The Capital

Anyone who has arrived in Valletta with a suitcase and several hours to fill knows the problem: the best of the city is up and down stone streets and steps, and a rolling case makes every one of them harder. The Capital solves that at the very start of the walk. It is a souvenir shop at City Gate with a luggage storage service attached, so you can leave your bags and go sightseeing with free hands.

On VisitMalta.co.uk the business is listed in our directory of gift shops in Malta, and it is especially handy for day visitors planning a route from our Valletta guide.

Luggage storage at City Gate

The storage service is organised around four bag sizes, with a flat price per bag for a whole day of up to ten hours. Backpacks and small bags cost €4. Suitcases cost €5. Large suitcases and bigger travel bags cost €7, and extra large luggage and oversized bags cost €10. Each price is per bag, per day, so a couple with two cases can work out the cost at a glance.

Booking is done online, and you pay in the shop when you drop off your bags, which means no deposit is taken in advance. Drop-off and collection are available every day from 08:30 to 19:00, and the shop asks you to collect before 19:00. In practice that suits a typical day trip well, and it is a useful option on the morning of a late flight, when your hotel room has been handed back but your departure is hours away.

If you are still choosing where to base yourself, our pages on where to stay in Malta and hotels in Valletta explain the options, and storage at City Gate pairs neatly with a check-out morning.

The souvenir shop

The shop itself trades under the name The Capital Souvenir Shop and is open daily from 08:00 to 21:00, which is noticeably longer than the luggage window. That makes it a convenient place to pick up a gift when you collect your bags, or to browse in the evening once the heat of the day has eased. Its gift range is gathered under the heading Stands Out, and the shop pages show the current selection.

Valletta is a city of small shops, and a souvenir bought at the entrance saves carrying it all day. You can buy on arrival, store the purchase with your luggage and collect everything at the end of your visit. For ideas on what to do between drop-off and collection, see our things to do in Malta page.

Making the most of a day in Valletta

With bags safely stored, the city opens up. The grand interior of St John's Co-Cathedral and the views from the Upper Barrakka Gardens are both an easy walk from City Gate along Republic Street. The compact layout means a first visit can cover a lot of ground in five or six hours, so a ten-hour storage window leaves plenty of slack.

Timing matters in Malta's climate. On a midsummer day the pavements can be hot, so it is worth reading the Malta weather guide before deciding when to walk and when to rest. If you are arriving from the UK, our flights to Malta page covers routes and airlines, and the island is also a base for longer trips, such as those described in our Malta holidays overview.

Booking and getting in touch

Because storage is booked in advance and paid for in the shop, the process is simple: choose the size, pick your day, and arrive during the drop-off window. Travellers with an unusually large amount of luggage, or who are unsure which size category their bags fall into, are best off asking before they arrive so there are no surprises at the counter.

To ask about storage or the shop, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to The Capital. It is worth mentioning your travel date and the number and type of bags so the shop can answer precisely.