Grand Master's Palace

The Grand Master's Palace fills one side of St George's Square in the centre of Valletta. Heritage Malta describes it as the first building the Knights of St John put up in their new capital, enlarged over the years into what it calls a state within an edifice. Under British rule it became the Governor's Palace and hosted Malta's first constitutional parliament in 1921. Today it is the seat of the Office of the President of Malta, and also the most visited site in Heritage Malta's portfolio, with around 300,000 visitors a year.

A long restoration has opened more than 85 percent of the building's footprint. You walk the Piano Nobile corridors, the rediscovered Uccelliera and a sequence of State Rooms, including the Grand Master's Study, the Pages' Room and the Ambassadors' Room. The standout is the cycle of Great Siege of 1565 paintings by Matteo Perez d'Aleccio, the most complete visual account of the siege, alongside late 18th-century illusionistic ceilings.

The Armoury

The Armoury is back in its original hall, the former Parliament Chamber. It holds the armour suits of Grand Masters Alof de Wignacourt and Jean de Valette, Ottoman armour and weapons, and a selection of artillery. Heritage Malta rates it as one of the best armour collections in the world, and it is often the part of the visit people remember most.

Hours, tickets and closures (as of November 2026)

• As of November 2026, check Heritage Malta's current timetable and closure notices before visiting. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
• Tickets are EUR 12 for adults, EUR 10 for youths (12 to 17) and seniors (60+), EUR 8 for children (6 to 11), and free for infants.
• The Throne Room is closed until further notice. The State Rooms close for state functions. On 13 December 2026 they are closed all day, with Armoury access only from 13:00 to 17:00. Both the State Rooms and Armoury close from 13:00 on 16 December 2026.
• Like all Heritage Malta sites, it is closed on 1 January, Good Friday and 24, 25 and 31 December.

Check Heritage Malta's closure notices before you go, since the palace is still a working state building. It sits a short walk from St John's Co-Cathedral, and Fort St Elmo lies at the far end of Republic Street, so the three link easily on foot.