A beautiful city! My wife and I visited here in December 2024, so outside of "peak season" for Malta. (Which is during the Summer, for the beaches.)

The first activity my wife and I did was take a popular walking tour of Valletta. I'd recommend this as a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the city and its history, and to get yourself acquainted with what important sites exist within the city, how they are connected, and why they are important.

Other reviewers here have covered what great things there are to see. I second all of their recommendations, from the overwhelming Co-Cathedral, to the stunning Barrakka Gardens, to the grim Underground Valletta tour opened in 2021. All of these can begin to get pricey (especially the co-cathedral!) but Malta offers a 🎫"Multipass" that I would recommend as a way to make the most of your time on the island. As of 2024 it gives access to five sites in Valletta, plus twenty others across the country.

🚗We ended up opting for a rental car. (Part of a longer story, with the original intention having been to exclusively use public transport.) Beware this option! While it provides a lot of flexibility, is cheap, and we had a positive experience with it while visiting in the Winter, parking in Valletta is very limited, with at least half of the spots being reserved for island residents. (Indicated with 🟩green outlines instead of ⬜white.) The existing "free" parking spots are highly competitive. In most instances we were able to find something, but at popular times like night when the bayside strip where the majority of restaurants are located is packed with people, nearly every spot in the small city is occupied. We had a couple of instances where we spent a half an hour or more searching for an available spot. I can't imagine how intense things must be during the Summer!

Valletta is absolutely worth your time. Also be aware that during the Summer the city with a population of roughly 7,000 residents receives multiple daily cruise ships often each containing over 9,000 tourists! Lines may be longer and tickets for activities should be booked in advance!