Valencia in 3 days
Three days arranged by opening hours: the market and the old town in the morning, the aquarium at opening, the lagoon before sunset.
- How long
- 3
- Mercat Central
- Monday–Saturday 7.30–15
- Old-town tickets
- Lonja €2
Three days in Valencia are arranged around the hours when doors close, not around districts: the market and the cathedral have early deadlines, Sunday keeps its own timetable, and the aquarium changes its closing time from day to day. So the old town goes on the first morning, the City of Arts and Sciences on the second, and the sea and the Albufera on the third.
The old town, on a weekday
The Mercat Central, open from half past seven. Breakfast from the stalls, because after lunch you will not make it back here.
The Lonja de la Seda across the road, as it opens at ten.
The cathedral, whose cultural visit opens at 10.30; an audio guide and the museum are included in the ticket.
The Miguelete tower, off the cathedral, open daily from 10 to 18.45. The terrace at the top takes no more than fifty people at a time.
Lunch in the old town.
The Serranos towers, open until seven on weekdays, then the El Carmen quarter behind them in the evening.
The City of Arts and Sciences, then the Turia
The Oceanogràfic at opening (€36–43, depending on the season). The combined ticket with the Hemisfèric and the Science Museum is €44–51.
Lunch, then the Hemisfèric or the Science Museum for those on the combined ticket.
By bike through the Turia park from the City of Arts towards the old town — the whole way runs along the riverbed below street level, as far as the Serranos towers.
The sea and the Albufera
Tram 4 or 6 to the Platja Malva-rosa stop in Cabanyal, a few minutes from the beach.
Lunch in Cabanyal, in the quarter behind the beach rather than on the promenade.
Bus EMT 25 to El Palmar, about forty minutes from the centre. Not every departure goes via El Palmar, so check the sign on the front.
A boat on the Albufera before sunset, from the landing stage in El Palmar.
Where a Valencia day is spent
- The market after three, or on a Sunday. The Mercat Central closes at three and does not open on Sundays; that is why it is the first thing on the first day of this plan.
- The cathedral on a Saturday afternoon. From October to June the last Saturday entry is at 16.30, an hour earlier than on weekdays; leave it until the end of the day and you find the doors shut.
- The Oceanogràfic in the afternoon. It closes at a different time each day, from four in the afternoon to ten at night, with the ticket office shutting an hour earlier. At the ten o'clock opening none of those deadlines matters.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What if I am in Valencia on a Sunday?
Then day one runs in a different order: the Lonja and the Serranos towers in the morning, because on Sundays they are free but only open until two, and the cathedral after two, when it first opens. The Mercat Central is closed on Sundays, so the market moves to another day.
Is the combined City of Arts and Sciences ticket worth it?
Only if you stay the whole day. The Oceanogràfic on its own is €36–43; the combined ticket adds the Hemisfèric and the Science Museum, and both need another afternoon after the aquarium.
How do I get to the Albufera without a car?
On the city bus EMT 25 to El Palmar, about forty minutes; not every departure goes that way, so check the sign. Boats on the lagoon leave from the landing stage in the village.
Ready for Valencia?
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