Valletta: What to See — One-Day Itinerary | Malta Journal

Valletta is one of those places that makes an even bigger impression in person than in photographs. The most densely historic area in Europe (UNESCO) — 320 monuments on just 55 hectares. And that's exactly the trap: trying to see everything, you end up seeing nothing properly.

Getting to Valletta

From Sliema: Ferry — 5 minutes, €1.50 each way. Absolutely the best option. Bus: 40+ minutes in traffic. Bolt: approximately €5–8, faster than the bus.

Park outside the centre (car parks near the city entrance) — parking inside Valletta is a mission impossible.

One-day itinerary

Morning: St. John's Co-Cathedral — early!

Start at the Co-Cathedral first thing (opens 9:30). In summer queues form from 10:00 — then you're waiting 30–45 minutes. Arrive early and walk straight in. Tickets approximately €15, audio guide included.

Inside: the floor of 375 Maltese Knight epitaphs (you're walking on them). Caravaggio — two originals: "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" (the largest canvas Caravaggio ever painted) and "Saint Jerome". Absolute masterpieces.

Mid-morning: Merchant Street and Republic Street

Valletta's main arteries — shops, cafés, people. Duck into the side streets — that's where the real character lives. Upper Barrakka Gardens — the best viewpoint over the Grand Harbour. Constant view of the Three Cities (Vittoriosa/Birgu, Senglea, Cospicua).

Midday: lunch and Fort St. Elmo

Lunch at one of the restaurants along Republic Street or down in St. George's Square — shaded tables. Then Fort St. Elmo (War Museum) — where the Great Siege of 1565 changed the course of European history.

Afternoon: Hypogeum or a stroll and the ferry back

If you have a Hypogeum ticket (in Paola, outside the centre) — head there. If not — walk Strait Street (the former Maltese Pigalle), tea with a harbour view, ferry back to Sliema at sunset.

Practical notes

Valletta is small — everything within 20 minutes' walk
In summer: carry water, apply sunscreen — the stone walls radiate heat
Many historic buildings are private — locked from the outside is normal
Free toilets: at Upper Barrakka and the main bus station
Heritage Malta ticket desks (Cathedral, Fort) — buy online to skip the queue

Don't try to see everything in one day — savour what's in front of you. Valletta is small but dense. Better to genuinely understand the Co-Cathedral and the Knights than to race through 15 checkboxes. Come back in the evening — Valletta at night with illuminated walls and nearly empty streets is a different city entirely.