Valletta

Valletta

Malta

The capital of Malta, Valletta, is built on high ground on a peninsula. The city is surrounded by ancient walls and the sea. Hence, it’s not a city by the sea; it’s a city surrounded by the sea.
With its rich history and beautiful architecture, Valletta is a great destination for all-year-round city breaks for adults. No wonder, it's been selected as a Unesco World Heritage Site and the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Valletta is the smallest capital in the European Union, and obviously the distances between the attractions are short.

Where to stay in Valletta

Valletta’s extremely small, and it makes no difference where you accommodate inside the city walls (east of the City Gate). The City Gate is situated by the picture tag 10 on the map below.

Bear in mind, however, that Valletta’s landscape is far from flat. The highest ground is situated between the tags 10 and 14 on the map, which coincides with the central parts of the town. The surrounding areas tend to incline uphill or downhill, often with stairs available.

If you’re looking for a hotel with a swimming pool, and enjoy strolling about on a seaside promenade, you might want to consider other nearby locations for accommodation. Sliema across the bay, is a good option. There's a ferry operating across the bay all day long, enabling quick access to Valletta’s sights. Late connections are available only in summer.

The ferry from Sliema to Valletta takes 15 minutes one way and requires a small fee. However, hotels in Sliema are cheaper than in Valletta, which compensates for the costs of the ferry. Note, however, that there may be long queues to the ferry at times, and it doesn't operate in heavy winds.

Things to do in Valletta

Lascaris War Rooms

Lascaris War Rooms are secret underground tunnels and rooms that were built for the Second World War and used as War Headquarters. In post-war years until 1970s, the site was used for a strategic communication center by NATO and for other military purposes before being closed. Later, Lascaris War Rooms were reopened as a museum. Admission fee includes a 45-minute guided tour, or you may visit the rooms on your own.

Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum

Fort St Elmo is a star-shaped fort, built just before the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. It now hosts the National War Museum. An entrance ticket is required to access the fort area. The museum is spread in six different locations across Fort St Elmo, all designated to a specific time in Malta's history.

Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Saluting Battery

Upper Barrakka Gardens is a park with great views to the ”three cities” over the Grand Harbour. On the lower tier, there's a battery of cannons. One of the cannons is fired twice a day in a show, which is actually a simulation producing realistic sound and smoke. You can watch the Saluting Battery for free from the upper tier, while the lower tier, closer to the cannons, requires a fee. Interestingly, the view is in fact better from the upper tier.

Grandmaster's Palace

Grandmaster's Palace in VallettaThe Grandmaster's Palace now serves as the Presidential Palace. You can visit the small courtyard for free, and the State Room and Armoury for a fee.

Casa Rocca Piccola

Casa Rocca Piccola is a 16th Century Palace of a Maltese Noble family that has been partly opened for visitors.

St John’s Co-Cathedral

St John’s Co-Cathedral is a large cathedral right in the city center.

From Malta airport to Valletta

Luqa airport is the only airport in Malta, located about 8 kilometers southwest of Valletta.

There are no railroads in Malta, so busses are the only option besides taxis and other private transportation. Choose the bus line X4 with the direction “Birzebbuga-Valletta”. You can find the airport stop (“Airport 1”) under the heading “Hal Luqa”. The journey between the airport and Valletta city takes 25 minutes

Check for taxi prices to different destinations here. An administrative fee of a few euros could be added to the price.

Bolt (former Taxify) operates in Malta, and it's cheaper than traditional taxi companies. You can pay the fare with their mobile app or directly to the driver.

Weather in Valletta

Valletta weather sunsetIn Valletta, the certainty of sunshine throughout the year is one of the highest in the whole Europe.

Winter: The winter months from December to February are often rainy, and the daily highs typically vary between 13-19°C. At night, temperatures drop to both sides of 10°C. There’s no risk of snowfall.

Spring: From March to May, it stops raining and the sun is out often. In March, the average daily highs climb to around 15-20°C and in April, to 25°C and above. May is often the first month the locals hit the beach. While some days are hot, evenings can still be chilly, around 15°C. Therefore, it’s good to bring along warmer clothing just in case.

Summer: From June to August, sunshine is pretty much guaranteed. Temperatures climb to 30 °C and above. In June, temperatures usually drop to around 20°C at night. In July and August, temperatures stay around 25°C even at night.

Autumn: September is still a hot month, with temperatures around 25°C. In November, the daily highs drop to about 20°C, and it rains more frequently than in October.

All destinations in Malta

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