Ultimate guide for visiting Valencia

2 day itinerary for the perfect city trip

If you want to go on a small city trip with some warmer temperatures, then Valencia is the place for you! Valencia is known for its City of Arts and Sciences and also for being the birthplace of paella. This city is absolutely stunning with their old town and with their modern complex as well. As this city is quite often overlooked, their will be less tourists and it will be a little bit cheaper! That’s a win! And don’t forget about the good weather too! Spain is known for all year round warmer temperatures.

For your information, all these pictures were taken in January 2023.

How to get to Valencia?

The easiest way is arriving in Valencia Airport, also known as Manises Airport. This is the main international and domestic airport of Valencia and of the provence of Valencia. The airport is 8 kilometers away of the west of the city. Most common airlines are Iberia regional, Vueling and Ryanair and the most common destinations are Paris, London, Palma de Mallorca, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Ibiza and Brussels.

The easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is with the metro or the bus.

Metro: take line 3 or 5 at the airport for about 20 minutes, which costs € 1.5 for a single ticket. Find more information here.
Bus: You can also take the bus to the city center. You need to take line 150 and it leaves from 06h21 to 22h36 every 26 minutes from Monday to Friday and every 35 minutes from Saturdays, Sundays and at Public Holidays. It takes around 47 minutes to get to the city and costs € 1.45. Find more information here.

Be aware that their is another airport nearby Valencia, called Castellon – Costa Azahar Airport. It takes more than 1 hour to reach the city center by car. By public transport, it’s a bit of a mess to get to the city. Or you take a taxi, but that’s an expensive choice, or you take the shuttle bus to Castello train station and get on the train to Valencia, which takes around 1h. It’s very far away and will cost you money and time, so better save it and arrive at Valencia Airport instead.

How many days do you need in Valencia?

To see all the main attractions, 2 days should be enough to really experience the city as everything is close by and within walking distance from one another. But, if you want to visit some beaches or wander inside the City of Arts and Sciences, maybe consider staying longer.

Also, there are more things to do around Valencia. I really wanted to visit Calp, a neighbouring town in Spain with a stunning rock formation, so I was quite glad that I had more than 2 days in Valencia. It all depends on what you want to do and see!

How to get around in Valencia?

When in Valencia, you can use a Valencia tourist card to get around. You can buy one for 24, 48 or 72 hour, where you can use the bus, metro and tram for free. The price ranges between € 15 to € 25, depending on what card you will take. It also includes free entry to Public Museums and Monuments and discounts for tourist attractions and a free tapas and drinks. Click here to find more information.

Just note that there is almost no public transportation in the old part of the city and that’s where you will stay most of the time. Therefore, you will need to hike for the most part. The only time you will need to take the tram is to get to the City of Arts and Sciences and a one-way ticket only costs € 1.5 for one zone. Determine for yourself if the tourist card is worth it.

Map of places in Valencia

Valencia itinerary: Day 1

We will start the day at the historical part of Valencia, so be prepared to walk a lot today! You will see a lot of beautiful old buildings and discover the old part of the city a bit more!

1| The Central Market of Valencia

As you will start your city trip early in the morning, it makes sense to wander around a food market and score yourself some traditional food like an empanada. The building was built between 1914 and 1928 and is centered right next to other sightseeings, like La Lonja de la Seda. It’s the largest market in Europe and you can find all kinds of fresh food, like fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, spices, pastries, souvenir shops and many more things!

The market is open everyday from 7h30 to 15h00 from Monday till Saturday, so make sure to come here early!

2| La Lonja de la Seda

La Lonja de la Seda or the silk exchange was built between 1482 and 1548 and was used to trade silk. This building is one of the most famous vicil gothic monuments in Europe and is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

La Lonja de la Seda is open at 10h00 till 19h00 from Monday till Saturday and from 10h00 till 14h00 on Sunday and public Holidays. The entry price is € 2.00 and on Sunday, it is completely free!

Walking from the Central Market of Valencia to La Lonja de la Seda takes 1 minute as it’s located right next to each other.

3| Torres de Quart

Next on the list are the Quart towers, one of the towers that are located around the city. It was built in the 14th century and were very important for military purposes as they were used for defending the city. In addition, these walls have suffered a lot and you can still see the scars left of the cannon balls, left by the War of Independence against France, the War of Succession and the Spanish Civil War.

The Quart Towers are open at 10h00 till 19h00 from Monday till Saturday and from 10h00 till 14h00 on Sunday and public Holidays. The entry price is € 2.00 and on Sunday, it is completly free!

It takes around 10 minutes to walk from La Lonja de la Seda to the Quart towers.

4| Jardí Botànic

The Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia is located right next to the Quart Towers. It’s a very pleasant place to walk and escape the city for a bit. The garden has a total collection of around three thousand species of trees and plants around the world.

