In this guide
💡 The Short Version: For a first visit, stay in the old town or in Ruzafa. The old town puts the cathedral, the Lonja, the Central Market and the Torres de Serranos on foot; Ruzafa puts the restaurants and bars at the door, with the old town a walk away. The City of Arts and Sciences is at the far end of the Turia Gardens, the beach is a metro ride, and Joaquín Sorolla and the Estació del Nord are the two railway stations. Valencia has no tourist tax. Rooms fill for the Valencia Marathon on 6 December 2026 and for Las Fallas, 15 to 19 March 2027. Prices change with the dates, so check yours on Hotels.com. 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 areas, compared
The last two columns count how many of 24 English-language and 9 Spanish-language where-to-stay guides give the area a section or more.
| Area | What it suits | English guides | Spanish guides |
|---|---|---|---|
| The old town (Ciutat Vella) | A first visit, a short stay, the mascletà | 24 | 9 |
| El Carmen | Couples, street art, bars at the door | 13 | 5 |
| Ruzafa | Restaurants, brunch, tardeo, a younger crowd | 24 | 9 |
| The Eixample | A calm base beside the old town, shopping | 17 | 5 |
| The City of Arts and Sciences and the Alameda | Families, the Oceanogràfic, the marathon | 13 | 8 |
| The beach, Cabanyal and the port | A summer stay, paella lunches | 24 | 8 |
| Benimaclet | A local feel, a long stay | 9 | 2 |
| Near the railway stations | An early train, a one-night stay | 4 | 2 |
How the city works
The centre is a small walkable core with a ring of districts. Visit València, the city’s tourism foundation, groups Valencia into four areas: the centre (the old town, the Eixample and Ruzafa), the Turia Gardens, the beaches with the port, and L’Albufera with the Huerta. The old town, Ciutat Vella, has six neighbourhoods: La Seu, El Carmen, El Mercat, Velluters, Sant Francesc and La Xerea. The Turia Gardens run nine kilometres along the old river bed and end at the City of Arts and Sciences. Valencia public transport has the metro and bus fares, and Valencia airport to the city compares the ways in.
Valencia has no tourist tax. The regional government rejected one in May 2026, so the price on Hotels.com is the price.
Dates that affect a stay:
- The Valencia Marathon, Sunday 6 December 2026, start 08:15. All 36,000 places are sold out, and the finish is at the City of Arts and Sciences.
- Las Fallas, Monday 15 to Friday 19 March 2027, with the Cremà on the night of Friday 19 March. 19 March is a regional holiday, so the weekends either side matter: Las Fallas 2027 has the days. In 2026 the Ajuntament published Visit València’s survey for the six nights of 13 to 19 March: occupancy was 67% a week ahead, against a final 75% in 2025, and the average room price was €166 across the six nights.
- Maritime Holy Week, 20 to 28 March 2027, starts the day after the Cremà. It takes place in the maritime neighbourhoods of Cabanyal, Grao and Cañamelar: see the best time to visit Valencia.
- The mascletà fires at 14:00 in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento every day from 1 to 19 March, and the square is closed to traffic from 12:00.
Autumn is the wet season: on AEMET’s 1981 to 2010 normals October is the wettest month, with 77 mm, and September the second, with 70 mm. Check AEMET’s warnings before a September to November trip.
What the official sources say about safety
The UK Foreign Office warns of street crime in Spain and says thieves use distraction techniques and often work in teams. Australia’s Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions for Spain. The Government of Canada asks for a high degree of caution in Spain because of the threat of terrorism, and says petty crime is common in larger cities, naming Madrid and Barcelona. See the UK Foreign Office, US State Department, Government of Canada and Smartraveller pages for Spain.
None of them names a Valencian district or ranks districts as safe or unsafe. Keep bags and phones close on the metro, at the stations, in the Central Market and in the crowds of the mascletà.
The hotels
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Star grades are from the Generalitat Valenciana’s tourism register, which publishes every hotel’s class as open data: a hostel is registered as an albergue and has no grade. Michelin lists eight hotels in Valencia, three with one Key and five without, and the entries say which. For the City of Arts and Sciences in detail, see hotels near the City of Arts and Sciences.
The old town (Ciutat Vella)
Visit València calls Ciutat Vella the oldest part of the city, grown between ancient Arab and Christian walls. It holds the cathedral and the Miguelete, the Lonja de la Seda, the Central Market, the Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart and the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre, all within a short walk. Lonely Planet splits it in two: the north round the Central Market and the Lonja is the oldest part, with small bars, and the south round the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is busier and more commercial. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento is where the mascletà fires, so a room on it hears 14:00 from 1 to 19 March. The Estació del Nord, with the Xàtiva stop on metro lines 3 and 5, is beside the square. El Carmen is the northwest of the old town, with street art and bars; Rough Guides calls it gritty and creative, and Lonely Planet counts small bars and live music venues, so expect noise in the bar streets at night.
The Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with the Town Hall tower on the left. Photo: Zarateman, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Caro Hotel
Calle Almirante 14 · 26 rooms · 5 stars · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad
Spans two historic buildings, the Palace of the Marquis of Caro and the House of the Masters of the Temple. The hotel says an Arab wall cuts through the building.
MYR Palacio Vallier
Plaza Manises 7 · 31 rooms · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
A 19th-century mansion in the old town, fully renovated by 2019 according to the hotel. Visit València says the roof terrace looks over the Palau de la Generalitat or the Plaza de la Virgen, and the Lladró Lounge Bar sits among Lladró porcelain pieces.
Grand Hotel Centenari, Valencia, Autograph Collection
Plaza Ayuntamiento 25 · 52 rooms · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
On the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the mascletà fires. It entered the Generalitat’s tourism register on 5 May 2025, the latest date among the city’s nine five-star hotels.
Only YOU Hotel Valencia
Plaza Rodrigo Botet 5 · 191 rooms · 5 stars · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad
The hotel’s page puts it 100 m from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and 500 m from the cathedral and the Lonja. Visit València credits the interiors to Lázaro Rosa-Violán.
Axel Hotel Valencia
Calle Roteros 25 · 4 stars · adults only · Hotels.comad
Adults only and aimed at an LGBTQ+ public, but open to everyone, in a 17th-century building in El Carmen that the hotel’s page says was a dance club in the 1970s.
Vincci Palace
Calle la Paz 42 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
A design hotel behind a preserved historic façade, with a lounge bar and a solarium, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
Palacio Santa Clara, Autograph Collection
Calle Pascual y Genís 22 · 60 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
The Comunitat Valenciana tourism listing gives 2019 as the date of its last full refurbishment.
MYR Marqués House
Calle Abadía de San Martín 10 · 29 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
In a 19th-century building. Café Madrid, a cocktail bar the hotel’s page says was founded in the 1940s, is part of the hotel.
SH Inglés
Calle Marqués de Dos Aguas 6 · 63 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
A renovated 18th-century palace. Some rooms overlook the Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas.
Meliá Plaza
Plaza Ayuntamiento 4 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
On the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with a gym, a dry sauna and a terrace with a solarium, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
MYR Plaza Mercado & Spa
Plaza del Mercado 45 · 25 suites · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
Every suite has a kitchen, and the hotel is a few metres from the Central Market. The hotel’s restaurant, Rincón del Mercado, cooks from the market’s produce.
MYR Puerta Serranos
Calle Blanquerías 4 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
Stands next to the Torres de Serranos, the medieval city gate. The rooftop terrace bar is Luna de Valencia.
Room Mate Collection Helen Berger
34 rooms · 4 stars · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad
Michelin files it under La Xerea, in the old town, and it is one of three hotels on Michelin’s Valencia list with a Key.
Vincci Mercat
Calle Linterna 31 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
A contemporary-design hotel next to the Central Market, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
Vincci Lys
Calle Martínez Cubells 5 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
Soundproofed rooms. The hotel’s text on Visit València puts it 300 m from the train station and the town hall.
ESTIMAR Valencia
Calle Pintor Sorolla 17 · 65 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
In a former bank headquarters, designed by Rosa Rosselló. The Bankers Bar is on the ground floor and The Coin is the rooftop bar.
Ad Hoc Monumental
Calle Boix 4 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
In a 19th-century building next to the cathedral. Visit València’s listing puts it a few steps from the entrance to the old city wall of 1391.
Petit Palace Plaza de la Reina
Calle de l’Abadia de Sant Martí 3 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
In an old palace from 1930 next to the cathedral. The hotel says it was fully renovated in 2026.
Casual Valencia del Cine
Calle Convento de San Francisco 7 · 2 stars · Hotels.comad
A cinema-themed hotel in the centre, according to Visit València’s listing.
Purple Nest Hostel
Plaza Tetuán 5 · hostel · Hotels.comad
The hostel’s Spanish page puts the cathedral, the Plaza de la Virgen and the Plaza de la Reina 10 minutes on foot away, and the Estació del Nord 16 minutes.
Red Nest Hostel
Calle de la Paz 36 · hostel · Hotels.comad
On one of the city’s main streets, a few steps from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the Plaza de la Reina, according to the group’s Spanish page.
The River Hostel
Plaza del Temple 6 · hostel · Hotels.comad
On the Plaza del Temple at the edge of the Turia Gardens. The hostel’s text on Visit València puts the cathedral 4 minutes away.
