Valletta Walking Tour With St John's Co-Cathedral
Following pickup from your Malta hotel (selected hotels only), journey to the entrance of the fortified city of Valleta, the archipelago’s capital, where you’ll begin your walking tour. Head to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a beautiful public park whose terrace affords beautiful views of Grand Harbour and the old towns of Senglea and Vittoriosa. Continue to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, which was built for the Knights of St. John in the 16th century. Wander through its timeworn halls and marvel at the distinctive baroque architecture and paintings by Caravaggio. Continue past the Grandmasters’ Palace and the restored St. George’s Square before watching the Malta Experience, an audiovisual show that brings Malta’s history to life. Your tour concludes with a hotel drop-off.
Highlights
- ✓Exploring on foot lets you admire the city's finer details
- ✓Wander through St. John's Co-Cathedral for a look at baroque architecture
- ✓Enjoy commentary from your guide you won't find elsewhere
- ✓Leave with plenty of tips for further exploration in Valletta
What you'll see & do
- ✓During this tour, we will walk through the bustling streets of Valletta, admiring the stunning buildings (some dating back to the 16th century) and the distinctive architecture of the city – the city is Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical, and Modern architecture. We will walk past the Grand Master's Palace, the recently restored St. George's Square, and many other remarkable landmarks.
- ✓A visit to the Upper Barrakka Gardens is a must; here, you can take in breathtaking views of the magnificent Grand Harbour, providing a perfect backdrop for memorable photographs. The gardens are located on the upper tier of Saints Peter and Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The bastion's lower tier contains the saluting battery. The garden's terraced arches were built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. They were originally roofed, but the ceiling was removed following the Rising of the Priests in 1775.
- ✓Then we will visit the marvellous co-cathedral dedicated to St. John the Baptist, built by the Order of the Knights of St. John soon after the Great Siege of 1565 and completed in the year 1577; it is unquestionably one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals. Here you will be able to appreciate and admire all its riches: the adorned interiors, carved stone walls, painted vaulted ceilings, beautiful paintings, precious relics, rich baroque art, and opulent altars. The entry ticket and guided tour of the cathedral are optional (select this option when booking). If you select the option that does not include the visit to the cathedral, while the rest of the group will have a guided tour of the cathedral (approximately 45 minutes), guests booking this option will have some free time to roam around the streets of Valletta until we meet again with the rest of the group at a designated time and place.
- ✓Before the end of this half-day tour, we will enjoy a must-see audio-visual show. Educational, informative, and entertaining, the show runs through the turbulent history of a small island nation that has overcome almost unimaginable odds to survive and prosper. The audio-visual show will enrich your understanding of the islands, its people, and its rich history through beautiful imagery and a gripping commentary. The audio-visual show is generally done at the end of the tour at the Malta Experience theatre; however, the provider reserves the right to change the time and venue for the audio-visual show without prior notice.
What's included
- ✓Entry ticket to an audio-visual show about the history of Malta
- ✓Pick-up and drop-off transfers (choose your preferred location from one of our meeting points)
- ✓Licenced tour guide
- ✓Admission ticket to St. John's Co-Cathedral (only if you book the option 'Including Cathedral')
What's not included
- ✓Optional ticket to St. John's Cathedral is not included if you book the option 'Without Cathedral'
- ✓Food and drinks
- ✓Gratuities (optional)
Good to know
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The time shown on the website or on your ticket is the approximate start time of the activity and not the time when you will be picked up from your hotel (or closest meeting point). At least a few days before the date of your activity, you need to make sure to contact the tour operator to confirm your pick-up location and pick-up time. Your pick-up time can be anytime between 8:30 AM and 9:15 AM, depending on where you are staying.
The tour will be guided in the language you have booked, however please note that at times, depending on operational circumstances, the commentary might be provided by a multilingual guide (limited to a maximum of 2 languages).
The tour in Polish will be conducted by either a Polish-speaking guide (subject to availability) or an English-speaking guide together with a native Polish host serving as a translator.
The tour in Spanish will be conducted by either a Spanish-speaking guide (subject to availability) or an English-speaking guide together with a Spanish-speaking host serving as a translator.
The entry ticket to St. John's Co-Cathedral is only included if you book the option that includes the visit to the Cathedral.
If you select the option that does not include the visit to the cathedral, while other guests will be visiting the cathedral, you will have some free time (approximately 30–40 minutes) to roam around the streets of Valletta until you meet again with the rest of the group at a designated time and place.
Not recommended for travellers with mobility impairments
9:30 AM is the approximate start time of the activity and not the time when you will be picked up from your hotel (or closest meeting point). At least a few days before the date of your activity, you need to make sure to contact the tour operator to confirm your pick-up location and pick-up time. Your pick-up time can be any time between 8:30 AM and 9:15 AM, depending on where you are staying. If your pick-up location is a hotel, please wait outside near the main entrance. Do not wait in the lobby or inside the hotel. When the guide or driver arrives, they will have a list of names and will ask those waiting outside for identification. They will not enter the hotel to look for guests. Transportation will not wait for late arrivals. If you miss your morning pick-up, you will not be able to join the tour later. Once the tour has started, it cannot be interrupted to accommodate latecomers.
Cancellation policy
- •A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
- •No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.
