Valletta, Malta: 10 Top Things To Do

Visitors who enjoy the sun, history, and walking tours will find Valletta, one of Europe’s smallest capitals, a great place for a city vacation.

Stretching out from the main island of Malta, Valletta, a former stronghold of the Knights of St. John, combines modern elegance with Baroque architecture.

The beaches, lagoons, and scuba diving of Comino and Balmy Gozo, two of the twenty-one islands of the Maltese archipelago, may draw tourists to the glittering Mediterranean. Still, the history and landmarks of fortified Valletta lie at the core of the island nation.

With a wealth of harborside history in its elaborate cathedrals, military museums, and 17th-century fortifications connecting the Unesco World Heritage Centre to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and both world wars, the capital of Malta is aptly nicknamed “The Fortress City.”

Here’s our guide to the greatest places, dining options, and things to do in Valletta during a sunny vacation, from exploring the gilded hallways of St. John’s Co-Cathedral to taking a boat ride around the Grand Harbour and indulging in Maltese food.

Tour St John’s Co-Cathedral

At St. John’s Co-Cathedral, a full Latin Mass is held on Sundays at 9.15 am. Its gilded Baroque interiors, an abundance of marble, and Caravaggio artworks make churchgoing a unique experience. Constructed by the Order of St. John, this architectural marvel features nine elaborate chapels, several tombs, and a crypt, all of which serve as opulent displays of the knights’ wealth.

Head up and down the Upper Barrakka lifts

Views of Fort St. Angelo and the blue Grand Harbour are guaranteed during a day spent at the Upper Barrakka Gardens. A 58-metre-tall panoramic glass elevator that costs just €1 to ride each way links the gardens to Valletta’s port, providing sea-level ferry access. The verdant gardens themselves are the perfect spot for a picnic with a loaf of Malta’s national bread. There are fountains, statues, and a neo-classical shrine there, along with some of the best views of the city skyline. 

Explore Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum

The oldest fort in Malta, Fort St. Elmo, is a star-shaped stone strengthening at the point of the peninsula that defends the entrance to Valletta’s Grand Harbour. The National War Museum, which features exhibitions of military armour, the George Cross, and a First World War memorial to provide an educational perspective into 7,000 years of Maltese history, is housed in Fort St. Elmo along with a chapel, the resting place of knights slain in battle.

Cruise the Grand Harbour

Since the Phoenician era, the vibrant Grand Harbour, located east of the city, has served as a seaport and a gateway to the “Three Cities” of Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, which are next to and precede Valletta. The bright wooden dghajsa, or traditional Maltese harbour boats, transport tourists onto the water so they can see Malta’s impressive defences from the sea, just like the sailors would have, but with all the romanticism of a Venetian gondola.

Watch the cannon fire at the Saluting Battery

Every day at noon, the Saluting Battery, dating back to the 16th century, crackles and shoots plumes of smoke, providing a breathtaking view of Valletta’s Grand Harbour and Fort St. Angelo. Adult tickets to the midday smoke show cost just €3, and the tribute to former visiting naval vessel salutes continues the history of ceremonial artillery firings and dignitary gun salutes that have been part of the city since its founding in 1566.

Sample traditional street food on a walking tour

The former European Capital of Culture is dotted with culinary pleasures, but the best way to experience Malta’s blend of simple cuisines is through street snacks. On Valletta’s side streets, traditional rabbit stew stuff at tal-fine (the national dish) and pastizzi pea-filled pastries meet seasonal fresh swordfish and tympana pastry-style lasagnes, while cultural walking tours offer the chance to sample the local antipasti and lagers as you promenade. The antique pathways are a visual and culinary feast.

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Take in the Tritons’ Fountain

The Tritons’ Fountain, located at the entrance of Valletta’s City Gate, features three bronze Tritons that balance a basin in a spectacular display of mist and water jets. The iconic fountain was created by Maltese sculptor Vincent Apap and switched on for the first time in 1959. Since then, it has been maintained to shine and greet visitors to the European city. Even better, on one of Malta’s sweltering summer days, the spontaneous sprays from the fountain will help you cool off.

Navigate the Lascaris War Rooms

Learn more about Malta’s involvement in the Second World War by visiting the subterranean, fully preserved Lascaris War Rooms, which are reached through a maze of tunnels and rooms excavated beneath the city. Famous invasions like the 1943 invasion of Sicily were planned here by generals, and the Allies’ vital operations center in the Mediterranean is still stocked with the old maps and bombing timetables that were used to organize the war.

Stroll Republic Street

The majority of Valletta’s principal attractions are concentrated along Republic Street, the city’s 1 km-long main thoroughfare. The major pedestrian thoroughfare runs from the city gates to Fort St Elmo on the tip of the peninsula, lined with elegant historic lunch spots like Caffe Cordina and the National Museum of Archaeology, as well as artisan merchants of silver filigree and lace. To understand the inner workings of Malta’s capital, take a stroll.

Eat streetside at San Paolo Naufrago

From 1938, the San Paolo Naufrago pizzeria on St Lucia’s Street has been welcoming guests with freshly made parma pizzas, charcuterie platters, and wine glasses from the quiet wine bar every Sunday at 10 a.m. At this family-run restaurant in the heart of Valletta, orders of the popular dough cost just €8. Multicoloured seats line the steps for al fresco lunches under the twinkling fairy lights.