How many days is enough in Valencia?

Three full days cover the old town, the City of Arts and Sciences, and a beach visit. With two days you will have to choose between the arts complex and a day on the sand.

Is Valencia expensive?

It is cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona. A meal in a normal restaurant costs €15–€20, a metro ride €1.50, and a room in a mid-range hotel €80–€120 a night.

Is Valencia walkable?

The centre is very walkable, and the Turia Gardens make it easy to cross the city on foot. The beach is a 40-minute walk from the old town, so you may want a tram or bike.

Do people speak English in Valencia?

In tourist areas, restaurants and hotels, yes. Outside that, the common languages are Spanish and Valencian. You can get by with basic Spanish and a translation app.

Is Valencia safe at night?

It is generally safe to walk around the centre and Ruzafa at night, but keep your wits about you in crowded places and on quiet streets after midnight. The beach and port areas are quieter and less busy at night.

Is Valencia worth it in winter?

Yes, if you want low prices and no crowds. Expect short days, intermittent rain, and average highs around 16°C. Many terraces close because of the cold.

What is Valencia known for eating?

Paella and horchata. Also a long list of rice dishes, fried fish from the coast, and tapas in the Ruzafa district.

Valencia, Spain travel guide, printable

Valencia is a Spanish port city on the Mediterranean, with a compact old town and a long park built in a former riverbed. It has a working food market, a famous modern arts complex, and a beach four kilometres from the centre. It is a city for walking, eating, and sitting outside.

When to go

Spring: Warm days and the Fallas festival in March. The city fills with fireworks and large papier-mâché figures, and hotels are expensive. Once Fallas ends, April and May are comfortable and less crowded.
Summer: Hot and dry, with temperatures often above 30°C. The beach is the draw, and the outdoor terraces fill in the evening. August is the quietest month for regular shops and work, but tourist areas stay busy.
Autumn: Mild temperatures, some rain, and few visitors. September still has warm sea water. This is the season most people would pick for a city trip.
Winter: Short days and a damp cold that feels colder than the thermometer suggests. Prices are low, and there is no queue at the City of Arts and Sciences. Many restaurants still serve lunch but dinner is earlier than in summer.

Getting your bearings

The old town sits around the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the Cathedral. The Turia Gardens run east-west along the former riverbed, separating the north side of the city from the south. The City of Arts and Sciences is at the eastern end of the gardens, about 30 minutes on foot from the centre. Most of the old town is a 15-minute walk across, and the beach is another 20 minutes past the Arts complex.

Getting around

Metro and tram lines cover the wider city, and buses are frequent. A single public transport journey costs €1.50; a 10-trip card costs about €10 and works on metro, bus and tram. Within the old town and Ruzafa, walking is faster. Valenbisi, the public bike scheme, has stations across the centre and costs around €15 for a seven-day pass.

Where to stay

Ciutat Vella: The old town around the Cathedral and Plaza de la Virgen. Narrow streets, shops, and most of the historic monuments. It is busy during the day and quiet by late evening.
El Carmen: The northern part of the old town, with bars, street art and a lively nightlife. It looks worn in places but has some of the best corners in the city. It can be noisy at night.
Ruzafa: A former working-class district south of the old town, now full of small shops, cafes and ethnic restaurants. Its Sunday street market runs along Calle de Cuba. It is a good base for eating out.
Ensanche: The grid of early 20th-century streets around Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the market. Main shopping streets and offices. Handy for transport but not full of atmosphere.
Cabanyal: The old fishing quarter near the beach, with low houses tiled in geometric patterns. It has a market, a few seafood bars, and a tram line to the centre. Staying here means a longer walk to the old town.
City of Arts and Sciences: A modern district at the southeast end of Turia Gardens, with the science museum, aquarium and opera house. It is mostly tourist and event space, with few permanent residents.

