Boasting a whopping 300 days of sunshine per year, Valencia is the perfect destination for a chilled-out, sun-soaked break. With its easily accessible beaches, incredible food, and beautiful old town, Valencia is a true gem of a city.

I’m a huge fan of Spain, and one of my favourite places to visit there is Valencia. In fact, I love it so much my husband and I have often brought this coastal city up when talking about places we could live. 

Located just two hours south of Barcelona, Valencia has pretty much everything you could want from a fun, exciting city. Picturesque and walkable streets, fantastic museums, cool architecture, historic landmarks, mouth-watering cuisine (especially if you like seafood), bustling markets, and of course, plenty of nearby beaches to relax on.

In this blog post I’ll share my personal recommendations about how to spend three days in Valencia. That’s a good amount of time to enjoy what the city has to offer, ensuring your stay is filled with beautiful beaches, architectural wonders and some of the tastiest food you’ll ever try in your life. I won’t hand you a strict schedule – half the joy here is stumbling upon wonderful surprises as you wander- but this guide will help you shape your days in this fantastic city.

Move out the way Madrid and Barcelona, it’s Valencia’s time to shine!

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Day One AM – Exploring the Old Town

Start your day by exploring the picturesque streets of Barrio del Carmen, Valencia’s gorgeous old town, with its pretty pastel-coloured buildings, striking architecture, and winding narrow streets. Find your way to Plaça de la Mare de Déu, a charming square at the heart of the city. Surrounded by sand-coloured buildings, the centrepiece of this square is the Turia Fountain. It’s also a great spot to take photos of the iconic Valencia Cathedral (Catedral de Valencia). 

Built between the 13th & 15th centuries, the cathedral is an eclectic mishmash of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic architectural styles. The site is steeped in history as an ancient Roman temple and an Arabic Mosque once stood in this exact spot. The interior is just as beautiful, with its stained-glass windows, sculptures, Renaissance frescoes and a Holy Chalice thought to be the original Holy Grail! It costs €10 to enter (concessions available). While this may seem a tad expensive to visit a church, the ticket does include an audio guide, which is available in multiple languages.

Attached to the cathedral is the bell tower Miguelete Tower (El Micaelet). You can buy a separate ticket to climb the bell tower; there are 207 steps to the top, but your efforts will be rewarded with fantastic panoramic views of the city (€3 per person). 

After exploring the cathedral and bell tower, rest your feet in Plaça de la Reina, one of Valencia’s prettiest squares, surrounded by cafes, bars, restaurants and palm trees. It’s the perfect spot to try a traditional Valencian breakfast of horchata (a refreshing drink made from tiger nuts and cinnamon) and fartons (amusingly-named sweet breadsticks to be dunked into the horchata), or perhaps a bocadillo de jamón (crispy rolls filled with slices of delicious Ibérico ham)

When you’re suitably satiated, walk towards La Lonja de la Seda, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This photogenic Chamber of Commerce was originally used for trading silk between the 15th and 16th centuries. You can explore the rooms admiring their intricate details, learn about Valencia’s historic silk trade and enjoy the tranquillity of the peaceful inner courtyard, which is lined with orange trees. Entrance price is €2 (concessions available) with an optional audio guide to enhance your experience.

For lunch, head on over to Central Market (Mercado Central), one of Europe’s largest fresh food markets. You’ll be blown away by the variety and quality of the fresh, colourful produce and local delicacies on offer in this enormous art deco building. I recommend making a beeline for Central Bar, a popular restaurant serving up delicious, modern tapas. If you don’t manage to get a seat at the Central Bar, there are plenty of restaurants directly outside the market serving up all manner of tasty treats. 

Central Market is open Monday-Saturday 7.30-3pm, making it the ideal breakfast, brunch or lunch spot. 

Day One PM – Playa de la Malvarrosa beach

After lunch, grab your swimwear from your accommodation and take a bus or tram to Valencia’s beach Playa de la Malvarrosa. Located in El Cabanyal, a maritime neighbourhood known for its colourful houses and lively atmosphere, this large city beach is surprisingly clean, well-maintained and as the tide goes out really far, there’s plenty of space for everyone. The palm tree-lined promenade is also lovely to walk along, with locals and tourists alike enjoying an afternoon stroll here.

It’s a genuinely lovely place to relax for a good few hours, whether that be on the actual beach, in the sea, or at one of the many nearby bars. After all, there aren’t many better things to do on holiday than relaxing with a cool glass of white wine or beer with views of the ocean. 

If you stay around long enough then you can enjoy some dinner here. There are lots of seafood restaurants alongside the seafront; I personally recommend La Pepica which is known for delicious paella dishes. This iconic rice dish did originate in Valencia after all!

There are many variations (like vegetarian or with seafood, black squid ink, or lobster) but I suggest trying paella valenciana which comes with rabbit, chicken and green beans. Check to see if your paella has soccarat (a golden caramelised crust at the bottom of the pan) – a sign that it’s cooked to perfection!

Another place I highly recommend around here is Casa Montaña, a cosy and historic taverna founded in 1836 that serves up exceptional tapas. If they’re on the menu, I recommend the smoked eel fillet, sausages, cured pork loin, and stewed broad beans and anchovies.

