Photos: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The City of Arts and Sciences, from outside
Your local guide
Ximo Ferrandis
View profile
Highlights
- An eye-shaped planetarium and its reflecting pool
- A rib-like structure built like a whale
- A complex raised on the old riverbed
- Calatrava's landmark, seen from outside
- Modern Valencia's most striking skyline
About this tour
This session walks the exterior of the City of Arts and Sciences, Santiago Calatrava's landmark complex built on the old bed of the Turia river. You see the eye-shaped Hemisfèric reflected in its pool, the whale-like ribs of the Museu de les Ciències, and the grounds around the Oceanogràfic aquarium. It is a wide, visual introduction to Valencia's most modern architecture.
I move between buildings at a steady pace, timing the pools for the clearest reflections, and take your questions on the design throughout. Afterwards I send a short list of the buildings we saw and what each one holds.
This suits anyone drawn to contemporary architecture rather than the old town alone. It also works well as a contrast session after a morning in Valencia's medieval centre.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 6 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Valencia before heading out.
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L'Hemisfèric 17 min
You see the eye-shaped planetarium building, its curved shell reflected in the long pool in front of it.
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Museu de les Ciències 17 min
From outside, the camera follows Calatrava's rib-like white structure, built to resemble the skeleton of a whale.
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L'Oceanogràfic Grounds 17 min
The route ends beside the aquarium complex, and I explain how the whole site sits on the old riverbed of the Turia.
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Your questions 11 min
Time to ask anything about Valencia: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Paella valenciana and Ruzafa, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Madrid time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Valencia, showing you L'Hemisfèric and Museu de les Ciències live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet and I send the link with your booking confirmation. I carry the phone between the buildings myself, so you see the complex as I walk it.
Times shown in Madrid time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Mon 26 Oct · 10 seats left From 28,00 €
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