Valletta Travelers Recommend

Three days in Valletta give you ample time to soak up the historic city’s atmosphere, tick off top sights by land and by sea, and go island hopping around the Maltese archipelago. Here are a few ways to experience the best of Valletta in 72 hours.

Day 1: Explore the City

Malta’s compact size makes it a great place to explore on foot, meaning that walking tours are one of the most enjoyable ways to see the sights. Most walking tours cover landmarks such as St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the Grand Master’s Palace, and the new Parliament building, and point out Baroque architectural details that you may otherwise have missed. Tours by Segway follow a similar itinerary but cover more ground in a shorter time, while hop-on hop-off bus tours have the added appeal of letting you set your own itinerary and pace.

Nighttime tours let you see Valletta, as well as the nearby historic cities of Mosta and Mdina, at their most atmospheric. Options include ghost tours, open-top bus tours, and walking tours that tend to include tickets to Malta 5D, a multimedia show about Maltese history and culture.

Day 2: Get Out on the Water

Get a different perspective of Malta and its surrounding islands on a cruise. Full-day sightseeing cruises typically sail all the way around the Maltese coastline and anchor at secluded bays that can only be reached by boat, so that you can enjoy free time snorkeling or swimming. Some cruises let you disembark at the car-free island of Comino for a stroll or to visit the famed Blue Lagoon. Other, shorter, cruises typically stay closer to Malta’s coastline and cover the Grand Harbour, coastal villages, and the Three Cities, a collective name given to the ancient fortress cities of Senglea, Cospicua, and Vittoriosa.

Back on dry land, nighttime entertainment options include immersing yourself in traditional Maltese culture with a folklore dinner-and-show package or soaking up the nightlife of Paceville and St. Julian’s on a bar crawl of some of the area’s best nightlife spots.

Day 3: Explore Gozo

On your final day, head over to Gozo—a 30-minute ferry ride from Cirkewwa Harbour—to explore more of the archipelago. Full-day Jeep and coach tours of the island typically include hotel pickup and drop-off, and take you to top attractions such as the UNESCO-listed Ggantija Temples, Ramla Bay, and the hilltop citadel in Victoria—excursions let you skip the stress of car hire and navigation. If you prefer some flexibility, make your own way to Gozo to take in views of mountainous terrain aboard a hop-on hop-off, double-decker bus, which allows you to travel at your own pace. 

Stay on Gozo for dinner to discover why the island is famed for its food. You’ll find plenty of excellent restaurants focused on fresh, local produce around Mgarr Harbour, from which you can catch the ferry back to Malta afterward.

A 2-day trip to Valletta allows you to see the best of the compact capital; you’ll have time to visit all of the UNESCO-listed historic sites and see the city from a different perspective on a cruise. Plus, you can explore more of the archipelago on a trip to the neighboring island of Gozo. Here’s how. 

Day 1: Explore the Capital

**Morning:**Start the day with a guided walking tour of Valletta’s main landmarks, which include St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the new Parliament building, the Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, and Grand Master’s Palace. Alternatively, book a hop-on hop-off bus tour and benefit from being able to set your own itinerary and pace.

**Afternoon:**Embark on an afternoon cruise to see Valletta from the water. Short sightseeing cruises pass by the Grand Harbour and the ancient fortress cities of Senglea, Cospicua, and Vittoriosa, while longer excursions take you to the unspoilt island of Comino and the Blue Lagoon.

**Night:**Nighttime island tours reveal the historic cities of Valletta, Mosta, and Mdina at their most atmospheric, when landmarks are illuminated and temperatures have cooled. Most night tours include tickets to Malta 5D, a multimedia show about Maltese history and culture.

Day 2: Discover Prehistoric Sites and Gozo

**Morning:**Travel back thousands of years on a morning tour of Malta’s prehistoric sites. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Megalithic Temples of Malta—which comprise Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum, Hagar Qim Temples, and Mnajdra Temples—are some of the oldest structures on earth, making them a must-see for history buffs.  

**Afternoon:**Spend the afternoon on Gozo island—a half-hour ferry ride from Cirkewwa Harbour—to explore more of the Maltese archipelago. Enjoy views of the island’s mountainous terrain from the top deck of a hop-on hop-off bus; routes cover top attractions such as Xewkija, Ggantija Temples, and Ramla Beach.

**Night:**Gozo is famed for its seafood, cheese, and wine, so definitely stick around for dinner. You’ll find plenty of excellent restaurants focused on fresh, local produce around Mgarr Harbour, which, conveniently, is where you can later catch the ferry back to Malta.

Valletta, the UNESCO-listed Maltese capital, may be small but it’s packed with attractions. This compactness means you can see plenty in a single day; attractions encompass Baroque architecture, natural attractions, and landmarks related to the legacy of the Knights of St. John. Here are a few ways to spend one day in Valletta.

Morning: Take in the City’s Sights

The cobbled streets of Valletta Old Town lend themselves well to wandering so a walking tour a great way to see the sights. Most tours cover landmarks such as St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the Auberge de Castille, the Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, and the opulent Grand Master’s Palace. Tours by Segway follow a similar itinerary but allow you to cover more ground in less time, while hop-on hop-off bus tours have the added benefit of allowing you to set your own itinerary and disembark at only the attractions that interest you. 

Afternoon: Get Out onto the Water

The small island of Malta is surrounded by calm, clear, and easily-accessible water, making an afternoon cruise a must. You can choose between a short cruise to the Grand Harbour and Three Cities—the collective name given to the ancient fortress cities of Senglea, Cospicua, and Vittoriosa— or a longer excursion to the unspoilt island of Comino and the Blue Lagoon; this option generally allows time for swimming and snorkeling, with some staying on the water until sunset.

Night: Soak Up the Atmosphere After Dark

A nighttime tour of Valletta, Mosta, and Mdina offers the opportunity to see three historic cities at their most atmospheric,. Most evening excursions include tickets to Malta 5D, a multimedia show about Maltese history and culture, and allow time to stroll through the car-free streets of Mdina, the former Maltese capital also known as the Silent City.

Alternatively, immerse yourself in traditional Maltese culture at a folklore dinner show or soak up the nightlife of Paceville and St. Julian’s by joining a bar crawl that reveals local haunts.