Have you ever thought about spending 3 days in Valencia, Spain, and don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place! I have been calling Valencia my home for more than a year and will let you know how to divide your time to enjoy the best this stunning city has to offer. Visiting Valencia in 3 days is a sweet spot between being in a rush and exploring the city comfortably. Also, in this itinerary, I grouped the closest attractions, in a way that makes sense and helps you maximize your time.
Day one in Valencia, old city vibes
I truly believe that the Old Town is the heart of the city, it is so beautiful! It has tiny and dreamy balconies, narrow streets, and awe-inspiring squares, so we will focus on that on our first day. For this part of the trip, I suggest walking, as the attractions are very close to each other and a bike would slow you down in my opinion, as the old town tends to get crowded easily.
Let’s start at the North Station (Estación del Norte). It’s a stunning building, with typical Valencian details, such as orange trees on the outside and beautiful natural details on the inside. Next to it, you can see the magnificent amphitheater from The Bull Ring Square (Plaza de Toros).
You can head out to The City Hall Square (Plaza de Ayuntamiento), the main square of the city. Here, you can see a beautiful open space, filled with cute flower shops, tourist shops, and stunning buildings. The City Hall building can be visited during the week, but only until 14. It has some stunning chandeliers on the inside and it’s free to visit. Another cool thing you can do in the area is to check out a rooftop bar overlooking this stunning plaza. You can find it as Ateneo Restaurant ∗ 6ª Planta ∗ on Google Maps.
Next, head out to Redona Square (Plaza Redona), a tiny beautiful rounded plaza. It is pretty unique and cool.
Next, I suggest heading out to the Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), the only UNESCO World Heritage building in Valencia. It is worth a visit and free on Sundays, otherwise only 2 euros. Very close to the Silk Exchange, you can find The Central Market (Mercat Central), the biggest fresh produce market in Europe. It’s gorgeous as well, with many beautiful details. If you have ever been to Bouqeria Market in Barcelona, you will see that this market is very different. The Central Market is less tourist-oriented and that is great because you can get a peak of locals doing their actual shopping.
Very close to it, you can see The Queen Square (Plaza de la Reina), one of the most beautiful plazas in Valencia. It hosts the Valencia Cathedral, some bars and restaurants, a mini garden with palm trees, and many good vibes! Here you can visit the Valencia Cathedral, it is believed that the Holy Grail is kept here! Also, if this does not represent a lot of interest to you, you can visit the Miguellete Tower and you will catch a glimpse of the interior of the Cathedral, while you are on your way to see the city from above! The tickets for the Cathedral are 9 euros, while the tickets for the tower are only 2,5 euros. If you are a student, don’t forget to ask about discounts!
Behind the Cathedral, you can see the Virgen Square (Plaza de la Virgen), a wide square with a beautiful fountain and restaurants. Sometimes, you can find there horchata stands, the typical Valencian beverage. It is made out of tiger nuts, a superfood grown around Valencia. It is very refreshing in the summer when served cold. And speaking of local beverages, very close to this square, you can find the perfect place to try Agua de Valencia, a cocktail consisting of Valencian orange juice, cava (champagne), gin, vodka, and sugar. The name of the bar is Cafe de las Horas and it has a stunning interior.
Next, I suggest visiting The Church of San Nicolás, otherwise nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of Valencia and for a good reason! The tickets are 10 euros. On your way there, you can check out the Negrito Square (Plaza del Negrito), a cute little spot, perfect for relaxing.
I suggest visiting the Serrano Towers (Torres de Serranos) next, the medieval gateway to the city. On Sundays it is free to climb up, otherwise, the fee is only 2 euros.
Very close to the Serrano Towers it’s an optional attraction, The Fine Arts Museum of Valencia (Museu de Belles Arts de València). It is free to enter, and it has beautiful pieces and an amazing courtyard, perfect for pictures.
For the evening I suggest relaxing in Turia Gardens, the most famous park in Valencia. It is on the bed of the old Turia river, which has been relocated due to a bad flood. You can even start at the base of the Serranos Towers and walk up to The Flower Bridge, the most stunning bridge in Valencia! It has many beautiful and colorful flowers, it’s breathtaking.
