Valletta, Malta's compact capital, was built by the Knights of St John on a peninsula between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. More about Valletta →
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7% quieter than a typical day in Valletta. Busiest 09:00 – 17:00, when 1 ship is alongside.
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Valletta day.
The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.
Ships berth alongside at Valletta Cruise Port on the Floriana side of the Grand Harbour, at Pinto Wharf and the Valletta Waterfront; no tender is needed. Check-in is generally at the Magazino Terminal.
The city sits on the bastions above: walk about 500 m to Lascaris Wharf and take the Barrakka Lift up to Upper Barrakka Gardens (about 18 minutes in total), or take bus 130 to the Valletta terminus.
8 km · 10–30 min by car
Short drive via Luqa and Marsa to the waterfront; 11 min without traffic, 30+ min in the weekday morning rush. Airport taxis are fixed-fare, prepaid at the booth in Arrivals.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
A tourist information office is just outside the terminal; taxis, sightseeing buses and electric car rentals operate during cruise hours.
1 terminal
Main cruise terminal in the historic Magazino Hall on the Valletta Waterfront, with check-in counters, waiting area, shops and Wi-Fi. Used for turnaround and transit calls; the Barrakka Lift to the city is a short walk.
Valletta Cruise Port runs the Quay, Atrium and Wedge car parks at Valletta Waterfront at flat rates: EUR 4 Monday to Friday before 7pm, and EUR 5 from Friday 7pm to Sunday 11pm and on public holidays and their eves. The Quay car park excludes cruise operating hours. Deep Water Quay car park and on-street parking along the Waterfront are free. No multi-day cruise package is published.
Valletta Cruise Port offers wheelchair assistance during cruise operating hours.
Pick the area first. Typical nightly prices, approximate.
Historic capital above the port
Typical hotel
Boutique hotels in the walled city; the Upper Barrakka lift links it to the Waterfront.
Seafront, shops and ferries
Typical hotel
Seafront hotels with a ferry to Valletta.
Malta charges an eco-contribution per person per night.
Prices are approximate. From Caffé Berry's Valletta menu: cappuccino EUR 2.30 (large EUR 3.00), still or sparkling water EUR 2.50.
Restaurants and cafes in the restored warehouses by the cruise terminal.
Cafés and pastizzi shops in the walled city.
Where locals eat; mains about 15–30% cheaper than on Republic Street.
Main street with tourist-oriented restaurants and cafes near St John's Co-Cathedral; higher prices.
Valletta, Malta's compact capital, was built by the Knights of St John on a peninsula between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour.
The fortified city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of honey-coloured limestone streets, wooden balconies and Baroque churches, with highlights including St John's Co-Cathedral, the Grand Master's Palace and the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the Three Cities.
Sailing into the Grand Harbour beneath the bastions is a classic Mediterranean cruise arrival, and Valletta is also a fly-cruise homeport.
Terraced gardens on the bastions with the classic view over the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities; the Saluting Battery cannons fire daily. Reached straight from the waterfront by the €1 Barrakka Lift.
The Knights' church hides a gilded Baroque interior, a floor of marble tombstones and Caravaggio's Beheading of St John. Open Monday–Saturday; closed to sightseeing on Sundays and public holidays.
Malta's walled medieval former capital, the 'Silent City', with narrow lanes, palaces and views across the island; 12 km and about 20–25 minutes by road from the port.
Cross the Grand Harbour from Lascaris Wharf to Cospicua (€3 single) and walk Birgu's waterfront to Fort St Angelo, the Knights' first base on Malta.