Three days is the comfortable amount for Valencia: the same walkable old town and the City of Arts as the two-day trip, taken at a slower pace, plus a full third day for the Albufera lagoon or the beach. Day one covers the cathedral and the Miguelete tower, the Lonja, the Central Market and the Carmen, with tapas in Russafa; day two takes the City of Arts and Sciences, the Oceanogràfic and a ride back through the Turia Gardens. The third day heads out to La Albufera, the rice-paddy lagoon 10km south where paella was born, for a sunset boat trip and a paella lunch in El Palmar, or stays in town for the Malvarrosa beach and the tiled streets of El Cabanyal, with a horchata stop at the Modernista Mercado de Colón on the way. Book a timed slot for the Oceanogràfic and a table at a proper arrocería in advance. One warning for the calendar: Las Fallas, from 15 to 19 March, transforms the whole city with daily firecracker shows and the burning of giant statues, and rooms sell out months ahead, so book far in advance or plan around it. Base yourself in the old town for all three nights.
Duration
3 days
Base
Ciutat Vella (Old Town)
Mid budget
300 EUR
Best months
May · Jun · Sep
Picks sorted with our recommended base, Ciutat Vella (Old Town), first. Book early: the good-value rooms go weeks ahead.
Special occasions€€€Design palace hotel · Ciutat Vella (Old Town)
A design hotel inside a restored 19th-century palace in the old town, built over a stretch of Roman city wall and Arab-era remains that are on show in the public areas. You are steps from the cathedral and the Lonja, sleeping on layers of the city's history.
from ~190 EUR/night
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Couples€€Old town boutique palace · Ciutat Vella (Old Town)
An intimate boutique hotel in a restored palace on a quiet old-town square near the Plaça de Manises, so the noise stays outside. It is a short walk from both the cathedral and the Central Market.
from ~130 EUR/night
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Budget€Old town hostel · Ciutat Vella (Old Town)
A friendly, well-run hostel in the heart of the old town, with both dorms and private rooms. You are minutes from the Central Market and the Carmen nightlife at the cheapest central prices in the city.
from ~20 EUR/night
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First visit€€Central mid-range hotel · L'Eixample
A comfortable, well-located mid-range hotel in the Eixample between the town hall square and Colón. It is an easy walk to both the old town and the Modernista Mercado de Colón, which makes it a practical first-visit base.
from ~95 EUR/night
Check pricesReal hotel photos · prices are indicative from-rates, not live quotes · booking links support the site at no extra cost
Day 1
Morning
Begin at the cathedral on the Plaça de la Reina and climb the 207 steps of the Miguelete tower for the rooftop view over the old town. Buy the tower ticket at the base and go before midday to beat the heat on the spiral stair.
TipThe Gothic cathedral on the Plaça de la Reina claims to hold the Holy Chalice, said by some to be the Holy Grail, in a side chapel, and its octagonal bell tower, the Miguelete or Micalet, is 207 steps up to the best rooftop view over the old town. Buy the tower ticket at the base of the tower and climb before midday to beat the heat and the crowds on the narrow spiral stair. The cathedral itself has separate entry hours and a separate ticket, so check both before you go.
Walk over to the UNESCO-listed Lonja de la Seda, the Gothic silk exchange with its hall of palm-like twisted columns. It is cheap to enter and free on Sundays, and a visit takes 30 to 40 minutes.
TipThis UNESCO-listed late-15th-century Gothic silk exchange, opposite the Central Market, is famous for its main trading hall of tall twisted columns that fan out like palm trees. Entry is cheap and it is free on Sundays, and a visit takes only 30 to 40 minutes, so it pairs well with the market across the square. It closes earlier on some days, so go in the morning to be safe.
Cross to the Modernista Central Market for a stool-side almuerzo among the stalls under the stained glass. It opens only in the mornings and closes on Sundays, so see it now while it is busy.
TipThe vast Modernista Central Market gathers around a thousand stalls under stained glass and iron, one of the biggest fresh markets in Europe. It only opens in the mornings, Monday to Saturday, and is closed on Sundays, so go early for the produce, the jamón and a stool-side almuerzo at one of the bar counters. Avoid the last hour before it shuts, when many stalls are already packing up.
