What to See at the Real Alcázar: Walking Route & Map

The Real Alcázar is not one building but a thousand years of palaces, courtyards and gardens joined together, and it is easy to wander in circles. This route takes you through it in the order that makes most sense, from the entrance to the gardens, with what to look for in each space and roughly how long to give it. Allow two to three hours in total, more if you add the Upper Royal Quarters.

The official palace map, handed out or displayed at the entrance, numbers the spaces; the names below match the ones you will see there. Restoration work sometimes closes a room or changes the path, so follow the signs on the day.

The route at a glance

#	Space	Period	Time
1	Lion Gate and Patio del León	Walls: Islamic origin	5 min
2	Sala de la Justicia and Patio del Yeso	Almohad and 14th century	10 min
3	Patio de la Montería	Several periods	5 min
4	Cuarto del Almirante (Casa de Contratación)	16th century	10 min
5	Palace of Pedro I	1360s	45–60 min
6	Gothic Palace	13th century, rebuilt after 1755	15–20 min
7	Baths of María de Padilla	13th century	10 min
8	Gardens	12th to 20th century	45–60 min

1. The Lion Gate and the Patio del León

You enter through the Puerta del León (Lion Gate), on Plaza del Triunfo, under a tiled heraldic lion. Inside is the Patio del León, a first courtyard with the old walls around you. It is a threshold: the palaces begin beyond the arches ahead. See how to get there.

2. The Sala de la Justicia and the Patio del Yeso

Near the start of the route, look for two of the oldest spaces in the Alcázar:

• The Sala de la Justicia (Hall of Justice), a square Mudéjar hall built for Alfonso XI, commemorating the Battle of Río Salado of 1340, with plaster decoration and a small pool in the floor.
• The Patio del Yeso (Courtyard of Plaster), an Almohad courtyard from the end of the 12th century, with arches covered in sebka, a diamond lattice of carved plaster.

Many visitors walk straight past these. Give them ten minutes: they are the best view you will get of the Alcázar before Pedro I. More in the Islamic history of the Alcázar.

3. The Patio de la Montería

The large courtyard in front of Pedro I's palace. Its name recalls the royal hunt (montería). Stop in the centre and look at the palace façade opposite: a tall screen of carved stone and plaster under a wooden eave, with a Latin inscription dated 1364. Beneath your feet lie the remains of al-Mubarak, the 11th-century palace of the Abbadid kings.

4. The Cuarto del Almirante: the Casa de Contratación

On the right side of the Patio de la Montería is the Admiral's Quarter. Here, in 1503, the Catholic Monarchs set up the Casa de Contratación, the institution that controlled trade and navigation between Spain and the Americas. Its rooms hold paintings and objects linked to that age of voyages. It is a short, often quiet stop.

5. The Palace of Pedro I

The heart of the visit, built in the 1360s in the Mudéjar style. Take it slowly:

• The vestibule, then along to the Patio de las Doncellas, the ceremonial courtyard with its long pool and sunken garden.
• The Hall of the Ambassadors, the throne room under a gilded wooden dome of 1427.
• The Patio de las Muñecas (Courtyard of the Dolls), the small courtyard of the private quarters. Look for the tiny carved faces at the base of one of its arches.
• The surrounding rooms, including the Salón del Techo de Carlos V, with a Renaissance ceiling.

For the history and how to read the decoration, see the Palace of Pedro I and Mudéjar architecture.

The Upper Royal Quarters are above this palace, visited separately with a timed group. If you have that ticket, fit your slot in here. See Upper Royal Quarters.

6. The Gothic Palace

From Pedro I's palace, the route leads into the halls of the Gothic Palace, begun for Alfonso X in the 1250s and largely rebuilt after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. Look for the Hall of Tapestries, with its series on Charles V's conquest of Tunis, and the painted Renaissance tiles on the lower walls. See the Gothic Palace.

7. The Baths of María de Padilla

Below the Patio del Crucero, reached by steps, the long vaulted pool known as the Baths of María de Padilla. Despite the name, it is a Gothic cistern, not a bath.

8. The gardens

Save at least 45 minutes. Highlights, roughly in walking order:

• The Mercury Pool (Estanque de Mercurio), just below the palace.
• The Galería del Grutesco, a long gallery built on an old wall; walk along the top for views over the gardens.
• The Jardín de las Damas and the formal gardens below the palace.
• The Pabellón de Carlos V, a pavilion further into the gardens.
• The maze, for families.

Full guide: the gardens. In summer, do the gardens before midday or late in the afternoon; see visiting in summer.

If you only have an hour

Go straight to the Palace of Pedro I (stop 5), then the Gothic Palace and the baths (6 and 7), and take a quick loop through the gardens nearest the palace. Skip stops 2 and 4.

Taking the route with a guide

A guide follows much the same route and brings the rooms to life. The guided tour with priority access lasts about 1 hour, then leaves you free to explore the gardens; the Viator best seller combines the Alcázar with the Cathedral. Both include entry.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to see everything?

Two to three hours for the palaces and gardens, plus 30 to 45 minutes for the Upper Royal Quarters.

Is there a map of the Real Alcázar?

Yes. The Alcázar provides a numbered plan at the entrance, and signs follow the same numbering.

What should I not miss?

The Patio de las Doncellas, the Hall of the Ambassadors, the Baths of María de Padilla and the gardens.

Is there a set route?

The main palaces follow a signed route; the gardens are free to explore.

Where do I start?

At the Puerta del León (Lion Gate) on Plaza del Triunfo.

Can I leave and come back in?

Plan as if you cannot: check the rules on your ticket before leaving the palace.