Valletta
SightsThe walled city, with the cathedral, palaces and gardens.
Valletta city guide
Things To Do In Valletta
A fortified capital built by the Knights of St John on a peninsula between two harbours, walkable end to end in twenty minutes. Baroque, honey-coloured and one of the smallest capitals in Europe.
4
Hostels in the city
7.1
Average, from 2,191 reviews
1565
The Great Siege
~1 km
End to end
€2–2.50
A bus ticket
A city built for a siege
Valletta was built by the Knights of St John after they held off the Ottoman Great Siege of 1565, and it was planned as a fortress from the start: a grid of straight streets on a peninsula between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett, ringed by bastions and dropping steeply to the water on every side.
The whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is tiny: about one kilometre long and six hundred metres wide. In that space are a cathedral with two Caravaggios, the palace of the Grand Masters, and some of the best harbour views in the Mediterranean.
Valletta is quiet at night compared with Sliema and St Julian's, where most of the hostels are, but it is the place to spend your days. Two days covers the city and the Three Cities across the harbour.
Where to stay
Valletta has very few dorm beds. Most budget travellers stay in Sliema or St Julian's and take the ferry across.
Strait Street
NightlifeThe old sailors' street, now wine and cocktail bars.
Floriana
TransportJust outside the City Gate, by the bus terminus.
Birgu
HistoryThe oldest of the Three Cities, across the Grand Harbour.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 4 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Valletta
St John's Co-Cathedral looks plain from outside and is gold, marble and painted from floor to ceiling within. Its oratory holds Caravaggio's Beheading of St John the Baptist, the only painting he ever signed, and it is the reason many people come.
The Upper Barrakka Gardens have the best view over the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities, and the saluting battery below fires its cannons at noon. The Grand Master's Palace, the Knights' headquarters, has state rooms and an armoury.
Fort St Elmo, at the tip of the peninsula, houses the National War Museum, covering the Great Siege and the Second World War, when Malta was the most bombed place on earth.
Take a dgħajsa, a traditional water taxi, or the ferry across the Grand Harbour to Birgu, one of the Three Cities, where the Knights first settled. It is quieter and older than Valletta.
Free things
Free things to do in Valletta
The Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens are free, and so is the view over the Grand Harbour. The noon gun at the saluting battery can be watched free from the gardens.
Walking the city, its steep streets of balconied houses and the bastions around its edge, is free, and it is the main event.
Notte Bianca, one night in October, opens the city's palaces and museums free until late.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Valletta
Pastizzi, flaky pastries filled with ricotta or peas, are the Maltese snack, and cost well under a euro from a pastizzeria. Ftira, a flat sourdough bread, is filled with tuna, capers, tomatoes and olives for lunch.
Rabbit stew, stuffat tal-fenek, is the national dish. Kinnie, a bitter orange soft drink, and Cisk, the local lager, are the drinks.
Valletta's restaurants are pricier than elsewhere on the island, especially along Republic Street. Side streets and lunch menus are better value.
Nightlife
Going out in Valletta
Valletta is quieter at night than Sliema or St Julian's, but it has the best bars. Strait Street, once the sailors' red-light street, is now lined with wine bars and cocktail bars.
Rooftop bars around the city have views over the harbours. For clubs, Paceville in St Julian's is fifteen minutes away.
A beer is €3 to €5.
Getting around
Getting around Valletta
Valletta is small and walkable, but steep. The Barrakka Lift connects the Upper Barrakka Gardens to the Grand Harbour waterfront.
Valletta's bus terminus, just outside the City Gate, is the hub for the whole island. A single ticket costs €2 in winter and €2.50 in summer and is valid for two hours. The Explore card gives seven days of unlimited travel for €25.
Ferries cross Marsamxett to Sliema in about ten minutes, and the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. Fast ferries run from Valletta to Gozo in about forty-five minutes.
The airport is about eight kilometres away, with buses to the City Gate.
Costs
What Valletta costs
Malta is among the cheaper Mediterranean destinations, but Valletta has very few dorm beds. Budget travellers usually stay in Sliema or St Julian's, where dorms start around €16 outside summer and climb in July and August.
