Meeting Point

At your Valletta hotel, or at the Valletta Waterfront by the Valletta cruise ship terminal, or at the Phoenicia Malta Hotel near Valletta's City Gate

Meeting

Your guide will meet you at your accommodation in Valletta, at your cruise ship in Valletta's Grand Harbour or at the Phoenicia Malta Hotel near Valletta's City Gate, for a walking tour of Valletta.

Parliament of Malta and the Ruins of the former Royal Opera House

The Parliament House in Valletta designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano was constructed between 2011 and 2015 in limestone quarried in Gozo as part of the City Gate Project. The Royal Opera House was an opera house and performing arts venue in Valletta designed by the English architect Edward Middleton Barry and built in 1866. The theatre received a direct hit from aerial bombing in 1942 during World War II. The ruins were redesigned by the Italian architect Renzo Piano and in 2013 it once again started functioning as the Pjazza Teatru Rjal open air performance venue.

Auberge de Castille

The Auberge de Castille sits at the highest point of Valletta. Built in the Baroque style under the magistracy of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in the 1740s, it replaced a 1574 building erected to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile, León and Portugal. Since March 1972 the Auberge de Castille has been Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

Upper Barrakka Gardens

The Upper Barrakka Gardens are a public garden offering a breath-taking panoramic view of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. The gardens are located on the upper tier of Saints Peter and Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The bastion's lower tier contains the Saluting Battery. The garden's terraced arches were built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. They were originally roofed, but the ceiling was removed in 1775. The gardens are linked to Valletta's ditch and the nearby Lascaris Wharf (within walking distance of the Valletta cruise ship terminal) by the Barrakka Lift.

Merchants Street

Merchants Street is one of the main streets of Valletta with a number of notable buildings. The Auberge d'Italie which was built to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Italy, today is home to the MUŻA Museum of Fine Arts. Palazzo Parisio built in the 1740s was Napoleon's residence for six days in June 1798 - it now houses the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Castellania Palace is a former courthouse and prison that currently houses the country's health ministry. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1757 and 1760.

St. John's Co-Cathedral

St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta is a gem of ornate Baroque art and architecture. The cathedral was built in 1577 by and for the Knights of St. John. It is considered one of the world’s great cathedrals. The cathedral contains two masterpieces by Caravaggio including "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist", the patron saint of the Order. In contrast with the cathedral’s rather plain façade, be prepared to be overwhelmed as you step inside. The cathedral was redecorated in the 17th century in extremely ornate Baroque style by Mattia Preti. Virtually every square inch of the interior is adorned in glittering gold leaf, silver, marble or colour. A floor of 400 highly decorated in-laid marble tombstones for important knights forms a striking visual display in the nave. In 1831, Sir Walter Scott called the cathedral a "magnificent church, the most striking interior (he had) ever seen."

Republic Street and Republic Square

Republic Street, historically known as Strada Reale or Kingsway, is a principal street of Valletta extending from the Valletta City Gate for 1 kilometre towards the granaries at Fort St. Elmo. Republic Square also known as Queen's Square or Piazza Regina after a statue of Queen Victoria was installed in the square in the 19th century, is home to the Bibliotheca National Library of Malta.

Grand Master's Palace and St. George's Square

The Grandmaster's Palace was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John. During the period of British rule beginning in 1800, it was the Governor's Palace and today houses the Office of the President of Malta. The palace overlooks St. George's Square which is Valletta's largest and most prominent square.

Casa Rocca PIccola palace & museum

Casa Rocca Piccola a 16th century palace, living museum and home of the Maltese noble de Piro family. The palace contains over 50 rooms, many of which are open for viewing. You can see a collection of furniture, silver and paintings that add to the aesthetic riches of Malta. The palace's World War II air raid shelters provide a dramatic and exciting addition to the tours of the house and garden.

National War Museum at the Fort St. Elmo, the Malta Experience and La Sacra Infermeria (the Holy Infirmary)

Fort St. Elmo is a star-shaped fort with impressive grounds, built in 1552 by Grand Master De Homedes to hold back the Ottoman armada. The fort was built in a strategic location at the tip of Valletta with unobstructed panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. Fort St. Elmo received the brunt of the Ottomans’ forces in 1565 and played an important role in the defence of Malta during the Second World War. Today Fort St. Elmo is a worthy host to the National War Museum covering 7,000 years of Maltese Military History from the Bronze Age until the Second World War Highlights include the Gloster Sea Gladiator N5520 FAITH, Roosevelt’s Jeep ‘Husky’, and Malta’s award for gallantry, the George Cross. Adjacent to Fort St. Elmo is The Malta Experience, a multi-lingual audio-visual show that covers over 7,000 years of the country's history. The Malta Experience entrance ticket also includes a tour in English of La Sacra Infermeria, the Holy Infirmary of the Knights of St. John which has seen over 400 years of vivid human history as generations of patients have passed through its doors.

End of the tour

At the end of the tour your guide will end the tour either at your last stop in Valletta or, time permitting, at your accommodation in Valletta, your cruise ship in Valletta's Grand Harbour or at the Phoenicia Malta Hotel near Valletta's City Gate.

Ending Point

At your last stop in Valletta or, time permitting, at your Valletta hotel, or at the Valletta Waterfront by the Valletta cruise ship terminal, or at the Phoenicia Malta Hotel near Valletta's City Gate