I’ve got the best itinerary for spending 3 days in Valencia Spain. I was there for the first time in February and saw the best of what this city has to offer!

Valencia is located on Spain’s eastern coast on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The Spanish city of Valencia means valour or bravery and got its name in 138BC after the Romans recognized the bravery of the soldiers.

Day 1

City of Arts and Sciences

A definite must-see in Valencia is the modern architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences, designed by renowned architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. You could spend a whole day here if you visited the different museums but I opted to walk around the outside areas.

You can stop by the Contrapunto outdoor bar and enjoy the special cocktails from Valencia called ‘Aigua de València’. This special drink is a mixture of orange juice, vodka, gin, and cava. We had many of these while in Valencia! It’s also special to visit this area by night to see all the lights on the structures.

The City of Arts and Sciences complex stretches 2 kilometers on the old Turia River bed. It consists of 6 different buildings and attractions: Hemisfèric (IMAX Cinema and digital films), Umbracle, Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, Oceanogràfic (Europe’s largest aquarium with over 500 marine species), the Reina Sofía Palace of the Arts (dedicated to opera), and the Ágora (a multipurpose space in which concerts and many activities take place).

Plazas in Valencia Spain

After visiting the City of Arts and Sciences, start walking toward the central old town. There you will come across many plazas, most of them with beautiful water fountains and unique architecture buildings.

Some of the squares I recommend include Plaza del Ayuntamiento (location of the City Hall and Post Office), Plaza de la Virgen, and Plaza de la Reina (with the magnificent Valencia Cathedral).

Valencia Spain Central Market

There are a few markets in Valencia, but the one that stood out the most for me was the Mercado Central. Designed in 1914 and finally inaugurated in 1928, this vibrant market has more than 8,000 square meters and 300+ stalls for food.

The market is one of the largest in Europe and has a beautiful iron and glass dome in the center. Take your time to stroll through the aisles to admire the colorful displays of fruit and vegetables, endless rows of hanging ham, and the scent of fresh bread and coffee.

After visiting the market, take in the ambiance outside with a drink or lunch at one of the cafe bars. Be aware that the market is only open Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to 3pm and closed on Sundays and public holidays.

La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia (Silk Exchange)

Just around the corner from the Central Market is the Silk Exchange, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 and a magnificent example of Gothic architecture. The Silk Exchange is worth the small entrance fee to walk through the different buildings and courtyard filled with fruit trees.

Built between 1482 and 1533, these buildings were originally used for trading silk and were an important center for commerce.

Plaza de Toros and North Train Station

The Valencia bullring is a neoclassic design by Sebastián Monleón Estellés and was built between 1850 and 1860. One of five bullrings in Spain, you can still see bull fights (check out the schedule here).

If you come to Valencia by train, you will most likely arrive in the Estació del Nord, the major railway station. This elegant art nouveau building opened in 1917.

Wheeew, that was a busy Day 1 but covered the major highlights of the city.

Day 2

On your second day in Valencia, you may want to cover some of the sites mentioned on Day 1 if it was too much for one day. Otherwise, I would suggest heading out on Day 2 to the El Carmen district in the northern part of the city.

El Carmen is Valencia’s hipster area with many boutiques, bars, street art, and graffiti. It’s a lovely place to wander along the narrow cobblestone-covered streets. There are several highlights of this district that I will include in your Day 2 itinerary.

Church of San Nicolás de Bari

I believe this church is the prettiest I’ve seen in my life! Be aware that it is well hidden if you don’t have the address. The 10 Euro entrance fee is worth the audio tour and admiring Valencia’s version of the Sistine chapel.

This parish church was built in 1242 and remodeled in Gothic style between 1419 and 1455. Between 1690 and 1693, the interior was recoated with Baroque decoration and fresco paintings of scenes of the life of San Nicolás de Bari (Saint Nicholas) and San Pedro Mártir (Saint Peter Martyr).

La Casa de Los Gatos

I had heard about the Cat House which is basically an artsy door leading to a shelter for stray cats. We didn’t see any cats but did get a picture next to the entrance.

