Valencia old town walk: from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the Central Market to the cathedral, El Carmen and the Torres de Serranos, with what is open each day

One of 2 self-guided walks in Valencia. See every walk.

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: Start at Xàtiva metro station and finish at the Torres de Serranos: 3.9 km, about 50 minutes of walking and a full day with the visits. Go on a Tuesday to Saturday. The Central Market shuts at 15:00 and all day on Sundays, the cathedral opens on Sundays only from 14:00, and San Nicolás admits no visitors on Mondays. On Thursdays the Water Court meets at 12:00 in the Plaza de la Virgen. The streets, the squares and the Central Market are free; the Lonja is €2, the cathedral €12, the Miguelete €3, San Nicolás €16 online and each tower €2. The old town has no metro station, so the walk ends at a bus stop. Or book a tour: the walk with entry to the cathedral, San Nicolás and the Lonjaad is from €49 (GetYourGuide).

The route

Map of the walk numbered stops in walking order

Open the whole route in Google Maps - all the stops in walking order, set to walking directions, which is the version to put on your phone.

The route goes from the station to the Central Market first, because it shuts at 15:00 and the cathedral does not open until 10:30. It then works through the squares round the cathedral to San Nicolás, the Torres de Quart and El Carmen, and ends at the northern gate. El Carmen has the streets round the Centre del Carme in more detail; this page puts the sights in walking order with the days they are open. Prices are the adult rate in euros from each operator.

Walk it with a guide

A guide adds the stories. Only the first of these includes entry to the sights. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.

• Valencia: Cathedral, St Nicholas, and Lonja de la Seda Tourad: from €49, 4.8 stars from 1,274 reviews, 3 to 4 hours, with entry to all three. The tickets cost €30 separately, so the guide is about €19.
• Valencia: Essentials and World Heritages Sites Walking Tourad: from €20, 4.6 stars from 854 reviews, 2 hours, with entry to the Lonja.
• Valencia: Historical Walking Tourad: from €15, 4.6 stars from 411 reviews, about 2 hours.
• Walkative runs a pay-what-you-wish walk of 2 hours 30 minutes in English from Plaza de la Ciudad de Brujas, with booking obligatory. Valencia walking tours compares the free and paid walks.

1. Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Free · always open · Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Xàtiva metro station is under Calle Xàtiva beside the Estació del Nord, 520 m from the square. The Town Hall stands on it. Visit València says the Falleras Mayores preside over the main Fallas events from its balcony and that its clock rings in the New Year. The mascletà, the daily noise-and-smoke firework of Las Fallas, fires here at 14:00 from 1 to 19 March: Las Fallas 2027 has the dates.

Walk to the Central Market: 400 m.

2. The Central Market

Free · Monday to Saturday 7:30 to 15:00 · shut Sundays · Plaza de la Ciudad de Brujas

The market has 274 stalls, the market’s own count, and opened to the public on 15 March 1928. Fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, bread and prepared food fill the hall. The Central Market says what to buy.

• Hours: Monday to Saturday from 7:30 to 15:00. It is shut on Sundays.
• Cards and shopping: most stalls have a card terminal. A free cold store in the basement holds your shopping until 21:00: pay at the stalls and take the purchases down yourself.
• Eat here: the Central Bar, Ricard Camarena’s bar, is in the market. See Where to eat.

Walk to the Lonja: 230 m across Plaza del Mercado.

3. La Lonja de la Seda

€2, free on Sundays and public holidays · Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 14:00 · Calle de la Lonja 2

The Lonja is the Silk Exchange, a secular Gothic building of the 15th and 16th centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Visit València puts the visit at 1 hour 30 minutes. The Salón Columnario, the contracting hall, has eight helical stone columns, and the Consulate room has a gilded 15th-century ceiling taken from the old City House. Between them is the Patio de los Naranjos, the orange-tree courtyard. The church of Santos Juanes stands beside the Lonja, across the square from the market.

The church of Santos Juanes, beside the Lonja. Photo: Juan Mayordomo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

• Tickets: €2, or €1 for groups, students, pensioners and large families. Free on Sundays and public holidays, and free with the Valencia Tourist Card.
• Hours: closed on 1 January, 6 January, 1 May and 25 December. Entry is allowed until 30 minutes before closing.
• Audio guide: €2.25 at the ticket desk once you have your ticket, 23 tracks in about 60 minutes or a 9-track short version, in 11 languages.
• The tower: it is open to visitors only on special occasions. The Lonja page has the free guided visits.

Walk to Plaza Redonda: 200 m.

4. Plaza Redonda

Free · shops Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00 · Sunday and holiday market 8:00 to 14:00 · Plaza Redonda

A circular courtyard of small shops, designed in the 19th century by the architect Salvador Escrig and renovated, with a new roof, between 2008 and 2012. It keeps lace and thread stalls and sells ceramics and other crafts. Horchatería Santa Catalina is on the next square along the route: see Where to eat.

Walk to the cathedral: 270 m, past the Plaza Santa Catalina to the Plaza de la Reina.

