We may earn a commission when you book through links on this page.
Malta · Mediterranean
A walled harbor capital where the noon gun still fires.
St John's Co-Cathedral holds Caravaggio's only signed painting. The Upper Barrakka Gardens look over the Grand Harbour, and a short ferry crosses to the Three Cities.
We may earn a commission when you book through links on this page.
See Cathedral
Valletta
The Knights of St John finished their church in 1577, with a plain front and a lavish Baroque interior. Find Caravaggio's The Beheading of St John the Baptist, his only signed painting.
Read About the Co-Cathedral (opens a new tab)Unwind Gardens
Valletta, above the Grand Harbour
Panoramic gardens on the bastion above the Grand Harbour, where your ship docks. The port names them the place for harbor photos, with the clearest light in the morning.
Read the Port's Viewpoint Tip (opens a new tab)Taste Street Food
Valletta
Flaky, diamond-shaped pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas. The port says to eat them hot from a pastizzerija.
Read the Port's Pastizzi Tip (opens a new tab)Explore Fortress
Birgu, across the Grand Harbour
Take the ferry across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. Birgu, also called Vittoriosa, has Fort St Angelo and the Inquisitor's Palace, both on the port's list of top sights.
See Port Attractions (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Ships berth along the Grand Harbour below the city's bastions, so the choice is how you get up: the lift, the climb or the ferry.
Malta International Airport is 3.7 miles from the cruise port, by the port's own figure. Check-in is usually at the Magazino Terminal near the Valletta Waterfront, reached from the Marsa side or via Crucifix Hill.
The Quay, Atrium and Wedge car parks at the Waterfront charge a flat €4.00 on weekdays before 19:00 and €5.00 from Friday 19:00 to Sunday 23:00 and on public holidays. The Quay car park's rates exclude cruise operating hours. The port publishes no rate for parking during a cruise.
If you do one thing here
Every day at noon, and again at 16:00, the Saluting Battery fires a ceremonial cannon over the Grand Harbour. The gun once gave the time to ships in the harbor.
Watch from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, on the terrace above the battery. The port calls it the perfect photo spot for the moment.
Malta records less theft and burglary than the EU average. Valletta, the capital, records more than the national rate.
Crime figures: Eurostat police-recorded offences per 100,000, 2024, Malta against the simple mean of EU member states (the percentages are our maths); Valletta band (2025) and pickpocketing: University of Malta CrimeMalta reports from police data. Weather: Valletta Cruise Port; wind: the port's Gregale tip.
Make it part of your voyage
MSC, P&O, Costa, Princess and Cunard call at Valletta, and some sailings start here. Find cruises that visit or sail from Valletta.
Ships berth at Valletta Cruise Port's seven quays in the Grand Harbour, across from the Valletta Waterfront. The port does not publish which lines use which quay.
The port publishes a live schedule with arrival, departure, ship, line and call type. It shows no berth.
Yes. The port puts the city center 0.9 miles away. The Barrakka Lift climbs 190 feet to the upper town; without it, expect a steep walk.
Walk about 0.3 miles to the Barrakka Lift, which rises to the Upper Barrakka Gardens in about 25 seconds for €1 return. Or walk up the hill.
Check-in is usually at the Magazino Terminal near the Valletta Waterfront, reached from the Marsa side or via Crucifix Hill. Your cruise line confirms the place.
Airport taxis charge a fixed fare to each town; Malta Taxi, the airport's official service, gives the fare. Elsewhere, Visit Malta advises agreeing the fare before you get in.
Ride the lift to the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the noon gun, see the Caravaggio in St John's Co-Cathedral, then take the ferry to Birgu. Ferries leave Valletta every 30 minutes.
No beach is at the port. Malta's coast has rocky bays, and the port advises water shoes because of sea urchins.
Valletta's recorded offence rate is two to five times Malta's, but Malta as a whole has less theft and burglary than the EU average. The reports give no figures by time of day.
The euro. The port says most shops, restaurants and taxis take cards.
Summer highs usually reach 77 to 95°F (25 to 35°C), and winter is mild and wet at 50 to 64°F (10 to 18°C).
The port lists a shuttle service but gives no route, operator or price. Ask your cruise line.
