Trip highlights
- 1St. John's Co-Cathedral
- 2Upper Barrakka Gardens
- 3Three Cities boat tour
- 4Mdina day trip
- 5Valletta harbour views
Daily spend
Where you're going
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In pictures
Photos: Unsplash
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival & St. John's Co-Cathedral
Monday, May 3
Est. spend
$100
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive at Malta International Airport (MLA)
Malta International Airport
A public bus or taxi connects the airport to Valletta in about 20-30 minutes.
Bus X4 runs directly from the airport into Valletta and is the cheapest option.
☀️ Afternoon
St. John's Co-Cathedral
Triq San Gwann, Valletta
A deceptively plain exterior hides one of Europe's most opulent Baroque interiors, including Caravaggio's masterpiece 'The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.'
The audio guide is worth the small extra fee — the marble floor tombstones and side chapels have rich detail easy to miss otherwise.
🌙 Evening
Dinner with harbour views
Valletta bastions, Malta
Dinner at a restaurant along Valletta's bastion walls, overlooking the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities across the water.
🍽️ Meals
Airport café breakfast
Maltese · $8
City centre lunch
Maltese · $14
Harbour view dinner
Maltese/Mediterranean · $32
Upper Barrakka Gardens & Three Cities
Tuesday, May 4
Est. spend
$105
per person
🌅 Morning
Upper Barrakka Gardens
Triq il-Lanca, Valletta
Valletta's most famous viewpoint, overlooking the Grand Harbour, with the daily noon cannon-firing ceremony from the Saluting Battery below.
Time your visit for noon to catch the Saluting Battery cannon fire — a long-standing daily tradition.
☀️ Afternoon
Three Cities boat tour
Grand Harbour, Valletta
A traditional Maltese dghajsa boat ride across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities — Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua — predating Valletta itself as the seat of the Knights of Malta.
Vittoriosa's waterfront promenade and marina are particularly photogenic in late afternoon light.
🌙 Evening
Dinner in Vittoriosa
Vittoriosa Waterfront, Malta
Dinner at a quiet waterfront restaurant in Vittoriosa, away from Valletta's busier tourist core.
🍽️ Meals
Café breakfast
Maltese · $8
Three Cities lunch
Maltese · $14
Vittoriosa dinner
Maltese/Seafood · $28
Mdina Day Trip
Wednesday, May 5
Est. spend
$110
per person
🌅 Morning
Bus to Mdina
Mdina, Malta
About 30 minutes from Valletta, Mdina is Malta's former medieval capital, a walled hilltop city of honey-coloured limestone known as the 'Silent City' for its quiet, car-free streets.
Buses run frequently from Valletta's main terminus — no need to book ahead.
☀️ Afternoon
Mdina walled city and St. Paul's Cathedral
Mdina, Malta
Wander Mdina's narrow medieval lanes, visit St. Paul's Cathedral, and take in panoramic views over much of Malta from the city walls.
Mdina's quiet, hushed atmosphere is part of its charm — visit on a weekday to avoid the heaviest day-tripper crowds.
🌙 Evening
Dinner overlooking the Mdina ramparts and return to Valletta
Mdina ramparts, Malta
Dinner at a restaurant built into Mdina's bastion walls with sweeping views over the Maltese countryside at sunset, before the short bus ride back.
Book a table with a rampart view in advance — they're the most sought-after seats at sunset.
🍽️ Meals
Valletta breakfast
Maltese · $8
Mdina lunch
Maltese · $15
Mdina ramparts dinner
Maltese/Mediterranean · $30
National Museums & Departure
Thursday, May 6
Est. spend
$75
per person
🌅 Morning
National Museum of Archaeology
Auberge de Provence, Valletta
Housed in a grand 16th-century building, displaying Malta's extraordinary prehistoric artefacts, including remains from the island's mysterious Neolithic temples.
The 'Sleeping Lady' figurine here is one of the most significant prehistoric artefacts in the Mediterranean.
☀️ Afternoon
Final souvenir shopping
Republic Street, Valletta
Browse Maltese lace, glasswork from Mdina Glass, and local honey before departure.
🌙 Evening
Transfer to Malta International Airport
Malta International Airport
A bus or taxi back to the airport from Valletta in about 20-30 minutes.
🍽️ Meals
Hotel breakfast
Maltese · $8
Valletta lunch
Maltese · $14
Airport snack
International · $10
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
April to June and September to October bring warm, dry weather without the intense heat and crowds of peak summer (July–August). Winters are mild but can be rainy and windy.
🛂 Visas
Malta is part of the Schengen Area. Visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most Western nations can stay visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the Schengen zone.
💱 Currency
Malta uses the Euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted across Valletta and Mdina; carry some cash for traditional boat operators and smaller stalls.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 112
ambulance: 112
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- The noon cannon ceremony at Upper Barrakka Gardens is a free daily highlight — time your sightseeing around it.
- Mdina is genuinely car-free and hushed — visit slowly rather than rushing through on a day-tour bus schedule.
- Traditional dghajsa boats across the Grand Harbour are a uniquely Maltese way to see the Three Cities — more atmospheric than the land route.
- Malta has a long British colonial history — English is an official language alongside Maltese, making navigation easy.
- Valletta's entire city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — wear comfortable shoes for its many stepped streets.
One thing worth not skipping
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