One Day In Cordoba: The Best Itinerary For Spain’s Historical City
Planning on visiting Cordoba? Read on for the best one day itinerary!
If you’re planning a day trip to Cordoba in the Andalusia region of Spain, then a one day itinerary is a total must do before-hand.
I visited Cordoba on a day trip and completely fell in love with this magical, ancient city. With up to four UNESCO World Heritage sites however, planning where to go and how much time is needed at each place is far from easy.
That’s why I’ve compiled this blog post, detailing what I believe to be the best one day itinerary for one of the most fascinating and historical cities you’ll ever visit.
Cordoba: One Day Itinerary
So let’s take a look at what is in my opinion the best one day itinerary for the beautiful city of Cordoba:
See the magnificent Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba
If you visit Cordoba on a day trip and only have time to see one tourist attraction, then you absolutely must go to the city’s stunning Mosque-Cathedral.
Officially named as the ‘Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption’, but also known as the ‘Great Mosque’ or ‘Mezquita’, this is honestly one of the most incredible tourist sites you can visit in Europe or the rest of the world.
I recommend you making this your first stop on your one day itinerary. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the interior of this building was one of the most impressive, awe-inspiring architectural sights I’ve ever seen on my travels.
Recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most amazing buildings in the world, the Mosque-Cathedral has Muslim origins and dates back to ancient times.
Wandering around the building’s large interior is something truly special. Walking through the countless red and white pillars in absolute wonderment is a breath-taking experience.
Pro Tip: I advise planning to spend at least 1-2 hours at the Mosque-Cathedral. You can also explore the beautiful gardens surrounding the complex as well.
Tickets cost 10 Euros for general admission and there is no need to book in advance. Tickets can be purchased in person from the ticket office. Trust me, it is well worth the entrance fee!
Climb to the top of the Mezquita Bell Tower
After being wowed by the wonder of Cordoba’s Mosque-Cathedral, then the next stop on your itinerary is to climb the mosque’s bell tower.
Known as the Mezquita Bell Tower, this is another fascinating piece of architecture with a deep history both in the Muslim and Moorish eras of the city.
You can climb the staircase to the top of the 54 metre high tower, which has the most stunning panoramic views of the city. It only costs 2 Euros to enter and you get to spend up to 30 minutes to enjoy the city’s landscape.
Stroll around the historic centre of Cordoba
Next on your itinerary, I recommend spending about 2 hours discovering the historic centre of Cordoba.
The ‘old quarter’ as it is referred to is another UNESCO World Heritage site within Cordoba. It is one of the largest historic centres in Europe, which is why you need to spend a couple of hours here at least.
It is filled with monuments and more beautiful historical architecture. Wandering through the narrow streets here is a lovely experience. I recommend seeing the following top sites in the historic centre of the city:
- Puerta del Puente – this is a famous Renaissance gate dating back to the 16th century that translates to: ‘Gate of the Bridge’.
- Jewish Quarter – this part of the historic centre of Cordoba is well known for it’s narrow streets. You’ll see pretty houses full of flowers outside and the area has plenty of historical synagogues .
- Calahorra Tower – a former Moorish tower dating back to the 14th century, it is now home to a museum and has fantastic views of the city too.
- The Cordoba Synagogue – one of the oldest synagogues in the world, which was built in 1314 and features more breath-taking architecture.
- Episcopal Palace – this is a 14th century palace that is now home to the Diocesan Fine Arts Museum, and is a must visit place for any art aficionados.
- Plaza de la Corredera – this is the main square in the historic centre and is full of excellent cafes, bars, restaurants and of course stunning architecture.
Discover the Jardines del Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
Translating to: ‘Castle of the Christian Monarchs’, this area is arguably the most beautiful site in the whole of Cordoba.
It is a literal oasis within the city, with lovely gardens that have undergone various transformations since the Roman era.
Tickets to these gardens cost around 8-10 Euros. Taking a stroll in such lush surroundings is a perfect way to chill before the next site on your itinerary.
The gardens are quite extensive, so you’ll want to put aside at least an hour here to fully appreciate the beauty of the aesthetics on show.
Explore the Medina Azahara
Next up on your itinerary is a visit to the third UNESCO World Heritage site in Cordoba: the Medina Azahara. This is based 8 kilometres to the west of the old city.
Despite the distance it is worth catching a taxi and making the trip to this former fortified city palace that was built in the 10th century.
Walking through the remains of a once palatial city is another fascinating experience. I recommend taking a guided tour here to really appreciate the historical significance and to learn more about this extraordinary site.
Cross Cordoba’s Roman Bridge
The final site on your one day itinerary in Cordoba is the city’s famous Roman Bridge. This is an ancient arch bridge which connects the historic centre with the outskirts of the city and was built back in the 1st century.
It’s another historical, cultural monument of Cordoba and is quite lengthy too, measuring over 330 metres in length.