Day 2 in Valencia, modern vibes
For this day, we’ll head out to the other side of the city. You can rent a bike to maximize your time and enjoy the views, but you can do fine without it too, as public transport is very reliable and well-connected. Let’s start the day at The City of Arts and Sciences(Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències). This is an amazing complex, with futuristic buildings and turquoise water. You can visit the attractions on the inside as well, check this link for all the available activities. If those don’t interest you, it’s still very nice to walk around and admire the stunning architecture. In the summer, you can rent out padel boards on the water.
I have been living in Valencia for over a year and I am still in awe of this place every single time I see it! A nice picture spot is Umbracle, a semi-open structure, filled with palm trees and mosaic white benches. It also turns into a club at night, which is pretty cool.
If you want to see The City of Arts and Sciences from a different perspective, I recommend two spots: a mall and a rooftop bar. The mall is called Aqua Multispace and is semi-open. You can go up to the third or fourth floor and admire the view of the City of Arts and Sciences. The schedule is 10-22. The rooftop bar is called 270º Terrace at Barceló and they open at 12 and are open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 23 on the other days.
Next, head out to The Marina, a very beautiful spot, but easily overlooked. You can admire the boats and yachts, and enjoy a nice walk/ bike ride around here. You can sometimes see people skating or practicing dancing around here. If you are an F1 fan, you can check out the traces of the old circuit, a nice piece of history. You can find the location here. The Marina is also very nice for biking, the views are spectacular.
Now, beach time! The most famous beach is Malvarrosa, which is also the biggest. The beaches in Valencia are very wide and the water is shallow. There is also a great promenade, filled with palm trees and seafood restaurants. If you wish to get away from the crowds, you can choose Patacona beach, as it’s usually less busy.
If you choose to ride a bike here, I also have an optional thing to see, but it’s a nice hidden gem. There is a stunning white church by the beach called Ermita del Miracle dels Peixets. By bike, it’s about 10 minutes from the Malvarrosa beach. It’s surrounded by a river and some palm trees. It’s worth the trip!
You can also check out the Cabanyal neighborhood (optional), an old fishermen’s village, with picturesque houses. There are many restaurants and cafes as well in this area. Mercabanyal is also a cool spot for foods and drinks.
Day 3 in Valencia, relaxed vibes
Now that we’ve seen the old part of the city, the new one, and the beach, let’s see something in between, shall we?
For the third day in Valencia, I recommend exploring one of the coolest neighborhoods in the city, Russafa. It’s the place to be in the Valencia. It has many restaurants, bars, cafes, and stunning buildings.
This area is also famous for having many thrift stores, where you can find awesome vintage or even reformed pieces. My favorite stores are Flamingo Kilo (2 stores are in Russafa, 1 in Ciutat Vella) and Aieclé stores (3 in Russafa). Russafa also has its own market, Mercat de Russafa, which may be cool to explore. But just wandering around these beautiful streets is a nice activity.
Speaking of streets, the most beautiful street in Russafa and maybe in Valencia too is located in this neighborhood. It is called Av. del Regne de València. It has a pedestrian side in the middle of the street, but what makes it the most beautiful street is the fact that it’s lined with palm trees on both sides. You will feel relaxed instantly here!
Another stunning street, closeby is Gran Via del Marqués del Túria, it is also relaxing, but in a different way, by being so lush! I suggest checking it out next, then heading out to Colon Market (Mercat de Colón), an arhitectural masterpiece! You can find different clothing shops here, sometimes souvenirs also. There are a few coffee shops and restaurants as well.
If are not done with the shopping, I suggest heading out to Colon street, it is filled with shops, all of them being accessible from the street, making it ideal for a shopping spree!
For the second part of the day, I suggest going to Bioparc. Its principles are very far away from a typical zoo. Here there are no cages and the humans are entering the habitat of the animals, not the other way around! You can see elephants (one baby elephant too!), giraffes, flamingos and many others! To be honest I enjoyed this more than I ever thought I would do!
Next, for a relaxing evening, go to Cabecera Park, which is right next to the Bioparc. You can enjoy the views and if you are here around the time of the sunset, I highly advise you to walk up to the Colina, in the same park. It’s a little hill, perfect for some nice views to enjoy your last days in Valencia, Spain.
I hope you enjoyed my itinerary for 3 days in Valencia, Spain. If you want some daytrip ideas from Valencia, you can check out this blog post I wrote: 10 easy and stunning day trips from Valencia, Spain
If you have any questions, let me know below. Thank you!