Valletta in 3 days

Morning

• St John's Co-Cathedral1h15

  Open with St John's Co-Cathedral on a pre-booked timed ticket, wearing flat shoes as heels are banned to protect the inlaid tomb floor. Allow about an hour with the audio guide for Caravaggio's Beheading of St John, and go early before the cruise crowds.

  TipThe Knights' gilded Baroque cathedral holds Caravaggio's huge Beheading of St John and a floor of inlaid marble knight tombs. Buy the timed ticket online, note it closes on Sundays and public holidays, and wear flat shoes as heels are banned because they damage the tombstones; allow about an hour with the included audio guide.

• Republic Street and the City Gate45 min

  Walk Republic Street from the modern City Gate and Parliament past the Grandmaster's Palace, glancing down the stepped side streets that each frame the sea. It is the easiest way to get your bearings in the grid.

  TipThe pedestrian spine of the city runs from Renzo Piano's modern City Gate and Parliament past the Grandmaster's Palace to the far walls. Walk it in the early morning or the soft evening light, glance down the stepped side streets to the sea framing each one, and remember that most shops here close on Sundays.

• The Grandmaster's Palace and Armoury1h

  Tour the Grandmaster's Palace and its Armoury, pre-booked in case a state function closes it. The state rooms and the siege-era armour take about an hour.

  TipThis was the palace of the Knights' Grand Masters and later the British governors, with grand state rooms and a huge armoury of siege-era weapons and armour. Book online and check it is open, as state functions can close it at short notice; the Armoury is the highlight, and about an hour covers both.

Afternoon

• 1h

  Break for a cheap Maltese lunch of pastizzi and a stuffed ftira at a Valletta kiosk, kept light before the climb to the gardens. Sit in a small square out of the sun.

• Upper Barrakka Gardens45 min

  Head up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the signature Grand Harbour view, timing it for the Saluting Battery cannon at noon or 4pm. Entry is free, and you can take the Barrakka Lift down afterwards.

  TipThese terraced gardens give the best view over the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, and the Saluting Battery below fires its cannon at noon and again at 4pm. Entry is free, so time your visit for the noon gun, then take the Barrakka Lift down to the waterfront for a small fee rather than walking back up the hill.

• Fort St Elmo and the War Museum1h30

  Walk to Fort St Elmo at the peninsula's tip for the National War Museum and the George Cross, around 90 minutes. Check it is not closed for a public holiday before you set off.

  TipThe star fort at the tip of Valletta held out against the Ottomans in the 1565 siege and now houses the National War Museum, including Malta's George Cross. Allow about 90 minutes, check first that it is not a closed public holiday, and try to catch the In Guardia costumed drill re-enactment staged on select mornings.

Evening

• Pastizzi and Maltese Food2h

  Stay in Valletta for dinner as the day crowds thin and the lanes turn quiet. Try fenkata, the Maltese rabbit stew, at a small restaurant, and book ahead as it is often cooked to order.

  TipThe island snacks on pastizzi, flaky pastry parcels of ricotta or mushy peas, and eats rabbit stew, or fenkata, ftira bread and the bittersweet Kinnie soft drink. Grab pastizzi hot from a hole-in-the-wall bakery for small change, book a village rabbit dinner ahead as it is often cooked to order, and try a stuffed ftira from a Valletta kiosk at lunch.

Morning

• The Grand Harbour and Three Cities2h30

  Cross the Grand Harbour by traditional dghajsa or the cheap passenger ferry to Birgu, oldest of the Three Cities. Wander the marina, the quiet lanes and Fort St Angelo, which the Knights held before Valletta was built.

  TipThe great natural harbour is crossed by traditional dghajsa water taxis to Birgu, where the marina, the waterfront and Fort St Angelo reward a slow wander. Take the cheap Valletta to Birgu passenger ferry or hire a colourful dghajsa from the Valletta waterfront, and go in the late afternoon when the low light hits the honey-stone walls.

Afternoon

• 2h

  Take a slow lunch on the Birgu waterfront by the marina, then walk the bastions and the back streets before crossing back. This side of the harbour is calm even at peak season.

• Valletta Waterfront (Pinto Wharf)45 min

  Back on the Valletta side, drop down via the Barrakka Lift to the Valletta Waterfront at Pinto Wharf, the restored Baroque warehouses along the quay. Stop for a drink by the water before the evening.

  TipA restored row of Baroque warehouses along the harbour now holds restaurants and bars, and it is where the cruise ships dock below the walls. Reach it by taking the Barrakka Lift down and walking a few minutes along the quay; it is best for a relaxed harbourside dinner and is quieter than the streets up in the centre.

Evening

• 2h30

  Take the five-minute ferry across to Sliema for the classic evening view of Valletta's floodlit walls, then dine on the Sliema seafront or carry on to St Julian's for a busier night out. The ferry runs late.

Morning

• Mdina, the Silent City2h

  Take bus 51, 52 or 53 out to Mdina, the car-free medieval silent city, about 35 minutes from Valletta. Wander the noble palazzi and the bastion viewpoints early, before the day-trip coaches fill the narrow lanes.

  TipThe car-free fortified old capital is a hush of noble palazzi, narrow lanes and bastion views, and it looks its best empty. Take bus 51, 52 or 53 from Valletta, about 35 minutes, and go early in the morning or after dusk when the day-trippers have gone, then pair it with Rabat right next door.

• St Paul's Catacombs, Rabat1h15

  Walk into neighbouring Rabat for St Paul's Catacombs, the rock-cut early-Christian burial complex, on a pre-booked slot. Wear flat shoes for the uneven steps and allow about an hour underground.

  TipThis extensive early-Christian underground burial complex sits just outside Mdina in Rabat, a network of rock-cut tombs you can walk through. Book a timed slot online, wear flat shoes for the uneven steps and low passages, allow about an hour, and combine it with Mdina on the same trip out.

Afternoon

• Marsaxlokk Fishing Village2h30

  Alternatively, swap the whole day for the south coast: on a Sunday, catch bus 81 or 85 to Marsaxlokk for the fish market among the painted luzzu boats and a long seafood lunch on the quay.

  TipThis southern village is a harbour full of painted luzzu fishing boats, famous for its Sunday fish market and its quayside seafood restaurants. Come on Sunday morning for the market, take bus 81 or 85 from Valletta, about 45 minutes, and stay on for a long seafood lunch at a table right on the quay.

• The Blue Grotto and Dingli Cliffs1h30

  Carry on to the Blue Grotto near the Dingli Cliffs and take the small morning boat from Wied iz-Zurrieq when the light turns the sea vivid blue. Skip the boat on windy days when it does not run, and enjoy the cliff views instead.

  TipThe Blue Grotto is a run of sea caves and a natural arch on the south coast, near the high Dingli Cliffs that are the highest point on the island. Take the small boat from Wied iz-Zurrieq in the calm morning when the light turns the water a vivid blue, catch bus 74 from Valletta, and skip it on windy days when the boats stop running.

Evening

• 30 min

  For an early flight, remember Malta International Airport at Luqa is only about 8km south: allow for the X4 express bus from the Valletta terminus, about 30 to 35 minutes, or a fixed-fare eCabs or Bolt for 15 to 20 EUR. If the Hypogeum is on your wish list, book it online weeks ahead, as the daily cap sells out well in advance.