Planning 2 days in Valencia Spain and wondering what to do on your trip? Fret not! After visiting Valencia several times, I’ve grown a deep love for the city and have crafted this epic Valencia 2-day itinerary to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain, yet it’s fairly walkable and it’s got the charm of a smaller city with a historic old town. At the same time, you find the City of Arts and Sciences catapulting Valencia into a modern city.
Besides, there are so many amazing natural places around Valencia you can explore too, from mesmerizing waterfalls to sweeping beaches.
There’s so much to love about Valencia and plenty of things to fill your days with. Read for the ultimate 48 hours in Valencia itinerary!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of those links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How to get to Valencia
Valencia is easily reached by plane, train, bus, and car. Valencia Airport is well connected to the city center by metro and the journey takes about 25 minutes. You can take both lines 3 and 5 and the price is €3.90 + €1 for the card.
There are also buses from the airport which are a wee bit more affordable. The areo-bus is a shuttle service running every 20 minutes between 06:00 and 22:00 which costs €2.50 and the Line 150 Valencia-Aeropuerto runs between 05:25 and 22:00 and costs €1.05.
If you prefer the commodity of a private airport shuttle, I recommend booking in advance with Welcome Pickups which will pick you up at the arrivals at the airport and drive you directly to the hotel.
Valencia is also well connected by train and Estació del Nord is located centrally in the city. However, if you come on a day trip to Valencia from Madrid, you will arrive at Joaquin Sorolla train station, which is a 10-minute walk from the center.
If you come by bus, Valencia Bus Station is well connected with the metro to different parts of the city.
If you drive to Valencia, I highly recommend booking a hotel with parking as it can be a little complicated to find parking, especially for free.
That said, we found free parking along the main road that goes past the City of Arts and Sciences, so if you are campervanning in Spain, this is a good option for parking during the day with half an hour’s walk into the old town.
Getting around Valencia
Valencia is a fairly walkable city, however, getting between the City of Arts and Sciences, the beach, and the airport is easier with public transportation.
I highly recommend getting the Valencia Tourist Card for 15 Euros if you plan on using public transport as it comes with some other perches as well, like free tapas and drinks.
Alternatively, you can also rent a bike during your 2 days in Valencia itinerary.
Get the Valencia Tourist Card HERE!
Where to stay in 48 hours in Valencia
There are plenty of great places to stay in Valencia in 2 days, whether you prefer to stay in the city center or by the beach. I’ve written a complete guide to the best areas to stay in Valencia, but here, I’ll list my top choices for every budget.
LUXURY: Only YOU Hotel Valencia – a fantastic 5-star hotel set in Valencia Old Town with restaurants, a bar, and a fitness center. The service is great and pets are welcome.
MID-RANGE: SH Ingles Boutique Hotel – a great boutique hotel with quirky decor set in the heart of the old town. It has a restaurant and bar on-site and welcoming staff.
BUDGET: Cosmo Hotel Boutique – a lovely hotel in the heart of the old town. Quiet and modern rooms with a friendly atmosphere.
Best time to visit Valencia in 2 days
Valencia is a fantastic all-year-round destination with over 300 days of sun a year, but every season offers different advantages. I’ll break it down for you here, so you know what to expect from different seasons.
Winter: Winter in Valencia is mild with temperatures ranging between 5º Celsius (41ºF) at nighttime and 17º Celsius (63ºF) in the daytime. The holiday season is really cozy and if you’re there on the 5th and 6th of January, you can experience the unique Three King’s (Reyes) parades. They also celebrate carnival in February which is pretty cool to join in on.
Spring: Spring is welcomed in Valencia with the colorful Fallas Festival which takes place between the 1st and 19th of March when it ends with a giant bonfire. You can also experience the parades during Easter Week, locally known as Semana Santa. Temperatures average 20º Celsius (68ºF) in the daytime and around 10º Celsius (50ºF) at night.
Summer: In the summer, Valencia sees around 30º Celsius in the daytime and the nights are around 20º Celsius (68ºF). It is a season of festivities including the Feria de Valencia and several music festivals.
Fall: Starting with September, which is kind of just a prolonged summer month without the crowds, you can still enjoy the beach until late October (varies from year to year) though the nighttime temperatures start dropping in October. there are also plenty of fun festivals for music and food lovers which truly keeps the summer vibes alive.
Day 1: Valencia 2 day Itinerary
Now, let’s dive into the fun part of this Valencia 2 day itinerary. Feel free to move around on things or skip something if you want to spend more time doing something else. I also have a one-day Valencia itinerary you can have a look at if you want to take it even slower and maybe spend a whole day at the beach.
Now, let’s dive in and look at the best things to do in Valencia in two days.
Join a bike tour
Start your first morning in Valencia by joining this bike tour to the City of Arts and Sciences. It’s a great experience and a great introduction to the futuristic architectural wonders of Valencia.
