Valetta is possibly one of the most visually stunning cities we’ve ever been to. In a way, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The steep stairs and narrow alleys are so charming and colorful and there is so much to see and do here. There are many beautiful areas on both Malta and Gozo that are worth exploring, but I highly recommend spending at least 48 hours in Valetta, and here is how to best do it!
Day 1: All about food! Take a food tour through Valletta, visit the Upper & Lower Barrakka gardens, take a boat to visit Birgu, and end your day with a traditional Maltese dinner at Legligin
On your first day in Valetta I strongly suggest you wake up early, though I suggest this anywhere you travel. Take some time to stroll the streets before the city really wakes up. Admire all the stunning views and architecture and just enjoy the peacefulness of a city in the morning.
Head back to Osborne Hotel for breakfast or just coffee since you’re going to head out on a food tour. We found this hotel to be an excellent choice for our time in Malta. It was clean and stylish, the rooftop pool was an amazing escape during the heat of the day or before an evening out, the room was nice and comfortable, and the staff were so incredibly kind. The hotel was very well located and was within walking distance to anything we wanted to do in Valletta.
A food tour on your first day is always an excellent way to get to know a city. I trust a food tour is a good one when they take me to places I wouldn’t have gone on my own. This one fit the bill. Throughout this food tour we got to try a number of things very local to Malta. The first thing we tried was the “pastizzi” which is a Maltese pastry filled with curried peas. I know that might sound strange, but it is truly delicious and you can get them in Valetta for 1-2 USD. Then we got to try “kinnie” which is a Maltese soft drink and is very popular here. They drink it with or without alcohol. We tried it without. One of my favorite things we tried was the Maltese Tuna Sandwich. There seem to be quite a few variations of this sandwich but it always has tuna and a well made tomato paste. It can also include hard boiled eggs, onions, beans, basil, etc. It was the most surprisingly delicious thing and I highly recommend you try one when you’re in Valetta. I will also admit that we tried horse meat on this tour. We tried a few more things on this tour but I don’t want to give everything away. I highly recommend it as a great way to get to know the city and the Maltese cuisine!
You can find a link to the tour we did here : Valetta Street food & Culture Walking Tour
After the food tour you’re likely not going to need anything else to eat for a while so take a walk to explore anything else you may have missed. You may also want to go back to explore the Barrakka Gardens further as you don’t get to spend a lot of time during the tour. The gardens are truly beautiful and have some of the most incredible views on the island. You can also witness the firing of the cannons at different points in the day and learn a little more about the history of Malta.
After you’ve explored and rested it’s time to take a little mini trip. One really neat thing about Malta is the “dgħaja” which is a traditional Maltese boat. They are used as water taxis to take you across the harbor and they are so charming. They might remind you of a gondola ride in Venice. You can take an elevator down to the water from the “Barraka Gardens” and hop onto the boat to head to “Birgu” across the way. We LOVED walking around this area, it was SO quiet compared to the main areas of Valletta and had so many beautiful streets and alleyways. Grab a cocktail or a snack over here and enjoy the scene looking back at Valetta. Explore as much as you want before heading back to Valetta for dinner.
Book a reservation at “Legligin” you will not regret it. This place serves an INCREDIBLE tasting menu of traditional Maltese cuisine. The dinner tasting menu is 4 courses for 45 per person (a STEAL in my opinion) you can also add a wine pairing for 40 per person. We literally loved everything we ate here and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. Everything was SO fresh and delicious and they change the menu based on what is wonderful and in season at the time, so you know it’s going to be good! you also know it’s good because I didn’t stop at all to take a single photo of the food. But I promise, it was excellent.
After dinner you can spend the rest of your night wandering (if you still have it in you). Grab some gelato (we loved a place called “Tiffanys”), grab a drink and enjoy the evening scene, or just head home and rest up for another big day tomorrow! The rooftop pool at the hotel is also a really nice spot to relax and unwind after a long day and peer out at the lights of Valetta at night.
Day 2: Visit the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, check out an amazing swimming spot at St Peters Pool, and explore more of Valletta later in the day
Today you’ll wake up and have breakfast in your hotel. Then get ready to head to the cute fishing village of Marsaxlokk. If you really want to see this place in action you need to head there on a Sunday for the massive market. However, the village is still quite charming no matter what day you visit and is a nice place to grab some seafood for lunch.
From Marsaxlokk it is about a 30 minute walk to St Peters pool which is a really neat swimming hole and cool place to spend a few hours. If you’re not interested in walking you can also grab an uber or taxi that can get you pretty close. If you’ve read that it requires a long walk, that information is dated. We saw people getting dropped off within about 4-6 minutes walking distance from the actual spot.
It is worth noting though that this area is not for you if you just want a relaxing beach scene. It is a rocky area that is not very comfortable to sun bathe on. You come here because it is an adventure. Locals and tourists alike jump from the rocks into the big “pool” as the waves crash around them. There are some smaller areas where you can wade in off of smaller rocks if jumping is not for you. There is a small refreshment stand selling a few things, but I would recommend bringing your own water or refreshments for this area. We found it so entertaining to sit for a few hours watching everyone jump and hang out. It’s definitely a lively crowd here and I’m not sure it would be a recommended spot for people with children.
If this doesn’t sound like your scene, another fun idea is to go to a beach club in Sliema. there are quite a few in this area and you can relax and swim in a more comfortable environment. This area is also a quick and easy taxi or uber ride from Valetta.
After your day of swimming and sunbathing head back to shower or relax at the rooftop pool for a little while.
Head out for some drinks or a snack. There are so many charming little bars in Valetta. There are a few on the stairs that overlook the beautiful alleys. We also enjoy a good wine bar and had a nice time sitting at “Why Not?” before dinner.
For dinner I can suggest heading to “Ortygia” which is a Sicilian restaurant. We actually stumbled into this place after arriving late from our flight and to be honest we usually have terrible luck with this kind of thing. This time, we were lucky. The food was wonderful, the place is so cozy and charming, it seemed very local and relaxed. We absolutely loved the food and it was a bit off the beaten tourist track. It is a bit small and I feel we were lucky to get in when we did, so I always recommend making a reservation.
If you want to check out another side of Malta you could also head to Sliema and try “Ta Kris”. We loved this spot for traditional Maltese food. We had the lamb here and it was fantastic. This place is down a narrow alley and is quite popular so definitely make sure to make a reso here.
Recommendations for those with more time
If you have more time on Malta I also HIGHLY recommend spending a few days on the island of Gozo.
If you’re looking for more information on Gozo, check out my post here —–> 48 Hours on Gozo Island
I also recommend going on a boat day. There are so many beautiful stops you can make seeing Malta from a boat and looking back at the island and all of the beautiful spots from the water is a great way to see everything!
Check out a rooftop bar for sunset! There are quite a number of them and the views are wonderful! This was on the rooftop of “AX The Palace” Malta.
If you’re looking for a quick hit of top things to do on Malta & Gozo, check out my post —-> Top 8 Things to do on Malta & Gozo
If you’re looking for more info on how to budget for visiting Malta, check out this post by my friend Caity —–> Malta Budget Breakdown
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