From The North Station, English

Overview

This GuruWalk walk starts under the clock at the main entrance of Estació del Nord, where the guide waits with a black umbrella, and spends two and a half hours working through Valencia's historic centre. The route is exterior only: no monuments are entered. It runs from the station's modernist facade to Plaça de l'Ajuntament, past Mercat Central and the Lonja de la Seda, along Carrer dels Cavallers past the Palau de la Generalitat, around the Cathedral at Plaça de la Virgen, and finishes at the Torres de Serranos.

The guide is an art historian, and the walk is pitched at two kinds of visitor: first-timers who want an introduction to local customs, language, history and food, and people who want the architecture and art read properly rather than just pointed at. Because everything is seen from the street, the walk works as a scene-setter for the rest of a trip, after which you can decide which interiors to come back to on your own.

The whole walk is in English, it covers Ciutat Vella, and it is free to reserve. At the end you pay the guide whatever you think the walk was worth, which is how GuruWalk's pay-what-you-want model works.

Itinerary

1. Meet at Estació del NordThe guide waits with a black umbrella directly in front of the station's main entrance, under the clock. The walk lasts 2 hours 30 minutes in total.
2. Estació del NordThe walk opens at the station itself, a building described on the GuruWalk page as a jewel of Valencian modernism.
3. Plaça de l'AjuntamentFrom the station the route heads to Town Hall Square, called the heart of the city on the GuruWalk page.
4. Mercat Central and the LonjaTwo of the stops are the Central Market and the Silk Exchange, the latter a World Heritage Site. Both are seen from outside, as all visits on this route are exterior.
5. Sant Nicolau and Carrer dels CavallersThe route continues along the historic Calle Caballeros towards the area around the Palau de la Generalitat.
6. Plaça de la Virgen and the CathedralThe walk reaches the beautiful square and goes around the Cathedral of Valencia without entering.
7. Finish at the Torres de SerranosThe tour ends in front of the Serranos Towers. The GuruWalk page notes the route has 4 stops in total, of which the first 3 are shown in its itinerary.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical things shape this walk before you reserve a spot.

• Meeting spot. Find the guide with a black umbrella in front of the main station entrance, under the clock. There is no pickup: everyone meets at Estació del Nord.
• Exterior only. Every visit on this route is exterior, so no entry fees come up during the walk. If you want to go inside the Lonja, the Cathedral or the towers, plan those separately afterwards.
• Language. The walk runs in English only. The guide is an art historian, so expect commentary on architecture and art throughout the route.
• Pace and distance. The route crosses Ciutat Vella from the station to the Torres de Serranos over 2 hours 30 minutes. Wear comfortable shoes for the distance.
• Weather. The whole walk is outdoors, so sun, heat or rain follow you the entire way. Bring water in warm weather and something for rain if the forecast looks doubtful.
• Paying the guide. Booking the free spot costs nothing on GuruWalk. At the end you tip the guide whatever you felt the walk was worth, so carry some cash or check what the guide accepts on the day.

Common issues. The GuruWalk page is upfront that all visits are exterior, so anyone expecting to go inside the Lonja or the Cathedral will not get that here. The practical limits come from the tour description itself: a 2 hour 30 minute outdoor route means weather matters, and the meeting point is fixed at Estació del Nord with no pickup option. The description also notes the route has 4 stops while only showing the first 3, so the final shape of the itinerary may hold a small surprise.

Questions People Ask About This Walk