High altar of St John’s Co-Cathedral, adorned with red carpeting, gold embellishments, and religious statues, creating a striking focal point.

Is St John’s Co-Cathedral Malta Worth It?

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St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, is one of the most stunning examples of Baroque architecture in Europe, and it can be found high on any list of Malta’s attractions.

Known for its ornate interior and rich history, the cathedral houses many priceless artworks, including Caravaggio’s famous The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

But with so many attractions in Valletta, you may wonder, is St John’s Co-Cathedral Malta worth it?

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Just starting to plan your trip to Malta? Take a look at this guide to cover the basics.

High altar of St John’s Co-Cathedral, adorned with red carpeting, gold embellishments, and religious statues, creating a striking focal point.

I certainly wondered! On my first day in Malta, we explored Valletta walking past St John’s Co-Cathedral several times.

Each time there was a long line up out the front which I did not want to join. I was also put off by the €15 entry fee, when so many Cathedrals are free.

Over the next week, I asked several people, both locals and other visitors, even my readers, if I should visit St John’s Co-Cathedral, and everyone I spoke to said I should. “You just have to see the floor!”

So on our last morning, I pre-purchased tickets and was at the front of the line when the Cathedral opened, all ready so see for myself if St John’s Co-Cathedral is worth it.

Why a “Co-Cathedral”?

Let’s address this weird title of Co-Cathedral. This is the first time I have come across it, although it does exist elsewhere too.

To understand, we need to know what a Cathedral is. In the Catholic Church, a Cathedral is the seat of a bishop of the diocese.

In Malta, the Archbishop calls St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina home, which made sense when Mdina was the capital of Malta, but in 1816, by papal decree, St John’s was given equal status – and the title Co-Cathedral.

Intricately decorated hallway inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral, featuring detailed carvings and ornate arches.
Wall inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral, adorned with golden crests, the Maltese cross, and other decorations.
Interior view of St. John’s Co-Cathedral, showcasing a grand altar, arches, and painted ceiling murals.

About St John’s Co-Cathedral, Malta

St John’s Co Cathedral was built between 1572 and 1577 by the Order of the Knights of St. John.

It served as the order’s church and was designed to be simple on the outside but richly decorated inside.

What makes it unique is its stunning Baroque interior, filled with intricate carvings, marble tombstones, and paintings, including a masterpiece by Caravaggio.

The cathedral is not just a place of worship but also a reflection of the power and wealth of the Knights, making it an important historical and cultural site in Malta.

A side chapel inside St John’s Co-Cathedral, featuring twisted columns and a large painting of a religious figure behind the altar.
Richly adorned chapel with intricate columns, golden details, and a painting depicting a biblical scene above the altar.
Ornate crypt with marble decorations and carved tombs at St John’s Co-Cathedral, dimly lit to highlight the architectural details.

Visiting St Johns Co-Cathedral

St John’s Co-Cathedral is centrally located right in the middle of Valletta, making it easy to visit no matter which area of Malta you choose to stay in.

We stayed at the Alavits Hotel by ST Hotels, and it was an easy ferry ride across from Sliema. If you have a car, you will need to park it outside the city walls, but getting to Valletta by bus instead is an easy option.

After seeing the lines outside the main entrance at the front of the Cathedral when I first passed by (and I visited in March, not the most popular time to go to Malta), I highly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance on their website here.

A crowd of people standing in line outside the entrance of St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, waiting to enter.

You will only purchase your entry ticket online. If you would like to book an extra tour, you will do that as you enter – but more on that below.

The usual hours are 9 am to 4:45 pm, Monday to Saturday (it’s closed to visitors on Sundays for mass), with other closures occasionally happening for special services.

I recommend arriving when the Cathedral opens at 9 am to start your day before it gets too busy. Even at this time, it did not take too long before there were many visitors inside.

You will need to be mindful of your dress (one of the common things to know before you go to Malta) and keep it modest. Stilettos are also not allowed, to protect the amazing floor.

