Valencia has experienced a massive surge in popularity over the past few years, offering a more affordable, laid-back alternative to the packed streets of Barcelona. It provides an incredible mix of modern and ancient architecture, expansive beaches, and excellent food. Back in 2024, two housemates and I took a mini Spanish interrailing trip, and splitting it up to spend our first 2 days in Valencia was the best decision we made.
This guide is the refined version of that trip, focused entirely on the best places to visit in Valencia over a 48-hour window. So, let’s dive into the Valencia travel planning, logistics, and the ultimate 2-day itinerary!
Valencia
For years, I had wanted to experience Valencia travel firsthand. Part of that was due to being a massive fan of the football team (Valencia CF), and the other part was a burning desire to see the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. When comparing European destinations with my mates for a short Easter getaway, checking off these bucket-list places to visit in Valencia—including catching a match at the Mestalla—made it an easy sell.
The weather was looking ideal for late March, and flying in from Gatwick was very affordable. While you could technically rush and visit Valencia in one day, spreading the city’s rich Roman and Arabic history across a couple of days is ideal. With a large beach just a stone’s throw from the centre and a reputation for making the absolute best Paella in Spain, a Valencia weekend itinerary is hard to beat!
Valencia Travel 2-Day Itinerary
Valencia Travel Trip Planning
Before diving into the sightseeing, here is the exact logistical breakdown of how we organised our Easter trip, keeping the budget low while maximising our time in the city.
Flights & Route Planning: Finding the perfect Valencia travel route took a bit of Skyscanner mapping. To make the absolute most of the Easter bank holiday weekend, we booked an early Saturday morning flight out of London Gatwick directly into Valencia. Instead of booking a standard return flight, we structured this as a multi-city Spanish trip, flying into Valencia and eventually flying home out of Barcelona a few days later. Valencia’s airport is wonderfully close to the city centre, making it incredibly easy to land and get straight to exploring.
Accommodation: Where We Stayed. To keep costs down on this Valencia weekend itinerary, we opted for a highly-rated boutique hostel rather than a traditional hotel. We stayed at Cantagua Hostel, and it was fantastic. It cost us just £23 a night each (which even included breakfast!). This is an absolute steal when you consider that standard hotels in the city average around €150 a night during the holiday weekends.
Public Transport & Onward Travel Once you are checked in, you really do not need much public transport—walking is by far the best way to see the main places to visit in Valencia safely and easily.
- Airport Transfer: Getting from Valencia Airport to the city centre is a breeze. Just hop on Metro Line 3 or Line 5; it takes about 25 minutes and costs around €6.
- The Onward Train: When it was time to leave for the second leg of our trip in Barcelona, we took the train. The journey takes roughly 3 hours and 20 minutes and costs us £54 (€63.60) each. It runs right along the Mediterranean coast, making for a highly scenic and relaxing ride!
Packing Strategy Since this was a fast-paced, multi-city trip, I used a stripped-back version of my standard Hostelling Packing List. To avoid paying for multiple checked bags on the budget airlines, the three of us strategically shared one large duffel bag that went in the hold. We then each carried a smaller day backpack for our personal items and daily city exploring.
Hostelling Essentials
Day 1 – Valencia Travel
The day started at the crack of dawn with a drive over to Gatwick. I dropped my car off at Purple Parking, and we shuttled to the terminal to fly through security and wait for our 7am departure. A 2h20m flight with Vueling went remarkably quickly and meant we got to Valencia Airport by 10am. The plan was to maximise the time we had available in Valencia and Barcelona. We hopped on a metro to the city centre and walked in the baking heat to our Hostel. Cantagua Hostel was a small hostel in the city centre, which fortunately allowed us to drop our bags off during the day to explore.
First port of call was to head towards the centre and walk around the Mercado de Ruzafa. In search of food, we stumbled upon La Finestra which is a gem! Tiny Tapas Pizza might be my new favourite cuisine, with a cosy atmosphere, and you can get a random selection of flavours. I would recommend 3 Pizzas per person, which gives a chance to enjoy the different toppings. After we relaxed next to Parroquia de San Valero, before finding a Sangria bar in the sun. It was finally time to head back to the Hostel to check in and rest up before the evening.
