Solo travel · Valencia · Spain
Solo travel in Valencia
How to enjoy Valencia at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Felivet, Public domain
Quick answer
Valencia is relaxed and easy for solo travellers: walkable, well connected by bike and metro, with a sociable tapas and bar culture and plenty of hostels. Many solo travellers base themselves in El Carmen.
Key facts
- Base
- El Carmen
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- Spanish and Valencian
Solo travel tips
- Stay in El Carmen or Ruzafa for hostels, bars and easy walking to the sights.
- Join a free walking tour or a paella cooking class to meet other travellers.
- Eat at the bar in tapas places; ordering a few small plates alone is completely normal.
- Use the Turia Gardens for running or cycling; they are busy and well used from early morning to evening.
- Watch your bag on crowded beaches and in the Mercado Central.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, solo travellers and culture
El Carmen
El Carmen (El Carme in Valencian) is the most atmospheric part of the old town, a tangle of lanes between the Torres de Serranos and the Torres de Quart with murals on many walls. Calle Caballeros and the streets around Plaza del Tossal fill with bars at night, and the IVAM modern art museum and the Turia Gardens are on its edge.
- Good
- Characterful streets and street art; Lively bars and cheap eats; Close to the Turia Gardens
- Watch out
- Noisy at weekends; Some streets feel scruffy
- Nearby
- Torres de Serranos, Torres de Quart, IVAM, Turia Gardens
Great on your own
Architecture · Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)
City of Arts and Sciences
Visit at dusk, when the buildings are lit and reflected in the pools, and book the science museum for the hottest part of the day.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Kids
- Photo spot
- After dark
Historic site · Ciutat Vella
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
Market · Ciutat Vella
Mercado Central
Go in the morning, when the stalls are fully stocked; it does not open on Sundays.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Free
- Iconic
Religious site · Ciutat Vella
Valencia Cathedral and El Miguelete
Climb the Miguelete late in the afternoon for softer light, then step out into Plaza de la Virgen for a drink.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Landmark · Ciutat Vella
Plaza de la Virgen and the Water Tribunal
Arrive a few minutes before noon on a Thursday to watch the Water Tribunal; the session is short and held entirely in Valencian.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · El Carmen
Torres de Serranos
Combine it with a walk through El Carmen to the Torres de Quart, the other surviving gate, about 15 minutes away.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Meeting people
- Mercado Central morning — Browse the stalls for Valencian oranges, bomba rice and saffron, then stand at a counter for a tapa and a glass of wine before the lunchtime rush.
- Paella at El Palmar — Take bus 25 or a taxi to the Albufera village of El Palmar for paella or all i pebre at lunchtime, then a boat ride on the lagoon at sunset.
- El Carmen — Bars and pubs along Calle Caballeros and around Plaza del Tossal in the medieval lanes of the old town.
- Ruzafa — Cocktail bars, wine bars and late restaurants, the city's most fashionable night out.
Sensible precautions
Pickpocketing occurs in the old town, the Mercado Central, on the metro and on crowded beaches, so keep valuables out of sight. In autumn, heavy storms can cause sudden flash flooding in the region; follow official weather alerts and avoid riverbeds and underpasses during warnings.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- 4G and 5G coverage is good throughout the city and beaches; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and eSIMs work well for other visitors.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Valencia good for solo travellers?
Valencia is relaxed and easy for solo travellers: walkable, well connected by bike and metro, with a sociable tapas and bar culture and plenty of hostels.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Valencia?
El Carmen: Medieval lanes, street art and late bars in the old town's north-west corner.