Flight time
3h 00m
Best season
March–June & September–November
Budget
Budget to mid-range
Best for
Baroque architecture, history, sunshine, value
Overview
Why Valletta for a city break?
Valletta is the smallest capital city in the European Union and, for its size, one of the most extraordinary — a UNESCO World Heritage city of baroque palaces and churches built in a 55-year burst of construction by the Knights of St John following the Great Siege of 1565. The entire city is a planned baroque ensemble of extraordinary coherence, built on a peninsula between two of the world's finest natural harbours. It has more museums and cultural institutions per square metre than any other city in Europe. English is widely spoken, the sun shines more than almost anywhere in Europe, and it remains genuinely affordable.
From most UK airports it's around three hours — direct flights from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and several regional airports. Malta International Airport is 8km from Valletta (bus €2, 30 minutes, or taxi €15). The city is best from March to June and September to November: comfortable temperatures, no crowds, and the extraordinary quality of Maltese light. July and August are very hot but the harbour swimming and the outdoor life compensate. The Malta International Arts Festival in July and the Baroque Festival in January are worth planning around.
Where to stay & explore
Valletta's best neighbourhoods
Republic Street & the Palace
The main spine of the city — the Grand Master's Palace, the National Museum of Archaeology, the best shops and the most concentrated baroque architecture in Valletta.
Strait Street
The former red-light district of Valletta, running parallel to Republic Street — now home to the finest bars, jazz clubs and independent restaurants in the city.
The Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua)
The three fortified cities across the Grand Harbour from Valletta — reached by traditional dgħajsa water taxi, they predate Valletta and have a quieter, more authentic character.
Things to do
What to see in Valletta
1
St John's Co-Cathedral
The most extraordinary baroque interior in the Mediterranean — the Co-Cathedral of St John, built by the Knights between 1573 and 1578, has a floor entirely covered in 375 marble tombstones of Knights (each one a unique artwork of coloured marble inlay) and walls of carved limestone covered in gold. The Oratory contains Caravaggio's The Beheading of St John the Baptist — the largest painting Caravaggio ever made and the only one he signed, in the blood flowing from the decapitated saint. Book online; always busy.
2
Grand Harbour & the Three Cities
One of the finest natural harbours in the world — the Grand Harbour, where the Knights repelled the Ottoman siege of 1565 and where Allied convoys fought through in WWII, is best seen from the Upper Barrakka Gardens above the city (free, with the extraordinary saluting battery firing a cannon at noon). Cross to the Three Cities by traditional dgħajsa water taxi (€1.50 each way) — Vittoriosa's Fort St Angelo, Senglea's waterfront and the labyrinthine lanes of the oldest continuously inhabited urban area in Malta.
3
National Museum of Archaeology
The finest prehistoric collection in the Mediterranean — the Maltese temples (7 of them are UNESCO-listed, predating Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids) are represented by the Sleeping Lady figurine and the extraordinary Maltese temple art. The museum is housed in the Auberge de Provence, a 16th-century Knights' palace, and the collection covers 7,000 years of Maltese prehistory. Free on Sundays.
4
Ħaġar Qim & the Megalithic Temples
The Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra megalithic temples 45 minutes from Valletta by bus are among the oldest free-standing buildings in the world — built around 3600–2500 BC, they predate Stonehenge by 1,000 years and the Egyptian pyramids by 500 years. The Ħaġar Qim temple aligns with the midsummer sunrise through its main doorway. The visitor centre is excellent; book online. The coastal setting above the southern sea cliffs is extraordinary.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Valletta
Noni
Modern Maltese / fine dining
The finest restaurant in Malta — Jonathan Brincat's tasting menu celebrates Maltese ingredients (lampuki fish, qarabagħli marrows, fresh goat cheese, Ġbejna soft cheese) with classical French technique. The wine list focuses on emerging Maltese viticulture. Book months ahead.
Rubino
Traditional Maltese / Old Bakery Street
The most beloved traditional Maltese restaurant — in operation since 1906 in a converted confectionery shop, Rubino serves the classics of Maltese home cooking: fenkata (rabbit stew, the national dish), bragioli (beef olives), aljotta (fish soup), and the finest pastizzi (flaky pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas) in Valletta. Open lunch only. Book ahead.
Café Jubilee
Casual & terrace / Republic Street
The finest terrace café in Valletta — on Republic Street with views towards the Palace, serving excellent coffee, ftira (Maltese bread rings), local cheese, traditional breakfast platters and daily specials. The most sociable and affordable eating experience in the city. The Maltese breakfast (fried eggs, bacon, Maltese sausage, hobż biż-żejt — bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil) is the finest version in the city.
Itinerary
3 days in Valletta — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
St John's Cathedral, Upper Barrakka, the harbour at dusk
Bus from Malta Airport to Valletta (€2, 30 minutes). Walk straight to St John's Co-Cathedral (timed entry booked online) — the marble floor, the Caravaggio Beheading, the gilded nave. Allow 90 minutes; it demands careful looking. The Grand Master's Palace on Republic Street (the State Rooms, the armour collection — one of the finest in Europe — and the tapestry chamber) is next. Upper Barrakka Gardens for the Grand Harbour panorama and the noon cannon (if timed right). Dgħajsa water taxi from the Customs House Steps (€1.50) across to Vittoriosa — Fort St Angelo, the medieval streets, the waterfront. Return by taxi; dinner in Strait Street or at Rubino if booked.
Day 2
Megalithic temples, Ħaġar Qim, the Blue Grotto
Bus 71 from Valletta to Ħaġar Qim (45 minutes, €2) — the megalithic temples in the morning before the coaches arrive. The visitor centre first for the context, then the temples themselves. The Blue Grotto sea caves are 2km further along the coast road (taxi or walk) — boat tours run into the sea caves from the Wied iż-Żurrieq harbour (€5, 20 minutes; natural light is best in the morning). Return to Valletta for a late lunch at Café Jubilee. The National Museum of Archaeology in the afternoon — the Sleeping Lady, the temple models, the 7,000-year timeline. Noni for dinner (booked months ahead).
Day 3
Mdina day trip, the Three Cities, one last pastizz
Mdina — 11km from Valletta, bus 51 (30 minutes) — is the ancient walled capital of Malta, a silent city of baroque and Norman architecture on a hilltop with views across the entire island. The Cathedral of St Paul, the Palazzo Falson (a Norman palace and private museum), and the extraordinarily quiet streets (only 300 people live within the walls) make it the finest half-day excursion from Valletta. Return to Valletta for lunch. The Three Cities by ferry from the Valletta waterfront in the afternoon — Senglea's waterfront vedette (a fortified balcony with views across the Grand Harbour in both directions) is one of the finest viewpoints in Malta. One last pastizz from Crystal Palace Bar on Republic Street (the finest pastizzi in Valletta, 30 cents each, eaten standing on the street) before the bus to the airport.
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