What to see in Valletta, Malta, and one tip for a good meal

I’d say you can see Valletta in under two hours, because the city is small and compact. Expect narrow streets, impressive architecture and views of the Mediterranean. For a meal I recommend Falafel Street Lebanese Kebab and Grill, where you’ll eat well without resorting to the overpriced Italian restaurants.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

How long

An hour and a half is enough for a walk and lunch, but expect some uphill streets

Watch out for

Malta’s buses are unreliable; I waited 20 minutes for one and it never came

Upper Barrakka

A quiet garden with a view of the Grand Harbour and a café serving Maltese cheese pastries

If it rains

Spazju Kreattiv, the Centre for Creativity in a bastion of the walls, always has an exhibition on; I saw photos from Japan

I wrote this article in 2018. Prices, opening hours and connections may have changed since then, so check them before you travel.

What is there to see in Valletta? After visiting a city, it usually takes me a while to process all my impressions before I write about it. Valletta is the exception. It’s so compact that I explored it in under two hours and could start writing straight away. Malta’s capital is small but full of history, with narrow streets, grand architecture and beautiful views of the Mediterranean.

Malta is the 51st country I’ve visited, and although Valletta is one of its main draws, it’s certainly not the only place worth a visit. The island has lovely beaches, historic towns and a culture of its own, shaped by a mix of European and Arab influences. But one thing at a time. First, here’s what you shouldn’t miss in Valletta itself.

What to see in Valletta: my five picks

Valletta has several museums, but I’m not really a museum person. Galleries interest me far more, and at the Centre for Creativity I found a really good one.

Below is a list of the places in Valletta worth your time, with a few notes from me. An hour and a half is plenty for this little city, just right for a relaxed walk with lunch. Expect a bit of uphill walking, though. Valletta has streets I would never want to drive down.

If you want to get to other parts of Malta, bear in mind that the buses are very unreliable. I waited 20 minutes for one and it never came. Another took a completely different route from the one Google had planned for me, and I ended up trudging another 30 minutes on foot. I was in Malta with my mum, who was doing an English language course with Maltalingua.

You can buy a bus ticket from the driver. In 2026 it costs €2 (€2.50 in summer) and is valid for two hours, transfers included. There’s also a seven-day card with unlimited travel for €25. I used single tickets.

1. The City Gate
2. The city walls
3. Upper Barrakka and Lower Barrakka Gardens
4. Spazju Kreattiv, the Centre for Creativity
5. St John’s Co-Cathedral

• The City Gate, now in its fifth incarnation

Valletta’s City Gate: This gate was once the official way into the city. It may not look like much at first glance, but this is where your walk should start. Right in front of it stands the Triton Fountain, which is beautifully lit in the evening and adds to the atmosphere.

Historically, the gate played an important part in Valletta’s defences and was one of the three main entrances to the city. Over the centuries it went through four major rebuilds, and today’s gate is the latest, modernised version. The first gate was completed in 1569 and rebuilt for the first time in 1633. It has changed a great deal since then, but it is still the symbolic entrance to this historic city.

• Valletta’s city walls

Historic Valletta is surrounded by a wall that once protected the city. If you’re up for it, it’s worth walking all the way round. I checked out the eastern side, facing the sea. These defensive walls guarded the city against raids from as early as 1566. Worth knowing: the whole city of Valletta, walls included, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1980.

Here are some tours of Valletta and trips around Malta:

Once you’ve walked through the whole historic part of Valletta and step outside it, you’ll notice a ditch running all the way round the centre. It’s part of the defences. Malta sits in a highly strategic position, which is why it had to defend itself in the past. What to see in Valletta? The city walls.

• Upper Barrakka Gardens (and Lower Barrakka)

Of the two, I visited the Upper Barrakka Gardens, with a panoramic view over Malta’s Grand Harbour. The gardens were laid out in 1661 and were originally roofed. Both started out as a place for the Italian knights to relax, but they have been open to the public since 1800.

I really liked the Upper Barrakka Gardens for one simple reason: there are hardly any trees in the whole historic part of Valletta. Suddenly I was in a quiet garden full of flowers, looking out over the open sea. There’s also a café with typical Maltese cheese pastries. By the way, barrakka means ‘shed’ in Maltese.

• Spazju Kreattiv, the Centre for Creativity

If the weather turns bad, this is the place to duck into. Admission is free and there’s always an interesting exhibition on. When I visited, there was a lovely exhibition of photos from Japan. The centre is housed in a bastion of Valletta’s original defences, which I mentioned above. Today it has a cinema and hosts art openings, exhibitions and concerts. What to see in Valletta? Culture.

• St John’s Co-Cathedral

You couldn’t miss this cathedral even if you tried. It’s right in the centre of Valletta. It’s often called a jewel of Baroque architecture, and it was originally built as the conventual church of the knights. Admission was €10 at the time (in 2026 it’s €15), so I skipped it and went for something to eat instead.

Speaking of food, I’d had a huge craving for hummus all day. So I went to Falafel Street Lebanese Kebab and Grill, where they have everything you can think of and more. For €5 I ate until I was properly stuffed. If you want something else (I reckon Valletta has more Italian restaurants than the whole of Italy), the centre has loads of options. I just didn’t feel like paying €21 for spaghetti.

Also worth reading: what to eat in Malta and 8 typical dishes from the island.