5. The cathedral and the Miguelete

Cathedral €12 · Monday to Friday 10:30 to 18:30, Saturday 10:30 to 17:30, Sunday 14:00 to 17:30 · Miguelete €3, daily 10:00 to 18:45 · Plaza de la Reina

The cathedral ticket includes the Chapel of the Holy Chalice, the Cathedral Museum and an audio guide in 10 languages. The chapel holds an agate cup that, the cathedral says, tradition holds to be the cup of the Last Supper. The Miguelete is the bell tower, built between 1381 and 1424: it is 50.85 m high, with 207 steps up a narrow spiral stair to a lookout that holds 50 people at a time, so you may wait to go up.

The cathedral’s lantern tower. Photo: Dorieo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

• Tickets: the cathedral is €12 (€6 reduced; under 8 free) and the Miguelete €3 (€2 reduced), bought separately at the entrances.
• Last entry: 17:30 Monday to Friday and 16:30 on Saturdays and Sundays. The Miguelete’s last entry is half an hour before it closes.
• No visit: on 1 January, 6 January, 19 March, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, 9 October, 8 December and 25 December.
• Sundays: the morning is Mass only, so climb the Miguelete from 10:00 and take the cathedral from 14:00.

The cathedral page has the rest.

Walk to the Plaza de la Virgen: 160 m.

6. Plaza de la Virgen

Free · basilica daily 7:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 21:00 · Water Court Thursdays at 12:00

The square lies between the cathedral and the Basilica of the Virgen de los Desamparados, whose foundations rest on the Roman forum. The basilica was inaugurated in 1667 and was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument in 1981. Its museum, the MuMa, is entered from the Plaza de l’Almoina.

• The Water Court: the Tribunal de las Aguas meets every Thursday at 12:00 at the cathedral’s Apostles’ Door. Eight farmers settle irrigation disputes in Valencian, and the session can be very brief, so arrive early. If Thursday is a public holiday it meets on the Wednesday. Watching is free.
• The MuMa: €5 (€3 reduced), open Monday and Friday 10:30 to 13:30, Tuesday to Thursday 10:30 to 13:30 and 17:00 to 19:00, and Saturday 10:00 to 13:30.

Walk to San Nicolás: 370 m along Calle Caballeros.

7. San Nicolás

€16 online, €18 at the door · Tuesday to Friday 10:30 to 19:00, Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, Sunday 13:00 to 20:00 · no visits on Mondays · Calle Caballeros 35

San Nicolás is a 13th-century Gothic church whose vault and apses are covered in more than 1,900 m² of Baroque frescoes, which earn it the name of the Valencian Sistine Chapel. The ticket includes an audio guide and the light show The Light of San Nicolás, with a videomapping projection on the vault every hour on the hour from 11:00.

Calle Caballeros, on the way to San Nicolás. Photo: Joanbanjo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

• Tickets: €16 online and €18 at the box office; reduced €13 online and €15 at the box office; children up to 12 are free. The Tourist Card takes €1 off.
• Hours: the hours above run from October to June. The church admits no tourist visits on Mondays, when it is open for worship only. The last ticket is sold an hour before closing, and hours can change for services.
• Rules: no suitcases or large objects, no eating or drinking, and children under 16 must be with an adult.

Walk to the Torres de Quart: 580 m.

8. Torres de Quart

€2, free on Sundays and public holidays · Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, Sundays 10:00 to 14:00 · Calle de Guillem de Castro 89

The Torres de Quart are the gate of the Christian city wall, built between 1441 and 1460 on a gate that stood there before. French cannon fire in the War of Independence left marks on the outside. The terraces look over the old town.

• Tickets: €2, or €1 for groups, students, pensioners, large families and children from 7. Free on Sundays and public holidays, and free with the Tourist Card.
• Closed: on 1 January, 6 January, 1 May and 25 December, and in rain. In winter the tower shuts with the daylight. Entry is allowed until 30 minutes before closing.

Walk to the Centre del Carme: 840 m.

9. The Centre del Carme and El Carmen

Free · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 20:00 · shut Mondays · Carrer del Museu 2

The Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània is the Generalitat’s centre for contemporary art, in a former convent, and it is the seat of the Consorci de Museus. Admission is free. It is shut on Mondays and on 1 and 6 January, 19 March, 1 May and 25 December. El Carmen names the streets round it.

The Renaissance cloister of the Centre del Carme. Photo: Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez (Qoan), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Walk to the Torres de Serranos: 340 m.

10. Torres de Serranos

€2, free on Sundays and public holidays · Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, Sundays 10:00 to 14:00 · Plaza de los Fueros

The Torres de Serranos are the northern gate, built between 1392 and 1398 by Pere Balaguer. Two pentagonal towers flank the arch. From 1586 to 1887 they were a prison for nobles and knights, and from the terraces you can see the city and the old Turia riverbed.

• Tickets: €2, or €1 for groups, students with a Jove card, pensioners and children from 7 to 12. Free on Sundays and public holidays, and free with the Tourist Card.
• Closed: on 1 January, 6 January, 1 May and 25 December, and in rain, fog or strong wind. The visit depends on daylight, and entry is allowed until 30 minutes before closing. The stair to the terraces has 43 steps.
• Next: the Turia Gardens walk starts at the towers and follows the old riverbed to the City of Arts and Sciences.

