This full day Valletta shore excursion is a great choice for first time visitors to Malta, pairing the capital's top sites with an afternoon in the walled medieval city of Mdina.
After meeting your private licensed guide at the pier, you drive to the city center for a walking tour of Valletta, built as Malta's capital in the 16th century by the Knights of St. John. You begin at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, perched high above the city with sweeping views over the Grand Harbor and the Three Cities across the water. This overlook is where the Knights once practiced fencing to defend the galleys anchored below.
From there you walk along Republic Street, Valletta's main pedestrian thoroughfare, to St. John's Co-Cathedral. Dating to the 16th century, its interior is decorated with carved stonework, ornate columns, and a floor of more than four hundred inlaid marble tombstones memorializing knights from across Europe. Two paintings by Caravaggio hang in the Oratory.
Next you visit the Grand Master's Palace, home to Malta's parliament and the president's office. In the Tapestry Chambers, Gobelins tapestries cover the walls, and you'll pass suits of armor and elaborate state rooms surrounding the palace's courtyards.
After the palace you have free time for lunch (not included). In the afternoon, you drive into the countryside to Mdina, known as the Silent City. Once Malta's capital, it feels like stepping into another era as you cross the moat and pass through the massive city gates. You'll stroll past the Baroque cathedral and through narrow, winding streets lined with carved wooden balconies and honey colored limestone walls. Small horse drawn carriages still clatter through the lanes, and the bastions offer panoramic views over the Maltese countryside.
Your driver and guide then return you to the pier in Valletta.
Review Location- Valletta 
