Valencia Cathedral & Silk Exchange 3-Hour Walking Tour

Three hours, four centuries of art and architecture, and entry to three of Valencia's most important buildings.

A 3-hour guided walking tour of Valencia's historic center covering the Silk Exchange, San Nicolás Church, and the Cathedral, with all three entry tickets included and a professional art historian guide. The tour starts at the Serranos Towers and moves through the medieval streets of the Barrio del Carmen. On Mondays, the San Nicolás stop is replaced by a visit to Valencia City Hall. The guide speaks your choice of eight languages and shares the history behind each site, from the Gothic civil architecture that earned the Silk Exchange its UNESCO status to the Renaissance frescoes hidden beneath the Cathedral's baroque vault.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Serranos Towers20m
2. Silk ExchangeEntry included30m
3. Valencia CathedralEntry included30m

Valencia historical and architectural tour

• Meet at Torres de Serranos
• Introduction to Valencian history
• Discover palaces in Barrio del Carmen
• Visit San Nicolás Church or City Hall
• Explore the Silk Exchange (La Lonja)
• Tour Valencia Cathedral
• Finish at Basilica and Cathedral square

The experience

The tour begins at the Serranos Towers, one of the old gates of Valencia's medieval wall, where your guide introduces the city's layered history and the role the Turia River played in its development. From there you walk through the Barrio del Carmen, passing palaces that reveal why this neighborhood became so wealthy during the city's golden age. The route is built around the buildings themselves, not around a bus or a series of lookout points. You're on foot the whole time, moving at a pace that lets the guide stop and explain what you're standing in front of.

San Nicolás Church is the centerpiece. Known locally as the "Valencian Sistine Chapel," it holds nearly 2,000 square meters of restored frescoes covering the vault: twice the surface area of the frescoes in Rome's Sistine Chapel. The building is over 700 years old, built on a site that was a Roman temple, then a mosque, then a Christian church, and its Gothic structure sits beneath Baroque decoration that was added centuries later. Your guide walks you through why that layering happened and what each period added to the space.

The Silk Exchange comes next. It's a Gothic civil building: rare enough that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1996. Built in just 15 years during the 15th century, it was the trading hub for Valencia's silk merchants and represents the wealth Mediterranean cities accumulated through commerce. You enter the building itself, not just view it from outside. The Cathedral follows, built on another Roman temple site and expanded over centuries so that it now holds elements from Romanesque through Baroque periods. The guide explains why the Holy Chalice (believed by many scholars to be the cup Jesus used at the Last Supper) is kept here, and shows you the Renaissance frescoes on the High Altar that were only rediscovered ten years ago when the baroque vault covering them was removed. All three entry tickets are included, and the tour ends in the Cathedral square.

What’s included

• Entry to the Silk Exchange, San Nicolás Church, and Valencia Cathedral.
• a professional art historian guide.
• and the Cathedral square finish where the Basilica and Cathedral sit side by side.

Options for this experience

11 options

Tour in French10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Meeting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Tour in Spanish10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Meeting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Tour in Portuguese10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Meeting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

See 8 more options

Tour in Italian10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Meeting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Tour in German10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Meeting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Tour in English10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Meeting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Tour in Polish10:00, 12:00 and 15:30Language: You'll have an official Polish-speaking guide. Starting point: Plaça dels Furs, Ciutat Vella, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Cruise pickup in English09:00Panoramic bus tour: includes a panoramic view of the city before the walking tour begins. Premium pickup at the cruise terminal. Duration: 4 hours, one hour longer than the regular route because of transfers and the panoramic bus tour of Valencia. Two return schedules: you can choose to head back to the port at the end of the tour (1:30 p.m.) or continue at your own pace in the centre until 3:00 p.m. Starting point: Trasmed-Grimaldi Valencia, Moll de Ponent, Poblados Marítimos, 46024 Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Cruise pickup in Spanish09:00Panoramic bus tour: includes a panoramic view of the city before the walking tour begins. Premium pickup at the cruise terminal. Duration: 4 hours, one hour longer than the regular route because of transfers and the panoramic bus tour of Valencia. Two return schedules: you can choose to head back to the port at the end of the tour (1:30 p.m.) or continue at your own pace in the centre until 3:00 p.m. Starting point: Trasmed-Grimaldi Valencia, Moll de Ponent, Poblados Marítimos, 46024 Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Cruise pickup in Italian09:00Panoramic bus tour: includes a panoramic view of the city before the walking tour begins. Premium pickup at the cruise terminal. Duration: 4 hours, one hour longer than the regular route because of transfers and the panoramic bus tour of Valencia. Two return schedules: you can choose to head back to the port at the end of the tour (1:30 p.m.) or continue at your own pace in the centre until 3:00 p.m. Starting point: Trasmed-Grimaldi Valencia, Moll de Ponent, Poblados Marítimos, 46024 Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Cruise pickup in German09:00Panoramic bus tour: includes a panoramic view of the city before the walking tour begins. Premium pickup at the cruise terminal. Duration: 4 hours, one hour longer than the regular route because of transfers and the panoramic bus tour of Valencia. Two return schedules: you can choose to head back to the port at the end of the tour (1:30 p.m.) or continue at your own pace in the centre until 3:00 p.m. Starting point: Trasmed-Grimaldi Valencia, Moll de Ponent, Poblados Marítimos, 46024 Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 3h, runs every day, 4 start times, from € 55 per person, with live guides in 7 languages and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday: 10:00Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: 09:00, 10:00 and 15:30Wednesday and Friday: 09:00 and 10:00Sunday: 12:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (8 to 12 years) · Infant (under 8): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Polish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go 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.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Valencia & Go

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to understand Valencia's architecture and history through the buildings themselves rather than from a distance. The guide is an art historian, not just someone who knows the facts, and you're inside each major site, not viewing them from outside. The three-hour length fits a morning or afternoon without eating the whole day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

In French, Portuguese and Polish, at 10:00, 12:00 and 15:30. In English, Spanish, German and Italian, at 09:00, 10:00, 12:00 and 15:30.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (8 to 12 years); Infant (under 8): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the difference between the regular tour and the Monday version?

On Mondays, the stop at San Nicolás Church is replaced by a visit to Valencia City Hall, whose monumental façade and centuries of institutional history show the city's political and social life instead.

Does the tour include entry to all three buildings?

Yes, entry to the Silk Exchange, San Nicolás Church, and the Cathedral are all included in the ticket price, along with the guide.

How much walking is involved over the three hours?

The entire tour is on foot through Valencia's historic center, moving between the Serranos Towers, the Barrio del Carmen, and the three main buildings. The pace is set by the guide's stops and explanations, not by distance.

What makes San Nicolás Church so significant?

San Nicolás holds nearly 2,000 square meters of perfectly restored frescoes covering the vault: twice the surface area of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The building itself is over 700 years old and sits on a site that was a Roman temple, then a mosque, before becoming a Christian church, so its Gothic structure is decorated with later Baroque elements.

Why is the Silk Exchange a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

The Silk Exchange is an exceptional example of civil Gothic architecture, rare because most Gothic buildings of that scale are cathedrals. Built in just 15 years during the 15th century, it represents the strength of Mediterranean trade during that period and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

What's inside the Cathedral that makes it worth visiting?

The Cathedral houses the Holy Chalice, believed by many scholars to be the cup Jesus used at the Last Supper: Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI both used this relic during their visits to Valencia. It also holds Renaissance frescoes on the High Altar that were rediscovered only ten years ago when the baroque vault covering them was removed.