Football Match
The main event in Valencia was to watch a football game at the Camp de Mestalla. We had pre-booked tickets online for around £25 each, which is a bargain compared to Premier League prices. The atmosphere around the stadium was immense, and a wall of noise welcomed the team buses. Before Kick-off, we luckily got a table for a quick bite at The Orange Club. We demolished large burgers, chips and enjoyed nice Spanish beer to wash it down. I headed to the Valencia CF club shop and patiently waited to buy a scarf, and then we headed into the Stadium.
It was an evening game under the floodlights against Mallorca. In typical fashion, the weather turned to rain, where we got a little wet in the exposed stands. The game was not a classic, but I was happy to experience a Spanish football match. The final result was a fairly boring 0-0 draw. As we had woken at 3am to get to the airport, we walked back to the hostel for a much-needed sleep.
Day 2 – Valencia
Valencia Walking Tour Part 1
We enjoyed a quick breakfast at the hostel, where we met a fellow backpacker from Australia, called Jordan. He asked about our plans for the day and whether he could tag along. The trio had become a quad, and off we went to explore the city and appreciate Valencia Travel attractions. The Valencia Travel plan for the morning was to do a Free Walking Tour to learn about the origins of the city. Unfortunately, the weather had not cleared up, so we had several hours of walking in the rain.
The Valencia Travel tour started around the Cathedral at Plaza de la Virgen, where the oldest parts of the city explained the Roman and Arabic history. The Basilica of the Virgin, Turia Fountain and Palau de la Generalitat helped explain the floral offerings to the Virgen de los Desamparados and the meetings of the Water Tribunal. On top, the religious and political importance of this heart is discussed.
Valencia Walking Tour Part 2
And then we walked our way over to the famed Serranos Towers. It was interesting to learn about the Jardín del Turia urban park that surrounds the old city and leads to the City of Arts and Science. The food and drink scene is given in doses as we wander through the streets. Next stop was Lonja de la Seda, a Gothic-style building which is a must-see.
The Silk Exchange is a UNESCO Heritage site, and the central hall is stunning to visit after the tour. My curious question, based on the football team, was why the bat was associated with the city? There were several local legends, including one of Jaume I the Conqueror, which was unfortunately not to do with Batman.
The last stop was the Central Market of Valencia, where the local cuisine and paella were discussed in detail. Overall, it was a very informative tour for Shaun, Liam, and me, where we tipped 10 euros each to our tour guide. After we finished the tour, we rushed back to the Silk Exchange (only €3) to see the impressive stone work and orangery. At the end of the tour, we went for a quick lunch with Jordan at a café before we all went over towards the City of Arts and Sciences.
City of Arts & Science
The Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts & Science) has modern architecture spread throughout the complex, which is like anything I have seen! The Gallery, the Hemispheric, Aquarium, Garden and Science Museum all have futuristic styles surrounded by beautiful aqua-pools and tropical plants. We had booked into the Hemispheric, an IMAX planetarium, where we watched a short film about the solar system. It was so relaxing we almost all fell asleep!
We met up with Jordan again before paying to get into the Science Museum. The museum had 2 main exhibitions on DNA and Space Exploration. Space travel and astrophysics were more of interest to me, with links to pop culture as well as future advances in science. We spent the afternoon around the complex; however, we didn’t pay for the Gallery or Aquarium with the pre-booked ticket.
After we walked back towards town in search of a bar for some drinks with Jordan. We found a sports bar for a few beers and shared travel stories. The last call for the day was dinner, where we managed to find a well-rated and quiet Spanish restaurant. We couldn’t leave Valencia the next day without trying Paella, so we ordered a large portion for us all to share along with a jug of sangria.
We had a wonderful evening before returning to the hostel via the illuminated city centre. The lads got chatting to our roommates and were persuaded to go back out to go clubbing. However, with less motivation and a run planned for the morning, I chose to sleep without regrets.
