Two days cover the essentials; with three you can add the Albufera at sunset, the Bioparc or a day trip to Sagunto or Xàtiva. If you are going in March, check the dates of the Fallas: the whole city turns into a party and rooms are booked months in advance.
What to see in Valencia: top sights
City of Arts and Sciences
Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic complex in the old bed of the Turia: the Hemisfèric with its giant-screen cinema, the Science Museum, the Umbracle and the Palau de les Arts, all white above shallow pools. Walking among the buildings is free, and at night, lit up, they are even more striking.
Recommended time: 2–3 h
Tip: If you plan to go into several buildings, look at the combined ticket before buying them separately.
Hotels near City of Arts and Sciences · 228 propertiesOceanogràfic
Europe’s largest aquarium, with roofs designed by Félix Candela: sharks above an underwater tunnel, belugas, penguins and a dolphinarium, spread across the planet’s great marine ecosystems. It is one of the favourite visits for families.
Recommended time: 3–4 h
Tip: Arrive at opening time and check the dolphin show times as you go in to plan your visit.
Cathedral and Micalet
Gothic, with Romanesque and Baroque doorways, it keeps in one chapel the chalice that tradition identifies as the Holy Grail. You can climb the Micalet, its octagonal bell tower, up a spiral staircase of more than two hundred steps to a view over the whole city.
Recommended time: 1.5 h
Tip: On Thursdays at noon, at the Apostles’ Door, the Water Tribunal meets, as it has for centuries, to settle irrigation disputes among the farmers of the surrounding huerta.
Hotels near Cathedral and Micalet · 378 propertiesSilk Exchange (La Lonja)
A jewel of 15th-century civil Gothic and a World Heritage Site, it was built for the silk trade when Valencia was one of the richest cities in the Mediterranean. Its trading hall, with columns that twist like palm trees up to the vault, is one of the most beautiful rooms in the city.
Recommended time: 45 min
Hotels near Silk Exchange (La Lonja) · 379 propertiesCentral Market
A modernist market of iron, glass and tiles opened in 1928, with hundreds of stalls of fruit, cured meats, fish and spices under a great dome. It is the place to try horchata, buy saffron or have breakfast at one of its counters.
Recommended time: 1 h
Tip: It opens in the mornings from Monday to Saturday; first thing there is more produce and fewer people.
Hotels near Central Market · 312 propertiesEl Carmen and the Serranos Towers
Valencia’s medieval heart: narrow lanes with street art, squares with terraces and remains of the Moorish wall. It is bounded by the Serranos and Quart towers, two of the old city gates; you can climb the Serranos Towers for a view over the Turia.
Recommended time: 2 h
Hotels near El Carmen and the Serranos Towers · 355 propertiesTuria Gardens
After the great flood of 1957 the river was diverted and its old bed became a park of about nine kilometres that crosses the city beneath its historic bridges. It is the place to run, cycle or rest in the shade, and it links the centre with the City of Arts.
Recommended time: 1–2 h
Tip: Rent a bike: the path through the gardens is flat and takes you from the Bioparc to the City of Arts without traffic.
Bioparc
A zoo with no visible barriers that recreates the savannah, Madagascar, the equatorial forest and African wetlands: elephants, gorillas, giraffes and lemurs that cross your path. It stands at the end of the Turia Gardens, next to Parque de Cabecera.
Recommended time: 3 h
Malvarrosa and Cabanyal beaches
Miles of fine sand twenty minutes from the centre by tram or bus, with a seafront promenade lined with rice restaurants. Behind it lies El Cabanyal, the old fishing quarter, with colourful tiled facades and an increasingly lively scene.
Recommended time: 3–4 h
Tip: For lunch, order a paella at a restaurant on the promenade: in Valencia rice is a midday dish, not a dinner one.
Hotels near Malvarrosa and Cabanyal beaches · 112 propertiesThe Albufera
A large freshwater lagoon surrounded by rice fields, about ten kilometres south of the city, inside a natural park. Traditional boats glide through the reeds until sunset, one of the most beautiful on the coast, and in El Palmar you eat paella in its homeland.
Recommended time: 3–4 h
Tip: Go late in the afternoon to see the sunset from the boat; there are buses from the centre.
