Our last day in Malta started at the airport. We dropped our bags, found the bus, and went into Valletta with a five-year-old and a two-year-old who had just spent five days on a quiet island and were not in the mood for a capital city. Within twenty minutes they were running in circles outside City Gate, and we had given up on any plan.
Valletta is one of the smallest capitals in Europe, and it is very walkable, in theory. With small children it is hilly, the steps are real, and you’ll spend longer at a playground than in a museum. This is how our day in Valletta with kids actually went, in May 2018, and how I’d do it now.
Valletta with kids, in short
- Is one day enough? Yes, with small children. The old city is less than 1 km across.
- The hard part: hills and steps. Most streets slope down steeply towards the harbours. Use a carrier for a toddler, not a buggy.
- Best thing we did: the ferry to Sliema. It takes about five minutes and has the best view of the city walls.
- Best thing for the kids: a playground near Fort St Elmo. We stayed more than half an hour.
- Getting there from the airport: the bus takes around 20–30 minutes and costs €2–2.50 for a single, and under-4s travel free.
Staying in Valletta with kids? 3 picks with a pool
Osborne Hotel – inside the city walls, with a rooftop pool: rare for Valletta at this price.
Grand Hotel Excelsior – Floriana, just outside the walls, a waterfront resort with pools.
The Phoenicia Malta – right outside City Gate, with gardens and a pool: space to run after the city streets.
How to get from Malta airport to Valletta with kids
The airport is only about 6 km from Valletta, which is why this works as a last day. We left our bags at the airport and took the public bus into the centre. It drops you at the terminus right outside City Gate.
- Bus fare (2026): €2.50 per single in summer and €2.00 in winter, valid for two hours including changes. Children under 4 travel free. The Airport Direct service costs €3.00.
- Staying a week? A 7-day Explore card is €25 for an adult and €7 for a child aged 4–10.
- With bags: check what the airport’s left-luggage service currently costs before you go. We found leaving the bags there made the day much easier.
What to do in Valletta with kids
City Gate: start here, and let them run
The bus stops outside City Gate, and the open space around it is where our boys decided they had had enough of sitting. They ran and played while we stood and looked out over the other towns across the harbour. We didn’t move for a while, and that was fine.
Republic Street, Merchant Street and St John’s
The two long, straight streets run the length of the city, and Valletta is built on a grid, so it’s hard to get lost. We walked past St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Baroque church at the heart of the city. With a two-year-old we didn’t go in, but it is the building to see if your children are older. Entry is ticketed.
The side streets are the best part: steep, narrow, and lined with coloured wooden balconies. There are red telephone boxes here too, and I tried for twenty minutes to photograph both boys “making a call” at the same time. It never happened.
Upper Barrakka Gardens and the noon gun
Upper Barrakka Gardens is free, and it has the best view in Malta, straight across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. Below it, the Saluting Battery fires its cannons at 12:00 and 16:00, with a short commentary from 11:45. Children love it. Watching from the gardens is free; entry to the battery itself costs €3 for adults.
The Barrakka Lift runs from the gardens down to the waterfront. It costs €1 return for adults and is free for children, and it’s the easiest way to avoid a very steep walk with a buggy.
The playground by Fort St Elmo
At the tip of the peninsula stands Fort St Elmo, home of the National War Museum. We didn’t go in. The boys found a playground nearby and we stayed for more than half an hour.
There is a particular feeling when you are in one of the most historic cities in Europe and your children are happily going down a slide that looks exactly like the one at home. I’ve made peace with it. That half-hour was the reason the rest of the day worked.
The ferry to Sliema
The highlight of our day. The Sliema ferry crosses Marsamxett Harbour in about five minutes, and the view back to Valletta’s walls and domes is the one from every postcard of Malta. We couldn’t stop taking pictures, and the boys, finally, were happy with the adventure.
Adult fares are roughly €1.50 each way, and the ferry is free with a personalised tallinja card. The boats run every 20–30 minutes in summer. In Sliema we walked the seafront for a few hours before heading back to the airport.
Is Valletta hard with a buggy?
Yes, in parts. The main streets along the spine of the city are flat enough. Almost everything else slopes steeply down to the water, and many side streets become steps. By the afternoon our boys wanted to be carried, and their father did most of it.
What helps: the Barrakka Lift between the waterfront and Upper Barrakka, route 133 (the small bus that loops round the city), a baby carrier for under-3s, and planning the day downhill, from City Gate towards the harbour, ending at the Sliema ferry.
A one-day Valletta plan with kids
- Morning: bus to City Gate, then Republic Street to St John’s.
- 11:45: Upper Barrakka Gardens for the noon gun.
- Lunch: on a side street off Merchant Street.
- Afternoon: walk down to Fort St Elmo and the playground.
- Late afternoon: the ferry to Sliema, and the seafront walk.
More Malta and Gozo
- Gozo with kids: 7 best things to do, beaches and where to stay
- 5 days in Gozo with kids: our itinerary
- Blue Lagoon Comino with kids: booking, boats and tips
- Top 10 European islands to visit with kids
Last checked: September 2026. Our visit was in May 2018. Bus fares, Saluting Battery times and Barrakka Lift prices were checked in September 2026. The Sliema ferry fare comes from a 2026 guide, so confirm it on the day.
Valletta with kids: your questions answered
Is Valletta good for kids?
Yes, for a day. It is small, safe and easy to navigate because it is built on a grid, and children enjoy the noon gun, the harbour ferries and the playground near Fort St Elmo. The steep streets and steps are the hard part with toddlers.
Is one day in Valletta enough with children?
Yes. The old city is less than a kilometre across, and with small children one full day covers the main streets, Upper Barrakka Gardens, the harbour and a ferry ride to Sliema.
How do you get from Malta airport to Valletta?
By public bus, which drops you right outside City Gate. As of 2026 a single ticket costs €2.50 in summer and €2.00 in winter, valid for two hours, and children under 4 travel free. The airport is about 6 km from Valletta.
Is Valletta buggy-friendly?
Only partly. The main streets are manageable, but many side streets are steep or become steps. A baby carrier is easier for under-3s, and the Barrakka Lift links the waterfront with Upper Barrakka Gardens for €1 return, free for children.
What time is the cannon fired in Valletta?
The Saluting Battery below Upper Barrakka Gardens fires at 12:00 and 16:00, with a short commentary from 11:45. Watching from the gardens is free.
How long is the ferry from Valletta to Sliema?
About five minutes across Marsamxett Harbour, with departures roughly every 20–30 minutes in summer. It has the best view of Valletta’s walls, and children love it.
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