Sevilla Walking Tours

Sevilla Walking Tours is a local guiding company offering small-group and private tours of the city's monuments and neighbourhoods. It is run by a team of Seville-based guides, and it has been recommended by the American travel writer Rick Steves. Its website lists a range of tours that cover most first-time visitors' needs.

The group tours concentrate on the essentials. There are guided visits to the Alcázar and to the Cathedral, offered with or without entry tickets included, and a Sevilla City Intro walk that gives an overview of the old town's history and layout, which is a good way to orient yourself on the first morning. Groups are kept small, and guides use an audio system with earpieces, so you can hear clearly without crowding around the guide in busy monuments.

The private tours offer more choice. Options include a family tour, combinations of the Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Santa Cruz quarter, a walk from Triana to the Plaza de España, and a tapas tour off the beaten path. The company also runs private day trips to Ronda and to Cádiz and Jerez, which are convenient for travellers without a car.

The tours suit first-time visitors, families and anyone who wants context for the monuments rather than simply seeing them. A guide is especially valuable at the Alcázar and the Cathedral, where the history is complex and the buildings are large. Book in advance, especially for tours that include monument tickets, as entry slots for the Alcázar and Cathedral sell out in spring. Contact the company by phone or email to arrange private tours or ask about languages and meeting points. If you are visiting during Holy Week or the April Fair, ask how the processions and crowds will affect the route and timing.

Meeting points for group tours are in the centre and are confirmed when you book. Wear comfortable shoes and carry water, particularly from May to September, when Seville is very hot; morning tours are the most comfortable in summer. After a tour of the Cathedral or the Alcázar, the Santa Cruz quarter next door is a good place for lunch.