Rainy day · Valencia · Spain
7 things to do in Valencia when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Fernando Pascullo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with L'Oceanogràfic, Lonja de la Seda and Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 10–12 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free. April is usually the wettest month, with about 5 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 10–12 hours
- Areas
- Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences), Ciutat Vella and Turia Gardens
Valencia on a rainy day
Aquarium · Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)
1.L'Oceanogràfic
Arrive at opening and see the shark tunnels and Arctic area first, before tour groups and school visits arrive.
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Ciutat Vella
2.Lonja de la Seda
Look up at the gargoyles on the outside walls; some are surprisingly bawdy.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Ciutat Vella
3.Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas
Even if you skip the museum, stop to study the carved façade on Calle Poeta Querol.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Turia Gardens
4.Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia
Head for the Sorolla rooms first; his sunlit beach scenes are a good preparation for Malvarrosa.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Gallery · El Carmen
5.IVAM
Pair it with a walk to the Torres de Quart and lunch in El Carmen.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)
6.Museo Fallero
Visit after the City of Arts and Sciences; it is about a 10-minute walk away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Art
Historic site · Ciutat Vella
7.L'Almoina Archaeological Centre
Look down through the glass pool on the square above before going in, to understand the layout.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences) | L'Oceanogràfic and Museo Fallero | 4–5 hours + 1 hour |
| Ciutat Vella | Lonja de la Seda, Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas and L'Almoina Archaeological Centre | 45 minutes + 1 hour + 45 minutes |
| Turia Gardens | Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia | 1.5–2 hours |
| El Carmen | IVAM | 1–1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 1 free, 5 low cost, 1 expensive. Book ahead for L'Oceanogràfic. The longest visit is L'Oceanogràfic; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- L'Oceanogràfic: Buy tickets online in advance in summer and school holidays, when queues at the ticket office are long.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)): L'Oceanogràfic, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences) and Ciutat Vella): Museo Fallero → Lonja de la Seda → Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas → L'Almoina Archaeological Centre, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Turia Gardens and El Carmen): Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia → IVAM, at least 3 hours.
The wettest months
- April: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm spring days, ideal for walking; Easter brings Spanish visitors and maritime processions.
- May: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm and sunny with long evenings; beach season starts though the sea is still fresh.
- September: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds. Still hot with the warmest sea of the year, but late-month storms become possible.
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?
L'Oceanogràfic. One of Europe's largest aquariums, set in buildings with Félix Candela's shell-like roofs, recreates marine environments from the Mediterranean and tropical seas to the Arctic and Antarctic.
+Which of these are free in Valencia?
Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia.