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Find the perfect itinerary for you
Valencia welcomes diverse travelers with warm Mediterranean hospitality, and Hop-on Hop-off tours make exploration genuinely effortless! Whether you're pursuing solo adventure, vacationing with family, or diving into historical narratives, these convenient buses connect you seamlessly across iconic squares, artistic neighborhoods, and undiscovered treasures, allowing you to navigate Valencia things to do at your preferred tempo.
Solo travelers
Families
History buffs
Day 1
Morning (7am - 11am)
Breakfast: Launch your day at Bluebell Coffee, a specialty roastery in bohemian Ruzafa offering artisanal preparations including chai-spiced lattes, almond milk smoothie bowls, croissants layered with seasonal jam, and cold-brew coffee concentrate ideal for curious travelers beginning their Valencia solo travel exploration.
Attraction: Oceanogràfic
Spanning 110,000 square meters of immersive marine environments, Oceanogràfic ranks among Europe's most sophisticated aquariums, featuring 45,000 specimens across 500 species.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Oceanogràfic
Highlights:
- Witness dolphin intelligence on spectacular display during interactive sessions where these remarkable marine mammals execute gravity-defying jumps, synchronized formations, and joyful interactions, captivating every visitor within the spacious 26-million-liter performance venue.
- Navigate submerged pathways where colossal sharks, ethereal manta rays, and hypnotic schooling fish swirl through crystal waters, creating a profound 360-degree submersion sensation.
- Encounter Antarctic penguin colonies, majestic beluga whales, and Arctic ecosystem inhabitants preserved in scientifically controlled environments replicating their natural polar habitats with remarkable authenticity and ecological precision.
Pro tip: Consult daily keeper schedules at facility entrances to witness marine creatures during active feeding periods when behavioral patterns peak.
Suggested time to spend: 3 hours
Time to next stop: 25-minute bus ride.
Afternoon (12pm - 3pm)
Lunch: Savor Mediterranean seafood at Restaurant Levante, an intimate establishment celebrated for presenting traditional Valencian rice dishes incorporating locally-sourced rabbit, seasonal vegetables, and aromatic saffron, creating unforgettable flavor compositions.
Attraction: City of Arts and Sciences
This revolutionary architectural enclave, designed by visionary engineer Santiago Calatrava, transforms a former riverbed into a futuristic cultural district showcasing avant-garde structures that seemingly defy conventional physics.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: C.C. Aqua
Highlights:
- L'Hemisfèric captivates visitors with its iconic ocular silhouette housing planetarium experiences, IMAX cinematography, and laser performances displayed across an enormous 900-square-meter concave projection surface.
- The Science Museum building resembles an enormous skeletal whale, internally revealing interactive scientific installations, technological demonstrations, and hands-on exhibits.
- Surrounding mirror-finish pools create mesmerizing photographic reflections where architectural forms duplicate flawlessly, particularly during twilight intervals when Mediterranean luminescence bathes structures in romantic amber hues.
Pro tip: Purchase combination tickets online, securing discounted rates for multiple venues while bypassing queues.
Suggested time to spend: 2 hours
Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Attraction: Barrio del Carmen Neighborhood
This historically layered quarter nestled within Valencia's ancient fortifications contains labyrinthine cobblestone streets, Renaissance architectural remnants, and contemporary artistic expression.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Torres de Serranos
Highlights:
- Medieval towers Torres de Quart and Torres de Serranos dominate the landscape as imposing Gothic sentinels, their limestone facades bearing visible battle scars from historical conflicts while commanding panoramic vistas across downtown neighborhoods.
- Street art installations transform crumbling facades into open-air galleries where international muralists showcase contemporary expressionism, challenging traditional narratives about urban aesthetic possibilities.
- Intimate plazas like Plaza del Tossal and Plaza del Negrito transform into vibrant social hubs during evening hours, where locals congregate around character-filled bars.
Pro tip: Wander this neighborhood without specific destinations planned, allowing spontaneous discoveries of hidden passageways, revealing the neighborhood's true personality.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Late Night (8pm - 12am)
Dinner: Experience innovative Mediterranean cuisine at El Llano, a culinary destination combining traditional Valencian preparations with contemporary plating philosophies, featuring fresh catch preparations and vegetable-forward creations reflecting seasonal availability.
Day 2
Morning (7am - 11am)
Breakfast: Visit Café Cloud Nine, a minimalist coffee haven near the old quarter, presenting Australian-inspired breakfast preparations including smashed avocado on sourdough, poached egg creations, turmeric lattes, and single-origin espresso showcasing artisanal roasting expertise.
