Valencia itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Valencia, day by day: the Turia Gardens, the cathedral and the Micalet tower, the Silk Exchange, the Central Market and the City of Arts and Sciences first, with horchata at Santa Catalina, then the Oceanogràfic, the city gates, the Barrio del Carmen, San Nicolás and the Ceramics Museum with an afternoon on Malvarrosa Beach, and the Albufera lagoon, the Fine Arts Museum, the Mercado de Colón and Ruzafa as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Valencia in 1 day
Day 1
Turia Gardens
Nine-kilometre park in the old bed of the Turia river, with paths for walking, running and cycling from the old town to the sea.
Plaza de la Virgen
Old-town square on the site of the Roman forum, with the Basilica of the Virgin, the Turia fountain and cafe terraces.
Valencia Cathedral and the Micalet
Gothic cathedral with a chapel holding a chalice venerated as the Holy Grail, and the Micalet bell tower to climb.
Horchatería Santa Catalina
Old horchatería with tiled walls beside Santa Catalina church, serving cold tiger-nut horchata with long, sweet fartons.
La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange)
Late Gothic merchants' hall of the 15th century with twisted columns and an orange-tree courtyard, a World Heritage site.
Central Market
Large Art Nouveau market hall with a glass dome and hundreds of stalls of fruit, ham, seafood and local produce.
Plaça de l'Ajuntament
The city's main square, ringed by grand early 20th-century buildings, the town hall, the post office and flower stalls.
City of Arts and Sciences
Futuristic complex by Santiago Calatrava in the Turia Gardens, with a science museum, an opera house and reflecting pools.
Torres de Serranos
Fourteenth-century Gothic gate of the old city walls, climbed for views over the old town and the Turia Gardens.
Valencia in 2 days
Day 1
Plaza de la Virgen
Old-town square on the site of the Roman forum, with the Basilica of the Virgin, the Turia fountain and cafe terraces.
City of Arts and Sciences
Futuristic complex by Santiago Calatrava in the Turia Gardens, with a science museum, an opera house and reflecting pools.
L'Oceanogràfic
Europe's largest aquarium, part of the City of Arts and Sciences, with sharks, belugas, penguins and a dolphin show.
Mercado de Colón
Elegant Modernista market hall of 1916 in the Eixample, now filled with cafes, bars and restaurants, lively in the evenings.
Valencia Cathedral and the Micalet
Gothic cathedral with a chapel holding a chalice venerated as the Holy Grail, and the Micalet bell tower to climb.
Torres de Serranos
Fourteenth-century Gothic gate of the old city walls, climbed for views over the old town and the Turia Gardens.
Church of San Nicolás
Gothic parish church whose interior is covered in Baroque ceiling frescoes, often called the Sistine Chapel of Valencia.
Day 2
Barrio del Carmen
The old town's bohemian quarter of narrow streets, street art, small bars and terraces, liveliest in the evening.
Turia Gardens
Nine-kilometre park in the old bed of the Turia river, with paths for walking, running and cycling from the old town to the sea.
Torres de Quart
Fifteenth-century gate of the old walls, still marked by cannon fire from the Napoleonic siege, which can be climbed.
La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange)
Late Gothic merchants' hall of the 15th century with twisted columns and an orange-tree courtyard, a World Heritage site.
Central Market
Large Art Nouveau market hall with a glass dome and hundreds of stalls of fruit, ham, seafood and local produce.
Horchatería Santa Catalina
Old horchatería with tiled walls beside Santa Catalina church, serving cold tiger-nut horchata with long, sweet fartons.
Plaça de l'Ajuntament
The city's main square, ringed by grand early 20th-century buildings, the town hall, the post office and flower stalls.
National Ceramics Museum (Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas)
Ceramics and decorative arts museum in a palace with an extravagant alabaster rococo doorway, with tiles, carriages and period rooms.
Museu de Belles Arts de València
Fine arts museum beside the Turia Gardens, with works by Velázquez, Goya and Sorolla and Valencian Gothic altarpieces.
Valencia in 3 days
Day 1
Malvarrosa Beach
Long, wide sandy city beach with a seafront promenade and paella restaurants, popular for an afternoon swim.
