In November Valencia set about bringing order to guided tours of the city. If you are planning a day in the regional capital, here is what to know.
Inspections and fines for unlicensed guides
Valencia City Council and the regional government are starting inspections against illegal guides in the coming weeks. Local police officers are being trained in advance on the rules and requirements of the profession, reports the newspaper Las Provincias. Shortly before that, licensed guides themselves asked for fines for working without a licence and for the sector to be regulated.
Cameras in the centre and no more than ten people on bikes
Twenty-six cameras have been installed in the historic centre to monitor the routes of tourist groups. The council is also changing the city rules: tourist groups on bicycles and e-scooters will be limited to ten people. The city wants to ease the pressure on its narrow streets and cut residents' complaints.
What it means for visitors
- A tour "from a friend" or with a random guide on the street may end with an awkward conversation with the police in the middle of the walk.
- Large bike groups in the centre are becoming a thing of the past, so the city is easier to see on foot.
- An official guide works by the rules and talks about the city with real knowledge, not from an online guidebook.
On our trip to Valencia from Torrevieja, an official guide leads you through the old town: the cathedral with the Holy Grail, the Silk Exchange, the City of Arts and Sciences, and then free time. You can go by coach or by minivan. And for cruise passengers there is a separate walking tour with an official guide: the port, the Turia gardens, the Silk Exchange and the cathedral.
Source: Las Provincias, 2, 5 and 9 November 2026.