The ride takes you through Turia Park and Gullivers Park (which is just as fun for adults as it is for the kids, or is it only me who enjoys sliding down a giant statue?) so you can see how to walk there if you choose to later on in this itinerary.
For a private bike tour, I highly recommend this one with roughly the same itinerary.
If you prefer a different experience, there are plenty of bike tours in Valencia to choose from, or maybe you would rather go on this e-bike tour to save some energy.
Lunch
If you join this tour for the rest of the activities, I recommend fueling up with lunch first, otherwise, you can take your lunch break whenever you feel hungry as you’ll be centrally in the old town the rest of the day.
There are plenty of restaurants and bars where you’ll find excellent food, but we really enjoyed Lo de Ponxe En El Kinto Pino, a fully vegan restaurant that’s open for lunch Monday-Friday.
See the views from Torres de Serranos
Torres de Serranos was one of the main gates of Valencia and was built as part of the city walls in the late 14th century. When the walls fell half a century later, they were made into freestanding towers.
Now, they stand as one of the main attractions in Valencia, but best of all, you can climb to the top for sweeping views of the river and the Barrio del Carmen neighborhood.
St. Nicolas Church
When considering what to see in Valencia Spain in 2 days, you don’t want to miss out on St. Nicolas Church! With 1900 square meters of frescoes from the 17th century, it’s often referred to as the Valencian Sistine Chapel.
I was totally in awe when I saw this place for the first time, it is absolutely mesmerizing!
Make sure you book your ticket in advance to avoid queues.
Visit Valencia Cathedral
No Valencia weekend itinerary is complete without visiting Valencia Cathedral. The Gothic cathedral dates back to the 13th century and is one of my favorite cathedrals in Spain, especially due to the outside which is quite different than the regular cathedrals you’ll see.
The inside is also absolutely amazing; apparently, the real Holy Grail is held inside the cathedral. But the highlight for me was to climb the 207 steps to the top of the Miguelete clock tower for wonderful city views.
This walking tour takes you to the Cathedral and the other attractions you’ll enter today and includes all entry tickets.
Visit the Silk Exchange
The UNESCO-listed Lonja de la Seda Silk Exchange is another fantastic attraction you’ll want to see during your 2 day Valencia itinerary.
It dates back to the 15th century when Valencia’s silk trade was thriving and is a stunning structure to visit with spiraling columns and a lush orange garden.
This walking tour is ideal if you want to experience all the sites on today’s itinerary (except the bike tour) with a guide including entry tickets.
TOP TIP! Join this walking tour which covers all these attractions and entrance tickets!
Spend the evening exploring the old town
The rest of the day, spend your time walking around the old town, exploring the beautiful architecture, and looking for a place to have dinner. We loved the vegan burgers at Khambú.
If you prefer eating all the tapas, I suggest joining a foodie tour like this one, which includes wine and plenty of tapas.
I love how the city changes in the evening and there’s so much life everywhere, so enjoy your evening!
Day 2: Valencia 2-day itinerary
City of Arts and Sciences
Start your last morning of your 2 days in Valencia itinerary by exploring the City of Arts and Sciences a bit more in-depth.
While you got a great introduction to the site and its history on the bike tour yesterday, I highly recommend visiting some of the museums and exhibitions.
I really enjoyed the Science Museum as it is highly interactive and they make something seemingly complicated fun and easy. It contains both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Also the Hemisfèric is worth a visit. The incredible building is designed to represent a human eye (the eye of wisdom). From the front, I think it looks more like a giant, futuristic helmet, either way, it’s an epic building!
Inside, you can watch IMAX cinema and truly feel the images projected to the 900 square meter concave screen.
👉Get your skip-the-line-tickets here
Grab some lunch
Make sure you grab some lunch before you’re heading off on a half-day tour. There is a shopping mall next to the City of Arts and Sciences if you want to grab something quick, otherwise, I suggest going back to the old town and looking for somewhere to eat there.
Half-day trip to Albufera Natural Park
Spend the second half of the day on this tour to explore the serene Albufera Natural Park right outside the city.
It’s 30-minute drive to the natural park where you will explore dunes, beaches, traditional 18th-century houses, and a boat tour of the Albufera Lake, which is Spain’s largest lake.
You will also have time for bird watching as there are a lot of interesting birds, including flamingos, calling this natural space home.
It’s a beautiful place for sunset, which is why I suggest ending your day with this tour.
Make sure you book your tour in advance so you don’t miss out as they sell out early, especially in the high season.
Summing up this 2-day Valencia itinerary
Summing up this 2 days in Valencia itinerary, it covers the most important attractions in the city. As I mentioned in the beginning, feel free to swap things around or skip whatever you don’t want to do. There are plenty of other things to do when visiting this amusing city.
Happy travels!