Booking choice: The authentic patios tour, from $21 per person. Check dates Tour details
Two of the tours below go to the Palacio de Viana with tickets included. The other five go to San Basilio, the old quarter by the Alcázar, where families have competed for decades over whose patio looks best.
All include the patio entries, and all cancel free up to 24 hours before.
The quick answer
For the Viana Palace with a guide, the GetYourGuide patios and palace tour. For San Basilio, the guided patios tour has the most balanced reviews, the authentic patios tour gets you into private homes, the wine tour is the best rated, and the walking tour is the cheapest.
Which Córdoba patio tours can you book?
Seven: two around the Viana Palace and five in San Basilio, from $16 to $38.
| Tour | Where | Length | Rating | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patios & Viana Palace tour | Viana Palace | 2 hours | 4.4 (100) | $37 |
| Guided visit of the palace | Viana Palace | 1 hr 15 min | 4.5 (2) | $38 |
| Guided patios tour | San Basilio | 1.5 hours | 4.4 (974) | $23 |
| Authentic patios | San Basilio | 2 hours | 4.3 (1,106) | $21 |
| Patios & wine tasting | San Basilio | 75 minutes | 4.8 (72) | $32 |
| Patios walking tour | San Basilio | 2 hours | 4.3 (227) | $16 |
| Art historian tour | San Basilio | 2 hours | 4.4 (86) | $23 |
Which tour includes the Viana Palace?
Two: the GetYourGuide patios and palace tour ($37, 2 hours) and the Viator guided visit ($38, 75 minutes), both with tickets included.
The GetYourGuide tour meets in Plaza de Don Gome under an orange umbrella and includes tickets for the patios and the palace. Guests praise the guides by name: "Rafael is the funniest tour guide I've ever met. He knows a lot and conveys it in a fun and interesting way..." Some departures run in Spanish with audio in other languages, so check the language when you book.
The Viator visit, run by a local walking-tour company, meets at the Reja de Don Gome by the main entrance. It's new, with only two reviews so far.
Want the palace explained, not just walked? Patios and palace tickets are included.
Explore the patios and palace guided tour Tour detailsWhich is the best San Basilio patio tour?
The guided patios tour: 90 minutes, nearly a thousand reviews.
It meets at the Caballerizas Reales, the royal stables. One guest wrote: "Great tour. Only five in the group plus Emilio, the guide. The tour was in English." The Viator alternative leaves from the same place with an art historian as guide, and runs to two hours.
Which tour gets you into private patios?
The authentic patios tour: five private patios in San Basilio, often with the owners there.
It meets in Plaza del Triunfo, near the Mezquita. A guest summed it up: "I learned a lot about the history of the patios ... visited patios that weren't overrun by tourist groups." During the May festival, the tour moves to patios in San Francisco and Santiago.
Want to see patios people actually live in? Five private homes, tickets included.
Check dates for the authentic patios tourWhich tour is the cheapest?
The patios walking tour, from $16 for two hours with patio tickets.
It covers San Basilio at an easy pace. A guest who went in June wrote: "Miguel was very informative. The patios were beautiful. Went in June on a Monday and there were practically no crowds." Mondays matter here, since the Viana Palace is closed that day.
Is the patios and wine tour worth it?
Yes, if you like a drink at the end: it's the best rated of the seven, at 4.8 stars, with prize-winning patios and a Montilla-Moriles fino.
It lasts 75 minutes and suits the end of the day. In one guest's words: "Very interesting walk to do in the late Andalusian afternoon. Stunning and particular patios, to be amazed!"
Patios first, then a glass of fino: the best-rated patio tour in the city.
Explore the patios and wine tour Tour detailsDo you need a tour, or can you see the patios alone?
For San Basilio outside May, a tour is the easy way in; for the Viana Palace, you can go alone with a ticket.
Private patios mostly open their doors for the festival, which is free (see Viana Palace vs the Patios Festival). The rest of the year, the tours buy the patio entries for you. At the palace, the $10 self-guided ticket covers 12 patios. Some guests even prefer it: "I found this much more enjoyable than the patios tour in the centre of town."
Which patio tour should you book?
Pick by what you want most: the palace, the people, the price or a glass of wine.
- The Viana Palace with a guide: the patios and palace tour.
- Classic San Basilio: the guided patios tour.
- Private homes and their owners: the authentic patios.
- Late afternoon with a drink: the wine tour.
- Lowest price: the walking tour.
- Deeper history: the art historian tour.
Small San Basilio patios can have queues in spring, so morning tours tend to feel calmer.
Still undecided? The authentic patios tour is the most reviewed of the seven.
Check dates for the authentic patios tourFrequently asked questions
Are Córdoba patio tours in English?
Many are: guests on the guided patios tour mention an English-speaking guide. Some Viana Palace tour departures run in Spanish with audio in other languages, so check the language when booking.
Do patio tours include the entry fees?
Yes. All seven include the patio tickets, and both Viana Palace tours include the palace entry.
Are patio tours suitable for wheelchairs?
Not the Viana Palace tours: both say they are not suitable for reduced mobility. Ask the San Basilio operators before booking, as some patios have steps.
Ready to book
Choose your visit
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Patios & Viana Palace Guided Tour
- Guided tour of the Viana Palace and its patios
- Tickets for the patios and the palace
- Meet in Plaza de Don Gome (look for the orange umbrella)
Authentic Patios: 2-Hour Tour with Tickets
Five private patios and the people who tend them
