Sights
Saluting Battery
The row of historic cannons just below the Upper Barrakka Gardens. A gun is traditionally fired at noon, which you can watch from the gardens above; check locally for times and battery tours.
- St John's Co-Cathedral is closed to visitors on Sundays and public holidays; dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.
- When several ships are in, expect queues for the Barrakka Lift and at the cathedral; allow extra time to get back.
- Grandmaster's Palace: the State Rooms are closed all day on 26 October 2026 and until 13:30 on 28 October, 18 November and 2 December 2026 (Armoury stays open); the Throne Room is closed until further notice.
- Heritage Malta museums close on 1 January, Good Friday and 24, 25 and 31 December.
Where ships dock
Ready-made days
4hours
Upper Barrakka Gardens → St John's Co-Cathedral → Is-Suq tal-Belt (Valletta Food Market) → Lower Barrakka Gardens
6hoursUpper Barrakka Gardens → City Gate and Parliament House → St John's Co-Cathedral → Grandmaster's Palace → Is-Suq tal-Belt (Valletta Food Market) → Lower Barrakka Gardens
8hoursUpper Barrakka Gardens → St John's Co-Cathedral → Is-Suq tal-Belt (Valletta Food Market) → Lower Barrakka Gardens → Birgu and the Three Cities
Add your ship's times above to see what fits in your time ashore.
Beaches & parks
Upper Barrakka Gardens
Arcaded gardens on the highest point of the walls, with a sweeping view across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. The lift from the quay arrives right here.
Sights
City Gate and Parliament House
The modern entrance to Valletta, designed by Renzo Piano together with the stone-clad Parliament building and the open-air theatre in the shell of the old opera house.
Practical
VisitMalta tourist information (City Gate)
The national tourism office's information point by the City Gate bus terminus, for maps, bus routes and ferry times. Hours vary, so check locally.
Sights
National Museum of Archaeology
Finds from Malta's prehistoric temples, including the small Sleeping Lady figure, displayed in a former Knights' inn on Republic Street.
SightsClosed Sundays
St John's Co-Cathedral
A plain-looking church from outside with a breathtaking gilded baroque interior, a floor of inlaid marble tombstones and Caravaggio's huge Beheading of St John. Audio guide included.
Food & drink
Is-Suq tal-Belt (Valletta Food Market)
A restored 19th-century market hall on Merchants Street with a food court of Maltese and international counters; an easy lunch stop.
Sights
Grandmaster's Palace
The former seat of the Knights' Grand Masters, with painted state rooms, a corridor of armour and one of the world's largest collections of historic weapons in the Armoury.
Boat & day trips
Birgu and the Three Cities
The fortified harbour towns facing Valletta, quieter and older, with Fort St Angelo, waterfront cafés and narrow lanes. A short ferry or traditional boat ride across the harbour from Lascaris Wharf.
Beaches & parks
Lower Barrakka Gardens
A small, peaceful garden with a classical temple monument and views over the harbour mouth and the Siege Bell Memorial.
Sights
Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum
The star-shaped fort at the tip of the peninsula, besieged in 1565, now home to a museum covering Malta's military story from the Bronze Age to the Second World War.
Boat & day trips
Mdina
Malta's hushed walled former capital on a ridge in the centre of the island, with a cathedral, palaces and views over the countryside. The suburb of Rabat outside the walls has catacombs.
Map
Your ship's times
Type your ship's arrival and departure times at the top of this page and everything here is marked for your day. Your times are on your cruise documents or in the cruise line's app.
Valletta publishes its cruise calendar: see the port's schedule ↗
Sources we checked on 2026-10-21: vallettacruiseport.com vallettacruiseport.com vallettacruiseport.com vallettacruiseport.com heritagemalta.mt openstreetmap.org openstreetmap.org