Paella where it was invented, a space-age aquarium and a Gothic old town.
Valencia is Spain’s easygoing third city, and the cruise ships dock at the Poniente and Transversal berths beside the Trasmed terminal at the far end of a big commercial harbor, about 3 miles from the old town, so you ride a shuttle, a taxi or the number 4 bus in. Most cruisers split the day between Calatrava’s white City of Arts and Sciences with its Oceanogràfic aquarium and the Gothic lanes around the Cathedral and the Central Market, with a real paella somewhere in the middle. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Valencia
The City of Arts and Sciences, the old town and the market, or the beach and a paella: pick your day and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Calatrava’s white complex and the Oceanogràfic
- A 15 minute taxi (about €15 to €20) or bus 95 from the port to the futuristic complex in the old Turia riverbed: the Hemisfèric eye, the Science Museum, the Umbracle garden walk and the Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium in Europe
- Oceanogràfic alone is about €36 for adults as of 2026 (belugas, sharks, the dolphin show, a walk-through tunnel), the three-venue combined ticket about €46; allow 3 hours for the aquarium, half a day for all of it
- Walk the Turia Gardens afterward, a 5 mile park where the river used to be, to the Serranos Towers and the old town
Best for: families, architecture fans, hot days
Cathedral, Holy Grail, Silk Exchange and the Central Market
- The shuttle drops you at the Serranos Towers or the Plaza del Ayuntamiento; from there the Cathedral with its Holy Grail chapel is a 10 minute walk (about €10 to €12 with audio guide), and the 207 step Miguelete tower is about €2 more for the rooftop view
- The Lonja de la Seda, the Gothic silk exchange and a UNESCO site, is about €2 (free Sundays), and the Central Market across the street is the most beautiful food hall in Spain: jamón, oranges, horchata at the bar, closed Sundays and after 3 pm
- Plaza de la Virgen, the Barrio del Carmen street art and a tapas lunch for about €20 to €25 a head round out an easy 4 hour walk
Best for: couples, foodies, walkers
Malvarrosa sand and lunch in the paella’s hometown
- Las Arenas and Malvarrosa beaches are a mile of wide golden sand right next to the port, 10 minutes by taxi or a long flat walk from the terminal; loungers rent for a few euros and the water is swimmable June to October
- The paella restaurants on the Paseo Marítimo (La Pepica, Casa Carmela) serve the real Valencian version with chicken, rabbit and beans for about €18 to €25 a head; order by 1:30 pm, it takes 40 minutes
- Ship excursions go 30 minutes south to the Albufera lagoon for a boat ride through the rice paddies and a paella lunch in El Palmar, about 4 to 5 hours
Best for: beach lovers, repeat visitors, summer calls
Valencia cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Valencia from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Valencia
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Valencia
Valencia is the Spanish-coast stop on Western Mediterranean loops from Barcelona, Italy and France and on UK and transatlantic itineraries; pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Valencia
Most ships give you 7 to 9 hours here; the ride in is 15 to 20 minutes each way, so plan on one big thing plus the old town or the beach.
Which lines call at Valencia?
Valencia counts about 270 to 300 calls a year from some 30 lines, with MSC the heaviest user; these are the ones US cruisers sail most.
When to go
Valencia has one of the mildest climates in Europe, with hot, humid summers, short heavy rains in the fall and sunny winters; spring and early fall are ideal.
Valencia questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Valencia, and how far is it to town?
Ships dock at the Poniente and Transversal berths beside the Trasmed passenger terminal, at the northern entrance of Valencia’s big commercial port; there is no tendering. If your ship is berthed deeper in the harbor a free port shuttle brings you to the terminal gate. From there it is about 3 miles to the old town, not a pleasant walk, so take the cruise line shuttle (about €15 to €20 round trip, 15 to 25 minutes, dropping at the Serranos Towers or the Plaza del Ayuntamiento), a taxi (about €15 to €20, 15 to 20 minutes) or EMT bus 4 from the stop outside the gate (about €1.50, 25 to 30 minutes). MSC embarkation passengers check in at the Trasmed terminal and ride a short shuttle to the ship.
How do I get around Valencia, and what does it cost?
The old town is flat and walkable once you are in it. EMT buses are about €1.50 a ride paid to the driver or by tapping a card; bus 4 goes to the center and bus 95 to the City of Arts and Sciences along the Turia Gardens. Taxis are metered and honest: about €15 to €20 from the port to the center or the aquarium, about €10 between the two. The Valencia Tourist Card (about €15 for 24 hours) covers buses, metro and discounts if you plan to ride a lot. The hop-on bus does not come to the port.
What money do I use, and will my phone work?
Spain uses the euro and almost everything takes cards and tap-to-pay, down to the horchata bar; carry a little cash for market stalls and beach loungers. Spanish and Valencian are the languages and English is fine at the sights. Valencia is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of New York. Most US carriers sell a daily international pass of about $10 to $12, or buy an eSIM before you sail; the city has free Wi-Fi in the center.
Is Valencia safe for cruise passengers?
Valencia is one of the safer big cities in Spain; the cruise lines and the U.S. State Department note the same pickpocketing cautions as anywhere in Europe, mainly in the Central Market, on the beach and on crowded buses. Keep your bag across your body and in front, leave the passport in the cabin safe with a photo on your phone, use the metered taxis and you will have no trouble. Lunch runs late here (2 to 4 pm) and many shops close in the afternoon, so plan the market for the morning.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
Valencia is an easy do-it-yourself port: the shuttle or a taxi gets you to the old town or the Oceanogràfic in 15 minutes and both are well signed in English. Book through the ship for the Albufera paella trip, which is hard to do alone, or on a short call of under 7 hours when the departure guarantee matters. For the Oceanogràfic, buy the timed ticket online before you sail in July and August; the rest of the year you can walk up.
Do I need a passport for a Mediterranean cruise?
Yes. Every Mediterranean cruise needs a passport valid for at least three months beyond your return (we recommend six), and there is no closed-loop exception as there is for round trips from US ports. The EU’s new entry-exit system records your arrival at the first Schengen port, and the ETIAS travel authorization is being phased in; check the EU’s official site before you fly. Our specialists keep a current checklist for every sailing.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses, so the number you see is the number you pay for the cruise. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and onboard gratuities are extra, and SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on the picks at the top that you cannot get booking direct.
Talk to a Valencia cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and whether the aquarium or the paella is the goal and we will find the Mediterranean sailing with the most SmartCruiser value, then book it for you. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.