One Day in Valletta, Malta: A Walkable Itinerary

We based ourselves in Sliema during our short trip to Malta, but knew that getting into Valletta would be a priority for us. As the country’s capital, it’s where you’ll find the biggest hits in terms of historic landmarks and solid architecture.

The city is compact and walkable, and one day in Valletta is enough to see my favorite noble house on the island, eat well, and get a solid sense of Malta’s history.

Is Valletta worth visiting?

Valletta is absolutely worth visiting. This is Malta’s capital and a compact, walkable city packed with history, culture, and architecture.

Even if you only have one day, you can see major highlights like St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Grand Master’s Palace, and Fort St Elmo, plus enjoy local food and waterfront views.

One day in Valletta is enough to see the highlights.

One day in Valletta gives you enough time to wander its historic streets, step inside its most impressive landmarks, and enjoy a proper Maltese meal or two.

If you only have half the day, choose one or two historic sites and leave time for a meal in town, or book a guided walking tour of the highlights.

With more time on the island, I’d give the rest of Malta some attention  — I have a guide for three days to Malta! — but Valletta is essential on even short visits here.

How to Spend One Day in Valletta

You can spend one day in Valletta like this:

• Tour Casa Rocca Piccola.
• See the Caravaggio paintings at St John’s Co-Cathedral.
• Grab snacks at Is-Suq Tal-Belt.
• Eat lunch at Legligin.
• Wander the Grand Master’s Palace.
• Explore Fort St Elmo.
• Relax on the Valletta Waterfront.
• Have dinner in Gżira.

One Day in Valletta

Valletta is mostly walkable, so you can fit a lot into a single day. We typically like coffee and a snack at our accommodations, but if you want a proper coffee shop, Atilem Coffee & Wine is next door to your first stop.

Stop 1: Casa Rocca Piccola

Casa Rocca Piccola is a 16th-century noble home with a twist: it doubled as a WW2 bomb shelter. Book a guided tour ahead of time so that you’re not shut out of the first tour of the day.

Note: You can do this one self-guided, too, but I highly recommend a guide for the added storytelling potential.

Guided tours last about 45 minutes. For more about what you’ll see, check out my dedicated guide to this impressive historic home.

A bonus highlight was Kiku, the macaw, who likes to say “hello” and give tourists a little wave as they pass.

Stop 2: St John’s Co-Cathedral

St John’s Co-Cathedral is the most popular stop in Valletta, so you’ll want to book tickets in advance unless you like long lines.

This is especially true if you’re here during cruise season, but we saw a long wait (for those without tickets) even during the low season.

Fun fact: The church shares its status with St Paul’s Cathedral, which was originally Malta’s main cathedral when Mdina was the capital. When Valletta became the new capital, St John’s was elevated to equal standing, thus why it’s now a “co-cathedral.”

Inside, the interior is very ornate, with all gold everything on just about every surface. Even if you think you’ve “seen a lot of churches,” this one stands out.

It’s also home to one of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. It’s the only work the artist ever signed.

We really liked the short movie they have running about the artist that adds helpful context about his dramatic AF life.

Before you leave, spend some time at any of the small side chapels. Each one represents a different group of the Knights of St. John.

The floor is also worth your attention. It’s made up of hundreds of intricate marble tombstones honoring said knights.

Stop 3: Is-Suq Tal-Belt (Valletta Food Market)

After soaking in the cathedral, we wandered into Is-Suq Tal-Belt, Valletta’s food market. We poked around the grocery stalls for Maltese snacks and grabbed some cheeselets for later, but you can stop at any of the stalls here for a quick, casual lunch, too.

Our sit-down meal coming up next was SO good, though.

Stop 4: Lunch at Legligin 

We booked a table at Legligin, a Michelin-recommended eatery, and were so impressed. Despite the accolades, this is very much comfort food, Maltese-style. Five courses for €37 honestly felt like a steal, too.

We had bread and olives to start, Maltese tapas that consisted of cheeselets and pâtés, seabream soup, a pork ragu pasta, and rabbit with potatoes.

Fun fact: Our server told us that rabbit is Malta’s national dish, so while the rest of the menu will likely change day-to-day, rabbit is a feature of the tasting menu. They’ll accommodate vegetarians, though.

We had a choice of local desserts, so we shared the kwareżimal, an orange biscuit cake, and the pudina tal-ħobż, a Maltese bread pudding. The desserts didn’t compete with what we’d become used to in France, but that’s a minimal knock against this place.

We haven’t found a place that can compete with dessert in France, by the way.

READ MORE: There is quite a bit that surprised us about life in France. Here are some things we didn’t expect about living there!

We paired everything with half a bottle of local wine and sampled some of their in-house liqueurs. The service was excellent, too!

Stop 5: Grand Master’s Palace

Bellies full, we wandered to the Grand Master’s Palace, one of Valletta’s most important historic buildings and once the seat of power for the Knights of St. John.

This is essentially Malta’s palace, and even with parts closed during our visit, it still felt worth the stop. The rooms that were open that day gave a glimpse into the scale and grandeur of the place.

The throne room was closed when we visited, which was a bit of a letdown, but there was still plenty to take in. As with pretty much any grand building throughout Europe, look up.