Mercado de Colón
Elegant Modernista market hall of 1916 in the Eixample, now filled with cafes, bars and restaurants, lively in the evenings.
Torres de Serranos
Fourteenth-century Gothic gate of the old city walls, climbed for views over the old town and the Turia Gardens.
Barrio del Carmen
The old town's bohemian quarter of narrow streets, street art, small bars and terraces, liveliest in the evening.
Turia Gardens
Nine-kilometre park in the old bed of the Turia river, with paths for walking, running and cycling from the old town to the sea.
Torres de Quart
Fifteenth-century gate of the old walls, still marked by cannon fire from the Napoleonic siege, which can be climbed.
La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange)
Late Gothic merchants' hall of the 15th century with twisted columns and an orange-tree courtyard, a World Heritage site.
Church of San Nicolás
Gothic parish church whose interior is covered in Baroque ceiling frescoes, often called the Sistine Chapel of Valencia.
Plaza de la Virgen
Old-town square on the site of the Roman forum, with the Basilica of the Virgin, the Turia fountain and cafe terraces.
Horchatería Santa Catalina
Old horchatería with tiled walls beside Santa Catalina church, serving cold tiger-nut horchata with long, sweet fartons.
Day 2
Central Market
Large Art Nouveau market hall with a glass dome and hundreds of stalls of fruit, ham, seafood and local produce.
Museu de Belles Arts de València
Fine arts museum beside the Turia Gardens, with works by Velázquez, Goya and Sorolla and Valencian Gothic altarpieces.
Valencia Cathedral and the Micalet
Gothic cathedral with a chapel holding a chalice venerated as the Holy Grail, and the Micalet bell tower to climb.
Plaça de l'Ajuntament
The city's main square, ringed by grand early 20th-century buildings, the town hall, the post office and flower stalls.
City of Arts and Sciences
Futuristic complex by Santiago Calatrava in the Turia Gardens, with a science museum, an opera house and reflecting pools.
National Ceramics Museum (Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas)
Ceramics and decorative arts museum in a palace with an extravagant alabaster rococo doorway, with tiles, carriages and period rooms.
Ruzafa
Lively neighbourhood south of the centre with a market, cafes, vintage shops, galleries and some of the city's best bars and restaurants.
Day 3
Albufera Natural Park (El Palmar)
Freshwater lagoon south of the city among rice fields, where boat trips run at sunset and El Palmar's restaurants serve paella.
L'Oceanogràfic
Europe's largest aquarium, part of the City of Arts and Sciences, with sharks, belugas, penguins and a dolphin show.
Watch: Valencia
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Valencia
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, warm and sunny, while summer is hot and humid and winter is mild with plenty of sun. Las Fallas, in mid-March, fills the city with giant figures, fireworks and crowds, ending with the burning of the figures on 19 March. Book well ahead for Fallas week.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Valencia on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Valencia on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Valencia on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Spain from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Valencia
- The Central Market is open in the mornings and early afternoon and closed on Sundays; go before lunch, when the stalls are busiest.
- Book the Oceanogràfic ahead and allow half a day; it is the largest aquarium in Europe and is busiest at weekends.
- The bell tower of the Micalet has about 200 steps and gives the best view over the old town; it has its own ticket.
- Paella is a lunchtime dish in Valencia, and its home is El Palmar in the Albufera; try horchata with fartons in the afternoon.
- The Turia Gardens make a car-free route across the city on foot or by bike, and the metro and tram reach the beach.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Albufera Natural Park (El Palmar): Joseaperez, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Central Market: Felivet, Public domain
- Church of San Nicolás: Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0
- City of Arts and Sciences: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
- L'Oceanogràfic: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange): Felivet, Public domain
- Malvarrosa Beach: Manuel Martín Vicente from Spain, CC BY 2.0
- Mercado de Colón: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Museu de Belles Arts de València: Felivet, Public domain
- National Ceramics Museum (Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas): Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Plaza de la Virgen: LiteraryTech, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Plaça de l'Ajuntament: Demiannnn, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Torres de Quart: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Torres de Serranos: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Turia Gardens: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Valencia Cathedral and the Micalet: Fernando Pascullo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
