Attraction
City of Arts and Sciences
Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela's futuristic complex at the eastern end of the Turia riverbed, with a science museum, IMAX cinema, aquarium and opera house.
There are plenty of things to do in Valencia, Spain's third-largest city, and most of them are within easy reach of each other. The old town, Ciutat Vella, holds the Gothic cathedral with its Holy Grail chapel, the UNESCO-listed silk exchange of La Lonja, the Modernista Central Market and the medieval gates of Serranos and Quart. Around it curves the Turia Garden, a park of about nine kilometres laid out in the old riverbed, which leads east to the City of Arts and Sciences and its aquarium. The city beaches of the Malvarrosa and the old fishermen's quarter of the Cabanyal are a short tram or bus ride away.
Valencia is the home of paella, and food is a big part of any visit, from wood-fired rice on the seafront to horchata with fartons, market tapas and Michelin-starred tasting menus. Evenings centre on El Carmen and Ruzafa. Three days covers the main sights; add a fourth for the Albufera lagoon and a slow beach day.
Attraction
Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela's futuristic complex at the eastern end of the Turia riverbed, with a science museum, IMAX cinema, aquarium and opera house.
Attraction
Valencia's Gothic cathedral, begun in 1262 on the site of a former mosque, home to a chalice venerated as the Holy Grail and the Micalet bell…
Attraction
Pere Compte's late Gothic silk exchange, built between 1482 and 1533, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its twisted columns in the Trading Hall.
Attraction
Europe's largest aquarium complex, opened in 2003 at the City of Arts and Sciences, with around 45,000 animals from 500 species across ocean habitats.
Attraction
The best-preserved gate of Valencia's medieval walls, built by Pere Balaguer between 1392 and 1398, with views over the Turia garden from its battlements.
Attraction
Valencia's fine arts museum, founded in 1913 and housed in the San Pío V palace, with Valencian Gothic altarpieces, Velázquez, Goya, El Greco and Sorolla.
Café
One of the oldest horchaterías in Valencia, beside the church of Santa Catalina, serving horchata with fartons and hot chocolate with churros every day.
Café
A family horchatería making horchata and fartons since 1949, on Alboraya's Avenida de la Horchata in the heart of the tiger-nut growing area.
Café
Ruzafa café of one of Valencia's pioneering speciality roasters, serving its own seasonal coffees, roasted by women, with brunch every day.
Café
A bright café-restaurant in the old town serving brunch, breakfast, lunch and dinner without a break, with an emphasis on fresh, often organic ingredients.
Café
A speciality coffee shop opened in 2024 by three founders with fine-dining backgrounds, known for careful coffee, brunch plates and home baking.
Café
A theatrical café near the Plaza de la Virgen, open since 1994, serving breakfast, coffee, teas and its famous jugs of Agua de Valencia until late.
Hotel
A five-star grand luxury resort on the beach, built around the historic Las Arenas bathing establishment founded in 1898, with a spa and pools.
Hotel
A five-star hotel in the old town set in the Palace of the Marquis of Caro, where Roman remains and a stretch of Islamic wall run…
Hotel
A large luxury hotel near the Jardines del Real with 135 Art Deco-style rooms and suites, a spa, an indoor pool and a garden restaurant.
Hotel
A design hotel in a late 19th-century palace in the Ensanche, next to the Turia garden, with the Bodyna Spa and Ampar restaurant.
Hotel
A four-star boutique hotel with 63 rooms facing the Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas, in the heart of the old town's shopping streets.
Hotel
A four-star hotel near the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in a landmark building opened in 1913, described as the first hotel in the city.
Bar
A historic cocktail bar in the old town with roots in 1940, credited as the birthplace of Agua de Valencia and once a meeting point for…
Bar
A music hall in El Carmen since 1979, known for its Tuesday flamenco nights, live bands at weekends, reggae, funk jams and resident DJs.
Bar
El Carmen's long-running jazz club, celebrating 35 years in 2026, with live concerts on two to four nights a week and its own jazz festival.
Bar
A small flamenco venue near the Botanical Garden staging authentic performances since 1998, with shows from Thursday to Sunday.
Bar
A 300-capacity live music club west of the old town, hosting more than 200 concerts a year by international, Spanish and local bands.
Bar
A Nordic-style craft beer bar in Ruzafa since 2014, with ten rotating taps, more than 100 bottles and cans, and permission to bring your own food.
Restaurant
Ricard Camarena's two-Michelin-star flagship inside the Bombas Gens arts centre, serving tasting menus built around vegetables from the Valencian huerta.
Restaurant
Chef María José Martínez's Michelin-recognised restaurant on the Plaza de Tetuán, cooking seasonal Mediterranean dishes from local produce.
Restaurant
A family paella restaurant on the Malvarrosa seafront since 1922, cooking rice dishes over orange-wood fires to a recipe handed down four generations.
Restaurant
A beachfront rice restaurant on the Levante promenade since 1898, linked with Ernest Hemingway and Joaquín Sorolla and known for its peeled-seafood paella.
Restaurant
A tavern in the Cabanyal fishermen's quarter dating from 1836, serving seasonal tapas and around 600 wines with a focus on Valencian bottles.
Restaurant
A family-run rice restaurant near the Plaza del Ayuntamiento since 1951, now led by the third generation and open for lunch from Monday to Saturday.
Thing to do
Valencia's Modernista food market, completed in 1928 opposite La Lonja, where hundreds of stalls sell fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and local specialities.
Thing to do
A nine-kilometre park laid out in the old bed of the Turia river after the 1957 flood, linking Bioparc, the old town and the City of…
Thing to do
A freshwater lagoon and wetland about half an hour south of the city, surrounded by rice fields, with boat trips, birdwatching and the paella village of…
Thing to do
Valencia's best-known city beach, running north from the Las Arenas hotel, with a long promenade, rice restaurants and good access for visitors with reduced mobility.
Thing to do
The old town's most characterful quarter, between the medieval gates of Serranos and Quart, known for street art, small squares, museums and nightlife.
Tour operator
A Valencia bike tour and rental company on the Paseo de la Pechina, running guided rides through the Turia garden, the old town and the City…
Tour operator
A Valencia guiding company founded in 2003, offering historic walks, market visits, Albufera excursions, wine visits, cooking classes and private tours.
Tour operator
Valencia's hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus, using electric double-deckers with 17 stops, plus an Albufera excursion that includes a traditional boat ride.
Tour operator
A Valencia bike company with shops near the port and the City of Arts and Sciences, offering guided rides to the Albufera and the huerta plus…
Tour operator
A Valencia cooking school with two kitchens and hands-on workshops, including a Paella Experience class for visitors and courses for children and groups.
Three days covers the old town, the City of Arts and Sciences and the beach; four or five allows a trip to the Albufera and a relaxed pace
Ciutat Vella for first-time visitors who want to walk to the sights, Ruzafa or the Ensanche for restaurants and nightlife, and the Malvarrosa seafront for a beach holiday
Metro lines 3 and 5 run from the airport to the city centre in around 20 to 25 minutes, and taxis take a similar time outside rush hour
It is generally cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona, with good-value set lunches, markets and public transport, though hotel prices rise sharply during the Fallas in March
Valencia is generally safe; take the usual care with bags and phones in crowded places such as markets, beaches and the old town at night