Discover Valletta Half-Day Walking Tour

The Triton Fountain located just outside the City Gate of Valletta consists of three bronze Tritons holding up a large basin. The fountain is one of Malta's most important Modernist landmarks. It was first inaugurated in 1959 and was restored in 2018.

The City Gate is located within the Porta Reale Curtain, a curtain wall between St. James' and St. John's Bastions which are joined by a bridge spanning across Valletta's deep ditch. The gate marks the beginning of Republic Street, Valletta's main street which goes all the way to Fort Saint Elmo at the opposite end of the city. The present gate is the fifth one to have stood on the site and was completed in 2014 to designs of the Italian architect Renzo Piano.

The New Parliament building was constructed between 2011 and 2015 to designs by Renzo Piano as part of the City Gate Project. The buolding consists of two blocks connected together with bridges. The structure consists of a steel frame clad in Gozitan limestone intended to actually represent honeycombs as the name of Malta derives from Melite which means honey.

The original opera house was designed by the English architect Edward Middleton Barry and was completed in 1866. The theatre received a direct hit from aerial bombing in 1942 during World War II. Prior to its destruction, it was one of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in Valletta. The ruins were redesigned by the Italian architect Renzo Piano and in 2013 it once again started functioning as a performance venue.

Castille Palace or Auberge de Castille sits at the highest point of Valletta. Built in the Baroque style under the magistracy of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in the 1740s, it replaced a 1574 building erected to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile, León and Portugal. The auberge has been called "probably the finest building in Malta". Today it houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

There will be some free time to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

The gardens are located on the upper tier of St. Peter and Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The gardens were originally used to offer recreation to the knights of the Italian langue of the Order of Saint John.

It is the highest point of the city walls, and thus its bordering terrace offers a clear view over the Grand Harbour, the Three Cities, as well as over the shipyard and the lower-lying parts the capital.

The Auberge d'Italie was built in the late 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Italy. In 2018 it became the new National Art Museum (MUŻA).

Palazzo Parisio was built in the 1740s by Domenico Sceberras, and was eventually passed into the hands of the Muscati and Parisio Muscati families. It was Napoleon's residence for six days in June 1798, during the early days of the French occupation of Malta. It was purchased by the Government of Malta and was used as the General Post Office from 1886 to 1973, then the Ministry for Agriculture, and it now houses the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The walking tour includes 45 minutes of free time at St. John's Co-Cathedral and Museum (entrance not included) in Republic Street.

During your 45 minutes of free time you can:

• purchase tickets (not included) to visit the St. John's Co-Cathedral and Museum, including the Caravaggio masterpieces in the Oratory, the Flemish tapestries and the church museum. The Co-Cathedral houses one of the most beautiful marble inlaid floors in the world. Entrance includes a multilingual audio guide;

• shop in Republic Street, Valletta's main high street;

• relax at one of the cafeterias in Republic Square or nearby piazzas.

After 45 minutes of free time, at the agreed time and place re-join the group for the remainder of the walking tour.

St. George's Square, also known as Palace Square, is Valletta's largest and most prominent square, located at the very heart of the city right in front of Valletta's most magnificent palace – the Grandmasters' Palace. The appearance of the square has changed over the years since the 17th century, but it has remained one of the most important venues where important occasions or events have been held or celebrated.

The Grandmaster's Palace, officially known as The Palace, was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, who ruled Malta. The Grandmaster's Palace was the seat of the Parliament of Malta between 1921 and 2015. It is the largest palace in the city and currently houses the Office of the President of Malta and the Palace State Rooms and the Palace Armoury which are open to the public as a museum.

Fort Saint Elmo is a star fort on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort Tigné and Fort Ricasoli. It is best known for its role in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565. Since 1975 part of the fort has housed the National War Museum.

The walking tour ends at 12:45hrs at the entrance of the Malta Experience (entrance not included). You can purchase tickets to watch the 45 minute Malta Experience multilingual audio-visual 13:00hrs show where Malta’s history throughout the centuries is brought back to life. You can also enjoy a drink and something to eat (not included) overlooking the Grand Harbour, before making your own way back at leisure