BenGoodTour

BenGoodTour is the walking tour business of Ben, a Maltese tourist guide who leads small, informal tours of three of the island's best historic areas: Valletta, Mdina with neighbouring Rabat, and the Three Cities across the Grand Harbour. Each tour lasts about two hours, is delivered in English and works on a pay-what-you-want basis, so there is no fixed ticket price and you decide what the walk was worth at the end.

The business appears in our directory of tour operators in Malta, and it suits UK visitors who like a knowledgeable local, a bit of humour and a clear route they can see in advance. The tone is informative, friendly and humorous at times, well prepared but not overly scripted.

Who Ben is

Ben is a native of Malta. He spent ten years living in Copenhagen, where he first worked as a software developer, then left that career to become a tourist guide in Denmark, and he also performed and taught improvised comedy there. He moved back to Malta in January 2020 and now works as a full-time guide. That mix of local knowledge, an outsider's eye for what visitors want to know and a stage performer's timing shapes how the walks run.

His website also carries a growing list of practical articles, which is useful if you are still planning. Topics include five things to see in Malta, how to travel from Sliema to Mdina, getting tickets for the Hypogeum, taking the ferry from Sliema to Gozo and Comino, the daily cannon fire in Valletta, Michelin restaurants in Malta, Game of Thrones filming locations, favourite souvenir shops and an explanation of how a free tour works and how much to pay. For wider trip ideas, our own guide to things to do in Malta is a good companion.

The Valletta walking tour

The Valletta tour is the best known of the three. It begins inside the Upper Barrakka Gardens: enter through the green wooden gate, walk straight ahead past the fountain on your right and through the first arch, and you will find a large stone urn on your left, dedicated to Sir Thomas Fremantle. Ask for Ben rather than for the free tour. The route covers roughly two kilometres at an easy pace, with only about ten metres of climb, so it is manageable for most walkers.

Stops include the Auberge of Castille, Pjazza Jean de Valette, the outside of the co-cathedral, Merchant's Street, St George's Square, the outside of the Grand Master's Palace, Republic Street, the Royal Opera House, the Parliament of Malta and the Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, finishing at Hastings Garden. Ben may adjust the order to suit conditions, so treat the list as a guide. Our Valletta guide gives background on the capital, and the story of the order that built it is in our Knights of Malta guide.

Ben recommends visiting St John's Co-Cathedral before the tour, since the tour passes only the outside. Entry is €15, or €12 for students and over 60s, an audio guide is included and he suggests allowing one to one and a half hours. The cathedral opens Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 16:15 and on Sundays only as a church at set times. Parking options near the start include the paid MCP car park, the cheaper but smaller Independence Ground and free street spaces in Floriana if you are willing to search. A souvenir shop close to the finish can store luggage.

Mdina, Rabat and the Three Cities

The Mdina tour spends about an hour and a half inside the walled former capital and the last half hour in neighbouring Rabat. It meets at the Joseph Howard Memorial in the Joseph Howard Gardens, again asking for Ben. The route takes in the Mdina main gate, Vilhena Palace, the statues of St Paul, St Agatha and St Publius, St Paul's Cathedral, Palazzo Falson, Fontanella, the Greek's Gate, the Domus Romana in Rabat, the Crystal Palace Bar, the Basilica of St Paul and St Paul's Grotto, where the walk ends. Our Mdina guide explains the city's history in more depth.

To reach Mdina from Valletta, take bus 51, 52 or 53 to the Mdina stop, or bus 50 or 56 to the Saqqajja stop, and aim to catch it about an hour before the start. Ben suggests that an afternoon booking can be paired with the Neolithic temples at Ħaġar Qim, the catacombs in Rabat or one of Mdina's noble palaces. The Crystal Palace Bar in Rabat is well known for pastizzi, filled with ricotta or mushy curried peas. There is no known luggage storage in the Mdina and Rabat area, and car parks are available at the Playground, Crystal Palace and Ditch sites.

The Three Cities tour covers about 2.7 kilometres with around 30 metres of climb. It starts at the Birgu Water Taxi, not the ferry station, close to the Church of St Lawrence. About an hour is spent in Birgu, a short time in Cospicua and the last half hour in Senglea, ending at the Isla waterfront if it is hot or at the Gardjola Gardens in cooler weather. Stops include the Birgu waterfront, the Old British Bakery, the main square, the Collachio, the Inquisitor's Palace and the three gates of Birgu. Our Three Cities guide and Vittoriosa guide set the scene.

The most scenic way to get there is by sea from Valletta, using either the ferry or the small wooden boats, which leave from almost the same place and cost about €3 per person (the wooden boats take cash only). From Upper Barrakka you can take the lift down for €1. By bus from Valletta, routes 2, 3 and 4 stop at Riche, and a taxi app such as Bolt is a good choice from Sliema, St Julian's or Gżira.

Private tours, planning help and extras

Ben does not guide private tours himself, but he keeps a list of guides he trusts and will try to find a suitable one. Prices vary by guide. Approximate figures are €220 for two to three hours and €280 for four to seven hours. Examples include a Valletta walk with an optional visit to the co-cathedral, a Mdina and Rabat walk with the cathedral museum or catacombs, a Three Cities walk with the Inquisitor's Palace and a 90 minute tour of the Neolithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. Food stops such as pastizzi and ftira can be added, and two walks can be combined for four to seven hours in total.

There are also two paid extras. The online consultation session is a 40 minute video meeting for €50 in which you talk through where to stay, what to do and how to structure your time. It also helps if you would rather not meet in person, because you can send your requirements and receive a plan after payment. The Instagram and photo guide costs €3 and is a mobile-friendly PDF with 41 photo spots and their exact locations across Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities and elsewhere, updated regularly.

Booking, group size and how to enquire

Because the tours are small, individual bookings are normally limited to five people, with exceptions considered for families and special situations. Groups of more than six need to read and follow Ben's conditions for larger groups. The website only opens dates about a month ahead to avoid unnecessary cancellations, which are rare, so if your date is not yet available, check again closer to the time. Payment is flexible: cash, card, Revolut and PayPal are accepted, and €12 per person is a sensible guide, with anything extra much appreciated.

Because the tours run in English only, they are not suited to groups who need another language. Think about getting to the start point in good time, wear comfortable shoes and carry water in warm months. If you want to compare Ben's tours with a wider plan for the island, our Blue Lagoon guide covers a popular boat day that pairs well with a day of sightseeing on foot.

When you are ready, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to BenGoodTour.