Rainy day · Valletta · Malta
8 things to do in Valletta when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Continentaleurope, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with St John's Co-Cathedral, Grandmaster's Palace and Fort St Elmo and National War Museum. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 10–11 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry. January is usually the wettest month, with about 10 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 10–11 hours
- Areas
- Upper Valletta, Lower Valletta and Paola
Valletta on a rainy day
Religious site · Upper Valletta
1.St John's Co-Cathedral
Use the included audio guide and save the oratory for last, when you can sit in front of the Caravaggio.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Palace · Upper Valletta
2.Grandmaster's Palace
Check Heritage Malta's site for which state rooms are open, as parts of the palace are still used for official functions.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Castle · Lower Valletta
3.Fort St Elmo and National War Museum
Walk the ramparts after the museum for views over both harbours and the breakwater.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Rainy day
Historic site · Upper Valletta
4.Lascaris War Rooms
Combine it with the Saluting Battery above; the entrance is down the steps from the gardens.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Upper Valletta
5.National Museum of Archaeology
Visit before your temple day trips; the figurines make far more sense once you have seen the sites.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Gallery · Upper Valletta
6.MUŻA – National Community Art Museum
Look for the Preti paintings first, then compare them with his ceiling in St John's nearby.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Palace · Lower Valletta
7.Casa Rocca Piccola
Take the guided tour rather than wandering alone; the family stories are the highlight.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Paola
8.Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
Combine it with the Tarxien Temples, a 10-minute walk away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Valletta | St John's Co-Cathedral, Grandmaster's Palace, Lascaris War Rooms, National Museum of Archaeology and MUŻA – National Community Art Museum | 1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour + 1–1.5 hours |
| Lower Valletta | Fort St Elmo and National War Museum and Casa Rocca Piccola | 2 hours + 1 hour |
| Paola | Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 low cost, 5 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for St John's Co-Cathedral and Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. The longest visit is Fort St Elmo and National War Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- St John's Co-Cathedral: Queues build when cruise ships are in; arriving early or booking online saves time.
- Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum: Daily tickets are very limited and often sell out weeks ahead; book on the Heritage Malta site as soon as your dates are fixed.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Upper Valletta): St John's Co-Cathedral → Grandmaster's Palace → Lascaris War Rooms, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Upper Valletta and Lower Valletta): National Museum of Archaeology → MUŻA – National Community Art Museum → Fort St Elmo and National War Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Lower Valletta and Paola): Casa Rocca Piccola → Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, at least 2 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Mild, often sunny days between showers, with low prices and quiet museums; strong winds can cancel some boat trips.
- December: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild for Europe, with Christmas cribs, lights on Republic Street and festive concerts.
- November: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and greener, with occasional heavy downpours; prices drop and Valletta feels local again.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Upper Valletta — City Gate, Republic Street and the cathedral end of the capital
- Lower Valletta — Quieter residential streets, Strait Street bars and Fort St Elmo
More of Valletta
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Valletta?
St John's Co-Cathedral. The Knights' conventual church looks austere outside but inside is a blaze of gilded carved stone, ceiling paintings by Mattia Preti and a floor of some 400 inlaid marble tombstones of knights.