If you are back in the Old Town before dinner don’t worry, as there are plenty of fantastic eateries in this area to enjoy a wonderful meal. Some of my favourites include:

• Sidreria el molinon – delicious tapas, friendly staff, and of course, excellent cider. Don’t miss their chorizo in cider and the meatballs.
• Tasca Angel – rustic tapas bar serving up classic dishes along with some more adventurous plates like cuttlefish eggs, pig kidney, and snails. It is a small, casual place, with only a few bar stools so you may need to stand while you eat.
• Jamon-Jamon – this more upmarket restaurant is as modern and stylish as its menu. We enjoyed Iberian ham, Spanish cheese, and braised octopus and black pudding with apples roasted in cider.
• Ostras Pedrín Bonaire – sleek, white-tiled space offering delicious oysters alongside local wine, starting at just €2.50 per glass! The menu includes oysters served in different ways (starting at around €3 per oyster), along with smoked, pickled and tinned fish tapas.
• HUNDRED BURGER – an award-winning burger restaurant. My husband and I loved their burgers; order the “Showdown” burger – you won’t regret it!

Day Two AM – City of Arts and Sciences /  Turia Gardens

Start your second day off by exploring the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) where you can marvel at the fantastically futuristic architecture, designed by Santiago Calatrava. On this site you can find the Hemisfèric (an IMAX cinema and planetarium), interactive Príncipe Felipe Science Museum (Museu de les Ciències), and the Queen Sofia Palace of Arts (Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia) opera house.

If you’re a fan of aquariums like me, you can’t miss the Oceanografic, Europe’s largest aquarium. It’s certainly not cheap, at around €40 for an adult ticket, but it’s a fun way to spend a morning, especially if travelling with children.

Although you can buy tickets on arrival, I suggest pre-booking your Oceangrafic ticket, like I did, so you can skip the ticket line and maximise your time there. There is an incredible variety of weird and wonderful animals there, including jellyfish (my favourite), dolphins, turtles, sharks, sea lions, birds, and every kind of fish imaginable! I suggest getting here at opening time to avoid the crowds.

After a few hours exploring this fantastic complex, take a leisurely stroll through Turia Gardens (Jardines del Turia), a 9-kilometre park created in a former riverbed. The river Turia once flowed through Valencia, but after repeated flooding, it was diverted in 1957. The riverbed was repurposed into a huge park, with something for everyone; you can rent a bike, admire the park’s fountains, sculptures and colourful plants and flowers, enjoy leisurely strolls, go for a jog or work out in the open-air gym.

In addition, there are lots of children’s playgrounds and dog parks scattered throughout Turia Gardens. The most impressive park has a Gulliver’s Travels theme; there’s a gigantic model of Gulliver, sprawled on his back. Children can climb over his face, hair and limbs, using slides and climbing ropes. Even as an adult I wanted to clamber all over it!

If you haven’t had lunch yet and are feeling peckish, make a bee-line to Mercado de Colón, another one of Valencia’s excellent food markets.

Day Two PM – More exploring or beach time

Afterwards, you can either enjoy some more beach time or head back to the old town for some more exploring, and of course, have a bit more food. You may also want to stop off somewhere for a cool drink too. Try the quirky Cafe de las Horas for a jug of Agua de Valencia, a local concoction of gin, vodka, fresh orange juice, and cava (Spanish sparkling wine).

In the evening, after you’ve eaten, take a nighttime stroll around the illuminated streets of Valencia, soaking up the ambiance of the city at night. Fancy a nightcap? Tyris On Tap has a wide range of artisanal beers on tap (along with bottled and alcohol-free beers) and a small food menu if you’re still peckish.

Or why not watch a live flamenco show at the Palosanto Flamenco Theatre? I have seen several flamenco shows before and am always so impressed by the passion, intensity and agility of the dancers. The guitarists and singers are incredibly talented too.

Day Three – Day Trips & City Tours

On your final day in Valencia, I’ve got some options for you:

City Sightseeing

There’s much more to see in the Old Town; you could join an organised tour like the Historical Walking Tour or Essentials and World Heritages Sites Walking Tour or explore independently.

If you love history and exquisite paintings, don’t miss San Nicolás chapel (Sant Nicolau de Bari i Sant Pere Màrtir), known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of Valencia’. You’ll be blown away by the beauty of this atmospheric church (€11 entry, including an excellent audio guide). You can climb the mediaeval city gate Serrans/Serranos Gate (Torres de Serranos), built between 1392 and 1398, for great views over the city.

Art fans should also visit Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias “González Martí, where you’ll be treated to exquisite ceramics and other artworks in a palace setting (€3 entry). The exterior is worth checking out on its own too, with its beautifully ornate facade.

Albufera Natural Park

If you want to get out of the city, how about a day trip to Albufera Natural Park, located just south of Valencia? You can reach Albufera Natural Park by car or bus (#24 or #25 from Porto de la Mar / Metro Colon) in approximately 45 minutes. Get off at the stop Embarcador de l’Albufera (I).

Once you’re there, you can rent a bike to explore this freshwater lagoon and rice fields, visit Playa Lago Saler beach or take a boat ride on the tranquil waters. Have lunch at one of the traditional restaurants overlooking the lagoon, where you can try “arròs a banda” (rice cooked in fish broth) or “all i pebre” (eels stewed in garlic and paprika sauce).

When you’re ready to return to Valencia, catch the #24 or #25 from ‘Embarcador de l’Albufera II‘ bus stop. If you’d like to visit the Natural Park but don’t feel confident navigating the public buses by yourself, this guided tour organised by Valencia & Go could be a great solution! 

Caves of San José

If Albufera doesn’t interest you, you could book one of the most popular excursions from Valencia, a half-day trip to Caves of San José. You can take a boat ride along Europe’s longest navigable underground river, admiring the stalactites, stalagmites, and UNESCO-listed cave paintings. Your ticket includes the boat ride, entrance ticket, a guided tour and roundtrip transportation from Valencia.