# The Three Cities by boat from Valletta: coffee at Cordina, Birgu, lunch at Rubino and the four o'clock cannon

Coffee at Cordina, the €3 catamaran to Birgu, the harbour walk and St Angelo, lunch at Rubino and back to Upper Barrakka for the four o'clock cannon.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/malta/valletta/itineraries/three-cities-by-boat-from-valletta · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:30 · Caffe Cordina (Coffee and cannolo on Republic Square) · Caffe Cordina, €
  - 8 min on foot
- 10:30 · Boat to the Three Cities and a walk round Birgu (Upper Barrakka lift to the quay · €3 · Birgu and St Angelo) · Valletta Ferry Services, From €3 per trip
  - 30 min by boat
- 13:15 · Rubino (Boat back and walk up · lunches Monday to Friday · book) · Rubino, €€€
  - 9 min on foot
- 15:45 · Upper Barrakka and the Saluting Battery gun salute (Cannon at 16:00)
- 16:30 · Vuelta (Stroll back through the city)

The Three Cities are opposite Valletta, across the Grand Harbour, and the way to go is the scheduled boat: ten minutes for €3, with the capital's walls behind you. This plan crosses in the morning, strolls round Birgu, returns for lunch at one of the city's classic tables and ends with the afternoon cannon.

## How do you get there?

There is a direct flight to Malta from several Spanish cities. From the airport, bus to the City Gate terminal in Valletta. The whole plan is done on foot and by boat.

## The day, hour by hour

9:30 · Coffee at Caffe Cordina. On Republic Square, in front of the Grand Master's Palace. A coffee with a pistachio cannolo, inside under the painted ceilings or on the terrace.

10:30 · Boat to the Three Cities. Walk to Upper Barrakka and go down in the public lift to the quay. The Valletta Ferry Services catamaran leaves about every quarter of an hour and crosses in about ten minutes to Cospicua. Stroll round the marina of Birgu, where the Order settled before founding Valletta, and climb to Fort St Angelo, at the tip (Heritage Malta, in winter from 9:00 to 17:00). If you have time to spare, cross to Senglea and its Gardjola garden.

13:15 · Lunch at Rubino. Boat back and climb to Old Bakery Street. Rubino opened in 1906 as a confectioner's; order the fenek moqli, the rabbit in red wine, and the Sicilian cassata. It serves lunch only Monday to Friday: book.

15:45 · Upper Barrakka. Return to the garden for the 16:00 Saluting Battery shot, now looking at Birgu, where you were in the morning.

16:30 · Return. A stroll through the city to the hotel.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
It is the normal way: everything on foot and on the scheduled boat.

### By car
Not needed. By road, going round the harbour to Birgu takes longer than the boat and there is little parking in the Three Cities.

## Consejos

### Return ticket, €5
The return ticket works out cheaper than two singles.

### Book Rubino
The room is small.

### At the weekend
Swap Rubino for Ta' Nenu, which is open every day.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does the boat to the Three Cities cost?
€3 for the daytime trip and €5 return.

### Do I need to book the boat?
No, it is a regular service.

### What is there to see in Birgu?
The harbour promenade, Fort St Angelo and the Inquisitor's Palace.