3 Cities Tour Cospicua: Fortifications & Harbour Views

Two and a half hours through the streets where the knights built their headquarters

A guided walking tour of Cospicua and Vittoriosa in the 3 Cities area, led by a professional guide in English, that follows the waterfront and the fortified streets built by the knights before Valletta was constructed. The tour covers the Collacchio neighbourhood, the city's escape route, and the oldest fortress in the harbour, which held Caravaggio and later served as British Navy headquarters. You meet the guide at the ferry landing on the 3 Cities side after crossing from Valletta.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cospicua and Vittoriosa historic sites

• Start at Cospicua waterfront
• Walk towards Vittoriosa city
• Enter fortifications built by knights
• Discover Collacchio area streets
• Walk escape route of the city
• Visit oldest fortress in harbour
• Walk along small part of waterfront

The experience

The tour starts at Cospicua's berthing place where the 3 Cities ferry arrives from Valletta. Once you step off, your guide is waiting to lead you through the waterfront of this historic town toward Vittoriosa, where the bulk of the walk unfolds. The route takes you through the main entrance into the fortifications the knights built as their headquarters: a network of narrow streets and stone passages that still carry the shape of medieval military planning.

You walk through the Collacchio area, where stepped streets wind tightly between buildings, then trace the escape route the city's residents once used. The oldest fortress in the harbour stands at a key point on the route: it's the same structure where Caravaggio was imprisoned and where the British Navy later established its headquarters. All along the walk, the Grand Harbour opens up in views that frame the scale of what you're moving through. The water that made these cities matter, the fortifications that defended them.

The guide handles the history and the route. You handle the walking pace and the questions. The tour works for all fitness levels, and public transport options are nearby if you need them before or after. Service animals are welcome on the route.

What’s included

• Professional guide services in English.
• the route through Cospicua, Vittoriosa and Collacchio.
• access to the fortifications and the oldest harbour fortress.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Tuesday, Thursday and SaturdayDepartures at 10:00 and 14:00

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years): free · Infant (under 3): free

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.Operator's directions: “Meeting point will be at the berthing place of the 3 cities ferry.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Best Tours Malta

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour led by a guide who handles the history and the route, so it suits anyone who wants the stories behind the streets without building an itinerary or navigating alone. The fixed pace and the guide's knowledge of the fortifications and escape routes make it the right choice if you want to understand what you're walking through, not just pass by it.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years): free; Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What exactly is the Collacchio area in Vittoriosa?

Collacchio is a neighbourhood within Vittoriosa known for its narrow, stepped streets that wind steeply between buildings. The tour walks through this section as part of the fortified city the knights built.

Where do I meet the guide for this tour?

You meet the guide at the berthing place in Cospicua on the 3 Cities side of the ferry after you cross from Valletta. The guide will be waiting as you board off the ferry.

What is the oldest fortress we visit, and why does it matter?

The oldest fortress in the harbour is the structure where the artist Caravaggio was imprisoned and where the British Navy later made its headquarters. It sits on the route and marks a key point in the city's military and cultural history.

How much of the walk follows the waterfront?

The tour starts at the Cospicua waterfront and ends with a walk through a small part of it again, but most of the two and a half hours moves through the fortified streets and interior passages of Vittoriosa and Collacchio.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not very fit?

Yes, the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The streets are steep in places, especially in Collacchio, but the pace is set by the group and the guide, and you can move at your own speed through the narrow passages.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide leads the tour in English.