Valencia Old Town with Kids: A One-Day Itinerary, Top Attractions and Practical Tips
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In this post:
Getting to Valencia & Airport Parking
Day 1: Gulliver Park & Cycling to the Beach
Where to Stay: Our Family Apartment
Dinner & Grocery Shopping Tips
When planning a city break in Spain, most people immediately think of Barcelona or Madrid. We were looking for something a little different—a destination where historic landmarks, beautiful beaches, and family-friendly attractions all come together. That’s exactly what led us to Valencia.
As Spain’s third-largest city, Valencia strikes the perfect balance between vibrant city life and a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere. In just a few days, you can explore its most famous attractions while still having plenty of time for playgrounds, sandy beaches, and a slower pace that makes travelling with young children much more enjoyable.
We spent four full days exploring Valencia itself, but also squeezed in a fantastic day trip to discover more of the surrounding area. We always enjoy adding a little adventure beyond the city limits, and this trip was no exception.
Why Visit Valencia in Early Spring?
We visited Valencia at the end of March, and honestly, we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Daytime temperatures hovered around 24°C (75°F), making it warm enough to explore the city in light clothing without the intense summer heat.
For families travelling with young children, we found it to be the perfect time of year. Sightseeing was comfortable, the parks were ideal for little legs to run around, and we could even spend a few relaxing hours on the beach.
Historic Streets Meet Futuristic Architecture
One of the things we loved most about Valencia is the incredible contrast between its different neighbourhoods. One moment you’re wandering through the narrow streets of the historic Old Town, surrounded by centuries-old buildings and charming squares; the next, you’re standing among the futuristic white structures of the City of Arts and Sciences.
Another highlight for families is the beautiful Turia Gardens. Built in the former riverbed of the Turia River, this enormous green park stretches through the city and is filled with playgrounds, walking and cycling paths, gardens, and open spaces. It’s the perfect place for children to burn off some energy between sightseeing stops.
The Birthplace of Paella
No visit to Valencia would be complete without trying an authentic Valencian paella. As the birthplace of Spain’s most famous rice dish, the city is home to countless fantastic restaurants serving traditional local cuisine.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how family-friendly the restaurants were. Everywhere we went, children were warmly welcomed, making dining out a relaxed and enjoyable part of our trip.
Our Top Tip for Visiting Valencia with Young Children
One thing that really stood out to us was just how easy Valencia is to explore with a stroller. The city is mostly flat, there are very few steep streets, public transport is modern and easy to use, and most restaurants naturally provide high chairs for young children.
In this guide, we’ll share our 5-day itinerary, our favourite attractions, the playgrounds we visited, and the practical tips that made our family city break in Valencia easier and more enjoyable.
At the end of March, we spent four nights in Valencia with our 4-year-old daughter.
As on most of our family trips, we booked an early morning flight from London Luton Airport. When travelling with a young child, we usually prefer morning or late-morning departures, as they fit better with our daughter’s routine and allow us to make the most of our first day at the destination.
Tip: Once again, we left our car at the APH Airport Parking, which we’ve used several times before. From there, a shuttle bus took us directly to the terminal.
If you’re looking for more information about airport parking and the options we’ve personally found most convenient, you can read our dedicated airport parking guide.
We arrived in Valencia later that morning and were welcomed by beautiful sunshine and warm spring weather.
If we had only been planning to explore Valencia itself, we probably wouldn’t have rented a car. However, for this trip it made sense for several reasons. We had planned a day trip to Alicante, and on the way back we stopped in Benidorm for dinner. In addition, my husband’s parents joined us on the second day of our trip, so with five of us travelling together, hiring a car turned out to be the most practical and cost-effective option.
Tip: We booked our rental car through QEEQ.com, which we found very reliable, but it’s also worth checking Discovercars and Booking.com to compare the best rates in Spain.
Is the Valencia Tourist Card Worth It?
If you’re planning to stay only in Valencia, you really don’t need a rental car. The city’s public transport system is modern, well organised, and easy to use, making it simple to reach all the main attractions by metro, bus, or tram.
Before our trip, we also looked into the Valencia Tourist Card. It’s available as a 24-, 48-, or 72-hour pass and includes unlimited public transport, free entry to several museums, and discounts on a range of attractions, restaurants, and shops. Check availability and options for your travel dates below:
Whether it’s worth buying depends on what you plan to see during your stay. If you’re planning to visit several attractions and use public transport regularly, it can offer good value for money, so it’s worth checking the costs in advance to see if it suits your itinerary.
We picked up our rental car near the airport without any hassle. The car hire company provided a shuttle bus to their office, where we were given a SsangYong Tivoli. It turned out to be a great choice for our family of five, with plenty of space for both us and our luggage.
As we couldn’t check into our accommodation until the afternoon, we decided not to head straight to the apartment. Instead, we made the most of our first few hours outdoors. We rented bikes to explore part of the Turia Gardens, then cycled all the way to the beach. We couldn’t have imagined a better start to our sunny family city break in Valencia. 😊
We parked our car in the secure car park near Gulliver Park, just a short walk from the playground.
One of the most famous attractions in the Turia Gardens is Gulliver Park, and it’s unlike any ordinary playground. At its centre lies a giant sculpture of Gulliver, the main character from Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, tied down as if the Lilliputians have captured him. The sculpture itself is the playground, with slides, climbing frames, ropes, tunnels, and obstacles cleverly built into the folds of his clothes and around different parts of his body.