The Botanical Garden are open at 10h00 till 18h00 everyday. The entry price is € 3.00 and you can use your ticket all day, so you can re-enter later on.

It takes 3 minutes to walk from the Quart Towers to the botanical garden.

5 | Torres de Serranos

Another famous tower in Valencia are the Serranos Towers and is the only remaining gates at the end of the city as the rest of the city walls were demolished. They were built in 1392 and were used as a defensive structure for the city aswell as a triumphal arch for welcoming guests.

The Serranos Towers are open at 10h00 till 19h00 from Monday till Saturday and from 10h00 till 14h00 on Sunday and public Holidays. The entry price is € 2.00 and on Sunday, it is completly free!

It takes around 15 minutes to walk from the botanic garden to the Serranos towers.

6 | Plaza de la Virgen

Make your way to the most beautiful square in Valencia were there are four sightseeings: the Cathedral of Valencia, Basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados, the courthouse of the regional government of Valencia and the fountain named Fuente del Agua de la Acequia. The pink basilica is connected with the cathedral through a renaissance arch, named Arco de La Calle de la Barchilla. As you can read, there are a few things to see around here and it ‘s simply a pleasure to walk around here!

From the Serranos towers to Plaza de la Virgen is a 5 minute walk.

7 | La Seu de València

Right at Plaza de la Virgen, you will find the Cathedral of Valencia. Normally, I’m not that into visiting Churches and Cathedrals, but this one impressed me a lot! It was very grand from the inside and the architecture, from the inside and the outside, was mesmerizing to look at. In this Cathedral, they keep the Holy Grail in one of the Chapels. Some say it is just a medieval legend, but for many Christians, this is the cup used by Jesus during their Last Supper.

It costs € 8.00 to enter and the entry times differ from summer and winter. Find more about the time table here.

8 | El Micelat

Right next to the Cathedral, you can find El Micelat or the Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Valencia. It’s a octagonal tower of almost 51 meters high. You can visit the top of this 207-step bell tower via a rather winding, narrow staircase. Here, you will be rewarded with a nice view of the city so it’s really worth getting tired for!

It costs € 2.00 to get to the top and is open from 10h00 till 19h00 everyday in the winter months (November to March) and till 19h30 in the summer months (April to October).

Valencia itinerary: Day 2

We will be exploring the more modern aspect of Valencia with the new City of Arts and Sciences. This is a bit far from the city center so you can take the tram or you can rent a bike to see more of the city. But first, we’ll start the day back at the old part of the City.

9 | Plaça de la Reina

Placa de la Reina is one of the most iconic squares of Valencia, because of the spectacular sighting of the Cathedral and the numerous restaurants! As you visited the Cathedral the other day, the chance is pretty high that a pitstop was made here, but I went to this square every day as it was just so nice to be at! As a bonus, being here by sunrise (or as early as possible) is even better as there are way less tourists!

This is the square were I saw a lot of Flamenco, which was very spectacular! Especially with the Cathedral on the background. I don’t know why we were so lucky to witness this, but I think it had to do with a competition as there were a lot of different groups going on stage!

10 | Church of Santa Caterina

The Church of Santa Caterina is very close located to Placa de la Reina. It is one of the oldest in the city and the construction of the building dates back to the Reconquista. As it was destroyed by a fire in the 16th century, most part of the building needed a renovation.

The entrance is free and it is open everyday from 10h till 13h and from 19h till 20h, so make sure you’ll be on time.

It takes 2 minutes to walk from Plaça de la Reina to the Church of Santa Caterina.

11 | Horchateria de Santa Catalina

After exploring the morning, it is time to taste one of the typical dishes of Spain, namely Churros! It is believed that Churros originally are from Spain, but there are other theories that it was founded in China. Either way, they are a very popular breakfast, snack or dessert (depending on what you want to call it) throughout Spain and even other parts of the world!

The most popular place to eat Churros in Valencia is without a doubt ‘Horchateria de Santa Catalina‘, located very closely to the Church of Santa Caterina! With this, I mean that it’s right next to each other.

It’s a very nice place to go to, but it’s quite popular so it’s possible you have to wait outside for a bit. Another weird thing, in my opinion, is that they don’t have a menu. Only one at the door, so it’s better to know what you want beforehand. We got 3 churros per person, which is one portion, and one hot chocolate to dip per person. We didn’t know exactly what the hot chocolate was meant to be, but one is definitly enough for two people!

12 | Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas

On your way to the next location, you’ll pass Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas. It’s a museum dedicated to the most impressive collection of ceramics of Spain, dating from the 18th century all the way to the contemporary period. If you’re not very interested in ceramics, you’ll still want to go inside. The interiour itself makes it worth a visit. But if you don’t feel like walking inside this beautiful palace, you can still visit it from the outside. Undoubtedly, the facade of this palace will blow you away!

