathedral entry is an option on them. On the ground, a guided Mezquita tour with the ticket is €32 and takes 75 minutes to 1½ hours. The Mezquita is an active cathedral: hats off, no large bags. Carry a passport or photo ID. Tour prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
Getting there compared
| Option | Time | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Train, Santa Justa to Córdoba Central | About 45 minutes | AVE, Avlo and Avant; check Renfe for the fare and the timetable. Córdoba station is open 06:00 to 00:00 |
| Full-day tour | 10 hours, about 1½ hours each way | From €79ad; a stop in Carmona on the two main listings |
| Tour with a fast-track Mosque-Cathedral entry | 10 hours | €109ad, with the Jewish Quarter walk |
Renfe’s Seville to Córdoba page lists AVE, Avlo and Avant trains on the route and gives 06:50 as the first departure from Santa Justa, which reaches Córdoba in time for the free hour. Santa Justa is open 04:30 to 00:30.
The Mezquita-Catedral
€15 · free 08:30 to 09:30 Monday to Saturday · tickets from the Cabildo
The Cabildo, the cathedral chapter that runs the monument, sells tickets in its online shop and at the Patio de San Eulogio reception centre (mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es).
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| General | €15 |
| Over 65, students 15 to 26, European Youth Card | €12 |
| Children 10 to 14, disability up to 64%, adult members of large families | €8 |
| Children under 10; born in or resident in the diocese of Córdoba | Free |
| Bell Tower, a 30-minute slot every 30 minutes | €4 |
| Route of the Fernandine Churches | €6, free with the Mezquita ticket |
| Night visit, “The Soul of Córdoba” | €25 |
The paid visit runs Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00 until 31 October 2026, and 10:00 to 18:00 from 1 to 30 November, apart from 2 November (to 17:00), 17 and 19 November (to 16:00) and 20 November (to 15:00). On Sundays it is split around Mass: 08:30 to 11:30 and 15:00 to 19:00 in October, and to 18:00 from 1 November. The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The Cabildo has not published hours beyond the end of November, so use its hours tool on the ticket page for a later date.
The rules: remove your hat, wear appropriate clothing and keep your shoes on, no large bags or packages, no tripods, no photography of services, no eating or drinking, and children under 14 must be accompanied. The audio guide is rented at the reception centre and the rental ends an hour before closing.
What to see
Allow 1½ hours. The guided tours run 75 minutes to 1½ hours, and the Bell Tower is a separate 30 minutes.
The Patio de los Naranjos, with the Mezquita-Catedral beyond. Photo: Daderot, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- The Patio de los Naranjos, the orange-tree courtyard, and the Bell Tower beside it.
- The prayer hall, the forest of red-and-white arches. It was built in stages: the first mosque by Abd al-Rahman I in the 8th century, then expansions by Abd al-Rahman II, Abd al-Rahman III, Al-Hakam II and Almanzor.
- The mihrab, part of Al-Hakam II’s 10th-century expansion.
- The cathedral inside: the Royal Chapel, and the main chapel, transept and choir, built from the 16th century.
The Cabildo’s own pages date every stage (the building). A reader who prefers a guide has two: Córdoba: Skip-the-Ticket-Line Mosque-Cathedral Guided Tourad (€32, 11,002 reviews, Córdoba a Pie) includes the ticket, the Bell Tower and the Fernandine Churches; the Cabildo’s prices for the ticket and the tower come to €19. Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral: Skip-the-Line Guided Tourad (€32, 7,393 reviews, Artencordoba) is 1½ hours with an art historian and includes the ticket.
The prayer hall of the Mezquita-Catedral. Photo: PerryPlanet, Wikimedia Commons.
The tours from Seville
Both main listings leave Seville in the morning, stop in Carmona and return in the evening.
Córdoba and the Mosque-Cathedral
From €79 · 10 hours · 1,214 reviews · ANDALSUR
From Seville: Córdoba and Mosque-Cathedral Full-Day Tourad has a short stop in Carmona, a drive of about 1½ hours to Córdoba, a guided visit of the Mosque-Cathedral, a walk through the Jewish Quarter with the synagogue and Calle de las Flores, and free time for lunch. The Mosque-Cathedral entry is sold as an option, so check the option you pick includes it.
