City of Arts and Sciences

How to visit Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences: which of the four attractions are actually worth paying for, the combo-ticket maths, and an honest verdict on the aquarium.

Written by the Departly editorial team Reviewed against GOV.UK on 7 Jun 2026

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Where

Valencia, Spain

Opening hours

The outdoor complex is open and walkable all day, every day, for free. Ticketed venues run roughly 10:00–19:00 from January to late June and mid-September to December, and 10:00–21:00 in high summer (1 July–16 September). The Oceanogràfic often runs later on Saturdays. Always confirm your date on cac.es.

Tickets

Oceanogràfic about €33.70 adult / €25.30 child (4–12); Museu de les Ciències about €8; Hemisfèric IMAX about €9 a session. The triple combo (all three, valid across three consecutive days) is €47.75 adult / €37.40 child and senior. Under-4s free.

Time needed

Oceanogràfic alone takes 3–4 hours; the Science Museum about 2; the Hemisfèric film 45 minutes. Half a day for one attraction plus the architecture, or a full day if you're doing the combo with kids.

In short

Visiting City of Arts and Sciences

Calatrava's white-concrete-and-glass complex sits in the drained Turia riverbed and is free to walk around — the photos everyone takes of the eye-shaped Hemisfèric and the spine-like Museu de les Ciències cost nothing. The money goes on four separate ticketed attractions. The Oceanogràfic aquarium (Europe's largest) is the one most people fly in for; the rest are skippable unless you have children. Decide what you actually want before you buy, because the triple combo only saves money if you'll genuinely do all three.

What you’re actually paying for

The mistake is treating this as one ticketed attraction. It isn’t. Santiago Calatrava’s complex — the eye-shaped Hemisfèric, the whale-skeleton Museu de les Ciències, the Umbracle walkway and the Oceanogràfic aquarium — sprawls along the drained Turia riverbed, and walking through it, photographing the white concrete reflected in the shallow blue pools, is completely free. Plenty of people come, take the photos and leave without spending a euro, and that’s a perfectly good visit.

The money goes on four separate venues, and they are not equal. The Oceanogràfic (about €33.70 adult, €25.30 for a 4–12 child) is Europe’s largest aquarium and the one most people travel for — the dolphins, the walk-through shark tunnel and the Arctic beluga section are the genuine draws. The Museu de les Ciències (around €8) is a hands-on science museum, decent for a rainy afternoon with kids but ordinary for adults. The Hemisfèric (about €9) shows 45-minute IMAX-dome films; pleasant, not essential.

Combo maths, timing and the verdict

The triple combo — Oceanogràfic, Science Museum and Hemisfèric, valid across three consecutive days — is €47.75 adult, €37.40 for children and over-65s. Do the maths honestly: it only beats buying separately (roughly €51) if you’ll actually visit all three. If you only really want the aquarium, buy the Oceanogràfic alone rather than paying €14 more for two venues you might skip. The combo earns its keep mainly for families spreading it over two or three days.

Book the Oceanogràfic ahead in school holidays and on summer Saturdays — timed slots sell out and the on-site queue is real. The Science Museum and Hemisfèric rarely sell out. Allow three to four hours for the aquarium alone; with the architecture and a film, it’s an easy half to full day. The nicest arrival is the 25-minute walk east through the Turia Gardens from the old town; otherwise Metro Line 10 to Ciutat Arts i Ciències–Justícia, or buses 13, 14, 35 or 95 to the door.

See the architecture regardless, since it’s free and striking. Pay for the Oceanogràfic if you’ve got children or genuinely love aquariums — it’s the only part worth flying in for. Adults short on time can admire the buildings, skip the indoor venues, and spend the saved money in Ruzafa or the Central Market instead.

Planning the rest of your trip? See the Valencia city guide.

More to see in Valencia

La Lonja de la SedaValencian Community Mercado CentralValencian Community Valencia CathedralValencian Community

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City of Arts and Sciences FAQs

Do you need to book City of Arts and Sciences tickets in advance?

For the Oceanogràfic, yes — timed slots sell out in school holidays and on summer weekends, and the on-site queue eats into your day. The Science Museum and Hemisfèric rarely sell out, but booking online still skips the ticket-office line. Walking around the outdoor complex needs no ticket at all.

Is the City of Arts and Sciences worth it?

The architecture is worth seeing and it's free — go even if you buy nothing. As a paid day out, it hinges on the Oceanogràfic: it's a genuinely good aquarium and the standout if you're travelling with children. The Science Museum and Hemisfèric are fine but ordinary; skip them unless the kids are restless or it's raining.

Is the combined ticket good value?

Only if you'll actually do all three venues. The €47.75 combo versus roughly €51 buying separately saves a few euros, but if you only really want the Oceanogràfic you're paying €14 extra for two attractions you may not bother with. Most adults without kids are better off buying the Oceanogràfic on its own.

How do you get to the City of Arts and Sciences?

It's about a 25-minute walk east through the Turia Gardens from the old town — the nicest way to arrive. Otherwise take Metro Line 10 to Ciutat Arts i Ciències–Justícia, or EMT buses 13, 14, 35 or 95 to the door. A taxi from the centre is roughly €8–10.

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