👉 Pro Tip: to really appreciate the beauty of the Roman Bridge of Cordoba, I recommend visiting it during the evening or night time.
Seeing the bridge and the historical centre light up only adds to the beauty of such an outstanding location.
Try some local cuisine
And of course to finish our itinerary, it would be amiss of me not to mention how fantastic the local cuisine of Cordoba is.
The city has an array of top class bodegas and restaurants. There are two michelin starred restaurants in the city that really show off the best local produce from the Andalusian region.
A lot of traditional dishes in Cordoba have references to it’s Moorish history. You’ll find plenty of stews on menu, as well as typical tapas dishes and ‘Salmorejo‘, a cold tomato soup which is similar to gazpacho but creamier and more flavourful.
How To Get To Cordoba
The answer to this question all depends on where you’re travelling from; either within Spain or from another country. Here are the best travel options to reach Cordoba:
Flights ✈️
There are plenty of flights from other European countries to Cordoba Airport. In the UK for example, you can catch a direct flights from London Gatwick, as well as from Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and more.
Trains 🚆
If you plan on visiting Cordoba from within Spain, then I recommend getting there by train. This is the quickest transport method within Spain – the train system is one of the best in Europe, with high speed trains and cheap ticket prices.
Here are some of the major cities you can catch a train to Cordoba from:
- Madrid – the train from the capital takes 2 hours and costs as little as 17 Euros if you book in advance.
- Seville – the biggest city closest to Cordoba, a train from Seville takes just 45 minutes and only costs 4 and a half Euros.
- Malaga, – a train from Malaga takes just less than an hour for only 8 Euros.
- Granada – takes less than 2 hours from as cheap as 15 Euros.
Bus 🚌
You can also reach Cordoba from the same major cities around Spain. Although ticket prices are about the same cost as train tickets, expect the journey to take longer than if travelling via train.
Car 🚘
Of course you can also reach Cordoba via car, but this is the most expensive option if you plan on renting a car.
Driving to the city takes longer than a train ride as well. From Madrid it takes around 4 hours, while from Seville the drive will take you at least an hour and a half.
👉 Pro Tip: another cheap option is to use BlaBla Car, which is a popular carpooling service in Spain and other European countries.
Via the BlaBla Car website, you can book a car ride with a driver who is going to the same destination as you. This is very cheap if you’re travelling in a group between 1-4 people.
This is how I actually travelled to Cordoba on my day trip from Seville. It’s a really cheap, convenient option, plus a great opportunity to meet local Spanish people and brush on your Spanish language skills!
Map of Cordoba
Check out this interactive map of Cordoba, featuring pins of all the locations mentioned in this blog post:
One Day In Cordoba FAQs
Still have a few queries about visiting Cordoba on a day trip? Let me answer some of the most asked questions about this special place:
Is one day enough to visit Cordoba?
One full day in Cordoba is (in my opinion) enough to visit all of the major sites and get a feel for the place. It’s very much a walkable city and very easy to get around on foot.
However, I would recommend spending 2 days if you want to take your time and not feel rushed heading from one tourist attraction to the next. In retrospect, I would have preferred an extra day to experience more of Cordoba.
When is the best time to visit Cordoba?
I would definitely recommend visiting Cordoba during the off peak season. Not only is it cheaper with less tourists, but the summer months in Cordoba can get extremely hot.
In the summer of 2024, temperatures were constantly in the mid 40 degrees Celsius, which makes for an uncomfortable visit!
Instead, a visit to Cordoba during the spring and autumn months (or even winter) will be a lot cooler and more pleasant.
What is the fourth World Heritage site in Cordoba?
At the start of this blog post I noted that Cordoba is home to a total of 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites, but you may have noticed there are only three listed in my recommended itinerary.
That’s because Cordoba’s fourth UNESCO World Heritage site is actually a festival rather than a physical site.
The ‘Festival of the Patios‘ takes place every May in Cordoba. It celebrates the beautiful patios with various flowers and plants that can be seen throughout the city, especially in the Jewish Quarter of the historic centre.
It is officially recognised as an: ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO‘ and gives a unique insight into the local’s love for gardening.
So if you plan to visit a trip to Cordoba in May then definitely add this to your itinerary!
Conclusion: One Day Itinerary For Cordoba
So that concludes what I believe to be the best one day itinerary for Cordoba, one of the most beautiful and historical cities in all of Spain.
I absolutely loved my day trip to Cordoba and it remains a treasured memory. From the unforgettable interior of the Mosque-Cathedral, to the numerous narrow streets decorated with flowers, it is a really exceptional city.
If you’re visiting Andalusia and are looking for a day trip from the likes of Seville or Granada or even Alicante, then I can’t recommend Cordoba highly enough.
I hope this blog post has inspired you to visit this special place and you’re now equipped with the best one day itinerary for Cordoba.
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➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
