Top 10 Things to do in Valletta, Malta

October 23, 2017 Deane Carmody

Founded in 1565 by the Order of St John as a refuge for soldiers returning from the Crusades, Valletta is now the capital of Malta and a piece of living history. With an unsurpassed collection of original Baroque architecture, fortified city walls overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and the spectacular Co-Cathedral of St John, which features intricately carved stone vaults and a famed painting by Caravaggio, it is no wonder that this smallest of European capital cities is a world heritage site.
Restaurants in Valletta

1. War HQ Tunnel

Vlt1221, Valletta, Island of Malta, Malta +356 2180 0992
Excellent
84%
Good
14%
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5 based on 107 reviews

War HQ Tunnel

Reviewed By BeYellowbelly - Newbury

This facility gives a facinating insight into how those directing the defence of Malta during WWII lived and worked.
The tunnels are deep in the rock underneath Valletta city and show something of what it was like with various control rooms and living quarters. They are, as the name suggests, connected by tunnels so be prepared for plenty of walking and some steps up and down.
It is a guided tour and although the guide himself is relatively ( well at least to some of us!) he had a good understanding of the workings and what life was like.
I don't think this would be of interest to many children and my only real critisism is the price which is rather expensive.

2. Valletta Ferry Services

Sliema, Island of Malta, Malta +356 2346 3862
Excellent
65%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

Valletta Ferry Services

Reviewed By BeYellowbelly - Newbury

This the definitive way to approach Valletta from Sliema. The journey is only 5-6 minutes but you have to get to the ferry stop early as it's popular and can get full! If you can't get on the ferry you intend to then you have to wait 30 mins for the next. This is the only reason I can't give it 5 stars!

3. Fort Rinella

St.Rocco Road, Kalkara, Island of Malta CSP11, Malta +356 7987 4153
Excellent
88%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
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5 based on 1 reviews

Fort Rinella

Fort Rinella in Kalkara,was built in 1878. This fort is not only a unique remnant of Malta's recent British colonial past, but it is also the world's first mechanical fort which enabled its small garrison to fire a monstrous 100-ton gun every six minutes. To be able to do this, the fort was equipped with a novel steam-driven hydraulic set-up that enabled the gun to traverse and depress and its ammunition to be hoisted and loaded mechanically. On visiting this fort in 1889, the great French writer Jules Verne described it as a marvel of the industrial age which would render Malta safe for ever. Some say that this is the place from where he got the idea of writing his famous novel a 'Voyage to the Moon', where a man is stuffed into a large projectile and fired from a large gun onto the moon!Originally, the 100-ton gun was built by Sir William George Armstrong of Newcastle in 1878, to equip a new class of Italian battleships - the Duilio class. This caused a serious stir between Britain and Italy which led to the former to obtain examples of the same gun to secure Malta and Gibraltar against a potential Italian seaborne attack.The Armstrong 100-ton gun has a calibre of 17.72-Inches (45cm). It is 35 feet long and has an overall weight of 156 tons making it the world's largest muzzle-loading cannon ever built. It used a quarter of a ton of gun powder to propel its monster shells up to a maximum range of eight miles. At that range it could pierce anything up to 21-inches of ship armour! The gun at Fort Rinella and another at Napier of Magdala Battery in Gibraltar are the sole surving examples today. The fort has recently undergone extensive restoration and improvement. A new 20-minute audio-visual outlining the history of the fort and its gun has also been added and is included in all guided tours.RE-Live History at Fort Rinella - Every afternoon from Monday to Saturday!Throughout the year, from Monday to Saturday at 14.00Hrs sharp, Fort Rinella is brought back to life complete with late 19th century Victorian soldiers who will take visitors on an animated tour around the fort. This tour combines excellent guiding with live and colourful historical re-enacting including military signalling, firing of rifles, bayonet practice, military cooking and more. Much use of original period equipment and weapons is made throughout this tour. All this goes to provide an enjoyable and long lasting experience to visitors.

