Valletta: 1 day, 3 ways

With its honey-coloured streets, grand Baroque landmarks and spectacular harbour views, Valletta packs plenty into its city centre. And when you only have one day to explore Malta’s capital, thinking carefully about how to spend your time is vital to get the most out of your visit. Whether you want to delve into the city’s fascinating history, discover more of its food and culture, or simply soak up the atmosphere at your own pace, there are plenty of ways to make the most of a day ashore. To help you plan, we’ve put together three different ways to spend one day in Valletta, each combining some of the city’s best sights, flavours and experiences.

• Step inside St John’s Co-Cathedral
• Experience the Noonday Gun at Upper Barrakka Gardens
• Stop for a pastizzi

Start your day by stepping beyond the relatively simple façade of St John’s Co-Cathedral and discovering one of Valletta’s most spectacular interiors. Its simple limestone exterior gives little indication of what awaits inside. Built by the Order of St John between 1573 and 1578, the cathedral was designed by Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar and dedicated to St John the Baptist. During the 17th Century, its interior underwent a remarkable transformation, becoming the lavish Baroque masterpiece that draws visitors from around the world today. Intricately carved stonework, extensive gold-leaf decoration and Mattia Preti’s magnificent painted vaulted ceiling cover the interior, while beneath your feet, elaborate marble tombstones commemorate prominent knights and high-ranking members of the Order of St John. For art lovers, one of the cathedral’s greatest treasures is its collection of works by Caravaggio. Among them is The Beheading of St John the Baptist, which is considered to be the artist’s largest painting and the only known work to bear his signature. 

Walk a short distance to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, where sweeping views across the Grand Harbour provide the backdrop to one of Valletta’s best-known traditions. At noon and 4 pm, a cannon is fired from the Saluting Battery below the gardens, offering a glimpse into the city’s rich maritime and military past. You can watch the spectacle from the railings above, or purchase a ticket to access the Saluting Battery and take a guided tour. The latter gets you closer to the action, where you can watch the uniformed crew prepare, load and fire the gun. Time your visit right, and you’ll experience a memorable piece of Valletta’s history while enjoying some of the best views in the city. 

Grab one of Malta’s favourite savoury snacks: the pastizzi. Found in bakeries and pasitzzerias across the city, these small diamond-shaped pastries are made from layers of crisp, flaky pastry and are traditionally filled with either creamy ricotta cheese (astizzi tal-irkotta) or a lightly spiced pea mixture (pastizzi tal-piżelli). You’ll also find other fillings on offer, with different takes on the Maltese classic. Pastizzis have long been a staple of everyday life in Malta, and their popularity makes them an easy way to experience a little of the island’s food culture during a day ashore. Pick one up while exploring Valletta’s streets for a quick bite between sights, perhaps accompanied by a cup of coffee or Kinnie, Malta’s distinctive bittersweet soft drink. 

• Join a walking tour of Valletta
• Explore Casa Rocca Piccola
• Savour Maltese cuisine 

With centuries of history woven into the streets, squares and iconic limestone buildings, there’s far more to Valletta than you might discover simply wandering through the city on your own. Joining a guided walking tour can bring the UNESCO-listed capital to life, revealing the stories, people and events behind landmarks you may otherwise pass without a second thought. It’s also a useful way to learn plenty about the city when you only have a few hours to explore. There are plenty of tours to choose from depending on your interests. History enthusiasts might enjoy learning about the Knights of St John and the events that shaped Valletta while visiting some of its more significant monuments and landmarks. Foodies, meanwhile, might prefer a food and culture tour that combines sightseeing with opportunities to sample traditional Maltese snacks and dishes. 

Discover a more personal side of Valletta’s history at Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16th-century palazzo that offers a fascinating glimpse into the customs and traditions of Maltese nobility. Still a privately owned family home, its rooms are filled with antique furniture, paintings and personal collections, giving you the sense of exploring a lived-in home. The story continues underground, where a network of passages leads to air-raid shelters used during the Second World War. Originally carved from wells in the rock, the shelters offered protection from the heavy bombing Malta endured during the conflict and provide a striking contrast to the elegance of the rooms above. Before moving on, take some time to wander through the palazzo’s peaceful walled garden. 

Make time between sightseeing to discover the flavours of Maltese cuisine, shaped by the islands’ Mediterranean setting and centuries of cultural influences. Valletta has plenty of restaurants tucked between its historic streets and squares, making it easy to turn lunch into another part of your day’s exploring. Look out for traditional dishes such as stuffat tal-fenek, a slow-cooked rabbit stew often considered Malta’s national dish, or bragioli, thin slices of beef wrapped around a savoury filling and slowly braised. You might also find aljotta, a traditional fish soup, alongside dishes showcasing locally caught seafood. For something lighter, try ħobż biż-żejt, Maltese bread typically topped with tomatoes, olive oil and other Mediterranean ingredients. And save room for something sweet if you can; imqaret, crisp pastries filled with a spiced date mixture, are a popular Maltese treat. 

• Discover St. George’s Square
• Wander along Strait Street
• Head up to a rooftop bar 

Surrounded by some of Valletta’s grandest architecture, St George’s Square is a natural place to slow down and take in the surroundings. At its western end stands the imposing Grandmaster’s Palace, originally built during the rule of the Order of St John and today one of the capital’s most significant historic buildings. Over the centuries, the square itself has witnessed ceremonies, celebrations and important moments in Malta’s history. Spend some time admiring the architecture before exploring the surrounding streets, or simply find a spot to watch the city go by. Its central location also makes St George’s Square an easy stop to weave into a day of sightseeing, with several of Valletta’s attractions just a short walk away. If you have time, you can combine your visit with the Grandmaster’s Palace, where the State Rooms and Palace Armoury offer an opportunity to delve further into the history of the Knights of St John and Malta.

Just moments from some of Valletta’s grandest landmarks lies a street with a much more colourful past. Strait Street, known locally as Strada Stretta, was once the heart of the capital’s entertainment district. During the 19th and 20th centuries, its narrow passageways were packed with bars, music halls and other venues frequented by sailors from the ships that arrived in Valletta’s harbour. Today, the street feels very different, but traces of its lively history remain. Wander between the tall historic buildings, and you’ll find restaurants, wine bars and small venues bringing new life to the former nightlife quarter. Look out for details and old shopfronts as you go, or stop for a drink and soak up the atmosphere. 

After a day spent exploring Valletta at street level, see the capital from a different perspective at one of its rooftop bars. Climb above the narrow streets and notable buildings, and you could be rewarded with views stretching across Valletta’s rooftops, historic domes and the surrounding harbours, a fitting backdrop for the final part of your day ashore. Settle in with a cocktail, a local beer or a glass of Maltese wine and give your feet a well-earned rest after sightseeing. Depending on where you choose, you might find everything from stylish hotel terraces to more intimate rooftop spots hidden above the streets below. If your ship’s departure time allows, the late afternoon can be an especially atmospheric time to visit as the light begins to soften over the city. Just remember to leave yourself plenty of time to make your way back to the cruise terminal before all aboard.