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The nave of St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, its barrel-vaulted ceiling covered in painted frescoes and gilded carving above the marble tomb-slab floor and rows of red seating.
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VallettaTravel Guide

Malta4 stories

Europe's smallest capital is a UNESCO-listed baroque fortress city built by the Knights of St. John, packed with golden limestone palaces, a Caravaggio masterpiece and harbor views at every street's end.

Is Valletta right for you?

When to come

April–June & September–November

Around 32°C by day in August, 16°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.

Valletta is inDeepest in EuropeAncient wonders
When to go
January: around 16 degrees by day, 10 at night, 79 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 16 degrees by day, 10 at night, 73 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 17 degrees by day, 11 at night, 45 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 20 degrees by day, 13 at night, 21 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
May: around 24 degrees by day, 16 at night, 11 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
June: around 29 degrees by day, 20 at night, 6 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
July: around 32 degrees by day, 22 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 32 degrees by day, 23 at night, 17 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 29 degrees by day, 21 at night, 61 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 25 degrees by day, 18 at night, 82 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
November: around 21 degrees by day, 15 at night, 91 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
December: around 17 degrees by day, 12 at night, 94 millimetres of rain, wet.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

April–June & September–November

Average daily highs, recorded at Luqa Airport, Malta (Valletta suburbs), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Meteo Climate / MaltaWeather.com (en.wikipedia Valletta weather box) — The Valletta article's box is the Luqa Airport station, which serves the whole of Malta.

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Catania, Italy190 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (budget)

  • Palermo, Italy270 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (budget)

  • Tunis, Tunisia400 km

    half a day's travel · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (budget)

  • Naples, Italy550 km

    half a day's travel · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (budget)

Plan itWhere to stay in Vallettaad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Valletta

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Valletta

The great stone dome of a Valletta church rising at the end of a steep, shadowed side street lined with balconied townhouses, under heavy storm clouds.
01
Destinations

When to Visit Valletta: An Honest Season-by-Season Guide

Valletta rewards good timing more than most capitals. A frank look at what each season actually delivers in Malta, from the green weeks of spring to the empty, cut-price museums of winter.

Malta · 2 min
Racing yachts massed across Malta's Grand Harbour between the fortified bastion walls of Valletta and the Three Cities
02
The List

Valletta, Ranked: 8 Experiences You Shouldn't Miss

A Caravaggio in a golden cathedral, cannon fire over the Grand Harbour and Europe's most walkable capital — the eight essential Valletta experiences, ranked.

Malta · 2 min
Rows of traditional enclosed timber balconies painted red, blue and green projecting from honey-coloured limestone facades on a narrow Valletta street.
03
Food

Market Days in Valletta: What to Eat and When to Show Up

A covered food hall, a weekday street market, and a fishing village Sunday that draws the whole island. Where to eat your way through Malta’s markets, dish by dish and month by month.

Malta · 2 min
Two women walk down a near-empty Valletta side street towards the long flight of limestone steps that drops to the harbour, a red timber balcony and the vertical sign of a small bar-restaurant overhead.
04
Hidden Gems

Valletta Off-Season: The Quiet Months Locals Keep to Themselves

Skip the August crush. Between November and March, Malta’s capital hands you Caravaggio without a queue, half-price rooms and a Carnival almost nobody flies in for.

Malta · 2 min
In pictures

Valletta, framed

The day's catch laid out on ice — sea bream, sea bass and scallops in the shell — at a fish market in Gozo, Malta
Crates of red and green apples and bunches of bananas stacked on a greengrocer's market stall in Pembroke, Malta
Photo: Juan Ellul / Unsplash
The line of cannon along the Saluting Battery at Valletta, the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities beyond
Photo: Konpasu.de / Unsplash
The old town of Valletta, Malta
Photo: Tomasz Gawłowski / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Valletta

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Malta

Money

Euro (EUR) — Malta joined the eurozone on 1 January 2008

Language

Maltese and English are both official, so a visitor can get by entirely in English.

Power

Type G, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Buses reach almost everywhere on Malta and Gozo; free travel applies only to residents, so visitors buy a €25 seven-day Explore card or pay per ride with a Tallinja card.

Tipping

About 10% is usual in restaurants when no service charge has been added — check the bill first, as many places include one.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink and meets EU standards, though it tastes strongly of chlorine and minerals because it is largely desalinated.

Driving

Left-hand side, one of only four countries in Europe to drive on the left; EU and EEA licences are valid as they are and most other visitors should carry an International Driving Permit.

Emergency

112

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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