Explore the City of Arts & Sciences: Private Tour in ValenciaPrivate Tour

Things to know

What makes this tour special

Rising dramatically from the green oasis of the Turia Gardens, the City of Arts and Sciences is a futuristic complex that has become one of Valencia’s most iconic landmarks. Primarily designed by visionary architect Santiago Calatrava, who was born and bred in Valencia, the site is widely considered one of the most spectacular examples of contemporary architecture in Europe and a testament to the city’s ambitious modernisation efforts from the 1980s to the present day. Our private tour allows you to explore the City of Arts and Sciences with a local expert guide who can break down the key elements of its remarkable architecture and reveal the stories and secrets behind its construction.

On your 2.5-hour private tour, you will:

• Discover the City’s and Arts and Sciences, Valencia’s most striking landmark, with a local guide;
• Uncover the origins of this ambitious project and the wider historical context;
• Learn about the vision of the architect Santiago Calatrava and how it has evolved and changed over the years;
• Explore the site together, while your guide reveals the most interesting architectural details;
• Pass by the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, an opera house with a dramatic curved structure;
• See the Hemisfèric, the first structure to be completed, and reveal how it was designed in the shape of a giant eye;
• Take in the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, a vast and interactive science museum and the largest building on the site, with a striking facade envisioned to look like a whale’s skeleton;
• Stop outside the Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium, housed within a series of distinctive white concrete shells;
• Admire the Àgora, the newest addition to the City of Arts and Sciences, and hear about the latest developments in recent years;
• Stroll along the Umbracle, an open-air promenade featuring a sculpture garden, lush local plantlife and stunning views over the rest of the site.
  

Experience Valencia’s most emblematic modern landmark on a private tour that brings the City of Arts and Sciences to life through the eyes of a knowledgeable local guide. Designed for travellers who appreciate bold architecture, visionary ideas and the stories behind great urban projects, this fascinating walk offers a deep look at how an abandoned riverbed became one of Europe’s most daring cultural complexes. Your guide begins by setting the scene, explaining the city’s relationship with water, the catastrophic flood that reshaped its future, and the ambitious civic dream that ultimately paved the way for this extraordinary transformation.

As you explore the site together, you’ll uncover the vision of Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava: his fascination with organic forms, his engineering ingenuity, and the evolution of the project from its earliest sketches to the futuristic landmark it is today. Your route is carefully planned to highlight the complex’s five most emblematic structures, each one revealing a different facet of Calatrava’s imagination. You’ll pause at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, the towering opera house that rises like a gleaming, curved vessel from the pools below. Nearby, you’ll discover the Hemisfèric, the first building to be completed and one of the most distinctive: a vast, eye-shaped theatre whose eyelid-like structure opens onto the water.

Your walk continues to the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, the largest building in the complex and a striking example of Calatrava’s biomimicry, with its rib-like façade inspired by a whale's skeleton. Just beyond it stands the Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium, surrounded by a series of dramatic white concrete shells that seem to float above the water’s surface. The tour also passes by the Àgora, a dynamic, high-vaulted space that represents the newest phase of the complex and reflects the city’s ongoing commitment to innovation and cultural expression.

Your tour concludes with a scenic stroll along the Umbracle, an elegant open-air promenade filled with local plant life, contemporary sculptures and sweeping views across the entire complex. From this vantage point, your guide ties together the tour's themes, architecture, ambition, creativity, and reinvention, giving you a deeper appreciation of how the City of Arts and Sciences reflects Valencia’s past, present, and future.

What you'll see

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