Contrasts of Valencia

Location: Valencia

Our nationwide return chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Valencia. On arrival, we transfer to our centrally located hotel where we’ll stay for the next seven nights. After checking-in, there’s time to freshen up before we gather for a welcome drink and our first meal together.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Dinner

Location: Valencia, Cathedral of Valencia, Central Market, Valencia

Today, we head to a traditional farm estate - Spain's sole cultivator of tiger nuts - to learn how horchata, a famous Valencian drink, is made. <br/>We'll also explore the narrow streets of Valencia’s Old Town. After taking in the medieval might of the Cathedral of Valencia with its famous Romanesque, baroque and Gothic doorways, the energetic among us might want to climb the 207 steps to the top of the bell tower for panoramic views over the streets below. <br/>Next, it’s on to Central Market, which is as famous for its stained glass, ceramic tiles and high-domed ceiling as for its stalls piled high with fresh fruit, meat and cheese.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Location: Valencia, City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, L'Hemisfèric, Valencia, Science Museum, Valencia

Today we see the flip side of the city as we witness some of its finest contemporary art, architecture and museums. Modern Valencia is a showcase of cutting-edge architecture, culminating in the ensemble of futuristic buildings that make up the City of Arts and Science complex. We’ll come face to face with L'Hemisfèric, a building shaped like a giant eye, and the Science Museum whose exterior resembles the skeleton of a whale.<br/>Other attractions include an opera house, outdoor art gallery and huge oceanarium, which you’re free to explore independently this afternoon if you wish.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Location: Valencia

Today is a free day, so you call the shots. Perhaps you’ll take a breather and relax at the hotel. Or maybe grab a map and take off by yourself.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Location: Valencia, Albufera Natural Park

The beauty and flavours of Valencia blend perfectly today as we make the short journey south to Albufera Natural Park and its freshwater lagoon. It’s a beautiful, tranquil place, a haven for migratory birds and waterfowl, and a mecca for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. We’ll enjoy a guided tour before boarding a traditional ‘albuferenc’ to explore the lagoon’s wetlands and canals.<br/>Albufera is the home of paella and we'll visit a barraca - a traditional Valencian house, home to the farmers who cultivated the rice. We'll watch a paella making demonstration, before tucking into this delicious, saffron-scented dish.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Location: Valencia, City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, Old Town, Valencia

We’ve left the whole day free, so you can do as you please. You might want to revisit the City of Arts and Sciences with its jaw-dropping modern architecture and mind-boggling museums. Or slow down completely in the Old Town with its medieval churches, resplendent basilicas and sun-splashed squares. With lunch and dinner free too, the hardest part will be deciding which fine old Valencian café, restaurant or tapas bar to visit first.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Location: Valencia

Today we immerse ourselves in the colour, charisma and drama of Valencia’s Las Fallas festival, which takes place every year in March. Las Fallas culminates with the burning of the ‘fallas’, lavishly decorated floats that are paraded through the streets accompanied by lively parades, marching bands and crowds of festivalgoers.<br/>The Museum of Artist Fallero celebrates Las Fallas through film, photographs and a display of surviving fallas dating back to 1934. After a guided walking tour, and in true festival spirit, we’ll be served a glass of Agua de Valencia, the city’s signature cocktail which mixes cava, vodka, gin and the juice of fresh Valencian oranges in one deliciously decadent glass.

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Valencia

We transfer to the airport for the return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.