Córdoba, the Mosque and Carmona
From €79 · 10 hours · 2,269 reviews · Naturanda
From Seville: Cordoba, the Mosque and Carmona Day Tripad stops at Carmona for the views, then Córdoba’s synagogue, the Roman bridge, the Torre de la Calahorra and the Jewish Quarter. The Mosque-Cathedral ticket is an option at an extra cost, and pick-up is available. A small-group or private version is listed.
With the entries included
From €109 · 10 hours · 314 reviews · Granavision
From Seville: Cordoba and Mosque Cathedral Guided Tourad lists fast-track entry to the Mosque-Cathedral and to the synagogue in the price, a guided walk through the old town and an hour of free time before the return.
The rest of Córdoba
The old town round the Mezquita is a walk of narrow streets, and the guided walks on the ground combine the sights.
The Roman bridge and the Mezquita-Catedral from the south bank of the Guadalquivir. Photo: kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Jewish Quarter and the Alcázar
From €52 · 3½ hours · 5,728 reviews · Córdoba a Pie
Córdoba: Jewish Quarter, Mosque, and Alcázar Tourad covers the Mosque-Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter with the Calleja de la Hoguera, the souk and the statue of Maimonides, and the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs. The listing says the Alcázar is partly closed for restoration, so the tour visits only its gardens. The ticket, the Fernandine Churches and the Mosque-Cathedral’s Bell Tower are included.
Medina Azahara
From €18 · 3 hours · guided tours from Córdoba
Abd al-Rahman III ordered the palace city of Medina Azahara, about 8 km from Córdoba, in the early 10th century. Córdoba: Medina Azahara 3-Hour Guided Tourad (€18, 1,036 reviews, Oway Tours) is led by an archaeologist, includes the entry ticket and offers return transport from Córdoba as an option. Córdoba: Guided Tour of Azahara Medinaad (€20, 1,142 reviews, Artencordoba) has the same 3 hours, with the site’s tourist bus as an option; a non-EU visitor pays the guide €1.50 on top. It is a half day on its own.
Planning the day
- Book the train on Renfe, and carry a passport or photo ID.
- Take one of the first trains for the free hour, or buy the €15 ticket online for a later time.
- The Mezquita first, then the Jewish Quarter on foot; a guided walk takes 3½ hours with the Alcázar gardens.
- Medina Azahara only if you drop the walk. Its tours take 3 hours plus the transfer.
- A Sunday splits the Mezquita around Mass, with the visit closed between 11:30 and 15:00.
Córdoba is one of the day trips from Seville; Granada and the Alhambra is the longer train. Seville public transport covers the way to Santa Justa, and Seville Airport to the city is the first and last day. What to book before you go to Seville lists the sights that need tickets, and where to stay in Seville compares the areas.
Common questions
How long is the train from Seville to Córdoba?
About 45 minutes on the AVE, Avlo and Avant trains from Seville Santa Justa to Córdoba Central. Renfe's app or website gives the fare and the timetable for your date.
How much is the Mezquita-Catedral in Córdoba?
€15 for a general ticket, €12 for over-65s, students aged 15 to 26 and Youth Card holders, and €8 for children aged 10 to 14. Children under 10 are free. Entry is free from 08:30 to 09:30, Monday to Saturday, for individual visitors.
Is the Mezquita free in Córdoba?
For one hour, Monday to Saturday, 08:30 to 09:30, except on days of extraordinary celebration. Groups are not admitted in that hour, and entry stops at 09:20. The first trains from Seville Santa Justa arrive in time for it.
Is a tour from Seville to Córdoba worth it?
A tour is a 10-hour day from €79 with about 1½ hours of driving each way, a stop in Carmona on the main listings and a guided visit; the Mezquita ticket is an option on some of them. The train takes 45 minutes, against about 3 hours on the road for a tour, and leaves you the whole day in Córdoba.
Can I see Medina Azahara and the Mezquita in one day?
Only if you skip the rest of the city. The guided Medina Azahara tours from Córdoba take 3 hours, from €18, and the site is about 8 km outside the city.
