To be quite honest with you, we did not get the time that we wanted to have in Valencia. It was already a short trip of one day, but after our difficult time getting out of Madrid we arrived late in Valencia and in a bad mood. Still, we made the most of our one day in Valencia.
Is Valencia worth visiting? It makes a really good stopover city from our experience. It was sandwiched in between Madrid and Barcelona in our itinerary and the time that we spent there was enjoyable. From touring cathedrals to wandering the streets of the city.
One Day in Valencia
Itinerary
- Arrived in Valencia.
- Went out for dinner.
- Wandered the streets of Valencia.
What to See in Valencia in One Day
What We Did
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Valencia Cathedral
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Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and L’Oceanogràfic
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Valencia City Hall
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Torre del Micalet
A 13th century Gothic style cathedral with a tower that you can pay a couple of dollars to climb to the top to see incredible views of the city. It is more than one hundred steps up a narrow winding staircase to the top where you will find the massive bell and views in all directions of the city.
State of the art modern architectural buildings that house the City of Arts and Sciences entertainment and an aquarium. Great for any family visiting the city. Though it is not our type of attraction when touring a city, we definitely wanted to show up at night to see the wonderful architecture which contrasts with much of the medieval buildings that the city is so known for.
It is also a great area for shopping and touring different arts and science centers like Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (performing arts center), Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (Science Museum), Hemisfèric (IMAX and 3D Theater), and L’Umbracle (sculpture park) among many others.
On our tour at night we stopped by the wonderfully lit up Valencia City Hall for some photos. It holds a lovely place to sit down and enjoy the surroundings on any day.
We walked the over hundred of steps to the top of this bell tower to see the views it has to offer. Well worth the couple of dollar entry fee and workout that it provides to get to the top. The bell is really loud. It is also centrally located with views of the many plazas around it.
What We Missed
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La Lonja de la Seda
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Playa de la Malvarrosa
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Torres de Serranos
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Bullring of Valencia
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Basílica de la Mare de Déu dels Desamparats
An incredible Medieval building with rich history that provides a wonderful place to wander around for anyone visiting the city. It really is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Valencia and we were really disappointed that we missed out on this.
If the beach is your scene (it was not for us in April weather), then this beach is not far from the city center and offers a great place to relax for a morning, afternoon, or full day if that is what you are looking for.
Built in the fourteenth century, it was a tower that was among eleven other gates to the city. Add it to the list if you are looking for Medieval architecture which Valencia is so known for. Torres de Quart would be a good addition if Torres de Serranos strikes your fancy.
A bullring with a museum and guided tours. Though if this is at the top of your list, you may want to go to Ronda where the bullfighting was said to have originated from.
Another cathedral to add to your list to visit in the city center. Really this city is littered (in the best way possible) with incredible medieval architecture.
Where to Eat in Valencia
What We Did
To be honest, in our haze and poor attitude we did not take note of exactly where we ate in Valencia. But we did have this delicious paella dish and local beer.
What We Missed
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The Central Market of Valencia
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El Carmen and Ruzafa
Whether you are cooking from your rental unit, you want some fresh food, or are looking for a meal, the Central Market of Valencia is the go-to place. We showed up way too late to get in as it is an early morning to early afternoon establishment, so make sure you show up early.
The old part of the city with lots of cafes and places to party at night. Really the place you want to be to enjoy a night out in an incredible environment.
Where to Shop in Valencia
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Mercado de Colón
This was a transformed modernist market that houses shops and dining areas. It is the place you should go for your shopping and dining experience.
How to Get Around Valencia
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Taxi
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Walking
We did hail one taxi to take us around the coastal area of the city to see a little bit more before we went back to our AirBnB. Our driver was extremely generous in showing us different buildings that we could get out and take some photos of before calling it a night. Taxis are great for last minute sightseeing if necessary.
Like most of our travels, we walked the majority of our time in the city. It was an excellent city to walk around and enjoy the different areas of the city. We stumbled across many beautiful buildings and photo shoot spots which made our stay in Valencia pleasant. As with all of our travel guides, we really suggest you take your time in a city to walk around as much as possible. Even if it means that you are going to miss some areas because you do not have time for them. Walking will reveal the hidden gems of any city that you would miss otherwise.
How to Get to Valencia
We took a train from Madrid to get to Valencia. The train cost us a little more than $100 USD each. Since we missed the first train, this doubled our cost and really put us in poor spirits by the time we arrived in the city. Not to mention we were late for checking into our AirBnB which put our host in a bad mood which eventually left us with our only negative review on AirBnB.
Where to Stay in Valencia
Booking.com
We stayed at an AirBnB while in Valencia in the central part of the city which is where it seems the best place to stay is. Walking distance from all of the different cathedrals that you can visit while in the city. Anywhere in the central part of the city will provide a great location to start any walking tour you have planned of the city.
To be quite honest, the AirBnB linked above that we stayed at was in a pretty good location, but it was not the cleanliest place and our host did not like us very much. This made our one night stay not so enjoyable. Still, it did provide a roof over our heads and a private room in an apartment unit filled with other travelers for the one night which is all we really need.
Best Time to Visit Valencia
We visited Valencia in April and it was great. The weather was getting warmer and there still was not massive amounts of tourists flocking to the different areas of the city. From what we understand anytime between March and June, as well as in the fall will bring a good combination of good weather and still part of the off season where there will not be a lot of tourists in your way.
Conclusion
I feel under different circumstances we would have enjoyed Valencia more. However, we were already in a bad mood by the time we arrived in the city and had less time to enjoy the city than we wanted. Still what we were able to do provided some enjoyment and we made the most of our time in the city.
Like I had said earlier in this post, the city is a good stopover between Madrid and Barcelona if you are interested in seeing what the city has to offer. The cathedrals are gorgeous and it is a lovely city to walk around. However, it does pale in comparison to Madrid and Barcelona.
We would love to hear about your experience while in Valencia or to answer any questions you may have about your future trip. Leave a comment below!
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Check out more from our experiences in Spain here.
Happy travels!
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