With kids · Valletta · Malta

Valletta with kids

Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.

Updated 24 October 2026By the AMZBooking editorial team

Quick answer

Malta is easy with children: English is spoken everywhere, distances are short, and forts, boat trips and the noon gun are a hit. Valletta's steep streets and steps are hard with a stroller, so a baby carrier is more practical. Top picks: Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery, Fort St Elmo and National War Museum and Lascaris War Rooms. Families usually base themselves in Sliema.

Family picks: 5
Best area for families: Sliema
Rainy-day options: 2
Busiest months: July–August

Best things to do with kids

Viewpoint · Upper Valletta

1.Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery

The arcaded garden on the highest point of the bastions looks across the Grand Harbour to Birgu, Senglea and Fort St Angelo. Below it, the Saluting Battery's cannons are fired daily at noon, a tradition that once regulated time for ships in the harbour. The Barrakka Lift drops 58 metres from the gardens to the waterfront.

Arrive about 15 minutes before noon to get a spot on the terrace for the gun salute.

Time needed: 45 minutes
Cost: Free

Free
Views
Iconic
Kids
Photo spot

Castle · Lower Valletta

2.Fort St Elmo and National War Museum

The star-shaped fort at the tip of the peninsula held out for a month in the Great Siege of 1565 and was bombed repeatedly in the Second World War. Its National War Museum covers Malta's history from the Bronze Age to independence, and displays the George Cross awarded to the island in 1942.

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

3.Lascaris War Rooms

Tunnels cut deep beneath the Upper Barrakka Gardens served as the British command centre for the defence of Malta in WWII and as a headquarters for the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. The operations rooms are restored with plotting tables and maps, and guides explain how the air battle over Malta was run.

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

Experience · Sliema

4.Grand Harbour and Marsamxett cruise

Boat tours from Sliema circle both natural harbours, passing the bastions of Valletta, the Three Cities, the creeks of the Grand Harbour and the dockyards. It is the easiest way to understand why the Knights and later the British prized Malta.

Choose an open-deck seat and go in the late afternoon, when the low sun lights up the bastions.

Time needed: 1.5 hours
Cost: Low cost

Kids
Views
Outdoors

Neighbourhood · The Three Cities

5.Birgu and Fort St Angelo

The Knights' first base in Malta is reached by a short ferry or dgħajsa ride across the Grand Harbour. Fort St Angelo at the tip of Birgu was their headquarters during the Great Siege, and the lanes behind the marina hold the Inquisitor's Palace and the Maritime Museum.

Take a traditional dgħajsa water taxi one way and the ferry back for two different views of the harbour.

Time needed: Half a day
Cost: Low cost

History
Views
Couples
Outdoors
Photo spot

Rainy-day ideas

Fort St Elmo and National War Museum — Walk the ramparts after the museum for views over both harbours and the breakwater.
Lascaris War Rooms — Combine it with the Saluting Battery above; the entrance is down the steps from the gardens.

Where families should stay

$$$ · Best for families, shopping, beach and first-timers

Sliema

Across Marsamxett Harbour, Sliema is Malta's main resort town, with a long seafront promenade, rocky swimming areas and the Tigné Point shopping area. The Sliema ferry reaches Valletta in about 10 minutes, and boat trips to Comino and around the harbours leave from The Strand.

Good: Wide choice of hotels and apartments; Sea swimming from the rocks; Quick ferry to Valletta
Watch out: Heavy traffic and construction; Built-up, high-rise seafront
Nearby: The Strand, Tigné Point, Sliema ferry, Exiles

Family travel tips

Time a visit to the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the noon gun salute.
Popeye Village and the Malta National Aquarium in Qawra are easy half-days with younger children.
Sandy beaches such as Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa suit small children better than rocky platforms.
Carry water and sun protection; there is little shade on the bastions in summer.
Ferries to Sliema and the Three Cities are short, cheap boat rides that children enjoy.

Day trips for families

Gozo (About 45 minutes by fast ferry) — Malta's greener sister island has the Citadel in Victoria, the Ġgantija temples (among the oldest free-standing structures in the world), salt pans at Xwejni and dive sites around Dwejra.
Marsaxlokk (About 30–40 minutes by bus) — A fishing village whose harbour fills with brightly painted luzzu boats, each with a protective eye on the bow.
Blue Grotto, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra (About 40–50 minutes by bus) — Small boats from Wied iż-Żurrieq visit sea caves with brilliant blue water, weather permitting.
Popeye Village (About 1 hour by bus) — The wooden film set built for the 1980 musical Popeye at Anchor Bay is now a family attraction with shows, play areas and swimming from a small platform in summer.

When to go with children

The best months overall are April–June and September–October. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Valletta good for kids?

+What can kids do in Valletta?

Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery, Fort St Elmo and National War Museum, Lascaris War Rooms, Grand Harbour and Marsamxett cruise and Birgu and Fort St Angelo.

+Where should families stay in Valletta?

Sliema: Seafront promenade, shopping and swimming platforms facing Valletta.