by adminIf you are looking for an Alcázar of Córdoba free tour, it helps to know how it works: the city’s free tours are walks through the streets, and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos is a monument with a paid entrance, so none of them goes inside its towers and gardens. To see it from the inside with a guide you need to book a fixed-price tour. In this guide we explain the difference and compare three options we know well, using the information each website publishes as of 26 October 2026.
Is there a free tour of the Alcázar of Córdoba?
A free tour is booked at no cost and, at the end, each participant gives the guide a voluntary tip. What it cannot do is pay for monument tickets, which is why it stays outside. The Alcázar, built by Alfonso XI in the 14th century and home to the Catholic Monarchs while they prepared the conquest of Granada, is visited inside on a guided tour that includes the ticket.
Bear in mind that the monument is closed on Mondays. If you are planning the visit yourself, read our guide on how to visit the Alcázar: opening times, tickets and tips.
Córdoba at night free tour
The Córdoba at night free tour includes the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos among its stops, together with the riverside, the Alcázar Viejo quarter and the city walls, always from the outside. It leaves from Plaza del Triunfo, next to the Puerta del Puente, lasts 1.5 to 2 hours and its start time depends on the month: 18:30 from November to March, 20:00 in April, May, September and October, and 21:00 in summer.
Historic centre free tour
The historic centre free tour leaves from the same spot at 10:15 all year round and at 12:30 except in July and August, and covers the Roman Bridge, the Mosque-Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter and the medieval quarter. It is a good complement if you are going into the Alcázar afterwards, a few minutes’ walk away.
1. Tour Alcázar de Córdoba: the option with the most departures
The Tour Alcázar de Córdoba visit lasts around 1 hour, includes ticket management so you skip the ticket office queue and is led by authorised guides and interpreters, with headsets when the group has more than 10 people.
Times, meeting point and languages
It runs Tuesday to Saturday at 10:15, on Sundays at 10:30 and 12:00, and also at 18:30 all year except in summer. The meeting point is the Sotos de la Albolafia sign, opposite the main gate of the Alcázar on Avenida del Alcázar; the guide carries a burgundy umbrella with white lettering. It is offered in Spanish, English and French, and the price is shown in the booking calendar when you choose a date.
Who it suits best
Anyone who wants to go inside with tickets sorted and a choice of times, including Sundays and afternoons. The website also lets you extend the visit with the Jewish Quarter, the Synagogue and the Mosque-Cathedral.
2. Arte en Córdoba: published price with entry included
The Arte en Córdoba guided tour of the Alcázar lasts about an hour and publishes its prices: €20 per adult with entry included, €10 for children aged 8 to 13 and free for under-8s.
There are tours at 10:15 Tuesday to Saturday, at 18:00 Tuesday to Friday and at 10:30 and 12:00 on Sundays, in Spanish, English and French. The meeting point is the same Sotos de la Albolafia sign. The website warns that the tour is not wheelchair accessible, because the Alcázar has many stairs.
3. Free Tour Córdoba: the paid midday tour
The brand behind the city’s free tours also runs a guided tour of the Alcázar of Córdoba, in this case at a fixed price because it includes tickets: its website lists it from €17. It runs Tuesday to Sunday at 13:00, and the tour page gives two meeting points: the main gate of the Alcázar, under the flags, and the Sotos de la Albolafia sign. It is ideal if you spend the morning at the Mosque or on the historic centre free tour and want to visit the Alcázar before lunch.
Comparison table: free tour and guided tours of the Alcázar
| Option | Duration | Times | Goes inside the Alcázar? | Adult price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night free tour | 1.5-2 h | 18:30 (Nov-Mar), 20:00, 21:00 (summer) | No, seen from outside | Voluntary tip |
| Tour Alcázar de Córdoba | 1 h | 10:15 (Tue-Sat), 10:30 and 12:00 (Sun), 18:30 (except summer) | Yes, tickets arranged | See booking calendar |
| Arte en Córdoba | 1 h | 10:15 (Tue-Sat), 18:00 (Tue-Fri), 10:30 and 12:00 (Sun) | Yes, entry included | €20 |
| Free Tour Córdoba (paid tour) | Not stated | 13:00 (Tue-Sun) | Yes, entry included | From €17 |
Information published on each website, checked on 26/10/2026.
Tips for choosing between a free tour and a guided tour
Plan your day around the times
A simple plan: historic centre free tour at 10:15, Alcázar tour at 13:00 and, if you still have energy, the night free tour at 18:30 from November. If you prefer to start with the Alcázar, the 10:15 tours give you the gardens in the best morning light. For a deeper comparison, read our guide to the best guided tours of the Alcázar of Córdoba.
Gardens, tickets and what is new
The gardens, with their pools and fountains, are one of the most photographed parts of the monument: if they interest you, allow extra time and see our guide to the gardens of the Alcázar of Córdoba. All three paid tours include the ticket, so you do not need to buy it separately. Before you go, check the 2026 changes to the Alcázar visit.
Frequently asked questions about an Alcázar of Córdoba free tour
Does the free tour go inside the Alcázar of Córdoba?
No. Córdoba’s free tours walk the streets and the night tour passes the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, but they do not enter the monument, which has a paid entrance and is closed on Mondays. To see the towers, the baths, the Roman mosaics and the gardens with explanations, you need a guided tour with the ticket included.
How much does a guided tour of the Alcázar cost?
Arte en Córdoba lists €20 per adult with entry included and €10 for children aged 8 to 13, and Free Tour Córdoba advertises its tour from €17. With Tour Alcázar de Córdoba the price appears in the booking calendar when you choose the day. All three options include entry to the monument.
Are there guided tours of the Alcázar on Sundays?
Yes. Tour Alcázar de Córdoba and Arte en Córdoba run on Sundays at 10:30 and 12:00, and Free Tour Córdoba at 13:00. On Mondays the Alcázar is closed, so there are no tours, but you can use that day for the historic centre free tour and see the monument from the outside.
If you want to go inside the Alcázar with your tickets sorted and a choice of times, including Sundays and afternoons, book your tour with Tour Alcázar de Córdoba.