Valletta Walking Tour With St John's Co-Cathedral
Following pickup from your Malta hotel (selected hotels only), journey to the entrance of the fortified city of Valleta, the archipelago’s capital, where you’ll begin your walking tour. Head to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a beautiful public park whose terrace affords beautiful views of Grand Harbour and the old towns of Senglea and Vittoriosa. Continue to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, which was built for the Knights of St. John in the 16th century. Wander through its timeworn halls and marvel at the distinctive baroque architecture and paintings by Caravaggio. Continue past the Grandmasters’ Palace and the restored St. George’s Square before watching the Malta Experience, an audiovisual show that brings Malta’s history to life. Your tour concludes with a hotel drop-off.
Highlights
- ✓Exploring on foot lets you admire the city's finer details
- ✓Wander through St. John's Co-Cathedral for a look at baroque architecture
- ✓Enjoy commentary from your guide you won't find elsewhere
- ✓Leave with plenty of tips for further exploration in Valletta
What you'll see & do
- ✓During this tour, we will walk through the bustling streets of Valletta, admiring the stunning buildings (some dating back to the 16th century) and the distinctive architecture of the city – the city is Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical, and Modern architecture. We will walk past the Grand Master's Palace, the recently restored St. George's Square, and many other remarkable landmarks.
- ✓A visit to the Upper Barrakka Gardens is a must; here, you can take in breathtaking views of the magnificent Grand Harbour, providing a perfect backdrop for memorable photographs. The gardens are located on the upper tier of Saints Peter and Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The bastion's lower tier contains the saluting battery. The garden's terraced arches were built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. They were originally roofed, but the ceiling was removed following the Rising of the Priests in 1775.
- ✓Then we will visit the marvellous co-cathedral dedicated to St. John the Baptist, built by the Order of the Knights of St. John soon after the Great Siege of 1565 and completed in the year 1577; it is unquestionably one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals. Here you will be able to appreciate and admire all its riches: the adorned interiors, carved stone walls, painted vaulted ceilings, beautiful paintings, precious relics, rich baroque art, and opulent altars. The entry ticket and guided tour of the cathedral are optional (select this option when booking). If you select the option that does not include the visit to the cathedral, while the rest of the group will have a guided tour of the cathedral (approximately 45 minutes), guests booking this option will have some free time to roam around the streets of Valletta until we meet again with the rest of the group at a designated time and place.
- ✓Before the end of this half-day tour, we will enjoy a must-see audio-visual show. Educational, informative, and entertaining, the show runs through the turbulent history of a small island nation that has overcome almost unimaginable odds to survive and prosper. The audio-visual show will enrich your understanding of the islands, its people, and its rich history through beautiful imagery and a gripping commentary. The audio-visual show is generally done at the end of the tour at the Malta Experience theatre; however, the provider reserves the right to change the time and venue for the audio-visual show without prior notice.
What's included
- ✓Entry ticket to an audio-visual show about the history of Malta
- ✓Pick-up and drop-off transfers (choose your preferred location from one of our meeting points)
- ✓Licenced tour guide
- ✓Admission ticket to St. John's Co-Cathedral (only if you book the option 'Including Cathedral')
What's not included
- ✓Optional ticket to St. John's Cathedral is not included if you book the option 'Without Cathedral'
- ✓Food and drinks
- ✓Gratuities (optional)
Good to know
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The time shown on the website or on your ticket is the approximate start time of the activity and not the time when you will be picked up from your hotel (or closest meeting point). At least a few days before the date of your activity, you need to make sure to contact the tour operator to confirm your pick-up location and pick-up time. Your pick-up time can be anytime between 8:30 AM and 9:15 AM, depending on where you are staying.
The tour will be guided in the language you have booked, however please note that at times, depending on operational circumstances, the commentary might be provided by a multilingual guide (limited to a maximum of 2 languages).
The tour in Polish will be conducted by either a Polish-speaking guide (subject to availability) or an English-speaking guide together with a native Polish host serving as a translator.
The tour in Spanish will be conducted by either a Spanish-speaking guide (subject to availability) or an English-speaking guide together with a Spanish-speaking host serving as a translator.
The entry ticket to St. John's Co-Cathedral is only included if you book the option that includes the visit to the Cathedral.
If you select the option that does not include the visit to the cathedral, while other guests will be visiting the cathedral, you will have some free time (approximately 30–40 minutes) to roam around the streets of Valletta until you meet again with the rest of the group at a designated time and place.
Not recommended for travellers with mobility impairments
9:30 AM is the approximate start time of the activity and not the time when you will be picked up from your hotel (or closest meeting point). At least a few days before the date of your activity, you need to make sure to contact the tour operator to confirm your pick-up location and pick-up time. Your pick-up time can be any time between 8:30 AM and 9:15 AM, depending on where you are staying. If your pick-up location is a hotel, please wait outside near the main entrance. Do not wait in the lobby or inside the hotel. When the guide or driver arrives, they will have a list of names and will ask those waiting outside for identification. They will not enter the hotel to look for guests. Transportation will not wait for late arrivals. If you miss your morning pick-up, you will not be able to join the tour later. Once the tour has started, it cannot be interrupted to accommodate latecomers.
Cancellation policy
- •A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
- •No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.