Ruzafa
Visit València calls Ruzafa the Valencian Soho, multicultural and eclectic, with a municipal market that opened in 1962, art galleries, brunch places and tardeo, the early-evening drinks that spill onto its terraces. Fierro, Riff, La Salita, 2 Estaciones, Saiti and Canalla Bistro are here: see where to eat in Valencia. Lonely Planet sells it for nightlife, with bars open into the early hours, so the main streets are noisy. The Estació del Nord and Joaquín Sorolla are both close, and most museums are across the old town. See Ruzafa for the market, the bars and the park.
Petit Palace Ruzafa
Calle Sueca 14 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
A boutique hotel on Calle Sueca in Ruzafa. Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 11:00.
Senator Parque Central
Plaza Manuel Sanchis Guarner 1 · 192 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
The tourism listing gives 192 rooms, and the hotel has a gym and a sauna. Its Spanish page places it in Ruzafa.
Cantagua Hostel
Calle Vicente Lleó 28 · hostel · Hotels.comad
One private loft room and four shared rooms with bunk beds, according to the hostel’s Spanish page.
The Eixample, Colón and Gran Vía
Visit València calls the Eixample, the 19th-century extension south of the old town, the city’s most sophisticated district, with modernist façades, wide avenues, the Colón Market and the Estación del Norte, which opened in 1917. Lonely Planet splits it along Gran Vía Marqués del Turia: shops to the north, cocktail bars and high-end restaurants to the south. It has fewer sights than the old town, which is a walk away. The Colón Market is open every day, to 02:00 or 03:00, as an eating and drinking hall.
The Mercado de Colón, on Calle Jorge Juan in the Eixample. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Hospes Palau de la Mar
Avenida Navarro Reverter 14 · 67 rooms · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
A listed 19th-century mansion on Avenida Navarro Reverter, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
NH Collection Valencia Colón
Calle Colón 32 · 47 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
In a building dated 1870 to 1880 that the hotel’s page says once housed the city’s Department of Commerce and Tourism, redone inside by the designer Lorenzo Castillo.
SH Colón
Calle Colón 6 · 91 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
The hotel’s English page puts the Valencia Norte train station 200 metres away.
One Shot Puerta Ruzafa
Calle Colón 2 · 92 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
At the edge of the Eixample on Calle Colón. The car park has entrances on Calle Colón and Calle Cirilo Amorós.
Hotel Dimar
Avenida Gran Vía Marqués del Turia 80 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
On Gran Vía Marqués del Turia. The hotel’s page says its position connects the historic centre and the Turia Gardens.
The City of Arts and Sciences and the Alameda
The Calatrava complex ends the Turia Gardens near the port. Metrovalencia line 10 stops at Ciutat Arts i Ciències, and line 5 stops at Alameda, which also has lines 3, 7 and 9. EMT bus 95 follows the old river bed. The district suits families, with the Oceanogràfic and the science museum, and it is where the marathon finishes; it is a long way from the old town’s bars. See the City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanogràfic, and hotels near the City of Arts and Sciences for these hotels by distance.
The Westin Valencia
Calle Amadeo de Saboya 16 · 135 rooms · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
Visit València files it under the City of Arts and Alameda zone.
SH Valencia Palace
Paseo de la Alameda 32 · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
Faces the Palau de la Música, with an outdoor pool among gardens.
AC Hotel Valencia by Marriott
Avenida Francia 67 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
In a residential area on Avenida de Francia. The hotel’s text on Visit València puts it one step from the City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanogràfic.
Barceló Valencia
Avenida Francia 11 · 187 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
Faces the City of Arts and Sciences. Ten of the rooms are junior suites and two are suites, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
INNSiDE Valencia Oceanic
Calle Pintor Maella 35 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
Next to the Oceanogràfic and overlooking the City of Arts and Sciences, with a pool.
Hotel Primus Valencia
Calle Menorca 22 · 262 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
A garden of more than 2,000 sq m with an outdoor pool, next to the City of Arts and Sciences, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
NH Valencia Las Artes
Calle Instituto Obrero de Valencia 28 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
Many rooms overlook the garden, and the Palau de les Arts opera house can be seen from the rear junior suites, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
Holiday Inn Express Valencia - Ciudad de las Ciencias
Calle Escritor Rafael Ferreres 22 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
Five minutes’ walk from the City of Arts and Sciences, with a seasonal outdoor pool, according to the hotel’s text on Visit València.
El Cabanyal, the beach, the port and El Saler
Cabanyal is the old fishermen’s quarter behind the beach, with tiled façades and a market. Metrovalencia lines 4, 6 and 8 and EMT buses 24, 25, 26, 28, 32, 92, 95, 98 and C2 reach the beaches. Lonely Planet says winter leaves Cabanyal feeling deserted, and the city’s lifeguards worked from 1 June to 15 September in 2026. The seafront restaurants are where paella is eaten at lunch. The Marina, the old port, is where the Three Kings arrive by boat on 5 January: see Valencia at Christmas 2026. See the beaches and the cruise port page.