The ceilings and upper walls are where a lot of the detail lives, with ornate paintings and architectural touches that are easy to miss if you’re just moving from room to room.

Stop 6: Fort St Elmo

There’s a lot to see at Fort St Elmo, and you could easily spend a few hours here if you’re into history. This is where you’ll find the National War Museum, which walks you through Malta’s past from the time of the Knights all the way through the modern era.

Note: It’s a lot, especially for history buffs. If Malta’s history is a priority for you, you may want to move this up earlier in the day when your brain is fresh for new info.

We were especially interested in the World War II section, which added important context to Malta’s role in the conflict. There’s also an armory section with historic weapons on display, which is a nice bonus if that’s your thing, and rotating art exhibits.

Beyond the exhibits, the setting itself is a highlight. The fort offers incredible panoramic views over the sea and surrounding harbors, making it one of the most scenic spots in Valletta.

Stop 7: Valletta Waterfront 

By this point in the day, the Valletta Waterfront is a nice change of pace. Lined with colorful, historic buildings that were once warehouses, the area has been restored into a relaxed stretch of restaurants, bars, and walking paths right along the water.

We only stopped here briefly, as by this point, we wanted to head back to our accommodations to relax properly before dinner. If your travel self is more vigorous, this is a nice area for a casual drink or coffee as magic hour starts to soften the lighting.

Stop 8: Dinner

If you’re hanging out near the waterfront, you’ve got some solid dinner options right along the harbor. Noni is a fine-dining, Michelin-starred option if you want to finish fancy. Tribelli has a nice list of starters if you only want to share some bites after a big lunch.

One of our favorite meals on the island, apart from Legligin, was at AYU on the Gżira waterfront.

If you’re staying in Sliema as we were, it’s an easy-enough walk from there. If you want to try it from Valletta, there are buses every five minutes leaving the waterfront that get you very close. Rideshare is quick and affordable, too. 

READ MORE: I wrote a whole guide to getting around Malta. Check it out!

Our highlights were their bao buns, spicy dumplings, a flavorful Sri Lankan curry, and fried ravioli. Everything we ordered on their fusion menu was delicious, including their pistachio creme puff dessert. Make a reservation if you’re interested.

The restaurant wasn’t busy when we arrived for an early-ish dinner by Maltese standards, but it got quite full by the time we finished!

With More Time in Valletta

If you have more than a day in Valletta, here are a few extra stops to consider:

• Visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens for sweeping harbor views and the daily cannon salute.
• Stop by the National Museum of Archaeology to see prehistoric artifacts from Malta’s ancient temples.
• Tour the Lascaris War Rooms, an underground complex used during World War II.
• Catch a show at the Teatru Manoel, one of Europe’s oldest working theaters.
• Wander through Strait Street, once known as a red-light district and now a nightlife hub.
• Take a harbor cruise from Grand Harbour to see the city’s fortifications from the water.
• Visit MUŻA, Malta’s national community art museum, housed in a historic building.
• Book a Valletta food tour to taste the best of the city with a guide.

How to Get to Valletta

You’ll likely start at Malta International Airport for trips to the island. If you’re already in Malta, nearby towns like Sliema and St. Julian’s offer easy access to Valletta.

We took the bus from Sliema to Valletta. Buses are cheap, frequent, and you can tap to pay on board. But they’re also crowded and slow during peak times.

Ferries also run roughly every half hour between the ports in Sliema and Valletta. They’re a bit more relaxed than the bus and offer nice views of the harbor, but timing can make the trip longer depending on your schedule.

Driving to Valletta is possible, but parking can be tricky inside the city walls. I’d skip taxis in favor of rideshare. We used Bolt several times during our trip. The cars were all really nice, and the rides were inexpensive.

What’s the best time to visit Valletta?

The best time to visit Valletta is in late spring (May–June) or early autumn (September–October). The weather is warm but not overwhelming, and the crowds are more manageable.

Summer brings long, sunny days but also higher prices and more tourists. Winter is quieter and milder, though you may run into shorter hours at some attractions. That didn’t bother us on our visit in mid-March!

Where to Stay in Valletta

We stayed in Sliema at the Sliema Studios. While I’d recommend it for a few days if you want somewhere a little less touristy but well-connected, you may just want to stay in Valletta if you’re short on time.

Using Valletta as a base isn’t a bad idea if you want to plan day trips elsewhere in Malta, like Mdina, or the “Silent City,” or the Three Cities of Malta. Use the map below to browse your options in Valletta:

Visit Valletta, an underrated European city.

Valletta is compact and easy to explore in a single day without feeling rushed. We really enjoyed starting here on our trip to Malta, as most of what I’ve highlighted in this itinerary speaks to the history of the island, including the eats.

From its cathedrals and noble homes to waterfront views and tasty local meals, Valletta delivers a little bit of everything that makes a great introduction to Malta.

Traveling elsewhere in Europe? Check these out next:

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More one-day city itineraries to peruse:

• Spend One Day in Verona, Italy
• One Charming Day in Lille, France
• One Day in Marseille, France
• One Busy Day in Salzburg, Vienna
• Spend One Day in Chania, Crete

Want to see more?