La Estrecha (Skinny Building)

Another unique spot to see is La Estrecha (meaning Narrow One), shown above. This building measures 107 centimeters (42 inches) wide and is known as the narrowest house in Europe and the second in the world. You can’t enter the building but it’s interesting to see the skinny structure from the outside.

Horchateria de Santa Catalina

The Horchateria de Santa Catalina is over 100 years old and is the best place in Valencia to have the popular signature drink of Valencia called Horchata. In Spain, horchata is made with soaked ground sweetened tiger nuts. This cold drink has a smooth texture similar to milk and the flavor is close to almond but not as sweet. I have to be honest to say that I didn’t enjoy the drink but felt obligated to sample this traditional specialty of Valencia.

The popular cafe is usually crowded but do try to stop and see the interior, beautifully decorated with colorful tiles. You can also try the Farton (sweet bread sticks, plain or filled with chocolate or custard).

Cafe des las Horas

Another interesting cafe to experience is the Cafe des las Horas. Very small with sometimes a queue to enter, this cafe recreates an ambience characteristic for the turn of the 19^th century. I only walked inside to see the interior which was a mixture of classic and baroque decorations (red curtains with brocades, paintings, sculptures, and objects of art).

La Diva Restaurant

End your Day 2 with a special treat dining at La Diva. Inspired by the 1920s, this is hip retro bar and restaurant in the center of Valencia. You will discover a varied menu of quality food at reasonable prices. At midnight on the weekends the restaurant turns into a disco when they move the tables on the main floor.

Day 3

Walk or Bike the Turia Nature Park

The Turia park stretches for 9 kilometers through Valencia city. It is one of the largest urban parks in Spain and opened in 1986 on the former river bed of the Turia River. The original river was diverted after a flood in 1957.

If you’re a good walker, you can cover the entire park in one day. Another fun and easy way to explore this park is by renting a bike. I actually did both while I was in Valencia but you can cover a lot more ground with a bike. There is a dedicated bike lane on each side of the park from the City of Arts and Sciences to the Headland Park (Parque Cabecera) and the Bioparc Zoo.

All over the city you will find Valenbisi bike rental stations, 2700 bikes and 257 bike stations. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to rent bikes. You must first register on their website and can then pick up and drop off your bike anywhere in the city. Note that these bikes are not electric but the city is very flat and easy for biking.

Puente de las flores (Flower Bridge)

One of the 18 bridges that cross over the Turia Park is the Flower Bridge. There are pedestrian paths on the bridge displaying colorful flower beds and pots throughout the year (over 27,000 flowers). Even though I was there in February, it was beautiful as shown in my below photos.

Gulliver Park

A very cool park to stop by in the Turia gardens is Gulliver Park, a playground based on the story of Gulliver Travels and the Lilliputians. This huge 70-meter-long attraction features Gulliver lying on the floor with his clothes and his hair forming ramps, slides, and stairs where kids can play.  What a great idea!

Torres de Serranos

At the far end of the El Carmen neighborhood next to Turia Park, you will find the Serranos Gate, one of twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city wall. This gate was built in 1392 by Pere Balaguer. Originally built with a defensive function, from 1586 until 1887 the towers were used as a prison for nobles.

Valencia Spain Beaches

If you’ve still got time on Day 3, be sure to go to the Valencia beaches! You can take a short bus ride to the Playa de la Malvarrosa. I was amazed at the very large sandy beach with huge palm trees.

From there, you can walk along the water’s edge past Patacona Beach and further north to Port Saplaya (approximately 1 hour one-way).

I recommend going to a cool restaurant where we stopped for sundowners, called Cerveceria Freiduria Inspiro. It’s right on the beach of Malvarrossa (shown below) and a great way to end the day.

Summary

I hope this 3-day itinerary for Valencia Spain has enlightened you to the many wonderful sights here! I’ve visited most of the tourist cities in Spain, but I was quite surprised and impressed with Valencia. I highly recommend to include this city if you travel to Spain. Click on below image to save to Pinterest for future reference!

There are many hotel and apartment accommodations in Valencia. I recommend using this link for Booking .com to find the most varied and affordable options.

If you are interested in other nearby areas for this part of Spain, check out my blog posts on Alicante Spain in One Week and What to Do Near La Zenia Spain.

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!