Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences, a location worthy of the cinema

Language: Bilingual (Spanish-English). 

Starting point: Main stairs of Palau de les Arts performing Arts Centre, opposite the Palau de les Arts box office.

Schedule: Saturdays at 10:00 a.m.

Duration: 1.5 hours

Essentials:

• 90-minute guided tour of filming locations at the City of Arts and Sciences.
• Discover the architecture of the Palau de les Arts performing arts centre, Science Museum and Umbracle Garden.
• Enjoy exploring the exact locations of films and series.
• The tour is led by an official tourist guide.
• 15% discount if you also buy the Valencia Tourist Card.

First stop: Palau de les Arts performing arts centre 

If you’re a fan of the cinema and adore television, this is the tour for you. Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences is like something out of a sci-fi film.

You will meet your guide by the main stairs (escaleras de la pluma) opposite the box office at the Palau de les Arts performing arts centre.

This incredible building was designed by the Valencian architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. The complex dedicated to the performing arts occupies over 40,000 m2 and is 75 metres in height.

It is no surprise that its majestic appearance has captivated Spanish and international filmmakers as an exterior shooting location. Why build a set when you have this incredible space?

On this large open set, you will visit the same spots as the stars of Hollywood films, like George Clooney in Tomorrowland. Also filmed here were sequences for the mythical British BBC series Doctor Who, and it appears as the Delos headquarters in HBO's Westworld.

Second stop: Hemisfèric 

After a pleasant walk, we come to the Hemisfèric, another of Calatrava’s spectacular buildings, with an ovoid roof over 100 metres in length.

This large structure represents an enormous human eye, the eye of wisdom. And it is a futuristic set appearing in the tenth season of Doctor Who. If you consider yourself a Whovian, you won't want to miss the locations where Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie filmed.

Third stop: Science Museum 

Now is your chance to stop and admire the Science Museum. This immense building is surrounded by pools, offering a bonus: the reflections. It is perhaps the most popular shooting location in the complex for films, television shows and advertisements.

To help you get your bearings: the Science Museum is the epicentre of the large architectural complex that is Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences. Its cantilever is where Frank lands at the end of Tomorrowland, and a new hope is born.

Grab a front row seat, the show is starting. This is where Tomorrowland, Doctor Who and Westworld were filmed, along with a considerable number of sequences for the Movistar+ series El Embarcadero (The Pier) and the Spanish film El silencio del pantano (The Silence of the Marsh).

Other visitors to this shooting location include Bollywood films and advertisements.

Final stop: Umbracle Garden 

Our tour concludes at the Umbracle Garden, an elevated walk over 17,500 m2 in area with a depth of field that enhances any shot.

This spectacular landscaped promenade with incredible views of the entire complex is a hothouse filled with palm trees where the stars of Doctor Who were able to find the answers to certain questions.

Take advantage of the opportunity to snap a few photos from the highest point; the framing will be fantastic.

Here is where we say goodbye to our guide, who has described all the details of the adventures involved in each filming.