Valletta

Does any one know where Seabourn usually docks in Valletta? Trying to figure out how to plan our day there...any input is welcome :)

As far as I know all ships dock at the waterfront which is down below the city. There is a big elevator to take you all the way up and the view from the gardens at the top is spectacular. The elevator cost one euro last time I was there.

Valletta is a unique and enchanting small city and I could easily spend a whole day here wandering about.

For a short excursion you could get a public bus to The promenade at sliema and walk all the way around to Saint Julians. There are plenty of buses to and from Valletta on that route and it's not far, like 15 mins or so.

A little further afield is the walled city of Mdina. For me the main attraction there is an outdoor cafe called Fontanella. We stayed in Malta for 4 days and went there every afternoon from Valletta for the strawberry meringue [emoji1]

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As far as I know all ships dock at the waterfront which is down below the city. There is a big elevator to take you all the way up and the view from the gardens at the top is spectacular.

 

Valletta is a unique and enchanting small city and I could easily spend a whole day here wandering about.

 

For a short excursion you could get a public bus to The promenade at sliema and walk all the way around to Saint Julians. There are plenty of buses to and from Valletta on that route and it's not far, like 15 mins or so.

 

A little further afield is the walled city of Mdina. For me the main attraction there is an outdoor cafe called Fontanella. We stayed in Malta for 4 days and went there every afternoon from Valletta for the strawberry meringue [emoji1]

 

 

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Thank you kirtens! That is excellent advice! Looking forward :-)

When you dock you can take a 10 minute walk along to the lift which takes you straight into the Upper Barrackka Gardens where there is a wonderful view and a great little cafe. After that just wander around - it's a lovely little city. There is a little train and also little electric cabs which often come down to where the ship docks. Most ships dock at the Valletta Waterfront where there are a lot of cafes and restaurants - it's a nice spot and worth a look. There are good public toilets in the Upper Barrackka and on the corner of Theatre and Strait Street.

An absolute peach of a destination.

You will probably enter late in the afternoon as the sun washes over the stone buildings bathing them in a warm golden glow. Be on the bow as you enter.

Once moored alongside you need to stand with your back to the water and turn right. The large elevator that takes you up to the town is five minutes walk away.

We took a Segway tour which was excellent and covered a large part of the old town.

Henry :)

Anyone have any info/recommendations/suggestions on renting a taxi or car (w/driver) for an island tour? We'd kind of like to see some of Valetta, the Hypogeum (if it's reopened by the time we get there and we can get tickets), Mdina, and Blue Grotto. Seems like a bit much for public transport or Hop On - Hop Off so thought a taxi or car & driver might be the way to go.

Thanks.

If you want to do all those things then you are right, a car with driver is the way to go. They do have a good bus service but a car would be much faster.

Sorry I am not sure where you would find one but there will be Malta forums somewhere like Tripadvisor where someone would know.

Just back from Valletta stay. The Hypogeum has no re-opening date yet. We went to St. Paul's Catacombs as a reasonable alternative. No trip to the City is complete without taking in St. John's Co-Cathedral, which is exquisite and has two wonderful Caravaggio works. We were whisked round on a crowded organized tour in the morning and had to return after lunch when it was quieter to do it justice.

Many attractions are restricted due to conservation works at the moment in preparation for the city becoming European City of Culture. The Grandmaster's Palace was a disappointment in this respect, although the Armoury was interesting. The Museum of Fine Art was also closed pending a move to new premises.

Local bus services are plentiful and cheap; 2Euros to go anywhere within 2 hours including any transfer between buses. The best way to get to Sliema is via the Ferry; I think it cost us 1 Euro each.

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Anyone have any info/recommendations/suggestions on renting a taxi or car (w/driver) for an island tour? We'd kind of like to see some of Valetta, the Hypogeum (if it's reopened by the time we get there and we can get tickets), Mdina, and Blue Grotto. Seems like a bit much for public transport or Hop On - Hop Off so thought a taxi or car & driver might be the way to go.

 

Thanks.

I am sure that E Cabs would sort out something for you - 356 21383838.

We used the buses. 49 cents one way to M'dina. And great fun.

Anyone have any info/recommendations/suggestions on renting a taxi or car (w/driver) for an island tour? We'd kind of like to see some of Valetta, the Hypogeum (if it's reopened by the time we get there and we can get tickets), Mdina, and Blue Grotto. Seems like a bit much for public transport or Hop On - Hop Off so thought a taxi or car & driver might be the way to go.

 

Thanks.

Ka Honu, my husband and I just spent the last year living in Malta. While I don't have any tour guide recommendations (because we used Malta Public Transport, and had lots of time to explore independently), I can say that we had good luck with eCabs. We only used them when we needed to get to the airport, but the driver was polite and on time, and the price was fair. Whatever you decide, be mindful of travel times, as rush-hour traffic on Malta can be brutal.

We lived in Valletta, and I recently wrote a piece on what to see/do there: https://triciaannemitchell.com/2016/12/04/things-to-do-in-valletta-malta-attractions-hotels-guide/

Here's hoping you have a wonderful time. Malta has a lot to offer despite being a tiny country!

SlowBlueSkies - Sorry for the delay but I've been out of town since before Thanksgiving. Thanks for the info.

Everybody else - Check out her website; it's amazing!

That's really kind of you to say, Ka Honu. My blog is a labor of love, for sure.

Wish you a wonderful trip! :) We've been away from Malta for a few months now, but I sure miss that little island's sunshine.

Anyone have any info/recommendations/suggestions on renting a taxi or car (w/driver) for an island tour? We'd kind of like to see some of Valetta, the Hypogeum (if it's reopened by the time we get there and we can get tickets), Mdina, and Blue Grotto. Seems like a bit much for public transport or Hop On - Hop Off so thought a taxi or car & driver might be the way to go.

 

Thanks.

Aloha, Ka Honu,

Just to let you know, Alan Wong had a gastronomy tour of the Adriatic area and in Malta, the restaurant he used was Tartarun, in Marsaxlokk:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g190323-d1911172-Reviews-Tartarun_Fish_Restaurant-Marsaxlokk_Island_of_Malta.html

Our friend who was on the tour spoke very highly of this restaurant, and I then contacted the proprietor when it was our time to stop there on another cruise. The proprietor arranged for a taxi to pick us up and bring us to the restaurant for lunch. After the wonderful lunch, the taxi gave a us a tour and brought us back to the ship.

Not sure where gastronomy fits into your plan, but we had a wonderful time on our day in Malta.

Hau'oli makahiki hou!