Valletta itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Valletta, day by day: the Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery, St John's Co-Cathedral, the National Museum of Archaeology, the Grandmaster's Palace and Fort St Elmo first, then a ferry across the Grand Harbour to Birgu, Fort St Angelo and the Inquisitor's Palace, the Gardjola Gardens of Senglea and an evening on Strait Street as you add a day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Valletta in 1 day
Day 1
Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery
Arcaded gardens on the bastions with the best view of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, above the Saluting Battery's cannons.
National Museum of Archaeology
Museum in the Auberge de Provence with finds from Malta's prehistoric temples, including the Sleeping Lady and fat figures.
St John's Co-Cathedral
The Knights of St John's church, plain outside and richly gilded inside, with marble tombstones and two paintings by Caravaggio.
Is-Suq tal-Belt
Valletta's restored 19th-century covered market, now a food hall with stalls of Maltese and international dishes and a supermarket below.
Grandmaster's Palace
16th-century palace of the Knights' Grand Masters, with painted state rooms, a corridor of armour and the Palace Armoury.
Fort St Elmo (National War Museum)
Star-shaped fort at the tip of Valletta, besieged in 1565, now home to the National War Museum.
Lower Barrakka Gardens
Small, quiet garden on the bastions with a Doric temple monument and views over the harbour entrance and breakwater.
Gardjola Gardens
Small garden at the tip of Senglea with a stone watchtower carved with an eye and ear, looking across to Valletta.
Valletta in 2 days
Day 1
Gardjola Gardens
Small garden at the tip of Senglea with a stone watchtower carved with an eye and ear, looking across to Valletta.
Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery
Arcaded gardens on the bastions with the best view of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, above the Saluting Battery's cannons.
National Museum of Archaeology
Museum in the Auberge de Provence with finds from Malta's prehistoric temples, including the Sleeping Lady and fat figures.
St John's Co-Cathedral
The Knights of St John's church, plain outside and richly gilded inside, with marble tombstones and two paintings by Caravaggio.
Is-Suq tal-Belt
Valletta's restored 19th-century covered market, now a food hall with stalls of Maltese and international dishes and a supermarket below.
Grandmaster's Palace
16th-century palace of the Knights' Grand Masters, with painted state rooms, a corridor of armour and the Palace Armoury.
Fort St Elmo (National War Museum)
Star-shaped fort at the tip of Valletta, besieged in 1565, now home to the National War Museum.
Lower Barrakka Gardens
Small, quiet garden on the bastions with a Doric temple monument and views over the harbour entrance and breakwater.
Strait Street
Narrow street once full of sailors' bars and music halls, now one of Valletta's liveliest spots for evening wine bars.
Day 2
Fort St Angelo
Fort at the tip of Birgu, headquarters of the Knights during the Great Siege of 1565, with harbour views from its ramparts.
Inquisitor's Palace
Palace of the Roman Inquisition in Malta, with courtrooms, prison cells and the inquisitors' rooms, now a museum of ethnography.
Malta Maritime Museum
Museum of Malta's naval history in the former Royal Naval Bakery on the Birgu waterfront.
Birgu Waterfront
Harbourside promenade in Birgu lined with superyachts, cafés and old naval buildings, facing Valletta across the water.
Watch: Valletta
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Valletta
April to June and September to October are the most comfortable months; July and August are hot and crowded, with the sea at its warmest. Winter is mild but windy, with some rain. Valletta lights up for Carnival in February and for the Valletta Baroque Festival in January.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Valletta on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Valletta on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Valletta on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Malta from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Valletta
- St John's Co-Cathedral is closed on Sundays and to visitors during services; dress with covered shoulders and knees, and see Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John in the oratory.
- The Saluting Battery fires its cannon at noon and at 16:00; arrive a few minutes early at the Upper Barrakka Gardens for a view over the battery.
- The Barrakka Lift links the Upper Barrakka Gardens with the harbour, where the ferry crosses to the Three Cities in a few minutes.
- Valletta's streets are a steep grid with many steps; comfortable shoes help, and the bastions give shade and views late in the day.
- Strait Street, once the sailors' bar street, is now a lively place for an evening drink; Is-Suq tal-Belt food hall opens from late morning.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Fort St Angelo: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort St Elmo (National War Museum): Dion Hinchcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gardjola Gardens: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grandmaster's Palace: Karelj, Public domain
- Inquisitor's Palace: Continentaleurope, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lower Barrakka Gardens: Simon Slator, Public domain
- Malta Maritime Museum: Mboesch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National Museum of Archaeology: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St John's Co-Cathedral: Matthew Axiak, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery: C T Johansson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
