# A day in Valletta on foot: the Caravaggios at St John's, the Grand Master's Palace, the cannon and St Elmo

The co-cathedral at opening time, the Grand Master's armoury, the midday cannon at Upper Barrakka, ftira and rabbit at Ta' Nenu and the afternoon at St Elmo.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/malta/valletta/itineraries/valletta-on-foot-in-a-day · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:00 · St John's Co-Cathedral and the Caravaggios (At opening time · €15 · closed Sundays)
  - 4 min on foot
- 10:45 · Grand Master's Palace and the Order's armoury (€12 · start with the armoury)
  - 8 min on foot
- 11:45 · Upper Barrakka and the Saluting Battery gun salute (Cannon at 12:00 · battery €3)
  - 7 min on foot
- 13:00 · Ta' Nenu (Ftira and fried rabbit · open daily) · Ta' Nenu, €€
  - 11 min on foot
- 15:00 · Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum (€10 · National War Museum)
- 17:00 · Vuelta (Along Republic Street to City Gate, or via Lower Barrakka)

Valletta fits into a day on foot. It is a walled peninsula of 0.61 km², and from City Gate to the tip at St Elmo it is about fifteen minutes' walk along Republic Street. This plan brings together what you must not miss, in the order that avoids queues and makes use of the midday cannon. It is done Monday to Saturday: on Sunday the co-cathedral is closed to visitors.

## How do you get there?

From Spain there is a direct flight to Malta from several cities; the airport is at Luqa, in the middle of the island. From the airport to Valletta, a direct bus to the City Gate terminal, or a fixed-fare taxi. If you sleep inside the walls, as at the Osborne or at Casa Ellul, you start the day at the hotel door.

## The day, hour by hour

9:00 · St John's Co-Cathedral. Go in at opening time, before the cruise groups. The gilded interior, the 400 marble gravestones of the knights and, in the oratory, Caravaggio's Beheading of St John the Baptist, the only painting he signed. €15.

10:45 · Grand Master's Palace. Two streets away. The Order's armoury, with the armour of Wignacourt and Valette, and the State Rooms with the Great Siege cycle. €12. Check beforehand whether there is a partial closure for an official event.

11:45 · Upper Barrakka. Take a place at the garden railing above the Grand Harbour: at 12:00 the Saluting Battery cannon fire. Watching from the garden is free; going down to the battery, €3.

13:00 · Lunch at Ta' Nenu. On St Dominic Street, Maltese cooking: a ftira to share, the fried rabbit with garlic or the fish soup, and imqaret for dessert. Open every day.

15:00 · Fort St Elmo. At the tip of the peninsula: the fort that held out for a month in the Great Siege and the National War Museum, with the biplane Faith and the George Cross. €10.

17:00 · Return. Go down to the Lower Barrakka gardens and come back along Republic Street when the city empties of cruise passengers.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
The whole day is on foot. To reach Valletta, bus from the airport or from anywhere in Malta to the City Gate terminal, or the boat from Sliema.

### By car
Do not use it inside the city: there is very little parking. If you come from outside, leave the car in the multi-storey car park by the walls and walk in.

## Consejos

### Flat shoes
The floor of the co-cathedral is marble gravestones, and the streets are polished sloping stone.

### Shoulders and knees covered
To enter St John's.

### Check the palace notice
Some days it closes rooms for Presidency events.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you see Valletta in a day?
Yes, on foot. With this plan you see the cathedral, the palace, the cannon and St Elmo without rushing.

### How much do tickets cost?
€37 for an adult: €15 the co-cathedral, €12 the palace and €10 St Elmo, plus €3 if you go down to the battery.

### Does it work on a Sunday?
Not quite: the co-cathedral is closed to visitors on Sundays. Swap it for the boat to the Three Cities.