Reviewed By Sian L - Newbury, United Kingdom

At 12.20 most days you are transported here free of charge from The Saluting Battery in central Valletta and greeted upon your arrival by a costumed guard of the Victorian period. He was very informative and told all visitors the sequence of events planned for that day. It is also given out on the tannoy system, so wherever you are in the fort you don't have to miss out on anything. The first event on the day we visited was bayonet practice which started at 1.00 pm, so gave us the chance to grab a coffee and cake at the small onsite cafe to keep us going for a while. We also saw how soldiers learned to drill and were allowed- for a small donation to help the funding of the fort- to fire a musket whilst partially dressed in period costume: excellent photo opportunity. We also had a guided tour around the fort and its star attraction: the 100 tonne gun which they eventually hope to be able to fire. To finish the afternoon off was the canon firing practice which had you wanted to (by making a donation of 10 euro) you could fire. I have to say without the excellent Simon guiding us around this place it could have been quite sterile and boring; he certainly made it very interesting for me. Of course he wouldn't have been able to do the drilling without the help of John and Justin. It's fair to say without people like this who are keen to keep history alive, places like Rinella and other historic attractions wouldn't be as popular as they are.
My only gripe would be that they don't transport you back and you then have to rely on the unpredictability of the Maltese bus service. I think for a small additional charge they could offer this service.

4. Aquarrigo Scuba Diving Centre

16 Ta Xbiex Wharf, Ta' Xbiex, Island of Malta 1028, Malta
Excellent
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5 based on 66 reviews

Aquarrigo Scuba Diving Centre

Aquarrigo has been established for over 20 years and is family run by locals who know the Maltese coast inside out. Situated in the heart of Ta'Xbiex right by the sea edge Edward Arrigo the founder of the club and one of Malta's pioneers of diving, represented our country in spearfishing competitions in the 50's and 60s. Today he is still showing his passion for the sea and enjoys sharing his experiences with others. With over 40,000 dives under his belt, he has quite a few stories to share. Divers or non divers are always welcome at the club for a chat and coffee and hopefully a dive to remember. Wishing you all calm seas!

Reviewed By Karla C

This was my first dive. I was recommended by and friend, Taran was very knowledgeable and experienced and I felt safe and comfortable throughout the whole dive and everything was explained to me in great detail. I would highly recommend for first timers and experienced divers.

5. Malta at War Museum

Couvre de Porte, Birgu (Vittoriosa), Island of Malta BRG 1810, Malta +356 2189 6617
Excellent
68%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
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Poor
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4.5 based on 528 reviews

Malta at War Museum

The Malta at War Museum is located at the original historic entrance of Vittoriosa (Birgu), the older from the Three Cities. It stands to document for posterity the great ordeal which the brave people of Malta and their defenders endured during the dark days of the Blitz (1940-43). Vittoriosa (Birgu) is the former home to the Royal Navy in the Malta and one of the most bombed places in WW2. This museum combines an attractive exhibition about the Second World War in Malta along with the viewing of an original wartime documentary – ‘Malta G.C.’ and a visit into an underground air raid shelter in which hundreds took refuge during the raids.This attraction has recently undergone a complete remake co-funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (72.25%), the Government of Malta (12.75%) and Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna. The result is a new attractive museum spread on nine galleries. Each of these is dedicated to a given aspect of wartime Malta. The museum display is organised in a chronological manner and includes some 10,000 original artefacts connected with the subject. These vary from clothing, weapons, instruments, equipment, printed matter and other large exhibits.The new Malta at War Museum is open daily for visiting between 10.00 and 17.00hrs.

Reviewed By arfonwilliams2571 - Pontypridd, United Kingdom

One of the places to visit was the Malta at War Museum, when you get to the museum it is like a fortress big bold and empowering, the museum inside was compact with all the items of war you could expect even some you would not, Please go and have a look at the air raid shelter under the museum you feel you could get lost it is an experience in it self. To get to the Museum from Valletta take the number 2 or 3 Bus to stopping outside Couvre Porte Gate Vittoriosa (ask the Driver to let you know the drop of point) open Mon - Sun 10.00-17.00.
A MUST FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN WAR.

6. Flyboard Malta

Triq Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara, Island of Malta BKR 4409, Malta
Excellent
99%
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5 based on 527 reviews

Flyboard Malta

The Zapata FlyBoard is at the cutting edge of extreme Water Sports! Water propulsion from a jet ski routes water to a pair of jet boots on a board. The FlyBoard is the most revolutionary, deceptively simple and adrenaline pumping Water Sports toy that gives you, the rider, a truly outrageous way to have fun. Make your Reservations today with Flyboard Malta. Our office is located in Birkirkara, but we operate in Spinola Bay, St. Julian's Bay. We do not have a fixed location but we meet there by booking.