The entrance of the museum costs €3.00 for an adult and are free for people under 18 or above 65. Moreover, it’s open from Tuesday till Saturday from 10am till 2pm and 4pm till 8pm. Sundays are only open in the morning and it’s closed on a Monday.

Note that on Google Maps, there are a few locations with this name, but the real location is here. It’s a 3 minute walk from the Church and the churros!

13 | City of Arts and Science

This was the place I was the most excited for! The City of Arts and Science is a scientific city park which looks very futuristic, as a comparison to the rest of the city. I’ve never seen such a different architecture like here. These buildings were designed by the Valencian-born architect Santiago Calatrava. In 1996, the construction of the City of Arts and Science came to live and was officialy finished in 2009, with the L’Àgora.

There are a lot of different things to discover here:

Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe
L’Oceanogràfic
Hemisfèric
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia
Umbracle
CaixaForum Valencia
L’Assut d’Or

If you want to visit more than one of the museums of Arts and Science, go for a combi ticket. The prices shown below are for the high season and the general price. For more information, click here.

Hemisfèric + Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe = €13.00
Hemisfèric + L’Oceanogràfic = €40.70
Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe + L’Oceanogràfic = €40.70
Hemisfèric + Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe + L’Oceanogràfic = € 46.70

To get here, it’s a 40 minute walk from Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas or the other option is to take the metro or bus.

14 | Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe

This is a science museum with a special motto, namely “Forbidden not to touch, not to feel, not to think“. Undoubtedly, this will give you a good idea what this museum is! Here, the main focus is to get to know science in a ‘didactic, interactive and entertaining’ way. There are also a lot of seasonal exhibitions and activities, so you will always learn something new!

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday till Thursday) and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m (Friday to Sunday) and in the summer, it’s open until 9 p.m. The entry price for the science museum only is €8.70 per person.

15 | L'Oceanogràfic

If you want to only visit one place at the City of Arts and Science, make sure it’s L’Oceanogràfic! Unlike the other attractions, we did get a ticket for the Aquarium as it looked quite promising. And to be honest, I didn’t regret spending around €30 for visiting this aquarium.

It’s Europe’s biggest aquarium with almost 45.000 specimens of 500 different species. If that’s not impressive? The aquarium is made up of different buildings housing typical species from that aquatic environments like Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical, Oceans, the Antarctic, the Arctic, Islands, the Red Sea and the Dolphinarium. Keep in mind that you will easily spend a few hours here as it’s pretty huge and there is a lot to see.

If you truly want a unique experience, dine at the Restaurante Submarino, where you will be surrounded by a 360° aquarium. If this is to expensive, or you don’t have all the time, you still can visit the underwater tunnel where the sharks are!

The Aquarium is open at different times the whole year, so make sure you check their website. Visiting L’Oceanogràfic costs €38.50 in the high season.

16 | Hemisfèric

The Hemisfèric is a movie theatre with a huge screen of 900 meters. There are three projection systems inside: large IMAX dome cinema, 3D digital cinema and a planetarium. The building is made to resemble an human eye, or the eye of wisdom.

Moreover, there are several movies and documentaries , no longer than 45 minutes, screening here daily. Importantly, if you are travelling with children, there is mostly something aimed at children!

The first movie plays at 10am and closing time is at the start of the last session. You can find the programming here. The price for a ticket to the cinema is €8.70 per person. Children up to 12 years old have to pay €6.70 per person.

17 | Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia

If you’re a fan of Operas or performing arts, this is the place for you! This impressive building is the home of all different kind of dances, like Jazz, Dance, Zarzuela, Flamenco, Recitals, Lied, Symphonic concerts, but also of the Operas. Find out about the program and the tickets here.

18 | Umbracle

L’Umbracle is a free pedestrian promenade, an open-garden with palm trees, a parking (which is open every day from 8am till 12am) and sometimes, there are also exhibitions. But there is more, it’s also an open air club in the summer (from April till the end of October), open from Thurday till Saturday at 12am. Read about the open air club here. If you still want to party here, do not worry! There is a club downstairs, called Club Mya, that is open the whole year. Note that it will not be a cheap night out.

19 | CaixaForum Valencia

The CaixaForum or L’Agora is a multifunctional space that hosts all kind of exhibitions, like live music, conferences, concerts, sport events, Valencia Fashion week, and many more things! You can find more information and tickets here.

20 | L'Assut d'Or

Last but not least, L’Assut d’Or is a 125 meter high bridge, that connects the Science Museum and the CaixaForum and goes all the way over the area of the City of Arts and Science. It has several lanes for cars to cross over, but has also a pedestrian bridge for people to cross safely. Fun fact, it is the highest point of Valencia!

Other things to do near Valencia

The best thing to do combined with Valencia is goign to Calpe. This small town can easily be done as a day trip from Valencia. You will find everything you need in Calpe, from beaches to the most challenging, but rewarding hike. Make sure to check out the other blog posts about Calpe:

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Travel blogger

Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!

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