Afternoon
Take a slow lunch near the market and rest through the hottest part of the day. There is no need to rush; the old town is small and the pace is the point of a three-day trip.
Explore the Barrio del Carmen in the afternoon, the medieval core of lanes, street art and small churches. Look for the Quart towers at the west end and the Serranos towers at the north that mark the old walls.
TipThe Barrio del Carmen is the medieval heart of the old town, a tangle of narrow lanes, street art, small churches and, after dark, the city's densest run of bars. Walk it in the late afternoon before the bars fill, and look for the Serranos towers at the north end and the Quart towers at the west end that mark the edges of the old walls. It gets loud at weekends, so time a quiet visit for a weekday or the morning.
Climb the Torres de Serranos late in the afternoon for warm light over the Carmen rooftops, a quick 15 minutes up and down. There is a small fee, free on Sundays.
TipThese twin-towered 14th-century Gothic gates on the northern edge of the old town are the grand stage for the opening call of Las Fallas each March. There is a small fee to climb them, and it is free on Sundays, so go up late in the afternoon when the light falls warm over the Carmen rooftops. The climb takes only about 15 minutes, so pair it with a walk along the top of the Turia park nearby.
Evening
Spend the evening in Russafa, browsing the bars and modern tapas around Carrer de Sueca in the city's most creative neighbourhood. It is a 15 to 20 minute walk south from the cathedral.
TipRussafa is the fashionable neighbourhood just south of the centre, full of brunch spots, indie bars, small shops and the covered local market. Come in the evening for tapas and drinks around Carrer de Sueca, and browse the Mercat de Russafa in the morning while the stalls are busy. It is at its liveliest during Las Fallas, when the neighbourhood puts on some of the best-loved displays.
Day 2
Morning
Walk or ride down to the City of Arts and Sciences, Calatrava's white complex of the opera house, science museum and IMAX at the end of the riverbed. The outside and the pools are free, and the morning light gives the cleanest reflections.
TipSantiago Calatrava's white futuristic complex fills the far end of the Turia riverbed with the Hemisfèric IMAX, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, the Àgora, the Assut de l'Or bridge and the Palau de les Arts opera house. Walking the outside and the reflecting pools is free and open all day; the individual buildings are ticketed, so buy a combined ticket online if you plan to enter two or more. Come early morning or at sunset for the best light and the mirror reflections in the pools, and expect a good half-day if you go inside.
Visit the Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium in Europe, with its shark tunnel and beluga whales. Book a timed slot online for the cheaper ticket, go near opening, and allow about three hours.
TipThe Oceanogràfic is the largest aquarium in Europe, part of the City of Arts, with a walk-through shark tunnel and beluga whales. Book a timed slot online for a cheaper ticket than the gate price, and go right at opening or in the late afternoon to dodge the school groups and the biggest queues. Allow about three hours, and if you also want the Science Museum and the Hemisfèric, the combined ticket for all three saves money.
Afternoon
Have a late lunch near the City of Arts and take the afternoon slowly out of the midday heat. The zone is spread out and modern, so there is space to sit by the pools before heading back.
Ride or walk back to the centre through the Turia Gardens, the 9km park in the drained riverbed, passing the giant Gulliver playground. Renting a bike covers the full length in about 40 minutes.
TipThe Turia Gardens are a 9km green park laid in the drained riverbed after the 1957 flood forced the river to be diverted around the city, curving from the old town all the way to the City of Arts, with the giant Gulliver playground for children along the way. It is free and open all day, and the easiest way to see its full length is to rent a bike and ride it in about 40 minutes. Go in the morning before the heat builds, especially in summer.
Evening
Take the tram out to the Malvarrosa beach for the evening and a walk along the promenade of seafood restaurants. It is about 25 minutes from the centre by tram line 6 or 8.
TipThe Malvarrosa is Valencia's wide city beach, backed by a long promenade lined with paella and seafood restaurants looking out to sea. Take tram line 6 or 8, or a bus from the centre, and you are there in about 25 minutes, ready for a long lunch of paella by the sand. It is busiest in July and August, so come earlier in the day or outside high summer for space.