Day trips from Valencia
Sagunto
About 30 min by train
A castle crowning the hill above town, with Iberian, Roman and Moorish remains, and a restored Roman theatre that stages classical plays in summer.
Xàtiva
About 1 h by train
Birthplace of the Borgia popes, with a great castle on the ridge and an old town of fountains, churches and stately houses.
Peñíscola
About 1 h 30 min by car
The castle of the antipope Benedict XIII on a rock surrounded by the sea, an old town of whitewashed streets and long beaches on both sides. Its walls have starred in films and TV series.
Chulilla
About 1 h by car
A white village below a castle, starting point of a trail through the Turia canyon with two hanging bridges. The path is easy, but bring water and comfortable shoes.
Valencia in 3 days
Day 1
The Central Market and the Silk Exchange in the morning, the Cathedral with the climb up the Micalet and a walk through El Carmen to the Serranos Towers. In the evening, tapas in El Carmen or Ruzafa.
Day 2
Cycle the Turia Gardens to the City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanogràfic. In the afternoon, Malvarrosa beach, paella on the promenade and back through El Cabanyal.
Day 3
The Bioparc in the morning and, in the afternoon, the Albufera: a sunset boat ride and dinner in El Palmar. Or a day trip to Sagunto or Xàtiva.
Valencia with kids
- The Oceanogràfic, with its shark tunnel and dolphin show.
- The Bioparc, with free-roaming lemurs and gorillas up close.
- Gulliver Park in the Turia Gardens: a giant lying on the ground to climb on and slide down.
- The Science Museum, with hands-on rooms to touch and experiment.
Free things to do in Valencia
- Walking among the buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences.
- The Turia Gardens, from end to end.
- The Water Tribunal, on Thursdays at noon outside the Cathedral.
- The Malvarrosa and Cabanyal beaches.
- The street art of El Carmen.
Where to stay in Valencia
Valencia is flat and well connected by metro, tram and bike, so there is no bad area to stay in. Choose according to your plans: monuments, nightlife or beach.
Ciutat Vella
The old town, with the Cathedral, the Central Market and El Carmen within walking distance. Central and lively, though some streets are noisy at night.
Places to stay in Ciutat Vella · 280 propertiesRuzafa
The trendy neighbourhood next to the North Station: cafés, restaurants and nightlife, a short walk from the centre.
Places to stay in Ruzafa · 276 propertiesCity of Arts
Modern and quiet, next to the Oceanogràfic and the Turia Gardens; good for families, a few minutes from the centre by bus.
Places to stay in City of Arts · 120 propertiesMalvarrosa and Cabanyal
By the sea, to combine beach and city. The tram and bus take you to the centre in about 20 minutes.
Places to stay in Malvarrosa and Cabanyal · 112 properties
When to go to Valencia
Spring and autumn are ideal: mild temperatures, long days and beach weather for much of the year. From 15 to 19 March the city celebrates the Fallas, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: giant monuments in every neighbourhood, mascletàs at two in the afternoon in the City Hall square and the cremà, when everything burns, on the night of the 19th.
Summer is hot and quite humid, though the sea breeze softens it: it is beach season. Winter is mild and sunny, with few rainy days. During the Fallas accommodation fills up: book months ahead.
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Frequently asked questions about Valencia
How many days do you need in Valencia?
Two days for the old town, the City of Arts and Sciences and the beach. With three you can add the Albufera, the Bioparc or a day trip to Sagunto or Xàtiva.
When are the Fallas?
From 15 to 19 March, although the mascletàs start on the 1st. On the night of the 19th the monuments are burned. It is the liveliest week of the year and the hardest one to find a room.
Where can I eat a good paella in Valencia?
At the rice restaurants on the Malvarrosa promenade and in El Palmar, by the Albufera. Valencian paella is made with chicken, rabbit, green beans and butter beans, and it is eaten at lunchtime.
How do I get from the airport to Valencia city centre?
By metro, on lines 3 and 5, in about 25 minutes to the centre. A taxi takes about 20 minutes.
What is the best area to stay in Valencia?
Ciutat Vella to have the monuments within walking distance; Ruzafa for nightlife; the City of Arts if you travel with children; and Malvarrosa to be by the beach.
Guide written by the buiigo team · Updated October 8, 2026
