Valencia Self-Guided Walking Tour

Bank of Valencia on a sunny day
Historical building of the Bank of Valencia on a sunny day.

Valencia Self-Guided Walking Tour

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and it has tons to do! Apart from the world-renowned paella, there are so many beaches, architectures, restaurants, markets and parks to cover – you won’t have enough days here regardless of how many days you’re planning to spend in Valencia! I stayed in Valencia for a week and it wasn’t enough for me! 

This self-guided walking tour in Valencia takes a whole day including photo taking time with your evening to spare. It goes through all the major sites in the historical city centre so you can slowly tick off those sites! I was in Valencia during Las Fallas – it was a bit hectic but I am so glad to be a part of one of the biggest festival in Valencia! 

So here goes the self-guided walking tour!

Bacon with cheese chips at 100 Montaditos.
Quality cheese, quality bacon and quality chips at 100 Montaditos under some Spanish sun - is there some more you could ask for?
Bite-sized bocadillos at 100 Montaditos
One thing I love about 100 montaditos was their sandwiches were almost bite-sized. That means you can sample many of them!

100 Montaditos

Start your day at 100 Montaditos! This is a typical Spanish restaurant which serves 100 kinds of tapas – all at a cheap price! My friend told me that this is a place for students to hang out because of the price range. For the price of the food, I have to say that I’m extremely satisfied with what they served! 

The bullfighting arena - I call it a pseudo-colosseum.

Plaza de Toros de Valencia

This is the southern-most attraction that you will see today! This one-of-a-kind neoclassical bullring looks like an ancient Roman amphitheatre – like a small colosseum. Tickets to watch the bullfighting can be hard to come by. If you want to watch a show, plan ahead and find out when and how to get a ticket. There is also a museum to learn more about bullfighting.

Traditional Valencian clothings during Las Fallas in Valencia
Beautiful Valencian at the balcony of the Town Hall showing off their costumes.

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

This is the main square of Valencia. Buildings dominating the square are the breathtaking Town Hall and the Central Post Office. They are both flamboyantly ornamented with neoclassical architecture features, perfected with the baroque interiors. Major festivals take place here. I was very lucky to be able to witness the grandiosity of the biggest festival in Valencia in this plaza – Las Fallas.

Man and Jamon Serrano in Mercado Central Valencia
A common sight of jamon serrano that you'll see at Mercado Central Valencia!

Mercado Central

Every Spanish city got to have their own Mercado Central. And Valencia is no exception. Not only the food inside the Central Market is appealing, the interior and the architecture of the building itself is gorgeous too! Take a break at the market and try all the food samples!

The breathtaking spiral pillar - looks like a candle.

La Lonja de la Seda (Former Silk Exchange)

Every Spanish city got to have their own Mercado Central. And Valencia is no exception. Not only the food inside the Central Market is appealing, the interior and the architecture of the building itself is gorgeous too! Take a break at the market and try all the food samples!

Highly recommend climbing up the tower! 2 euros and you earned a stunning view of the city!

Iglesia de Santa Catalina

I normally hike up to places when I can have a stunning view of the city. The bell tower of Santa Catalina caught my attention so I thought I would give it a go. I could burn off some of the beautiful paellas that I’ve eaten here while enjoying a hawk-eye view of this city – why not? Entry is 2 euros (definitely worth it).

Valencia Cathedral

The Holy Grail is here. Do you believe it? If not, you can come see it for yourself. The Baroque/impressionist style interior is the real reason why I came here.

Plaça de la Mare de Deu

There are many plazas around the cathedral. I chose this one because it has an impressive side view of the cathedral and has a fountain. I sunbathed here for almost the whole afternoon.

To be honest, late winter was the best time to visit Valencia - there was no one and the temperature was sitting at low 20C.

Torres de Serranos (Old City Gates)

This is the endpoint of your walking tour. Admire this incredibly medieval building – this looks like one of the towers that I have to take down in the game that I play. It is massive!

City Park

One of the biggest reasons why I love Valencia is because there’s a long stretch of planned greenery in the city. The city park is just right opposite to the Old City Gates. If you brought some picnic, this is the best place to demolish it.

Where to stay?

Valencia is quite vast. After all, it’s the third biggest city in Spain. I strongly recommend staying within downtown as it is a little difficult to get to places with the public transport system. Staying in one of the below according to your budget as their locations are strategic for the offered price.

Pensión Alicante (Budget) – This property speaks for itself. It’s a simple accommodation that does the job. After all, 35 euros for a double room in the centre of Valencia? What is stopping you from booking???

Host & home (Comfortable) – Host & home is a guesthouse that is strategically located in the centre of Valencia. It’s a little more expensive than Pension Alicante but it’s more comfortable. I highly recommend staying here! I have no doubts that I will come back again if I were to revisit Valencia!

One Shot Palacio Reina (High-end) – If you are looking to pamper yourself, stay with One Shot Palacio Reina and you will be treated like a queen (quite literally as the name says). Splurging in Spain is not as expensive as compared to splurging in France, Italy or the UK so why not do it here?

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Going to Valencia on a budget? Make sure you check out this guide on how you can do a perfect walking tour in Valencia on your own! The route is carefully planned so that you make the most out of your day! Check the restaurant recommendations as well (selected by a local) and where is best to stay! #valencia #spain #itinerary #travelguide
Going to Valencia on a budget? Make sure you check out this guide on how you can do a perfect walking tour in Valencia on your own! The route is carefully planned so that you make the most out of your day! Check the restaurant recommendations as well (selected by a local) and where is best to stay! #valencia #spain #itinerary #travelguide
Going to Valencia on a budget? Make sure you check out this guide on how you can do a perfect walking tour in Valencia on your own! The route is carefully planned so that you make the most out of your day! Check the restaurant recommendations as well (selected by a local) and where is best to stay! #valencia #spain #itinerary #travelguide

Born and raised in Malaysia, Aaron is a medical student who desperately preaches about “Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive” – well, he has a full-on blog about it. When he is free, he checks for the cheapest airfare that would get him out of Australia. Aaron indulges in local cuisine so much that he has to lose some weight before and after he goes travelling. Read more about him here!

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