Attraction: Valencia Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes)
Housed within an elegant Baroque seminary structure, this prestigious gallery preserves 2,000 artworks chronicling Spanish artistic evolution from Gothic medievalism through 19th-century Romanticism.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: San Pío V (Museo Bellas Artes)
Highlights:
- Valencian Gothic masterpieces by medieval painters like Nicolau and Jacomart establish foundational aesthetic traditions celebrating regional identity through religious iconography and courtly portraiture.
- Romantic-era canvases by celebrated painter Joaquín Sorolla capture Mediterranean luminosity through impressionistic techniques, depicting beach scenes and garden moments with light and chromatic sensitivity.
- Renaissance and Baroque galleries showcase international influences, including Velázquez, El Greco, and Goya, demonstrating how Spanish art navigated evolving European aesthetic movements while maintaining a distinctive cultural character.
Pro tip: Admission is completely free, making this an exceptional cultural opportunity; visit during weekday mornings for contemplative atmospheres with minimal visitor congestion.
Suggested time to spend: 2 hours
Time to next stop: 20-minute bus journey.
Afternoon (12pm - 3pm)
Lunch: Enjoy fresh ingredients at Mercado Colón, a converted marketplace brimming with upscale restaurants, seafood establishments, and gourmet delis where culinary enthusiasts congregate for quality midday sustenance.
Attraction: Ceramics Museum (Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas)
This palatial repository showcases Valencia's distinguished ceramic heritage within one of Spain's most ornate Baroque structures.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Plaza de Toros
Highlights:
- The spectacular alabaster-carved facade represents peak Rococo ornamentation, featuring mythological narratives, heraldic emblems, and sculptural extravagance, establishing one of Spain's most photographed architectural frontages.
- Interior galleries display Moorish-influenced pottery revealing technical mastery in glazing applications, luster-ware production, and decorative sophistication developed during Islamic periods.
- Picasso-donated pieces and contemporary ceramicists demonstrate how Valencia's pottery tradition evolved from utilitarian functionalism toward artistic experimentation.
Pro tip: Allocate sufficient time for exploring the reconstructed aristocratic chambers featuring original furnishings, decorative arts, and period authenticity, providing context beyond ceramic specimens themselves.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Time to next stop: 15-minute walk.
Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Attraction: Turia Gardens Linear Park
This spectacular 9-kilometer verdant corridor, built upon a diverted riverbed following catastrophic 1957 flooding, transforms former infrastructure threats into a recreational paradise featuring diverse landscape zones, athletic facilities, and sculptural installations.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Palau de la Música
Highlights:
- Gulliver Park features a colossal recumbent figure offering interactive climbing experiences where visitors traverse oversized body parts through a literal interpretation of Jonathan Swift's literary creation, creating playful wonderment.
- Eighteen historically distinctive bridges spanning different architectural periods and artistic styles provide memorable photo opportunities while connecting neighborhoods across what was formerly impassable riverine terrain.
- Seasonal botanical displays, water features, and recreational facilities create diverse experiential zones appropriate for jogging, cycling, contemplation, or social gathering throughout the park's impressive length.
Pro tip: Rent bicycles from convenient stations throughout the park system, letting you traverse through the gardens while appreciating landscape design innovations.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Late Night (8pm - 12am)
Dinner: Savor creative paella variations at Casa Montaña, a family-run establishment operating since 1926, specializing in traditional rice dishes prepared with meticulous attention to ingredient quality and time-honored preparation methodologies, served in a historic setting.
Day 1
Morning (7am - 11am)
Breakfast: Commence at Mana Espai, a welcoming family café in the historic quarter offering kid-approved breakfast selections including French toast preparations, fresh fruit smoothies, vegetable empanadas, homemade granola parfaits, and creamy hot chocolate.
Attraction: Bioparc Valencia
Spanning 100,000 square meters of thoughtfully designed naturalistic habitats, Bioparc eliminates visible barriers, creating immersive sensations of traversing actual African environments while observing wildlife in spacious, species-appropriate enclosures.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Bioparc
Highlights:
- Observe magnificent predators, including lions, leopards, elephants, and hippos, inhabiting carefully engineered African savannah replicas where protective boundaries remain invisible.
- Experience Junior Zookeeper immersion programs allowing children to participate in actual animal care activities, food preparation, and habitat maintenance under professional supervision.
