Valencia Tourist Card 24, 48 or 72 Hours

The Silk Exchange, Valencia's UNESCO monument

The Silk Exchange, or Lonja de la Seda, is the finest civic building of Valencia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built at the end of the 15th century when Valencia was one of the richest trading cities of the Mediterranean, it was where merchants met to sign contracts for silk and other goods. Its Hall of Columns is unforgettable: slender twisted stone columns rise like palm trees to a vaulted ceiling, and the outer walls are covered with gargoyles and carved figures.

Entry is free with the Valencia Tourist Card. Plan about 45 minutes for the hall, the Orange Tree courtyard and the upper Consulate of the Sea room with its painted wooden ceiling. The building faces the Central Market, so it is easy to combine both in one morning. Silk Exchange opening hours are shorter on Sundays and holidays, so check the card guide before you go.

Serranos and Quart Towers

Valencia's medieval wall has gone, but two of its great gates survive. The Serranos Towers, built in the late 14th century, guard the northern entrance to the old town beside the old riverbed. Their twin polygonal towers and Gothic tracery make them one of the symbols of the city, and every March they are the stage for the opening proclamation of the Fallas festival.

The Quart Towers, on the western side of the old town, date from the 15th century and still show the marks of cannonballs from an early 19th-century siege. Both gates can be climbed, and the terraces give some of the best views over the rooftops, domes and bell towers of Valencia. Entry to both is free with the card. Allow about 30 minutes for each, and wear comfortable shoes for the steep stone stairs.

Fallas Museum and L'Almoina

The Fallas festival in March fills Valencia with giant satirical figures that are burned on the last night. Each year, one figure is saved from the flames by public vote, and the Fallas Museum displays these pardoned figures going back decades. It is a colourful, fun visit that explains a festival listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and children especially enjoy it.

L'Almoina, next to the cathedral, is an archaeological centre built over the spot where Valencia was founded. Under a shallow pool of water that forms its glass roof, walkways lead over Roman streets and baths, Visigothic remains and traces of the Islamic city. Both museums are free with the Valencia Tourist Card. The Fallas Museum is a short ride from the centre by bus, while L'Almoina sits right in the old town.

Metro, tram and the airport connection

The card's transport part makes Valencia very easy to explore. It covers the metro and tram network in zones A and B, the city buses and the metropolitan buses, and the suburban trains, so you can move between the old town, the City of Arts and Sciences, the beaches and the port without buying single tickets. The tram line to the beach reaches Las Arenas and Malvarrosa in about 20 minutes.

If you are wondering how to get from Valencia Airport to the city, metro lines 3 and 5 run from the airport to the centre and are included, so collecting the card at the airport Smart Point and using it straight away is a smart way to start. The card is activated on its first use on public transport or at a card reader, and the 24 hours start from that moment.

City of Arts and Sciences and other discounts

Beyond free museums, the card gives discounts at Valencia's most popular paid attractions. The futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, laid out along the old riverbed, includes a science museum, an IMAX cinema and Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium in Europe, with sharks, beluga whales and dolphins. The cathedral, with its Gothic bell tower and the chapel of the Holy Chalice, also offers a discount with the card.

Is the Valencia Tourist Card worth it? It pays off if you use public transport several times a day and visit two or three municipal monuments, or if you arrive by plane and use the airport metro. Discounts at restaurants and shops are listed in the card guide. For a longer stay, the 48 or 72-hour cards let you add the beaches, the Albufera lagoon and the Bioparc zoo at a relaxed pace.