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A red-lit escalator rises through a curved white concrete archway inside Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences.
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ValenciaTravel Guide

Spain6 stories

Spain's third city pairs a medieval old town with futuristic architecture, a nine-kilometer riverbed park, city beaches, and the birthplace of paella.

Is Valencia right for you?

When to come

spring

Around 31°C by day in August, 17°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Valencia is inDeepest in Europe
When to go
January: around 17 degrees by day, 8 at night, 39 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 17 degrees by day, 8 at night, 30 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 19 degrees by day, 10 at night, 40 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
April: around 21 degrees by day, 12 at night, 33 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
May: around 24 degrees by day, 15 at night, 36 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 28 degrees by day, 19 at night, 26 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
July: around 30 degrees by day, 22 at night, 7 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 15 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 28 degrees by day, 19 at night, 70 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 25 degrees by day, 16 at night, 63 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
November: around 20 degrees by day, 11 at night, 52 millimetres of rain, some rain.
December: around 17 degrees by day, 8 at night, 48 millimetres of rain, some rain.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

spring

Average daily highs, recorded at Valencia (11 m a.s.l.), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia (AEMET OpenData) (en.wikipedia Valencia weather box)

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Ibiza170 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (luxury)

  • Mallorca260 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (mixed)

  • Madrid300 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June

  • Barcelona300 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (mixed)

Plan itWhere to stay in Valenciaad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Valencia

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Valencia

Terracotta rooftops across Valencia's old town, with a blue-tiled church dome and bell towers under a bright sky
01
Itineraries

Valencia in the Order the River Left: Four Days from the Old Gates to the Lagoon

Valencia lost its river in 1957 and kept the bed, and following that nine-kilometre trench west to east gives the city an order that no list of scattered sights can.

Spain · 12 min
A large paella pan of saffron rice topped with mussels and prawns, cooking outdoors
02
Itineraries

Valencia Keeps Its Own Hours: Three Days Arranged Around Them

The rice is a lunch dish, the great market shuts before the afternoon and dinner starts near nine, so here is how to sequence three days around the hours Valencia actually keeps.

Spain · 10 min
The white shell-shaped roof of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia at Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, seen over palms and flowering shrubs
03
Destinations

Valencia by season: an honest guide to when to go

Spain's third city is sold as a year-round destination, and it nearly is — but each season changes it completely. Here is what Valencia actually feels like month by month, from Las Fallas madness to warm October seas.

Spain · 2 min
Shoppers beneath the iron-and-glass modernista vaults and stained glass of Valencia's Mercado Central, with a jamon stall in the foreground
04
Food

Inside Valencia's markets: what to eat, and the hours that matter

Valencia's food runs on a timetable and the markets set it — what to eat under the iron-and-glass roofs, and the hours that decide whether you eat well or badly.

Spain · 11 min
Rooftop view over the historic old town of Valencia with its church towers and white facades
05
Destinations

Valencia for First-Timers: The Complete Guide

Futuristic architecture, a Gothic silk exchange, a river turned into a park, and the true home of paella — how to do Valencia right on a first visit.

Spain · 3 min
A narrow, sun-striped street in Valencia's old town lined with clipped orange trees and iron balconies, a cyclist freewheeling towards the brick bell tower of Santa Catalina.
06
Hidden Gems

Valencia's quiet season: the months that might be its best

Valencia files everything outside beach summer and the March fires under off-season, and those overlooked months, from October's warm sea to the flooded rice fields of January, are when the city is most itself.

Spain · 10 min
In pictures

Valencia, framed

The soaring brick-and-glass modernista facade of Valencia's Mercado de Colón against a bright cloud-streaked sky, its green ironwork canopy spreading either side of the great arched window.
Photo: Marco De Luca / Unsplash
Central Market, Valencia
Photo: Juan Gomez / Unsplash
Central Market, Valencia
Photo: Dorien Monnens / Unsplash
Central Market, Valencia
Photo: Veerle Contant / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Valencia

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Spain

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

Spanish, with Catalan co-official in Catalonia and the Balearics, Basque in the Basque Country and Galician in Galicia; English is workable in tourist settings but not assumed

Power

Type C/F, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Every city has a metro and bus network with fast Renfe trains between them; in Barcelona and Madrid you can tap a contactless bank card straight onto metro and bus, while smaller cities still use their own local card.

Tipping

Spaniards mostly do not tip - leave the coins from your change or round the bill up, and reserve 5-10% for a good meal in a proper restaurant.

Tap water

Tap water is potable throughout Spain; on parts of the coast and the islands it tastes heavily treated, which is why locals often buy bottled.

Driving

Right-hand side; an EU or UK licence is accepted as it stands.

Emergency

112

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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