The dome of the Carmelite Basilica above the limestone houses and bastions of Valletta
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Luxury in Malta

Valletta

The city the Knights built: golden stone above the Grand Harbour, St John’s Co-Cathedral and its Caravaggio, palazzo hotels, and Gozo and Comino by boat.

The Carmelite dome, VallettaPhotograph: Efrem Efre

Merħba

The city of the Knights

Valletta was built by the Knights of St John after they held Malta against the Ottoman fleet in the Great Siege of 1565. The Grand Master Jean de Valette laid its first stone the next year, and the whole fortified city, on its peninsula between two harbours, is World Heritage.

Inside the plain walls of St John’s Co-Cathedral lies one of the most splendid baroque interiors in Europe, and in its oratory hangs Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John the Baptist, the only painting he ever signed. From the Upper Barrakka Gardens the saluting battery still fires at noon over the Grand Harbour.

Malta is small enough to cross in an hour: the silent walled city of Mdina inland, the Three Cities across the harbour, and the quieter green island of Gozo a short crossing away. English is an official language alongside Maltese.

A few words of Maltese
EnglishMalteseSay it
HelloBonġuBON-joo
PleaseJekk jogħġbokyek YOJ-bok
Thank youGrazziGRAHT-see
Good eveningIl-lejla t-tajba (or Bonswa)il-LAY-lah t-TIE-bah (bon-SWAH)
The bill, pleaseIl-kont, jekk jogħġbokil-KONT, yek YOJ-bok

Where to go

Valletta at a glance

When to go, the one best hotel and table, and how to arrive privately.

Malta

Best time to visitMay, June and late September to October are best: warm sea, almost no rain and fewer people than in high summer. Malta's mild winters make it a good choice out of season too.

  • Stay
    Iniala Harbour HouseForbes Five-Star and two MICHELIN Keys

    Facing Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta's highest-rated hotel on both counts.

  • Dine
    ION Harbour by Simon Rogan

    Above the Grand Harbour at Iniala, Malta's only two-MICHELIN-star restaurant.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Malta International Airport (MLA / LMML), at Luqa, about 20 minutes by car to Valletta. Private flights are handled at the ExecuJet FBO, run with Executive Aviation Malta.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
Grand Harbour Marina, Birgu, superyacht berths of 30 to 100 metres; directly across Grand Harbour from Valletta, a short boat crossing or about 20 minutes by car.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Valletta

The finest hotels in and around Valletta: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Dine

The best restaurants in Valletta

The finest tables of Valletta and around.

Two MICHELIN stars

Sail

Yachting in Valletta

Yachting at our standard in and around Valletta.

Superyacht marinas

  • Grand Harbour MarinaBirgu

    Superyacht berths of 30 to 100 metres across Grand Harbour from Valletta, open day and night in all weather, with a superyacht shipyard alongside. Visit website ↗

Refit and maintenance

  • Palumbo Upfit (formerly Palumbo Superyachts Refit)Naples, Malta and Marseille

    A Naples-based group with seven yards (Naples, Messina, Ancona, Savona, Malta's Grand Harbour, Marseille, and the Viktor Lenac yard at Rijeka in Croatia, mainly for commercial ships) and dry docks for vessels up to 268 metres; its Malta yard has a 160-metre dry dock, a covered 140-metre dry dock and a 420-tonne travelift. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Valletta by sea

How the ships arrive in Valletta, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships berth in the Grand Harbour, below the bastions of Valletta, and a lift climbs into the city.

P&O sails fly-cruises from Valletta in late summer, and MSC's Yacht Club calls on its western Mediterranean voyages. Eight of the luxury lines below begin and end voyages here.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Experience

Events and things to do in Valletta

The Valletta year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

  • National Museum of ArchaeologyValletta

    Malta's prehistoric treasures, including the "Sleeping Lady" from the Hypogeum, in the 16th-century Auberge de Provence. Visit website ↗

  • St John's Co-CathedralValletta

    The church of the Knights of Malta, built between 1573 and 1578, and its museum. The Oratory holds Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608), the only painting he signed. Visit website ↗

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Sport and motoring

  • Royal Malta Yacht ClubTa' Xbiex, Malta

    Founded in 1835, the club that organises the Rolex Middle Sea Race (on the Events list), as well as the Cannes–Malta Race and the Round Malta Race, with reciprocal ties to yacht clubs worldwide. Visit website ↗

Weddings and celebrations

  • Palazzo ParisioNaxxar

    An 18th-century palace with gilded mirrored salons, frescoes and Italianate walled gardens, Malta's leading wedding palace, with its own catering and event team. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Valletta

A home in Valletta: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Malta Sotheby's International RealtySt. Julian's

    Sotheby's affiliate for Malta and Gozo with offices at Portomaso Marina and Tigné Point, handling villas, palazzos and penthouses. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Malta ›

Looking for a home in Valletta? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Residency

  • Malta Permanent Residence ProgrammeMalta

    Administered by the government agency Residency Malta, it grants the right to settle and reside permanently in Malta, with Schengen travel, and can cover up to four generations. Visit website ↗

International schools

  • Verdala International SchoolPembroke

    Malta's leading international school, set at Fort Pembroke, offering the IB Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related programmes and accredited by the Middle States Association. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Valletta and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Valletta

Where is Valletta?

On the north-east coast of Malta, an island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean south of Sicily. Malta International Airport takes private jets and is about 20 minutes from the city by car.

What is Valletta famous for?

Its fortified baroque streets built by the Knights of St John, St John’s Co-Cathedral and its Caravaggio, the Grand Harbour, and its place as a World Heritage capital.

When is the best time to visit Valletta?

May, June and late September to October are best: warm sea, almost no rain and fewer people than in high summer. Malta's mild winters make it a good choice out of season too.

Where are the best luxury hotels in Valletta?

Iniala Harbour House (Forbes Five-Star and two MICHELIN Keys).

How do you arrive in Valletta by private jet?

Malta International Airport (MLA / LMML), at Luqa, about 20 minutes by car to Valletta.

Which are the best restaurants in Valletta?

The finest table on our list: ION Harbour by Simon Rogan.

Do you tip in Valletta?

Around 5–10% in restaurants for good service, if service is not already included; round up for taxis and cafés. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.

What should you wear in Valletta?

Malta is strongly Catholic and fairly conservative: shoulders and knees covered in churches, including St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta; remove hats and sunglasses on entering, and carry a shawl or sarong. Keep swimwear for the beach and lido. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart-casual for fine dining.

Beyond Valletta

More in Malta

The Grand Harbour and the Mediterranean beyond.

MaltaMalta Luxury Holidays & Valletta HotelsExplore MaltaThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Valletta, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Valletta

How Malta does things.

Language
Maltese and English are both official. English is spoken almost everywhere.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting, with eye contact; cheek kisses among friends and family, but wait for locals to start them. Sur (Mr) and Sinjura (Mrs) are used formally, but English courtesies are normal.
Dress
Malta is strongly Catholic and fairly conservative: shoulders and knees covered in churches, including St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta; remove hats and sunglasses on entering, and carry a shawl or sarong. Keep swimwear for the beach and lido. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart-casual for fine dining.
Dining
Dinner is typically late, after about 8.30 pm, and meals are relaxed and unhurried. Book ahead in Valletta and on summer weekends.
Tipping
Around 5–10% in restaurants for good service, if service is not already included; round up for taxis and cafés. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Good to know
Malta drives on the left. Summer village festi (patron-saint feasts) bring processions, fireworks and road closures. Bird hunting takes place in spring and autumn, so take care in rural areas in those seasons.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.