Reviewed By NoTourBusPlease - Hong Kong, China

I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get the hang of this until the very end of my session, but Simon was incredibly helpful with his instructions ( you have a speaker in your helmet). He was also very calm and patient which helped tremendous. I was able to get up my first try and the entire thing was so much fun. Joanne was great about taking pictures and even included our two year old watching from the dock in a few photos. After my husband and I were both finished Simon treated us to a mini show of tricks. Incredible!!

7. Can You Escape? Malta

297 Triq Il-Merhba, Fgura, Island of Malta FGR 1836, Malta +356 9926 2473
Excellent
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5 based on 303 reviews

Can You Escape? Malta

Can You Escape? – Malta ® is an exciting, fun and entertaining mental game, targeted particularly for bright and sharp minds. Real-life room escape games are a type of physical adventure game in which a team of people are locked inside a themed room with other participants and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, find clues, and escape the room within 60 minutes.

Reviewed By h0llym85

We had such a great time at Can You Escape? Malta! I organised this activity for 13 ladies as part of a hen do, and we had so much fun! Before we arrived Riccardo was really helpful when organising this over email which made planning it really easy. With his help, we organised 2 games to be played at the same time so each team competed against each other to see who could escape first. When we arrived on the day Riccardo and Jeanice made us feel very welcome and encouraged our high spirits as we brought along a blow up doll with a mask of the groom to be! We left the mask as a fair well gift :D I would definitely recommend this activity- everyone in our group loved it!,

8. Lascaris War Rooms

Lascaris Ditch, Valletta, Island of Malta VLT 2000, Malta +356 7987 4153
Excellent
77%
Good
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Satisfactory
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Lascaris War Rooms

The Lascaris War Rooms consist of an underground complex of tunnels and chambers that housed the War Headquarters from where the defence of Malta was conducted during the Second World War.This secret complex contained operations rooms for each of the fighting services from where not only the air defence of Malta was coordinated, but also some of the greatest battles fought in the Mediterrean during the war. In July 1943, the Lascaris War Rooms served as the advance headquarters for the Invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky)by Generals Eisenhower, Montgomery, Alexander and Clark and Air Marshal Tedder and Admiral Cunningham. It went on being used under different forms by both the British services and Nato up to 1977.

Reviewed By Adamnmaria

Had a really great tour here very interesting and well worth a visit,great to see places like this opened for the public to see what it was like all those years ago. a 5 star place to go to in Malta

9. Fort St Angelo

Birgu Waterfront, Birgu (Vittoriosa), Island of Malta, Malta +356 2295 4000
Excellent
49%
Good
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Satisfactory
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4 based on 262 reviews

Fort St Angelo

Reviewed By geoffviking - St Helens, United Kingdom

You will need an hour and a half to do it comfortably. There are 3 excellent audio visual presentations telling the history of Malta and the significance of the Fort in that history. extended by the British during their invited occupation 1800 to 1979. There ar a number of levels to visit. I found it very interesting. I would say this is a must do along with the Maritime Museum

10. St. John's Co-Cathedral

St. John Street, Valletta, Island of Malta, Malta +356 2122 0536
Excellent
77%
Good
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Satisfactory
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4.5 based on 8 reviews

St. John's Co-Cathedral

Built between 1573 and 1577, this Cathedral contains two masterpieces by Caravaggio.

Reviewed By Iza S - Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This was my second visit to St John’s Co-Cathedral. What a gem! It’s a must.
This baroque building completed in 1577 is a unique place that can easily compete with other building across Europe. Every piece of it covered with beautiful paintings, stone, works of art. There are buitiful side chapels on both main nave’s sides, each worth visit. Oratory with Caravaggio’s masterpieces cannot be missed. It is worth to make your way up to the balcony to have this opportunity to admite a main nave and the Sanctuary from the top.
The adult ticket is €10, discounts available for seniors. Toilets beside Sacristy. Also audio guides available, bit lenghty but realy worth your time to get an idea of place.

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