The Travel Guides Paella Rooftop in Seville: Where It Is and How to Book It

Written by Fernando Molina, Founder of Paella Legacy

The rooftop where the Travel Guides cooked paella in Seville is Paella Legacy: a private terrace under the Giralda, beside Seville Cathedral. Anyone can book the same evening. It lasts 90 minutes, there are never more than ten guests, it is taught entirely in English, and it costs €177 per person with your full dinner included.

I'm Fernando, the host you saw cooking with the Guides. This is everything you need to know about the episode, the evening and how to book it.

The evening at a glance

• What: you cook your own chicken and vegetable paella from scratch, then eat it as your dinner
• Where: a private rooftop in Seville's old town, under the Giralda
• How long: 90 minutes, timed around sunset
• Group size: ten guests at most, or the whole rooftop privately
• Price: €177 per person; private evenings from €1,770
• Included: welcome drinks, appetisers, artisan sangria and dinner
• Rated: 4.9 from 700+ reviews

Which Travel Guides episode was it?

Season 8, Episode 5, "Spain/Portugal", first aired on Nine on 18 May 2025 and available on 9Now. The Guides were travelling on Insight Vacations' Best of Spain & Portugal tour, from Madrid and Granada down to Seville and on to Lisbon.

In Seville, three groups of Guides put on our green aprons and cooked their own pans of paella with the Giralda over their shoulders. Then they did what every guest does: sat down and ate what they had made. Travel Money Oz, the show's currency partner, also covered the stop in its recap of the trip.

What did you see on TV, and what's different in real life?

What you saw is exactly what we do every evening: the same rooftop, the same view of the Giralda, the same chicken and vegetable paella and the same aprons.

Two things are different. The Guides filmed in daylight, but our evenings are timed around sunset, so you cook while the tower turns gold and eat as the city lights come on. And there is no film crew, so the evening is calm: a small table, soft flamenco in the background and a host with time for your questions.

Where exactly is the rooftop?

It sits in Seville's historic centre, the Casco Antiguo, a few minutes' walk from the Cathedral, with a direct view of the Giralda. It is a private terrace, not a restaurant or a market hall, so the only people on it are your group and your host. When you book, we send you everything you need to find us.

What happens during the evening?

Ninety minutes go quickly, so here is how they usually unfold.

Arrival. Welcome drinks and local appetisers are already on the table. The ingredients are prepared, so there is no shopping, no long prep and no washing up. You take your apron, find your spot and look out at the Giralda.

The story of paella. Before the rice goes in, I explain where paella really comes from. It is Valencian in origin, not Andalusian. I also explain why each ingredient goes in when it does, and why a real paella is never stirred once the stock is in.

Cooking. You cook your own paella step by step, from the sofrito to the rice. Near the end comes the part everyone waits for: the socarrat, the crisp, toasted layer on the bottom of the pan. Our guide to socarrat, the crispy paella bottom explains why it matters.

Dinner. You sit down and eat the paella you made, with artisan sangria, as the light changes over the Cathedral. This is when most guests ask for local recommendations for the rest of their stay: where to eat, what to see next and what to skip.

When does it start?

Start times follow the sunset through the year, from 17:30 in winter to 20:00 in summer. That way you cook in the golden hour and eat at blue hour, when the Giralda is lit. Other times are possible on request, but the sunset slot is the one we always recommend.

How much does it cost?

The small-group evening is €177 per person, with a maximum of ten guests. A private evening for your own group of up to ten is €1,770, then €177 for each extra guest up to fifteen. Booking is fully prepaid online, with instant confirmation.

The price covers the class, your full dinner, the sangria and the appetisers, so there is nothing to add on the night.

Do I need to be on an Insight Vacations tour?

No. On the show, the class appeared as an extra that was not included in the Guides' tour package, and anyone can book it directly. If you are travelling with a tour group, pick an evening when your itinerary is free.

Who is the evening for?

It suits travellers who want one evening in Seville they will actually remember, rather than another tour. Couples book it for anniversaries and honeymoons, and friends book it as a night out. Solo travellers are welcome at a table of ten at most.

You don't need any cooking experience: most guests have never made paella before. Because everything is in English, it works for visitors from Australia, the UK, the US and anywhere else.

Good to know before you book

• Stairs: the terrace is on a third floor with no lift, so tell us in advance about anyone with limited mobility.
• Rain: the terrace has a canopy, so the class goes ahead in light rain and you keep the view. Only strong wind with rain cancels a session, and then you can move to another date or take a refund.
• Same-day seats: group evenings close online 30 to 60 minutes before the start. If your date looks full, message us; we can sometimes open another time the same day or the next.

How do I book the Travel Guides rooftop?

Choose your evening at paellalegacy.com/sevilla, where you can see the dates and how many seats are left. Have a practical question first? Our FAQ covers the details.

You can read more about the episode on our press page. See you on the rooftop.