Underground Valletta

Valletta is famous for its grid of honey-coloured streets, but much of its story lies below them. Underground Valletta takes visitors beneath the surface into a network of tunnels, cisterns and shelters, giving a different view of the Maltese capital from the one you see from its bastions. The experience is operated by Heritage Malta, which cares for many of the islands' museums and sites.

It is listed in our directory of museums in Malta and pairs well with the sights in our Valletta guide, and with the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum listing for another underground site. For UK visitors who enjoy military and social history, it is a useful companion to the war sites around the harbour, and for anyone who likes a cooler break from the summer sun it is a welcome change of scene.

Why the city has an underground

Valletta was built first as a fortress and only then as a city, and its underground spaces were its lifeline. Tunnels moved troops and stored grain, while cisterns and drainage systems supplied water and carried waste away, which mattered during a siege and in peacetime alike. Anyone curious about the fortress builders can read about them in our Knights of Malta guide.

Centuries later the digging started again. During the Second World War about 17,000 tonnes of bombs fell on Malta, and Valletta's population took refuge in a dense warren of shelters that extended the old tunnels and cisterns. The visit tells that story as one of desperation and resistance, and it shows how a city that is now a World Heritage Site survived the bombing.

What to expect underground

You walk through tunnels and chambers carved into the rock, past niches, passages, cisterns and rooms that were once packed with families. The photographs on this page give a feel of the setting: narrow shafts, tree roots hanging through the stone, painted signs and a flooded channel reflecting the lights.

The conditions underground matter, so prepare properly. You must wear closed, comfortable shoes, and high heels, sandals and flip flops are not accepted. Access to the site is by steps, with only partial accessibility, so some areas cannot be reached by visitors with mobility impairments. Parts of the site may also contain loud sounds, flashing lights or other effects that could disturb sensitive visitors.

Tickets, age rules and meeting point

Adult tickets (18 and over) cost €15. Seniors aged 60 and over, students and concessions, youths aged 12 to 17 and children aged 6 to 11 all pay €10. Tickets can be booked online through Heritage Malta.

Children under 6 cannot be admitted. Children aged between 6 and 11 must be accompanied by an adult, which makes the visit suitable for families with older children but not for toddlers or babies. The meeting point is MUŻA, the national community art museum housed in Auberge d'Italie on Merchants Street, and visitors should arrive 30 minutes before the start. The closest bus stop is about two minutes away on foot.

Planning your day in Valletta

Because the meeting point is inside MUŻA, it is worth arriving a little early or staying afterwards to see the art museum itself, which fills the whole of Auberge d'Italie. Allow time to see the surface of the city as well, since Valletta is compact and most sights are within a short walk of each other. The viewpoint described in our Upper Barrakka Gardens guide is a short walk away, and our page on St John's Co-Cathedral covers one of the capital's most celebrated interiors. Cool underground rooms are a pleasant escape on hot days, and our Malta weather guide can help you choose the right season.

For wider ideas see things to do in Malta. If you are staying in the capital, see our page on hotels in Valletta. To ask about the experience, tickets or how to combine it with other Heritage Malta sites, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message on.