A day here

Old town, park, and the modern side

Plaza del AyuntamientoStart at the city hall and the square's flower market in the morning. Ten minutes to look around, no cost. It gets busy from 10am.
Mercado CentralA glass-roofed market with stalls of produce, meat and fish. Walk through, buy some fruit or jamón. About 20 minutes. Free to enter, though most stalls close by 2pm.
La Lonja de la SedaThe late-Gothic silk exchange is a short walk from the market. The main hall looks like a stone palm grove. Allow 30 minutes; entry is about €2 and it never gets very busy.
Turia GardensWalk or hire a bike at the edge of the old town and follow the park all the way east. It is a long green corridor with sports grounds and cafes under the bridges. One hour at a slow pace, free.
City of Arts and SciencesThe complex is impressive from the outside, and the walk around the pools is free. The science museum and aquarium charge entry fees of about €8 and €30. Allow two hours for one building.
RuzafaEnd in the district south of the old town for a late dinner. Streets around Calle de Cuba have many small restaurants, and the bars stay open past midnight.

Eating

Paella: The dish that came from the rice fields around Valencia. It is a lunch food, not a dinner food, and is cooked in a flat pan over a wood or gas burner. A proper paella takes 40 minutes to make, so order it only where it is freshly cooked.
Horchata: A sweet, cold drink made from ground chufa (tigernuts). The classic place to drink it is Horchatería de Santa Catalina, near the market, where you dip dense finger buns (fartons) into it.
Esmorzaret: The second breakfast or mid-morning snack that Valencians eat around 10 or 11. Bakeries and small bars serve it as a sandwich of tomato, olive oil and ham, with a coffee.
Mercado Central: The main public market, under a large dome. It is a good place to pick up cheese, olives, tuna and the local dried red sausage called sobrasada. Go in the morning, before the stalls close.
Seafood bars in Cabanyal: Along the beach districts, small bars serve fresh seafood cooked simply, with olive oil and garlic. Look for the queue of locals at lunchtime.
Tapas in Ruzafa: The streets around Calle de Cuba have a row of bars serving small plates. You eat standing at the counter and pay per plate. Prices are lower than in the old town.
Arròs a banda: A rice dish from the coast, cooked in fish stock and served with a dollop of all i oli. It is less touristy than paella and available in most neighbourhood restaurants.

Practical

Money: Euro. Cards are accepted in most shops and restaurants, but keep cash for smaller stalls and markets. A typical lunch menu costs €12–€16, a coffee €1.50, a metro ride €1.50.
Transport: Metro, tram and bus share the same ticket system. A one-way ticket is €1.50, and a 10-trip Bono card is about €10. The airport metro line 5 runs from the airport to the centre in about 25 minutes and costs the same single fare.
Safety: Valencia is a safe city by European standards. The main risks are pickpocketing in crowded markets and on metro trains, and minor scams around the old town. Streets are well lit in the centre, and the port area is quiet at night.
Opening hours: Shops in the centre often close from 2pm to 5pm. Restaurants serve lunch from about 1.30pm to 4pm and dinner from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. Many museums close on Mondays; check individual web pages.
Seasons: The city is busy in March during Fallas and in July and August at the beach. September and October are the sweet spot: warm water, normal hours, and prices below summer.

Worth knowing

Many museums and galleries close on Monday.
The city's tap water is safe to drink, though many locals drink bottled water.
The airport is 8 km west of the centre, but the metro runs from just outside the terminal.
English is common in tourism but less so in smaller shops.
Fallas in March brings street closures, noise and high hotel prices.
The Turia Gardens are a dry riverbed, so they are mostly flat and good for cyclists.

Questions

How many days is enough in Valencia?: Three full days cover the old town, the City of Arts and Sciences, and a beach visit. With two days you will have to choose between the arts complex and a day on the sand.
Is Valencia expensive?: It is cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona. A meal in a normal restaurant costs €15–€20, a metro ride €1.50, and a room in a mid-range hotel €80–€120 a night.
Is Valencia walkable?: The centre is very walkable, and the Turia Gardens make it easy to cross the city on foot. The beach is a 40-minute walk from the old town, so you may want a tram or bike.
Do people speak English in Valencia?: In tourist areas, restaurants and hotels, yes. Outside that, the common languages are Spanish and Valencian. You can get by with basic Spanish and a translation app.
Is Valencia safe at night?: It is generally safe to walk around the centre and Ruzafa at night, but keep your wits about you in crowded places and on quiet streets after midnight. The beach and port areas are quieter and less busy at night.
Is Valencia worth it in winter?: Yes, if you want low prices and no crowds. Expect short days, intermittent rain, and average highs around 16°C. Many terraces close because of the cold.
What is Valencia known for eating?: Paella and horchata. Also a long list of rice dishes, fried fish from the coast, and tapas in the Ruzafa district.