In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Book the Oceanogràfic and the City of Arts and Sciences by date (€37.00 to €43.05 for the Oceanogràfic, 2026 prices). The cathedral is €12 and opens on Sundays only from 14:00. The Lonja and the two city gates are €2 and free on Sundays. IVAM, the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre are closed on Mondays; the Central Market is closed on Sundays. The Turia Gardens and the beaches are free. L’Almoina and the City Museum are closed. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Oceanogràfic ticketad is from €37 and the old-town walk with entry to the cathedral, San Nicolás and the Lonjaad from €49 (GetYourGuide).
The sights at a glance
Prices are the adult rate in euros, from the operators. What to book in Valencia has the hours and the entry rules.
| Sight | Price | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanogràfic | €37.00 to €43.05 by season | Never; open 12:00 to 18:00 on 25 December |
| City of Arts and Sciences | Museu €9.90; Hemisfèric €8.90; all three €45.55 to €51.25 | Museu and Hemisfèric 25 December |
| Cathedral and Miguelete | €12; the tower €3 | Sunday mornings; 1 and 6 January, 19 March, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, 9 October, 8 December, 25 December |
| Bioparc | From €29.50 | Never; closes at sunset |
| Lonja de la Seda | €2; free Sundays | 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 25 December |
| Central Market | Free | Sundays |
| Torres de Serranos, Torres de Quart | €2 each; free Sundays | Rain, fog or strong wind |
| San Nicolás | €16 online | Mondays, to visitors |
| Hortensia Herrero Art Centre | €12 | Mondays |
| IVAM | €5; free Sundays | Mondays |
| Museo de Bellas Artes | Free | Mondays |
| Turia Gardens | Free | Never |
| The beaches | Free | Never |
Tours worth paying for
Two guided options earn their price. Prices are the lowest “from” prices, per person.
Old-town walk with entry to the cathedral, San Nicolás and the Lonja
From €49 · 4.8 stars from 1,267 reviews
Valencia: Cathedral, St Nicholas, and Lonja de la Seda Tourad is a 3 to 4 hour guided walk sold by Valencia & Go. The tickets it lists come to €30, so the guide is about €19.
Old-town tour with wine and tapas
From €80 · 5.0 stars from 2,123 reviews
Valencia: Old Town Tour, Wine & Tapas in an 11th c. Monumentad is a 4-hour tour sold by Sea Saffron. Valencia food tours compares the others.
The big tickets
City of Arts and Sciences
Museu €9.90 · Hemisfèric €8.90 · all three buildings €45.55 to €51.25 · open daily
Calatrava’s complex along the old river bed has a science museum, an IMAX dome and the aquarium. Tickets are for a date, a combined ticket saves €4.70 to €10.50, and the Hemisfèric admits nobody once the film has started. Tickets, prices and the order to go round.
Oceanogràfic
€37.00 to €43.05 · about 4 hours · three dolphin presentations a day included
The aquarium covers 110,000 square metres. Re-entry needs a combined ticket and a wristband. The Oceanogràfic page has the extras.
Cathedral and the Miguelete
€12 · tower €3 · Sundays from 14:00 only
The ticket includes the Chapel of the Holy Chalice, the museum and an audio guide. The tower has 207 steps and takes 50 people at a time. The cathedral page.
Bioparc
From €29.50 · €1 off online · closes at sunset
A zoo built round African habitats, with no re-entry. The Bioparc page.
The old town
La Lonja de la Seda
€2 · free Sundays · Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00
The UNESCO-listed Gothic Silk Exchange has a hall of eight twisted stone columns. The Lonja page has the audio guide and the free tower visits.
Central Market
Free · Monday to Saturday 7:30 to 15:00 · closed Sundays
Over 250 stalls under a modernist dome, with the Central Bar for the esmorzaret. The Central Market page.
Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart
€2 each · free Sundays · closed in rain, fog or strong wind
Two surviving gates of the medieval wall, each with a rooftop terrace. Free things to do in Valencia lists the views.
The Torres de Quart, a gate of the medieval wall, pitted with cannonball marks. Photo: Un valencià, Wikimedia Commons.
San Nicolás
€16 online, €18 at the door · closed to visitors on Mondays
The church Visit València calls the “Sistine Chapel of Valencia”. A combined ticket with the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre and Santos Juanes is €32. Free things to do in Valencia has the hours.
The Plaza de la Virgen and the Basilica
Free · the Water Court sits on Thursdays at 12:00
The square between the cathedral, the basilica of the Virgen de los Desamparados and the Palau de la Generalitat. El Carmen covers the streets round it, and the old town walk puts the square on a 3.9 km route with the opening days.
Museums
Hortensia Herrero Art Centre, IVAM and the Museo de Bellas Artes
€12 · €5 · free · all closed Mondays
A private contemporary collection in a 17th-century palace; IVAM, which Visit València calls the first museum of modern art in Spain; and the Museo de Bellas Artes, free every day it is open. Valencia museums covers these and the Ceramics, Silk, Fallas, Rice and Natural Sciences museums.
L’Almoina and the City Museum
Both closed
L’Almoina, the Roman forum behind the cathedral, has been closed since about 21 July 2026 for works that the city puts at 14 months, to autumn 2027. The Museo de la Ciudad closed on 7 September 2026.
Outdoors
Turia Gardens and Parque Gulliver
Free · always open
Nine kilometres of park along the old river bed, from the Bioparc to the City of Arts and Sciences. The Turia Gardens page, and the Turia Gardens walk for the 4.9 km route to the City of Arts and Sciences.
The beaches and La Marina
Free · always open
Cabanyal, Malvarrosa and Patacona, with seafront paella restaurants and the old port. The beaches page.
L’Albufera
Boat €4 to €6 for about 40 minutes · EMT bus 24 or 25 · no booking
The lagoon south of the city, reached by bus, with boats from the pier until sunset. L’Albufera boat trip and day trips from Valencia cover the others.
More guides
Valencia with kids sorts the sights by age. Valencia Tourist Card: is it worth it? runs the card sums. Valencia walking tours, bike tours and the hop-on hop-off bus compare the guided ways round, Valencia public transport has the fares, the airport page the way in by air and the cruise port page the way in by sea. And 3 days in Valencia builds a plan round the closed days. Las Fallas 2027 and best time to visit Valencia cover the festival and the seasons. Where to eat in Valencia lists the restaurants, and best paella in Valencia says where to order it. For a bed, see where to stay in Valencia.
Common questions
What are the main things to do in Valencia?
The City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanogràfic, the cathedral and the Miguelete tower, the Lonja de la Seda, the Central Market, the Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart, the Bioparc, the Turia Gardens and the beaches. IVAM, the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre are the art museums.
What should I book before going to Valencia?
The Oceanogràfic and the City of Arts and Sciences, which sell tickets for a date, with the operator advising booking at weekends, on public holidays and in high season. The Bioparc and San Nicolás sell online, and the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre's free Wednesday afternoon needs a reservation. The cathedral, the Lonja and the city gates take tickets on the day.
What is closed in Valencia on Mondays?
IVAM, the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre, the Ceramics, Silk, Fallas, Rice and Natural Sciences museums, and San Nicolás to visitors. The cathedral, the Lonja, the city gates, the Central Market, the City of Arts and Sciences and the Bioparc are open.
What is free in Valencia?
The Turia Gardens, the beaches, the Central Market, the Museo de Bellas Artes and, on Sundays and public holidays, the Lonja and the Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart.
How many days do I need in Valencia?
Three days cover the old town, the City of Arts and Sciences and a day of museums, the beach or a day trip. The operator of the City of Arts and Sciences recommends two or three days for its three buildings alone.
