City of Arts and Sciences walking tour: Calatrava architecture

The complex spans vast white futuristic architecture designed by a single architect.

A guided walking tour of the City of the Arts and Sciences in Spain, led by a professional guide in multiple languages. You walk around the outdoor plaza and past five major buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava: the Prince Philip Museum, IMAX planetarium, Umbracle garden promenade, Ágora, and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia opera house. The tour covers the grounds and exteriors. Entry to any building is optional and purchased separately on-site.

Step-by-step itinerary

Walking tour of City of Arts and Sciences

• Start walking tour at Prince Philip Museum
• Visit the planetarium IMAX cinema
• Walk through the Umbracle garden
• See the Agora building
• Explore the Opera House Reina Sofia exterior
• Optionally purchase tickets at venues
• End tour at City of Arts and Sciences

The experience

The City of the Arts and Sciences is a 350,000-square-meter complex built around the vision of architect Santiago Calatrava, and this walking tour takes you past all five of its major structures. Your guide leads you through the outdoor spaces (the promenade lined with palm trees and bitter orange plants, the central plaza, and the surrounding grounds) pointing out the design details and purpose of each building as you move between them. The Prince Philip Museum, the IMAX cinema (called the planetarium), the Umbracle garden, the Ágora, and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia opera house are all on the route, so you see the full scope of the project in one morning or afternoon.

The tour itself is an outdoor walk with no entrance fees included, which means you're not rushed through interiors or locked into a single museum. If you want to step inside the opera house to see where performances happen, or explore the Prince Philip Museum's temporary exhibitions on science and technology, you can buy tickets directly at each venue during the tour. The guide can point you toward the ticket windows. The same goes for the Oceanogràfic park, which sits nearby but was designed by a different architect and operates separately. Your guide will explain how to reach it by public transport or taxi if you're interested.

The tour runs three hours and is led by a professional guide who speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, or another language depending on the option you book. The route is wheelchair accessible, and the flat outdoor plaza makes it manageable for most fitness levels. Strollers and prams are fine for infants, and there's public transportation nearby if you need a break or want to continue exploring the area afterward.

What’s included

• Professional guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language.
• three hours of walking through the outdoor City of the Arts and Sciences complex.
• access to the grounds and exterior views of all five major buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Guía Valencia

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to understand the full scope of Calatrava's design without committing to museum entry fees, or if you're deciding which buildings are worth entering before you buy tickets. The outdoor-only format means you move at a steady pace and see everything in one morning, then choose which interiors to explore based on what your guide shows you.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What buildings do I actually walk past on this tour?

The tour passes five main structures: the Prince Philip Museum, the IMAX planetarium, the Umbracle (a garden promenade with palms and aromatic plants), the Ágora, and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia opera house. All are part of Santiago Calatrava's City of the Arts and Sciences complex.

Can I go inside the museums and opera house during the tour?

The walking tour covers the outdoor grounds and exteriors only, so no entrance fees are included. If you want to enter any building (the Prince Philip Museum, the opera house, or the planetarium), you purchase tickets directly at the venue during the tour and visit at your own pace.

How long does the tour take?

The tour lasts three hours and covers the outdoor plaza and the exteriors of all five buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Is the Oceanogràfic aquarium part of this tour?

The Oceanogràfic is located behind the City of the Arts and Sciences but was designed by a different architect and is a separate attraction. Your guide can direct you to reach it by public transport or taxi if you'd like to visit, but it's not included in the walking tour itself.