Introducing our itinerary for...
Valencia, spain
one of
This is a very longggg blog post. So if you'd prefer the more organized and concise itinerary in a PDF, sign up thru the pop-up to receive it for free. The charts show up better on computers and PDF (not mobile).
E
COUNTRY FACTS
Country: Spain
Capital: Madrid
Languages: Spanish and Catalan
Time Zone: Central European Time Zone (GMT +01:00)
Weather by season: Winter (high 50’s), Spring (high 50-60’s), Summer (high 70’s), Fall (high 50-60’s)
Currency: Euro
Exchange Rate for the USD: 1 USD = 0.85 Euro (upd. August 2017)
International telephone dialing country code: +34 for Spain
Food they’re known for: Tapas (appetizers), Paella (Valencian rice dish), Iberico ham
Drinks they’re known for: Cava (sparkling wine), Sangria
Tipping Expectations: 7% Tip is already included at restaurants but if you want to tip more do only 5-10%
Popular Shopping Goods: Ceramics, Espadrilles (shoes with rope soles)
Common Shop Hours: 9am-2pm and 4pm-8pm; closed 2pm-4pm for an afternoon siesta (nap!)
Taxi Information: There’s no Uber in Valencia but download the “MyTaxi” app to call a taxi with similar technology
Hotel/Accommodation Recommendations in Valencia Spain
Here are the top five accommodations in Valencia that are in a convenient location to all the action, have a romantic ambiance, and are rated good enough for you (our fine reader). Take a quick glance at them, book one, and write your booking details in your “Organize the Essentials List” you get by subscribing to our website (do it!).
Name | Avg Cost per Night | Stars | Address (Neighborhood) | Check In Time | Checkout Time | Booking Link |
Las Arenas Balneario Resort | $344 | 5 | Eugenia Vines 22-24 (beach area) | 3 | 12 | |
Hospes Palau de la Mar | $162 | 5 | Avenida de Navarro Reverter 14 (downtown area) | 3 | 12 | |
Hotel Neptuno | $129 | 4 | Paseo Neptuno 2 (beach area) | 4 | 12 | |
Hotel Dimar | $126 | 4 | Gran Via Marques del Turia, 80 (downtown area) | 4 | 12 | |
One Shot Colon 46 | $103 | 3 | Calle Colon 46 (downtown area) | 3 | 12 |
Hotel/Accommodation Recommendations
If you are looking for a more affordable option, an apartment rental is the way to go. Using Airbnb you can rent an apartment anywhere in the city. You typically don’t get the amenities of a concierge, breakfast, gym, pool, etc so you can get your stay for less than half the price of a hotel. You’ll want to book far in advance to get a great place with good reviews. Be aware, Barcelona isn’t the most Airbnb-friendly city so make sure you have a way of constant communication with your host. Get $40 off your first booking here: BOOK AN AIRBNB
We stayed at the airbnb called “Flat Next to Train Station and Subway” by Ignacio and it was a wonderful stay!
Destination Dorworth is a participant in affiliate links for Booking.com and Airbnb. These links are of no extra cost to you, and simply go towards the costs of keeping our site running! Thanks in advance for your support.
Transportation Recommendations in Valencia Spain
Here are the sources we recommend you use to book transportation within the city. In Barcelona we recommend you walk when possible, ‘app’ a taxi when needed, and use trains from city to city. Renting a car is stressful and difficult in a country where the language and signage is different.
Type (rental car, taxi, train) | Company | Website |
Taxi | MyTaxi | https://us.mytaxi.com/index.html (download the app on your phone) |
Train | Loco2 |
Booking Recommendations in Valencia Spain
In the itinerary charts below, you’ll notice we mention “book now” or “book later”. If it says “book now” you truly must book tickets now, months in advance, as it’s a popular thing to do that sells out at peak times. If we say “book later” you could book it just before leaving or you could even just show up to the location and buy tickets that same day.
Trip Overview for Valencia, Spain
2-3 DAY TRIP
DAY 1 Explore downtown and all its history
DAY 2 Enjoy a beach day and learn to cook paella
[Optional: DAY 3 ] Explore the newer part of town in the futuristic complex
Trip Details for Valencia Spain
DAY 1 AT A GLANCE
Today’s Goal to Crush: Immerse yourself in the culture of tiny Valencia and all its charm.
Today is about strolling the streets of Valencia and just getting lost in the experience. Start by making your way to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento which is the main hub of the city. There you will find gorgeous 360 degree views of the historic architecture here. Find the city hall, the post office, and gaze at the beauty of the center fountain (it’s lit up at night). If you’ve been to Barcelona maybe you’ll agree with us that it feels like a mini Barcelona here!
Then make your way north as you stop and shop along the way. Head to the Valencia Cathedral within the Plaza de la Virgen for a quick tour inside. Just outside the church are street vendors with beautiful artwork and pottery. It costs to go inside the cathedral so go if you’d please. If you’d prefer a free church tour, checkout San Nicolas which is Valencia’s oldest church.
Afterwards, continue walking around town. Consider checking out the shops within the Plaza Redonda square. Enjoy the relaxing day just getting to know the city. Stop for sangrias and cervezas, as needed. And at some point, grab lunch and dinner along the way. Be sure to enjoy some of what Valencia is known for: the Paella!
If you have extra time today, you could also checkout the Plaza de Toros which is the old bullfighting ring. They have a museum as well if you want to learn about the history of the sport.
PS- This is a small town so you can literally walk everywhere easily.
DAY 1 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price/Cost | Website |
Valencia Cathedral | 10am-630pm | Plaça de l'Almoina | 4.5E | |
San Nicolas | 930-11am and 630-8pm | Carrer dels Cavallers, 33-35 | free | |
Plaza Redonda | 9am-9pm | Placa Redona | free | |
Plaza de Toros | 10am-2pm and 5-8pm (closed mondays in winter) | Carrer de Xàtiva, 28 | 2E museum and entrance |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Website |
Restaurante Belmondo | Closed sun-mon; Open Tue-Thur 9pm-1230am; Fri-Sat 130-430pm and 9pm-130am | Burgers | Carrer de Ciscar, 56 | $$ | |
Lalola | 130pm-330pm & 830pm-1130pm | Mediterranean | Pujada del Toledà, 8 | $$$ | |
Almalibre Acai Bar | Open Tue-Sat 11am-11pm | Smoothie bowls | Carrer de Roteros, 16 | $ | |
Dulce de Leche Pasteria | Open 8am-9pm | Pastries/Bakery | Carrer de Jesús, 71 | $ |
DAY 2 AT A GLANCE
Today’s Goal to Crush: Relax on some of Spain’s prettiest beaches!
Today is all about you, you, and you. Take a day to pamper yourself with relaxation. Make your way to the beach! Try out Playa Malvarrosa or Playa de las Arenas. Enjoy most of the day relaxing on the white sand here.
If you’re in need of some drinks or snacks, the Tridente de Neptuno hotel restaurant is fantastic! There’s other restaurants along that same path. All of which have great seafood, paella, and tropical drink options.
Later in the day, take some time to explore the gardens at Jardines del Real. They’re Spain’s royal gardens which are open all day until sunset.
Afterwards clean up and make your way out for another fabulous Valencian dinner under the stars!
DAY 2 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Website |
Jardines del Real | 730am-830pm | San Pío V | free |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Optional: DAY 3 AT A GLANCE
Today’s Goal to Crush: Take a step into the future by spending the day at the futuristic complex!
The Ciutat de les Arts i ed Ciencies is a large complex you can’t miss! It’s big and shiny! There they have a science museum, planetarium, oceanographic park, and a palace of arts. You can easily spend the entire day exploring here. A special thing you can do is eat at the submarine restaurant within the oceanographic park! So explore whatever peaks your interest here.
Later in the day, you could enjoy another evening out for dinner. Or consider making your very own! Several places in town offer Paella cooking classes. Learn from the best where paella was first made! Spend a few hours learning to make paella from scratch and then enjoy all your hard work after! What a once in a lifetime experience.
DAY 3 DETAILS
We hope our Valencia travel itinerary helped guide your travels
follow our Instagram
This is a seriously comprehensive guide to Valencia. It’s been ages since I visited this part of Spain, but I have fond memories of walking along the beachfront. Next time I’ll be sure to explore the gardens at Jardines del Real, and check out that shiny Ciutat de les Arts i ed Cinches too. And of course, no visit to Valencia is complete without eating some amazing seafood paella!
Claudia, thanks so much! Yes we loved beachfront too. And paella!
Such a nice post about Valencia Spain, I just hear so many thing about Valencia Spain but finally I found a article that also tell interesting thing about Valencia Spain.
Sophia, thanks so much! Glad you liked it!
Good break up of the day to day tour plan with links to places to eat. Though I spent a good one week touring the different cities of Spain never once I thought of taking Paella making places, regret it so much now. If I get a chance to visit Spain again, this is something I want to do. 🙂
Indrani, thanks so much! Loved the paella as well.
What a comprehensive guide! Thanks for pointing also the Jardines del Real. I love gardens and green spaces but most guides tend to go more for the beaches
Andra, thanks so much! Yes we love history and gardens!
Thanks for the PDF version, really helps for being able to save this. I want to travel to Valencia for the history and the beaches, so Plaza del Ayuntamiento sounds like the perfect way to spend a day to kick start the itinerary. I love that you can easily walk everywhere. And then day two at the beach sounds fab! I might have to replicate this itinerary – thanks!
Meg, we hope you get to visit there! It was a gem.
This looks like an amazaing place to wander around and explore. I would love to take the Paella cooking class as well
Sherianne, it totally was! Hope you get to someday!
When one has limited time in hand, organized itineraries like these can be so useful. I like to pack a lot into my everyday and try to collect all possible information before travelling. I’m saving this blog for future reference…seems like the perfect reference source for my kind of trips.
Punita, thanks so much! Yes, with only 2-3 days you want to be sure you do the most important things. But with a longer trip, sometimes spontaneity is better. Thanks for reading!
This is one in-depth post and perfect for someone planning a trip to Valencia. I love the combination of being able to go to the beach or visit historical sites like Valencia Cathedral. Thanks for all the travel ideas.
Carol thanks so much for the compliments! Loved it there.
Wow what a comprehensive itinerary. I would love to take in all the architecture from Plaza del Ayuntamiento. And a beach day sounds so amazing right now with all the cold and dreariness.
Dina, thanks so much! Yes the beach there was amazing.
I feel beyond prepared for a trip to Valencia now! Great guide! I’d love to visit the Royal Gardens and I love that you’ve included all the yummy places to eat nearby.
Paige, hope you get to go someday! The food everywhere was amazinggg.
Wow, this is a very detailed guide! Perfect for anyone visiting for the first time…or second or third! For me, I haven’t gone there at all yet, so this is super useful for planning a trip! Hopefully I’ll go sooner than later!
Lauren, thanks so much! Totally recommend Valencia because it’s like a mini Barcelona.