- Witness spectacular aerial displays where eagles and hawks demonstrate hunting prowess through acrobatic performances accompanied by expert keeper narration.
Pro tip: Arrive at opening to witness animals during peak activity intervals, consult keeper schedules for educational presentations, and wear comfortable footwear as the spacious layout demands considerable walking across varied terrain.
Suggested time to spend: 3.5 hours
Time to next stop: 35-minute bus journey.
Afternoon (12pm - 3pm)
Lunch: Stop at Las Arenas Chiringuito, a beachfront establishment serving paella, fresh fish preparations, seafood pasta, and refreshing beverages with relaxed family atmospheres and sand-friendly casual dining environments.
Attraction: L'Hemisfèric & Science Museum
These companion facilities within the City of Arts and Sciences complex provide complementary educational entertainment, one delivering planetarium spectacles and cinematic experiences, the other showcasing interactive scientific phenomena.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: C.C. Aqua
Highlights:
- The IMAX Dome theater delivers incomparable visual scale through 900-square-meter projection surfaces showing nature documentaries, space exploration films, and scientific demonstrations.
- Science Museum interactive zones permit hands-on experimentation with gravitational forces, electromagnetic principles, and mechanical systems.
- Rotating thematic exhibitions address topics from paleontology through marine biology, ensuring repeat visits reveal fresh content and sustained engagement with evolving scientific knowledge presentations.
Pro tip: Allocate separate visits rather than attempting both facilities simultaneously; check show schedules for family-appropriate content selections aligned with children's ages and attention span capacities.
Suggested time to spend: 2.5 hours
Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Attraction: Malvarrosa Beach
Valencia's premier sandy expanse stretches 1.8 kilometers along Mediterranean waters, offering Blue Flag designation recognition for environmental management excellence, aquatic recreation opportunities, and family-friendly seaside infrastructure.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Las Arenas
Highlights:
- Broad sandy shores accommodate sandcastle construction, shallow water wading, and beach volleyball activities in designated recreational zones supervised by seasonal lifeguards maintaining water safety standards.
- Beachfront promenade features family restaurants serving paella and seafood, gelato establishments, playground facilities, and bike rental operations.
- Adjacent communities offer diverse neighborhood characters, from touristy establishments to local favorites, allowing families to experience authentic Valencian coastal culture beyond commercial beach district confines.
Pro tip: Arrive during late afternoon to secure optimal afternoon shade locations, request beach toys from accommodation providers, and coordinate departure timing with sunset observation for memorable evening photography.
Suggested time to spend: 2 hours
Late Night (8pm - 12am)
Dinner: Experience family-friendly dining at El Tano, a casual beachfront establishment specializing in fresh fish preparations, pasta dishes, and seafood creations served in welcoming atmospheres with patient service accommodating younger diners.
Day 2
Morning (7am - 11am)
Breakfast: Begin at Tomatina Café, a cheerful breakfast destination featuring extensive children's menu options alongside adult selections—from chocolate-filled churros and fruit-topped yogurt bowls to vegetable-forward preparations.
Attraction: Plaza de la Virgen Historic Square
This monumental plaza occupying Valencia's spiritual center features the iconic Turia Fountain, magnificent basilica architecture, and atmospheric terraces, creating immersive historical consciousness while maintaining family-friendly accessibility.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Plaza de la Reina
Highlights:
- The Turia Fountain showcases a Neptune sculpture surrounded by eight allegorical female representations of regional rivers, creating photogenic compositions.
- Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados displays ornate interior decoration, religious artwork, and architectural grandeur, providing cultural education through aesthetic exposure and spiritual atmospherics.
- Surrounding arcaded galleries feature traditional shops, restaurants, and street performers, ideal for people-watching while children observe cultural expression and historical settings.
Pro tip: Visit during morning hours before afternoon heat intensifies, explore architectural details through guided interpretation, and allow children to observe plaza social dynamics, revealing authentic community engagement patterns.
Suggested time to spend: 1 hour
Time to next stop: 5-minute walk.
Afternoon (12pm - 3pm)
Lunch: Enjoy traditional Valencian preparations at Restaurante Civera, a family institution serving authentic paella, rice dishes, and regional specialties in warm, welcoming environments designed for multi-generational dining parties.
Attraction: Central Market (Mercado Central)
This vast marketplace housed within an architectural masterpiece encompasses 8,000 square meters, displaying extraordinary sensory abundance through 250+ vendor stalls bursting with Mediterranean biodiversity and culinary possibilities.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Mercado Central
Highlights:
- Live eels swimming in transparent tanks create mesmerizing displays, captivating children's attention while educational vendors explain aquatic life cycles, culinary traditions, and sustainable fishing practices through engaging storytelling.