We spent around an hour here. Our 4-year-old daughter absolutely loved it, although some of the climbing sections were still a little challenging for her, so my husband stayed with her throughout. Older children will probably get even more out of the playground, but there are still plenty of areas where younger children can play safely and have fun.
Entry is free, and the park has benches, drinking fountains, and shaded areas where you can take a break. The only downside is that, because it’s so popular, it can get quite busy at certain times of the day. Even so, it was easily one of the most unique playgrounds we’ve come across during our travels.
Exploring the Turia Gardens by Bike
Once our daughter had burned off plenty of energy at Gulliver Park, we walked to the nearby FLEXI BIKE rental shop, where we hired two bicycles, one of them fitted with a child seat.
The location couldn’t have been more convenient. It’s only a few minutes’ walk from the Turia Gardens, so as soon as we collected the bikes, we were already cycling along the park’s peaceful, tree-lined paths. There was no need to navigate busy roads or spend time finding the right route—we simply got on our bikes and started exploring.
We rented the bikes for four hours, which gave us more than enough time to discover both the park and the nearby waterfront. We paid a total of €25 for the two bikes, including the child seat.
Tip: If you’re visiting Valencia with young children, we highly recommend exploring the Turia Gardens by bike.
Heading to the Beach
We made our way towards the beach through the Turia Gardens, one of Valencia’s best-known green spaces. Created in the former bed of the Turia River, this nearly 9-kilometre-long park stretches across the city and is filled with playgrounds, sports facilities, gardens, and shaded walking paths. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the locals’ favourite places to relax.
On the way, we cycled past the futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences. This time we admired them from our bikes without stopping, as we had saved an entire morning just for them—you can read our full guide to the City of Arts and Sciences here.
Leaving the park behind, we continued towards Valencia Marina and reached the waterfront by the harbour. One of the first things that caught our eye was the striking Veles e Vents building, originally built for the 2007 America’s Cup and still one of the marina’s most recognisable landmarks. Its modern architecture created an interesting contrast with the boats and yachts gently bobbing in the harbour.
From there, it was just a few more minutes of cycling before we reached the seaside promenade.
A Well-Earned Break by the Sea
By the time we reached the promenade, we decided it was the perfect moment for a coffee and ice cream break. We had planned to stop at Restaurant La Herradura, but because it was the Easter bank holiday weekend, the area was incredibly busy. Not only was there no free table, but the staff seemed so overwhelmed and unfriendly that they didn’t even acknowledge us when we tried to order takeaway coffees.
Realising we weren’t likely to get anywhere, we decided to move on. By then our daughter was starting to get a little tired and hungry, so finding something to eat before heading onto the beach became our priority.
Fortunately, we had a much better experience at Pans & Company Malvarrosa. Although it was just as busy, the staff were welcoming and friendly, and we were served without any problems.
Armed with cold drinks, coffee, ice cream, and croissants, we found a spot along the promenade. Once our daughter had happily eaten and had something to drink, it was finally time for what she had been looking forward to most—the beach. While she enjoyed playing in the sand, we sat back, enjoyed our snacks, and took in the relaxing atmosphere by the sea.
Back to the Apartment
After our well-earned break, we got back on our bikes and returned to the rental shop, taking a slightly different route through the city. It couldn’t have been easier. We dropped off the bikes, walked back to the nearby car park, and finally headed to our accommodation.
We arrived at our apartment at around 5 pm. Unfortunately, there was a small misunderstanding on arrival. Our host hadn’t seen the message I’d sent explaining that we would arrive about an hour later than originally planned. Although the mix-up wasn’t really our fault, he seemed a little annoyed at first. Fortunately, we cleared everything up within a few minutes.
The apartment itself, however, was fantastic, and I can honestly say the location couldn’t have suited us better. It was within easy walking distance of the City of Arts and Sciences, in a beautiful, clean, and safe neighbourhood.
Tip: We booked our stay via Booking.com, but it’s always worth checking Expedia or Hotels.com for similar great offers near the City of Arts and Sciences.
One of the biggest advantages was how spacious it was. As we were travelling as two families, it worked perfectly for us. The apartment had two large bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom, which made our stay much more comfortable. There was also a well-equipped kitchen, a cosy living room, and even an extra room that we didn’t end up using.
Outside, there was a lovely patio and a small private garden, but the real highlight was the private underground parking space. The apartment was spotless, modern, and wonderfully quiet, making it the perfect place to relax after busy days of sightseeing.
Practical tip: If you’re travelling to Valencia by car, having your own parking space is a huge advantage. Parking in the city centre and around the most popular attractions can be both difficult and expensive, so having a private garage made our stay much easier.
After safely parking the car in the apartment’s private garage and checking what supplies we needed, we headed out on foot. We’d been up since very early that morning, and by then everyone was both hungry and tired, so we weren’t in the mood to spend ages looking for somewhere to eat.
Luckily, just a two-minute walk from our apartment we found SUBH KEBAB PIZZERIA, which had an impressive 4.9-star Google rating. It certainly lived up to its reviews. The food was delicious, and they even had a dedicated children’s menu, which is always a big plus when you’re travelling with a 4-year-old.
After a satisfying dinner, we stopped at the nearby Lidl, where we picked up everything we needed for the rest of our stay, from groceries to a few everyday essentials.
Tip: If you’re planning a stay in Valencia, you’ll find all of our practical grocery shopping tips and recommendations in this article.
That was the perfect way to end our first day in Valencia—tired, but full of new experiences and excited for the adventures that still lay ahead.
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