A careful day is €45 to €60. The costs that add up are museums and eating out in Valletta.
Pastizzi, the harbour ferries and the free gardens and walks keep it cheap.
Safety
Staying safe in Valletta
Valletta is very safe, with very little crime.
The streets are steep and the stone is polished smooth, which is slippery in the rain.
The sun is strong from May to October. Carry water.
Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Valletta
Malta is small. Everything is within an hour of Valletta.
Mdina and Rabat
Malta's old walled capital, the Silent City, and the catacombs of Rabat.
Marsaxlokk
A fishing village of painted boats, with a Sunday fish market.
Blue Grotto
Sea caves reached by small boat from Wied iż-Żurrieq, weather permitting.
Gozo
The greener, slower second island.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Carnival and the village festas are the ones to catch.
Staff pick
27 Oct – 1 Nov
The Three Palaces
The Three Palaces festival in Valletta, Malta, invites audiences to experience exceptional music and performance art within the stunning interiors of Malta’s historic palaces.…
25 Nov – 31 Dec
Christmas in the Capital
The heart of Valletta lights up with Christmas in the Capital, featuring beautiful street decorations, a nativity crib, and the iconic Christmas tree. You…
3 October
Notte Bianca
Notte Bianca is one of Malta’s largest annual arts and culture festivals held in Valletta. The city transforms for one night with live performances,…
18 October
Schloss Schönbrunn Orchestra Vienna
The Schloss Schönbrunn Orchestra Vienna brings a classical Viennese music evening to Malta for the first time. You will hear a refined program dedicated…
30 Oct – 1 Nov
Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show brings its wild, immersive rock'n'roll energy to Valletta this Halloween weekend. You can go all out with costumes and dive…
5 October
Beatfest: Country Night
Grab your cowboy hat and boots for an evening of country music in the intimate Green Room at Pjazza Teatru Rjal. Local band Too…
9–23 October
Reflections Through Time: A Collective Exhibition
Reflections Through Time is a collective exhibition by three artists exploring how the passing of time shapes memories. The show combines interactive elements with…
10 Oct – 31 Jan
Megan Rooney: A New Life Force
Megan Rooney: A New Life Force is a major group exhibition at Malta International Contemporary Art Space featuring three internationally recognized painters. The show…
Hostels
Where to stay in Valletta
Valletta has very few hostels. Most are across the harbour in Sliema and St Julian's, ten minutes away by ferry. Those Hostelworld lists here appear below, live.
When to go
April to June and September to October are ideal. July and August are very hot and crowded.
Jan
Mild and quiet
Feb
St Paul's Shipwreck and Carnival
Mar
Wildflowers, few visitors
Apr
Good Friday processions
May
The best month
Jun
Hot. Festa season starts
Jul
Jazz festival. Very hot
Aug
Santa Marija. Peak
Sep
Warmest sea
Oct
Notte Bianca
Nov
Quiet and mild
Dec
Christmas lights
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The sea stays swimmable from June to November.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Transport assumes buses and ferries. Beds are usually in Sliema or St Julian's.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Valletta travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
How many days do you need in Valletta?
Two, as part of a week in Malta. The city is small enough to see in a day, but the Three Cities and a slow evening deserve a second.
Where should I stay?
Valletta has very few hostels. Most budget travellers stay in Sliema or St Julian's, which are ten minutes away by ferry.
How much are the buses?
A single ticket is €2 in winter and €2.50 in summer, valid for two hours. The Explore card gives seven days of unlimited travel for €25.
Is St John's Co-Cathedral worth it?
Yes. The interior is extraordinary, and the oratory holds Caravaggio's Beheading of St John the Baptist.
How do I get to Gozo from Valletta?
By fast ferry, about forty-five minutes, or by bus to Ċirkewwa and the Gozo Channel ferry.
Do I need to book the Hypogeum?
Yes, weeks in advance. Visitor numbers are strictly limited to protect it.
When is the best time to visit?
April to June and September to October. July and August are very hot and crowded.
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