Where to eat

Central Bar

Inside the Central Market · Monday to Saturday · no reservations · esmorzaret 9:00 to 12:00

Ricard Camarena’s bar in the market, at the second stop. Visit València recommends it for the esmorzaret, the Valencian mid-morning snack of a sandwich on crusty bread with a beer or wine. It shuts with the market. Where to eat in Valencia lists the restaurants.

Horchatería Santa Catalina

Plaza Santa Catalina 6 · every day 08:15 to 21:30

Between the fourth and fifth stops. Horchata is the cold tigernut drink, served with fartons, long soft pastries to dip in it, and the horchatería also makes hot chocolate with churros. Best horchata in Valencia compares the others.

The best day to go

The timing that works, on a Thursday: the Central Market at 9:00, the Lonja when it opens at 10:00, Plaza Redonda and a horchata at 11:00, the Plaza de la Virgen by 11:50 for the Water Court, the cathedral and the Miguelete from 12:15, lunch, then San Nicolás at 14:30. The towers close with the daylight in winter, and the sun sets at about 17:40 in December, so be at the Torres de Quart by 16:00 and the Torres de Serranos by 17:00.

A Sunday, in reverse: the Torres de Serranos at 10:00, the Centre del Carme, the Torres de Quart by 12:00, the Lonja by 12:30 (it closes at 14:00), San Nicolás when it opens at 13:00 and the cathedral at 14:00. The market is the stop to leave out: the Central Market names the Mercado de Colón as the Sunday alternative.

What closes:

• Mondays: San Nicolás to visitors and the Centre del Carme.
• Sundays: the Central Market all day, the cathedral until 14:00, and the Lonja and both towers after 14:00.
• After 15:00: the Central Market. After 18:30: the cathedral (17:30 on Saturdays and Sundays). After 19:00: the Lonja, San Nicolás and the towers, which close earlier in winter with the daylight.
• 1 January, 6 January, 1 May and 25 December: the Lonja and both towers. 8 December and 25 December: the cathedral gives no visit.

What does not close: the streets, the squares, the Plaza de la Virgen and the basilica, which is open daily.

Getting there and back

• To the start: Xàtiva metro station is on Metrovalencia lines 3, 5 and 9, under Calle Xàtiva beside the Estació del Nord. Valencia public transport has the fares.
• From the end: the old town has no metro station. Buses 6, 16, 26, 28, 94, 95 and C2 stop at the Torres de Serranos, tram line 4 stops at Pont de Fusta, 520 m north-east of the towers, and Xàtiva is 1.6 km back on foot.
• From the airport: metro lines 3 and 5 reach Xàtiva. See Valencia airport to the city.
• From a cruise ship: cruise port to the city says how to reach the start.

What to do with the rest of the day

• The Turia Gardens: the Turia Gardens walk starts at the Torres de Serranos, where this one ends, and follows the old riverbed past the bridges to the City of Arts and Sciences.
• Inside the sights: the cathedral, the Lonja and the Central Market have the tickets and the days.
• Free: free things to do in Valencia lists the other Sunday-free monuments.
• The days: 3 days in Valencia fits these sights onto the days they are open, and what to book before you go to Valencia has the closed days for every sight.
• Guided walks: Valencia walking tours sets the pay-what-you-wish walks against the paid ones.
• Where to sleep: where to stay in Valencia compares the areas.

Common questions

How long is the Valencia old town walk?

3.9 km from Xàtiva metro station to the Torres de Serranos, measured along the streets: about 50 minutes of walking. The visits fill a day, because the cathedral, the Miguelete, San Nicolás and the Lonja each take their own ticket and time.

Which day is best for the old town walk?

Tuesday to Saturday, and Thursday if you want the Water Court. The Central Market is shut on Sundays and closes at 15:00 on other days, the cathedral opens on Sundays only from 14:00, and San Nicolás admits no visitors on Mondays. The Water Court meets at 12:00 on Thursdays in the Plaza de la Virgen.

Is the Valencia old town walk free?

The streets, the squares, the Central Market, the Plaza de la Virgen, the basilica and the Centre del Carme cost nothing. The Lonja and each of the two towers are €2, free on Sundays, the cathedral is €12, the Miguelete €3 and San Nicolás €16 online.

What do I need to book for the walk?

Nothing. The cathedral, the Miguelete, the Lonja and the towers sell tickets at the door, and San Nicolás sells them at the door too, for €18 against €16 online.

Where does the old town walk start and finish?

It starts at Xàtiva metro station, on lines 3, 5 and 9, and finishes at the Torres de Serranos. The old town has no metro station, so from the towers take a bus from the stop beside them, tram line 4 from Pont de Fusta, 520 m away, or walk on along the Turia Gardens.

Can I do the old town walk on a Sunday?

Yes, in reverse and without the market. The towers and the Lonja are free from 10:00 to 14:00, San Nicolás opens at 13:00 and the cathedral at 14:00, and the Miguelete is open from 10:00.