- Colorful fruit and vegetable pyramids, dangling cured hams, stacked cheese wheels, and aromatic spice arrangements create a visual spectacle and olfactory richness.
- Sample horchata (refreshing tiger-nut beverage), fresh-squeezed citrus juices, and traditional fartons (sweet pastries) for authentic regional flavors unavailable outside Valencia.
Pro tip: Introduce children to unfamiliar vegetables and fruits through vendor tastings, explain market function and commerce basics, and purchase small quantities for picnic preparation.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Attraction: Gulliver Park Playground Area
Within Turia Gardens, this sculptural playground features an enormous horizontal giant figure where children traverse body parts through climbing challenges, slides, and interactive experiences, translating literary imagination into physical adventure.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Palau de la Música
Highlights:
- The recumbent figure permits climbing along body contours, sliding through imaginative formations, and interactive play, transforming classic literature into a multisensory recreation.
- Surrounding gardens offer shaded areas for adult relaxation while children expend energy through play, creating balanced experiences where families maintain proximity without constant supervision requirements.
- Accessible infrastructure, including restrooms, water fountains, and snack vendors, ensures extended play sessions remain comfortable and logistically feasible for comprehensive family enjoyment.
Pro tip: Bring swimsuits as fountain areas provide water engagement opportunities during warm months.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Late Night (8pm - 12am)
Dinner: Relax at Peñíscola Resto-Bar, a casual Mediterranean establishment offering diverse menu selections accommodating varied family preferences, seafood preparations, pasta variations, and vegetable-forward options suitable for dietary preferences.
Day 1
Morning (7am - 11am)
Breakfast: Start at Almudín Coffee House, a historic establishment within an ancient granary building offering artisanal coffee, fresh pastries, and contemplative atmospheres befitting historical pilgrimage pursuits.
Attraction: Cathedral Complex & Miguelete Tower
This magnificent structure, constructed beginning in 1262 over Roman temples, Moorish mosques, and previous ecclesiastical foundations, showcases seven centuries of accumulated stylistic layers from Romanesque through Baroque periods.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Plaza de la Reina
Highlights:
- The Holy Chalice chapel preserves what devoted believers consider the authentic Last Supper chalice, an agate vessel from the 1st century, attracting pilgrimage from throughout Christendom and commanding profound spiritual reverence.
- Miguelete Tower's 207-step ascent rewards climbers with panoramic vistas encompassing the entire city's historical geography.
- The Cathedral museum displays commissioned artworks, Goya masterpieces, Renaissance frescoes, and the spectacular Baroque iron gates designed by German architect Konrad Rudolf.
Pro tip: Investigate the Holy Chalice's remarkable historical trajectory from Zaragoza's custody through Valencia's safekeeping since 1437, understanding how religious artifacts shape theological narratives and pilgrimage traditions.
Suggested time to spend: 2 hours
Time to next stop: 10-minute walk.
Afternoon (12pm - 3pm)
Lunch: Experience traditional Valencian preparations at Horchatería Santa Catalina, a venerable establishment since 1836, serving horchata with fartons (sweet pastry companions) while preserving authentic culinary traditions spanning generations.
Attraction: La Lonja de la Seda UNESCO World Heritage Site
This extraordinary edifice, constructed 1482-1533 represents peak Valencian Gothic architecture, symbolizing the era when silk merchants controlled Mediterranean commerce.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Mercado Central
Highlights:
- The Sala de Contratación features phenomenal twisted columns ascending toward vaulted ceilings where merchant negotiations determined international trade routes, established commercial protocols, and accumulated fortunes.
- Latin inscriptions celebrating merchant honor and commercial integrity permeate the structure, revealing Renaissance philosophical ideals about commerce as noble pursuits.
- The Pavilion of the Consulate housed Spain's pioneering marine merchant tribunal, establishing legal precedents for international commerce, while the central tower imprisoned debtors facing commercial ruin and family devastation.
Pro tip: Imagine the cacophony of multilingual negotiations, the tension of contract disputes, and the fortunes exchanged within these stone walls when Valencia represented Europe's commercial epicenter during the Renaissance.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Time to next stop: 5-minute walk.
Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Attraction: Torres de Serranos Medieval Gates
These imposing 1392-1398 Gothic twin towers, designed by master architect Pere Balaguer, originally fortified Valencia's Christian quarter, later transformed into noble imprisonment chambers, and now serve as historical monuments and panoramic observation platforms.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Serranos
Highlights:
- Seven-gated defensive architecture reveals medieval military engineering sophistication, while the monumental stone staircase (added 1397) demonstrates commitment to accessibility and ceremonial prominence for official processions.
- Prison chambers once housed nobility, including the Duke of Gandia and Marquis of Dos Aguas, illustrating how architectural spaces transformed from martial functionality toward punitive application.
- The annual Crida ceremony initiating the spectacular Fallas festival occurs here, connecting medieval fortification sites with contemporary cultural celebrations.
Pro tip: Ascend during late afternoon golden-hour luminescence when limestone cladding from Alginet quarries displays warm amber tones.
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Late Night (8pm - 12am)
Dinner: Enjoy refined Valencian cuisine at Dos Mundos, a sophisticated establishment featuring traditional rice preparations with contemporary plating philosophies, fresh seafood, and wine pairings honoring regional viticulture traditions.
Day 2
Morning (7am - 11am)
Breakfast: Begin at Horchatería Santa Catalina, revisiting this historical institution for authentic horchata experiences while contemplating how this beverage tradition persisted through centuries of cultural transformations.
Attraction: El Carmen Neighborhood Medieval Quarter
This labyrinthine quarter, nested within ancient fortifications, preserves medieval layout, Renaissance architectural fragments, and contemporary artistic expression.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Torres de Serranos
Highlights:
- Medieval archways and narrow alleyways maintain original widths designed for defensive functionality and pedestrian commerce during Islamic and Christian periods.
- Renaissance convents transformed into contemporary art galleries represent cultural adaptation and institutional evolution, illustrating how religious structures accommodate shifting social priorities.
- Street art installations dialoguing with historical walls create contemporary artistic commentary on heritage preservation, cultural continuity, and creative expression.
Pro tip: Discovering hidden courtyards, ancient doorways, and archaeological remnants. They bring out this neighborhood’s character in the best way possible!
Suggested time to spend: 1.5 hours
Time to next stop: 10-minute walk.
Afternoon (12pm - 3pm)
Lunch: Savor creative Mediterranean preparations at a family-run establishment within El Carmen, experiencing contemporary culinary innovation honoring regional ingredients while supporting neighborhood economic vitality.
Attraction: Museum of Fine Arts & Archaeological Collections
This repository within the Baroque seminary preserves 2,000 artistic works alongside archaeological artifacts chronicling Valencia's continuous habitation from pre-Roman settlements through contemporary periods.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: San Pío V (Museo Bellas Artes)
Highlights:
- Medieval "Primitivos Valencianos" paintings by Nicolau and Jacomart establish a foundational regional artistic identity, while romanticized religious narratives dominate compositional concerns.
- Archaeological sections display Roman pottery fragments, Visigothic ecclesiastical vessels, and Islamic ceramics, demonstrate cultural continuity despite political transformations.
- Renaissance and Baroque galleries showcase how international aesthetic movements (Italian Humanism, Flemish realism, Spanish mysticism) selectively influenced regional artistic production.
Pro tip: Pay close attention to medieval sections, learning how artistic practices embodied theological doctrines, social hierarchies, and commercial patronage networks.
Suggested time to spend: 2.5 hours
Time to next stop: 30-minute bus journey.
Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Attraction: San Nicolás Church (The Valencian Sistine Chapel)
This 17th-century religious structure houses 1,900 square meters of extraordinary fresco compositions depicting religious narratives with dramatic intensity.
Nearest stop:
Valencia Bus Turistic: Plaza de la Reina
Highlights:
- Ceiling frescoes illustrating the lives of Saint Nicholas of Bari and Saint Peter Martyr command overwhelming visual attention through passionate religious narratives, and baroque stylistic virtuosity.
- Architectural restoration efforts reveal original pigmentation and compositional intentions, despite environmental degradation and structural challenges.
- The sacred interior creates profound spiritual atmospherics through artistic immersion, producing a visual spectacle toward devotional enhancement.
Pro tip: Visit during morning hours when natural illumination optimally reveals fresco details.
Suggested time to spend: 1 hour
Late Night (8pm - 12am)
Dinner: Experience culinary heritage at Casa Montaña, specializing in traditional rice preparations honoring centuries of Valencian agricultural traditions, local ingredient sourcing, and family recipe continuity spanning generations.