Hotel Las Arenas Balneario Resort
Calle Eugenia Viñes 22-24 · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
Keeps the buildings of the Balneario Las Arenas, a spa founded in 1898, with a spa and rooms overlooking the Mediterranean.
Hotel Neptuno
Paseo Neptuno 2-4 · 48 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
On the beach front next to the Marina Real, with a spa, according to the hotel’s Spanish page.
Hotel Boutique Balandret
Paseo Neptuno 20 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
Open since 2015. Its restaurant covers more than 400 sq m, according to the hotel’s Spanish page.
Casa Bassa Hotel
Avenida Neptuno 16-18 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
A boutique hotel on the beach front with a restaurant, according to the hotel.
Sea You Hotel Port Valencia
Plaza Tribunal de las Aguas 5 · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
In the port area, which the hotel’s text on Visit València puts 20 minutes from the centre by public transport or car.
Urban Youth Hostel
Avenida del Puerto 280 · hostel · Hotels.comad
A hostel on Avenida del Puerto that the hostel’s text on Visit València describes as very close to the beach.
Parador de El Saler
Avenida de los Pinares 151 · 67 rooms · 5 stars · Hotels.comad
Between the Albufera and the sea, beside a golf course, about 18 km in a straight line from the cathedral. Visit València files it under L’Albufera: see the Albufera page for the buses.
Benimaclet and the university district
Benimaclet joined Valencia in 1972, according to Lonely Planet, which gives it a small-town feel, several university campuses and cheap bars and global restaurants. It has few sights and a longer ride into the centre. It suits a long stay.
Carrer d’Alegret in Benimaclet. Photo: Joanbanjo, Wikimedia Commons.
Hotel Olympia Universidades
Calle Doctor Vicente Zaragoza 13 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
The Olympia group’s Spanish page places it in Benimaclet, close to the universities and linked by metro and tram.
Sweet Hotel Renasa
Avenida Cataluña 5 · 3 stars · Hotels.comad
Renovated in full in 2015. The hotel’s page puts it a few metres from the universities, the Valencia CF stadium and metro and bus stops.
Near the railway stations
Two stations serve different trains. Joaquín Sorolla, on Calle San Vicente Mártir, takes the high-speed trains to Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante, and the Estació del Nord, beside the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, takes the Cercanías trains to Xàtiva and Sagunto. A free shuttle bus links the two for Renfe ticket holders. The hotels here suit an early train more than a sightseeing stay. The hotels on Calle Colón and the old-town hotels near the Plaza del Ayuntamiento are within a few minutes of the Estació del Nord.
Zenit Valencia
Calle Bailén 8 · 67 rooms · 4 stars · Hotels.comad
The hotel’s Spanish page puts it opposite the Estación del Norte and a few steps from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
Plan the rest
Once you have your dates, 3 days in Valencia fits the sights round the closed days. The best time to visit Valencia has the weather by month, and where to eat in Valencia covers the meals. Valencia with kids sorts the sights by age. For the way in, see Valencia airport to the city, and what to book before you go to Valencia has the hours for every sight.
Common questions
Where should I stay in Valencia for a first visit?
In the old town, on foot from the cathedral, the Lonja, the Central Market and the Torres de Serranos, or in Ruzafa, where the restaurants and bars are at the door and the old town is a walk away. The City of Arts and Sciences is at the far end of the Turia Gardens, and the beach is a metro ride.
Is there a tourist tax in Valencia?
No. Valencia has none, and the regional government rejected one in May 2026.
Where do I stay for the City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanogràfic?
On Avenida de Francia, where the Barceló and the AC Hotel stand, or beside the Oceanogràfic at the INNSiDE Valencia Oceanic. Hotels near the City of Arts and Sciences lists them with the hotels' own walking times.
Which Valencia hotels hold Michelin Keys?
Of the hotels on this page, Michelin gives one Key to Caro Hotel, Only YOU Hotel Valencia and Room Mate Collection Helen Berger. Hospes Palau de la Mar, MYR Palacio Vallier, NH Collection Valencia Colón, One Shot Puerta Ruzafa and the Parador de El Saler are in the guide without a Key.
Are the star grades on this page the hotels' own?
No. They come from the Generalitat Valenciana's tourism register, which publishes every hotel's class as open data. The hostels are registered as albergues and have no grade.
Which dates make a Valencia stay busier?
The Valencia Marathon on Sunday 6 December 2026, whose 36,000 places are sold out, and Las Fallas from 15 to 19 March 2027, with Friday 19 March a regional holiday. Maritime Holy Week follows from 20 to 28 March.
