by adminIf you are looking for a Córdoba patios free tour, there is one important detail: the patios are private homes, and to go inside them with a guide you pay an entry fee that helps the owners maintain them. That is why the city’s free tours walk through the patio neighbourhoods but do not go inside. In this guide we explain the difference between a free tour and a guided tour with tickets, 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 Córdoba patios?
A free tour is a guided walk that you book at no cost and pay for with a voluntary tip at the end. It is a great way to get to know Córdoba’s streets, but it cannot include entry to the patios, which are private homes with a paid admission. The Festival of the Patios has been UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2012, and outside the May contest you can only see them inside when their owners open the door to groups.
To understand what you are going to see, first read what the patios of Córdoba are and how the Córdoba patios contest works.
Córdoba at night free tour: through the patio quarter
The free tour that comes closest to the patios is the Córdoba at night free tour, which explores the riverside, the Alcázar Viejo (the San Basilio patio quarter) and the city walls, among other places. 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. It covers the Roman Bridge, the Mosque-Cathedral, the lanes of the Jewish Quarter and the medieval quarter: a good first taste of the Córdoba of flowerpots and whitewashed walls.
1. Tour Patios de Córdoba: the contest patios, almost all year
If you want to go inside the patios, the Tour Patios de Córdoba visit lasts 1.5 to 2 hours and takes in the best-known, award-winning patios of the May Popular Contest, with tickets arranged, authorised guides and interpreters and audio headsets, in Spanish or English.
Days, times and meeting point
During the year it leaves at 17:00 (18:00 in summer) from the Puerta de las Caballerizas Reales, every day except Tuesdays and Sundays. During the May contest there are two daily tours, at 10:30 and 17:30, and the meeting point moves to the Puerta del Ayuntamiento, on Calle Capitulares. The price is shown in the booking calendar when you choose a date.
Who it suits best
Travellers who already know the quarter from the outside, perhaps from the night free tour, and want to see what the patios are really like inside, with explanations about how they are cared for and what makes each one different.
2. Arte en Córdoba: published price and a month-by-month calendar
The Arte en Córdoba guided tour of the Córdoba patios lasts 1.5 to 2 hours and publishes its prices: €20 per adult with entry included (€15 during the contest), €10 for children aged 11 to 13 and free for under-11s.
In March, April, May, September and October it runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; in June, November and December, on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, always at 17:00 (18:00 in summer). The website notes that in July and August the patios are closed to visits. The usual meeting point is the Puerta de las Caballerizas Reales; during the contest, the City Hall. It is wheelchair accessible and pets are allowed.
3. Free Tour Córdoba: the paid tour with a Sunday departure
The brand behind the city’s free tours also offers a guided tour of the Córdoba patios, in this case at a fixed price: its website lists it from €18. It follows the same month-by-month calendar, at 17:00 (18:00 in summer), with one useful difference: it adds a Sunday tour at 12:30, in Spanish only. During the contest there are departures at 10:30 and 17:30. Check the meeting point on the tour page and on your booking voucher.
Comparison table: free tour and guided tours of the patios
| Option | Duration | Meeting point | Goes inside the patios? | Adult price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night free tour | 1.5-2 h | Plaza del Triunfo | No (walks through the Alcázar Viejo) | Voluntary tip |
| Tour Patios de Córdoba | 1.5-2 h | Caballerizas Reales | Yes, tickets arranged | See booking calendar |
| Arte en Córdoba | 1.5-2 h | Caballerizas Reales | Yes, entry included | €20 (€15 during the contest) |
| Free Tour Córdoba (paid tour) | Not stated | See tour page and voucher | See tour page | From €18 |
Information published on each website, checked on 26/10/2026.
Tips for choosing between a free tour and a patio tour
Season: November, May or summer
From November departures are reduced: Arte en Córdoba and Free Tour Córdoba run on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, so book ahead. May is the month of the contest, with the patios at their best but also with queues. In July and August many patios do not receive visitors, and the night free tour is a good way to see the quarter when it is cooler. For more detail, see our comparison of the best guided tours of the Córdoba patios.
Combine a free tour and a patio tour
A good plan is to join the historic centre free tour in the morning and the patio tour at 17:00, or the other way round: a ticketed tour in the afternoon and, in spring or autumn, the night free tour at 20:00. Before you go, read our guide to the San Basilio patios.
Frequently asked questions about a Córdoba patios free tour
Does the free tour go inside the Córdoba patios?
No. Córdoba’s free tours walk the streets, and the night tour passes through the Alcázar Viejo, the San Basilio patio quarter, but they do not go inside. The patios are private homes and visiting them has a cost, so to see them inside with a guide you need a guided tour with the entry included.
How much does it cost to see the patios inside with a guide?
Arte en Córdoba lists €20 per adult with entry included, reduced to €15 during the May contest, and Free Tour Córdoba advertises its tour from €18. With Tour Patios de Córdoba the price appears in the booking calendar. With Arte en Córdoba and Tour Patios de Córdoba, entry to the patios is included in the tour.
Can you visit the patios in November?
Yes. Outside May, many owners keep opening their patios to guided tours. In November and December, Arte en Córdoba and Free Tour Córdoba run on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 17:00, and Tour Patios de Córdoba every day except Tuesdays and Sundays. Free Tour Córdoba also adds a Sunday tour at 12:30.
If you want to step inside the contest’s most celebrated patios with your tickets sorted and a meeting point at the Caballerizas Reales, book your tour with Tour Patios de Córdoba.