Have a relaxed seafood or rice dinner on the beachfront, then head back into town. Valencia eats late, so an evening meal by the sea is easy even outside high summer.
Day 3
Morning
Head south to La Albufera, the rice-paddy lagoon about 10km from the city where paella was born, taking bus 25 from the centre, about 45 minutes. Spend the morning walking the village of El Palmar and the edge of the water among the paddies.
TipLa Albufera is a freshwater lagoon ringed by rice paddies about 10km south of the city, the true home of paella and famous for its sunset boat trips from the village of El Palmar. Take bus 25 from the centre, about 45 minutes, or drive, and time a short boat trip for the evening when the light is best over the water. Pair it with a paella lunch in El Palmar to make a half-day of it.
Alternatively, stay in town for a slow beach morning on the Malvarrosa and a wander through the tiled fishermen's streets of El Cabanyal, the old quarter beside the sand. It is a short tram ride from the centre and a more local half-day.
Afternoon
Have a long paella lunch in El Palmar, the true home of the dish, where the traditional version is made with chicken, rabbit and beans. It is cooked to order in the pan, so book ahead and allow time for it to arrive.
TipValencia is the birthplace of paella, and the traditional Valencian version is made with chicken, rabbit and beans rather than seafood, and is eaten at lunch, not dinner. Book a lunch table at a proper arrocería, because real paella is cooked to order in the pan, so allow time and expect a 30 to 40 minute wait for it to arrive. The most authentic versions are out at El Palmar, the village by the Albufera lagoon where the dish was born.
Back in the city, stop at the restored 1916 Mercado de Colón in the Eixample for a horchata and fartons, the sweet tiger-nut drink with dipping pastries. It is free to walk through and a 20-minute detour.
TipThe Mercado de Colón is a restored 1916 Modernista market hall in the Eixample, now given over to cafes and horchata bars rather than food stalls. It is free to walk through, so stop for a horchata and fartons, the sweet local tiger-nut drink with dipping pastries, at one of the counters. It is a 20-minute detour worth folding into any walk between the centre and Russafa.
Evening
Time an Albufera boat trip for sunset if you are out at the lagoon, when the light over the water is at its best, then return to the city for a late dinner. The boats leave from El Palmar and take about 45 minutes.
If tomorrow is an early flight, remember the airport is only about 8km west: metro lines 3 and 5 run there from Xàtiva or Colón in 20 to 25 minutes for around 4.90 EUR, or a taxi is a fixed 21 to 25 EUR.
For 3 days, base yourself in Ciutat Vella (Old Town). The walkable historic core gathers the cathedral and the Miguelete tower, the Gothic Lonja, the Modernista Central Market and the tangled lanes of the Carmen into a few blocks you can cross on foot. It is the most atmospheric part of the city and the obvious base for a short trip, with sights, tapas and squares all on the doorstep. Base here on a first visit when you want everything within a ten-minute walk and do not mind some night noise. Compare all neighborhoods in the full where-to-stay guide.
Short on time?
Valencia in 2 days →
Three days is the comfortable amount for Valencia: the same walkable old town and the City of Arts as the two-day trip, taken at a slower pace, plus a full third day for the Albufera lagoon or the beach. Day one covers the cathedral and the Miguelete tower, the Lonja, the Central Market and the Carmen, with tapas in Russafa; day two takes the City of Arts and Sciences, the Oceanogràfic and a ride back through the Turia Gardens. The third day heads out to La Albufera, the rice-paddy lagoon 10km south where paella was born, for a sunset boat trip and a paella lunch in El Palmar, or stays in town for the Malvarrosa beach and the tiled streets of El Cabanyal, with a horchata stop at the Modernista Mercado de Colón on the way.
Base yourself in Ciutat Vella (Old Town) for this itinerary. The walkable historic core gathers the cathedral and the Miguelete tower, the Gothic Lonja, the Modernista Central Market and the tangled lanes of the Carmen into a few blocks you can cross on foot. It is the most atmospheric part of the city and the obvious base for a short trip, with sights, tapas and squares all on the doorstep. Base here on a first visit when you want everything within a ten-minute walk and do not mind some night noise.
The plan works year round, but May, June, September give you the best weather-to-crowds ratio.