Take a trip to the Azahara Medina, just a short trip from Córdoba, for a fascinating guided tour of this historic site. Explore the incredible architecture of this palace-city, built as the Caliphate of Cordoba's seat of government in the 10th century.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Reserve now & pay later: Reserve now & pay later to book your spot without any charges today. Learn more
Duration 3 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide: Spanish

Highlights

Explore the amazing palace-city of the Azahara Medina
Learn about the site during a 1-hour stop at the visitor center
Gain insight into the everyday life of the city in the 10th century
Investigate the hidden corners of the Medina with the aid of your guide
Benefit from free access to the site and explore its amazing architecture

Full description

The Caliph of Umayyad Córdoba, Abd al- Rahman III, ordered the construction of palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra, meaning "brilliant city" in Arabic, in the early 10th century. Located about 5 miles (8 km) from the city of Córdoba, this amazing collection of ornate buildings and monuments was created as a symbol of the Caliphi's power against its enemies. They also served as official government buildings. On your visit to this breathtaking site, you can choose between two options: a guided tour with or without a tourist bus. Guided Tour (with bus): Hop aboard the site's tourist bus and make your way to the center of the palatial city. Once there, visit the impressive visitor center before heading north to explore the main sections of the city, one by one. Guided Tour (without bus): Start with a visit to the impressive visitor center, where you will explore Spain's fascinating Moorish history and enjoy a screening of a video that virtually recreates how this historic city was in the 10th century. Later, head north to explore the main sections of the city, one by one.

Includes

Transportation in a tourist bus, if choosing the bus option (Córdoba - Azahara Medina - Córdoba)
Transportation at Azahara Medina, from visitor centre to main monuments
Tour guide
Entrance

Additional food and drinks

Covid-19 precautions

Safety measures in place

All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned

Traveler requirements

You must bring your own headphones
You are required to bring and wear a mask

Meeting point

You must take the bus (it is yellow with red letters) at the bus stop located in "Rotonda Cruz Roja" (opposite the Eurostar Palace Hotel) or at the stop opposite the Mercado Victoria (it is a little bus stop in yellow)

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Important information

What to bring

Comfortable shoes
Hat
Drinks
Comfortable clothes

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 565 reviews

Review summary

Guide
4.7/5
Transportation
4.3/5
Value for money
4.3/5
Safety
4.6/5

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Excellent. I missed the bus from Cordoba because I woke up late ; no problems so I took Uber and met the nice lady "tourguide" in the museo before Azahra entrance. The girl with us was aknowledgable and explained everything for us in English. Definitely going to try your tours again. Talal

January 9, 2020

Superb tour with a very friendly and knowledgeable guide.

An excellent tour with a very friendly and knowledgeable guide, Olivia. Wonderful site which puts in extra pieces of the puzzle of Muslim occupation of Spain. Although it seems a bit much at first with being sent to a bus stop to catch the bus, it was worth it for the tour.

June 24, 2018

This was an unexpected highlight of our visit to Cordoba. We decided on a whim to see the archeological site at Medina Azahara and were fascinated by the history of this site. The tour left Cordoba by bus and our guide Juan met us there. Juan was highly qualified to lead the small English speaking group he had, clearly very knowledgeable about the history of the area. He was great. The time flew by. Everything ran smoothly. This was a fabulous excursion. Highly recommend it.

October 12, 2017

Guided Visit to Azahara Medina in Córdoba

Guided Visit to Azahara Medina in Córdoba

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Superb tour with a very friendly and knowledgeable guide.