Museums · Valencia · Spain
4 best museums in Valencia
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Felivet, Public domain
Quick answer
Start with Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas, Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia and IVAM. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 5–6 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 5–6 hours
- Areas
- Ciutat Vella, Turia Gardens and El Carmen
Museums in Valencia
Museum · Ciutat Vella
1.Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas
A palace with an extravagant rococo alabaster doorway of river gods and the Virgin, home to the National Ceramics Museum.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Turia Gardens
2.Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia
Valencia's fine arts museum, housed in the San Pío V building beside the Turia Gardens, holds Valencian Gothic altarpieces, a Velázquez self-portrait, works by Goya and El Greco, and many paintings by the Valencian Joaquín Sorolla.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Gallery · El Carmen
3.IVAM
The Valencian Institute of Modern Art, opened in 1989 on the edge of El Carmen, holds a major collection of the sculptor Julio González and hosts changing exhibitions of 20th-century and contemporary art and photography.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)
4.Museo Fallero
The Fallas museum displays the ninots indultats, the figures 'pardoned' from the flames by popular vote each year, together with posters and photographs of past festivals.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Art
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Ciutat Vella | Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas | 1 hour |
| Turia Gardens | Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia | 1.5–2 hours |
| El Carmen | IVAM | 1–1.5 hours |
| Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences) | Museo Fallero | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 1 free, 3 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Ciutat Vella, Turia Gardens and El Carmen): Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas → Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia → IVAM, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)): Museo Fallero, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 4 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and sunny days that are pleasant for sightseeing and cycling the Turia, with cool evenings.
- February: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 4 rainy days, quiet crowds. Bright and mild with almond and orange blossom on the outskirts; Fallas preparations begin.
- November: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and quieter, with occasional heavy storms; good value for city breaks.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Ciutat Vella — Gothic old town of the cathedral, the Lonja and the Mercado Central
- El Carmen — Medieval lanes, street art and late bars in the old town's north-west corner
- Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences) — Modern apartment blocks beside Calatrava's museums and the end of the Turia
More of Valencia
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Valencia?
Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. A palace with an extravagant rococo alabaster doorway of river gods and the Virgin, home to the National Ceramics Museum.
+Which of these are free in Valencia?
Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia.