Valletta, Malta

Today, Sunday 8 November 2026, 2 cruise ships with about 2,500 passengers are scheduled in Valletta. Over the next 12 months, 355 calls bring about 891,000 passengers; the busiest day is Friday 18 June 2027, with 4 ships.

Cruise ship docked at night beside the illuminated Valletta Waterfront in the Grand Harbour
credit

Ship schedule

Next 10 calls · all times local (Central European Time)

ShipDateArrivalDeparture
November 2026
Oceania Sirena
Oceania Cruises698 passengers
Sun 8 Nov
Arrival7:00 am
Departure7:00 pm
Marella Discovery
Marella Cruises1,830 passengers
Sun 8 Nov
Arrival9:00 am
Departure6:00 pm
ms Volendam
Holland America Line1,432 passengers
Mon 9 Nov
Arrival8:00 am
Departure5:00 pm
Island Princess
Princess Cruises2,210 passengers
Tue 10 Nov
Arrival7:00 am
Departure5:00 pm
Oceania Allura
Oceania Cruises1,200 passengers
Tue 10 Nov
Arrival7:00 am
Departure5:00 pm
MSC Magnifica
MSC Cruises2,518 passengers
Wed 11 Nov
Arrival8:00 am
Departure5:00 pm
Silver Spirit
Silversea608 passengers
Wed 11 Nov
Arrival8:00 am
Departure5:30 pm
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Cruises2,852 passengers
Wed 11 Nov
Arrival9:00 am
Departure7:00 pm
MSC Splendida
MSC Cruises3,274 passengers
Fri 13 Nov
Arrival9:00 am
Departure5:00 pm
Bolette
Fred Olsen1,380 passengers
Sat 14 Nov
ArrivalNot yet published
DepartureNot yet published

Showing 10 of the next 50 calls

Cruise Ships in Valletta

Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Central European Time)

Today · Sun 8 NovLight
3,663 people in port
2 ships · ships alongside 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

21% quieter than a typical day in Valletta. Busiest 9 am – 6 pm, when all 2 ships are alongside.

Next 7 days

Quietest: Thu 12 Nov · busiest: Wed 11 Nov
  1. Sun
    8 Nov
    3.7kLight
    2 ships
  2. Mon
    9 Nov
    2.1kQuiet
    1 ship
  3. Tue
    10 Nov
    5.1kTypical
    2 ships
  4. Wed
    11 Nov
    8.4kPeak
    3 ships
  5. Thu
    12 Nov
    1.0kQuiet
    1 ship
  6. Fri
    13 Nov
    4.6kTypical
    1 ship
  7. Sat
    14 Nov
    2.0kQuiet
    1 ship

Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Valletta day.

Planning a day in Valletta?

The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.

See the Valletta cruise crowd calendar

Where is the Valletta cruise port?

Ships berth alongside at Valletta Cruise Port on the Floriana side of the Grand Harbour, at Pinto Wharf and the Valletta Waterfront; no tender is needed. Check-in is generally at the Magazino Terminal.

The city sits on the bastions above: walk about 500 m to Lascaris Wharf and take the Barrakka Lift up to Upper Barrakka Gardens (about 18 minutes in total), or take bus 130 to the Valletta terminus.

Terminal

Getting to the Valletta cruise port

Malta International Airport (MLA) → Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal / Pinto Wharf)

8 km · 10–30 min by car

Short drive via Luqa and Marsa to the waterfront; 11 min without traffic, 30+ min in the weekday morning rush. Airport taxis are fixed-fare, prepaid at the booth in Arrivals.

Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.

TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Fixed-fare airport taxi
EUR 17per vehicle
10–30 min
Fixed fare to Valletta, prepaid at the Arrivals booth.
Cruise-line transfer
Variesper person
Varies
Varies by sailing; book through your cruise line.
Tallinja Direct bus to Valletta + bus 130
EUR 3per person
Varies
Direct bus to Valletta terminus, then bus 130 to the waterfront; awkward with luggage.

Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.

Driving to the port

A tourist information office is just outside the terminal; taxis, sightseeing buses and electric car rentals operate during cruise hours.

Valletta Cruise Terminals

1 terminal

Large cruise ship berthed in the Grand Harbour below Valletta's bastions
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Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal)

Main cruise terminal in the historic Magazino Hall on the Valletta Waterfront, with check-in counters, waiting area, shops and Wi-Fi. Used for turnaround and transit calls; the Barrakka Lift to the city is a short walk.

Parking at the Valletta cruise port

Valletta Cruise Port runs the Quay, Atrium and Wedge car parks at Valletta Waterfront at flat rates: EUR 4 Monday to Friday before 7pm, and EUR 5 from Friday 7pm to Sunday 11pm and on public holidays and their eves. The Quay car park excludes cruise operating hours. Deep Water Quay car park and on-street parking along the Waterfront are free. No multi-day cruise package is published.

Parking facilities

FacilityServesRatesReservationRate notes
Atrium Car ParkValletta Cruise Port
Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal)
EUR 4–5
—
Serves Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal) · Reservation: —
Flat rate, Monday–Friday before 7pm. · Flat rate, Friday 7pm–Sunday 11pm, public holidays and eves.
Wedge Car ParkValletta Cruise Port
Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal)
EUR 4–5
—
Serves Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal) · Reservation: —
Flat rate, Monday–Friday before 7pm. · Flat rate, weekends, public holidays and eves.
Deep Water Quay Car ParkValletta Cruise Port
Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal)
Free
—
Serves Valletta Cruise Port (Magazino Terminal) · Reservation: —
Free of charge.

Valletta Cruise Port offers wheelchair assistance during cruise operating hours.

Where to Stay Before Your Cruise

Pick the area first. Typical nightly prices, approximate.

Valletta

EUR 100–195 / night

Historic capital above the port

Typical hotel

EUR 100–195 / night
Port ~5 minAirport ~20 min

Boutique hotels in the walled city; the Upper Barrakka lift links it to the Waterfront.

Hotels here
  • The Melior Boutique Hotel
  • The Vincent Boutique Hotel, BW Premier Collection
  • Osborne Hotel

Sliema

EUR 50–110 / night

Seafront, shops and ferries

Typical hotel

EUR 50–110 / night
Port ~15 minAirport ~20 min

Seafront hotels with a ferry to Valletta.

Hotels here
  • Preluna Hotel - Malta
  • Courtyard by Marriott Sliema
  • The Londoner Hotel Sliema

Malta charges an eco-contribution per person per night.

Eating in Valletta

Coffee per item
EUR 2.30–3
per item
Bottled water per item
EUR 2.50
per item
Restaurant dinner per person
EUR 20–90
per person

Prices are approximate. From Caffé Berry's Valletta menu: cappuccino EUR 2.30 (large EUR 3.00), still or sparkling water EUR 2.50.

Where to eat

Valletta Waterfront

Restaurants and cafes in the restored warehouses by the cruise terminal.

Republic Street and Merchants Street

Cafés and pastizzi shops in the walled city.

Valletta back streets (Strait Street, St Lucia Street, Old Bakery Street)

Where locals eat; mains about 15–30% cheaper than on Republic Street.

Republic Street

Main street with tourist-oriented restaurants and cafes near St John's Co-Cathedral; higher prices.

Destination

About Valletta

Valletta, Malta's compact capital, was built by the Knights of St John on a peninsula between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour.

The fortified city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of honey-coloured limestone streets, wooden balconies and Baroque churches, with highlights including St John's Co-Cathedral, the Grand Master's Palace and the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the Three Cities.

Sailing into the Grand Harbour beneath the bastions is a classic Mediterranean cruise arrival, and Valletta is also a fly-cruise homeport.

Climate
Mediterranean: hot, dry and sunny summers, and mild, wetter winters.
Time zone
Central European Time
Currency
Euro (EUR)

Things to Do in Valletta

Row of cannons on the Saluting Battery overlooking the Grand Harbour and Fort St Angelo
credit

Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery

Terraced gardens on the bastions with the classic view over the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities; the Saluting Battery cannons fire daily. Reached straight from the waterfront by the €1 Barrakka Lift.

Gilded side altar with a large religious painting inside St John's Co-Cathedral
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St John's Co-Cathedral

The Knights' church hides a gilded Baroque interior, a floor of marble tombstones and Caravaggio's Beheading of St John. Open Monday–Saturday; closed to sightseeing on Sundays and public holidays.

Baroque stone Main Gate of Mdina topped by a flagpole
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Mdina

Malta's walled medieval former capital, the 'Silent City', with narrow lanes, palaces and views across the island; 12 km and about 20–25 minutes by road from the port.

Yachts in the Birgu marina with the waterfront buildings of Birgu behind
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Three Cities by harbour ferry

Cross the Grand Harbour from Lascaris Wharf to Cospicua (€3 single) and walk Birgu's waterfront to Fort St Angelo, the Knights' first base on Malta.

Cruise Ships Visiting Valletta

AIDA Cruises

Explora Journeys

Fred Olsen

Holland America Line

Ambassador Cruise Line

Atlas Ocean Voyages

Aurora Expeditions

Carnival Cruise Line

Crystal Cruises

Disney Cruise Line

Mano Maritime

Phoenix Reisen

Saga Ocean Cruises

SeaDream