The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba sells tickets by date and time, but the monument itself rarely sells out completely: it's huge and each slot has plenty of room. What does run out is the bell tower, which goes up in groups of 22; the "El Alma de Córdoba" night visit, with 100 places per show; and some specific slots at Easter, in May and on Spanish bank holiday weekends. If the website says "sold out", these are the routes left, in the order worth trying them.
Which ticket should you choose?
| If you want… | Option | From |
|---|---|---|
| Your own pace, with an audio guide | Mosque-Cathedral ticket with audio guide, 4.2★ (3,788) Book | €22 |
| The most popular | Mosque-Cathedral skip-the-line guided tour, 4.6★ (10,966) Book | €32 |
| The Mezquita and the old quarter in one morning | Mezquita and Jewish Quarter with tickets, 4.5★ (2,200) Book | €34 |
| Just your group | Private Mosque-Cathedral tour with entry, 5★ (45) Book | €210 per group |
| Private, plus the Jewish Quarter | Private Mezquita and Jewish Quarter tour, 5★ (130) Book | €260 per group |
1. Check the official website again, and the box office
The official ticket site is tickets.mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es, linked from mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es. General admission is €15; reduced tickets are €12 (over-65s, students aged 15 to 26 and European Youth Card holders) or €8 (children aged 10 to 14 and some other cases). Children under 10 go free. If your slot shows as sold out:
- Check every time that day. In October 2026 it opens from 10:00 to 19:00, and a visit takes about an hour, so a later slot rarely ruins the plan.
- Be careful on Sundays and religious holidays. Visiting hours are fitted around Mass, so there are usually fewer slots and they fill sooner. Check the calendar on the official site, as hours change for special celebrations.
- Try the box office. It's at the Information and Reception Centre in the Patio de San Eulogio, on the corner of Calle Torrijos and Calle Amador de los Ríos, where you also rent audio guides. Sales and entry stop 30 minutes before closing.
2. The free early-morning hour
From Monday to Saturday, 8:30 to 9:30, the Mezquita is free. Groups are not allowed, entry closes at 9:20, and there's no free visit on Sundays or on days with special celebrations. It's your best move if the website is sold out: get there before 8:30 and you'll have the forest of columns almost to yourself. Just bear in mind you get less than an hour.
3. If the bell tower is sold out
The tower is the first thing to go, because it runs in 30-minute slots with a maximum of 22 people. In October 2026 there are tours from 9:30 to 18:30, and a ticket costs €4. If you can't find a place:
- Check the slots for the rest of the day and the following days, not just the morning ones.
- Ask in person: tower tickets are also sold at the Patio de San Eulogio and from machines at the tower entrance.
- Mind the restrictions: children under 7 can't go up, and medium or large backpacks aren't allowed.
4. If the night visit is sold out
"El Alma de Córdoba" is a one-hour night tour with headphones, in nine languages, for 100 people per show. It costs €25 (€18 reduced). In October 2026 there are shows at 21:00 and 22:30; times change with the season. If your night is full, look at the night before or after and the other time on the same evening. And leave bags and backpacks over 35 cm at the hotel: they won't let them in.
5. A tour or ticket with the Mezquita included
When the official website doesn't have the time you want, operators usually still have places because they buy tickets in advance. You pay more than on the official site:
- Ticket with audio guide (from €22): the cheapest option if you just want to go in at your own pace.
- Skip-the-line guided tour (from €32): the most popular, with a guide and no box office queue.
- Mezquita and Jewish Quarter (from €34): the monument and the neighbourhood in one morning.
Before paying, check that the listing says "Mosque-Cathedral entry included". Some Jewish Quarter walks only go round the outside.
6. What you can see without a ticket
If you get nothing, the Mezquita still gives you plenty from outside:
- The Patio de los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard), open to all during opening hours, with the tower above it.
- The Puerta del Perdón, under the bell tower, the gateway into the courtyard.
- The outer walls with their carved doorways, especially along Calle Torrijos, and the short walk to the Roman Bridge.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying from sites that look like the official one. They overcharge under similar names. The official site is
tickets.mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es. - Booking a tour without checking it includes entry. You pay for a guide and stay in the courtyard.
- Turning up at 9:25 for the free hour. Entry closes at 9:20.
- Bringing a big backpack or wearing a cap. Large bags aren't allowed and you have to go in with your head uncovered.
In one sentence
If the official site is sold out, try another time, the free hour from 8:30 to 9:30 or a tour with entry included, and if it's the tower you're missing, check the afternoon slots; everything else is in how to visit the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba and Córdoba in one day.