Day 3 – Onwards to Barcelona
Valencia Run
Whilst my housemates got to the hostel in the early hours, I woke up fresh the next morning and snuck out. Because I was training for a half-marathon, I packed my running kit. I managed to get a 13.5Km run around the city before breakfast. I didn’t plan on taking my keys, just my watch, headphones and memory of the route. The route ran through the town to the City of Arts and Science, then along the Jardin del Turia for some greenery.
Up towards the Mestella Stadium and back into the Jardin del Turia before I started to get lost on the way towards the train station. I eventually found the hostel after adding on 1Km. But I loved the run so much, I try to get a running tour in most cities I visit now!
Train Journey
The hostel provided a free breakfast, which aroused the troops, and we got packed before the warm walk over to the train station (Valencia Nord). A peaceful 3-hour train along the coast and through the countryside would offer my hungover friends some rest. In contrast, after my run, I was fully awake and took the time to reflect and appreciate Valencia. The train was smooth and not too crowded, travelling on a Monday, which was a relief.
Heading to Barcelona next?
If you are extending your Spanish coastal trip north, read our complete review of Yeah Hostel Barcelona and check out our quick 2-day city itinerary.
Read the Barcelona Guide
Budget
The goal for this trip was to be a short 4-day budget holiday. And in the end, it was pretty successful with a total cost of just over £600. The Hostels averaged around £34 a night, with Barcelona being more expensive than Valencia, yet offering more places to stay. And the total transport was just over £200 for return flights, a 3-hour train and metros; we mainly walked everywhere to save on public transport. Half the budget was on attractions, walking tours (£10 each) and dining out.
Food & Drink
As expected, the food was top-class in both cities! In Spain, tapas is a must-try, with the Barcelona dishes being so fresh and flavoursome, it was enjoyable to share many dishes, and there were vegetarian options too. I was most looking forward to trying Paella in Valencia, often celebrated for the Valencian style Paella, which did not fail to impress! Overall, the food was affordable for a major city, but due to popularity, we often had a short wait or had to walk to find other places without table reservations.
Final Thoughts
Spending 2 days exploring this city was a short but incredibly sweet introduction to Spanish coastal culture. It gives you the minimum time needed to see the main attractions while keeping the budget low. Upon reflection, I actually preferred the Valencia travel experience over our time further north; it was much easier to navigate, significantly quieter, and the atmosphere was incredibly welcoming.
I would happily return to do a longer Valencia weekend itinerary with a few extra relaxation days by the beach, diving deeper into the cathedrals and galleries, and maybe booking another guided Valencia city tour.
What is your favourite Spanish destination to visit? I can’t wait to explore more of this amazing country in the future, and I always appreciate recommendations. Please share this post with anyone you know looking to plan their own Spanish getaway!
FAQs
Are 2 days in Valencia enough?
While you could easily spend a week soaking up the sun on the Mediterranean coast, 2 days in Valencia is the perfect amount of time for a focused city break. It gives you one full day to explore the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences and the Turia Gardens, and a second day to wander through the historic Old Town (Ciutat Vella) and sample authentic paella.
Is Valencia a walkable city?
Absolutely. Valencia is incredibly flat and pedestrian-friendly, making it one of the easiest Spanish cities to explore on foot. The massive Turia Park acts as a green highway running straight through the city, allowing you to walk or cycle safely between the historic centre and the major coastal attractions without navigating traffic.
What is the best way to get around visiting Valencia?
While walking is fantastic, renting a bicycle is arguably the most popular way to see the city, especially for cruising down the 9-kilometre stretch of the Turia Gardens. For longer distances, the local metro and bus networks are highly efficient, clean, and affordable.
What are the must-see Valencia attractions?
If you only have time for a few key sights, the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) is the undisputed architectural crown jewel. In the historic centre, the Valencia Cathedral (home to what is claimed to be the Holy Grail), the bustling Central Market (Mercado Central), and the La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) are absolute must-see places to visit in Valencia.
Are there good Valencia city tours available?
Yes! Booking a guided Valencia city tour—especially a cycling tour or a historic walking tour—is a fantastic way to get your bearings on day one before exploring the local tapas bars and paella restaurants on your own.