Visitor's entrance sign at St. John’s Co-Cathedral, listing opening hours, entrance fees, and dress code guidelines.
Entrance door of St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta with a banner displaying the church’s emblem.
Clock tower at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, featuring two clocks with Roman numerals and a bell above.

The general admission tickets include an audioguide to give interesting information and history of all the main areas of the Cathedral. But if you want even more, there is a Belfry and Clocktower tour too.

For an extra €5, the 20-minute tour goes up to the balcony inside the Cathedral for a closer view of the ceiling, then up to the clocktower to see the mechanics of the clocks and see some of the bells.

The tour cannot be booked in advance and there are limited spots available (only 10 per tour), so this is another reason to arrive promptly at 9 am.

The tour involves walking 99 steps up and down a steep, spiral staircase, so it’s not appropriate for those with mobility issues or even claustrophobia.

Belfry and Clock Tour meeting point sign with details about access restrictions and safety guidelines for visitors.
A narrow stone spiral staircase at St. John’s Co-Cathedral. The stairs are framed by a simple wrought iron gate.
The view from above showing the nave of St. John’s Co-Cathedral. The intricate ceiling artwork is visible, along with rows of red chairs arranged in the main hall.

We were booked onto the 10 am tour, which gave us just enough time to look around the Cathedral and get through the audio tour.

I’m not going to go into too much detail – I will leave that to your own visit – but the interior of the Cathedral is intricate, interesting and oh, so stunning!

Each of the side chapels has its own story, and the floor is endlessly interesting with the macabre burial panels.

A detailed floor tomb inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral, showing an intricately designed coat of arms with Latin inscriptions.
Mosaic-tiled floor depicting various historical figures and scenes, located inside the nave of St. John’s Co-Cathedral.
Artistic depiction of a skeletal figure holding a shield, part of a tombstone in St John’s Co-Cathedral, carved in colorful marble.

And once you think you’ve seen everything, a visit to the Oratory reveals two Caravaggio paintings, in particular, the “Beheading of Saint John the Baptist”, the only painting he ever signed.

The location of the painting might feel a little temporary, and that is because there is currently a whole new wing of the Co-Cathedral being built, to be called the Caravaggio Wing, to house these and other artworks. It should be open sometime in 2025.

Caravaggio's famous painting, "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist," depicting a dramatic scene with dark tones and intense expressions.

There were some downsides – there is a lot of restoration going on throughout the Co-Cathedral, so some areas were covered in scaffolding and some of the artworks were not in their usual position.

My guess is that this will be ongoing as the intricate architecture and artwork will forever need careful restoration, which takes a lot of time.

It also got quite busy towards the end of our visit. I can imagine that during the summer high season, it could become a little crazy.

The view from above showing the nave of St. John’s Co-Cathedral. The intricate ceiling artwork is visible, along with rows of red chairs arranged in the main hall.
Close-up of the cathedral’s historic clock mechanism. Several interlocking iron gears are shown, highlighting the complexity of the machinery.
Close-up of the large bells inside the bell tower at St. John’s Co-Cathedral.

After visiting the cathedral, You might need to take a minute, so consider eating nearby and exploring the local cuisine to get a taste of Malta’s rich history.

Nearby eateries serve traditional Maltese food inspired by the same blend of Mediterranean and European influences that the knights brought to the island centuries ago.

Sampling these dishes after your visit can add another layer to your understanding of Maltese culture.

Marble tomb monument with angelic figures and a gold statue, located in one of the side chapels of St John’s Co-Cathedral.
Silver-framed icon of the Madonna and Child set against a red background, surrounded by elaborate gold details and floral offerings.
Large golden pipe organ inside St John’s Co-Cathedral, intricately decorated and positioned above a corner of the main nave.

So, What’s the Verdict?

Is St John’s Co-Cathedral worth the time and money to visit?

While I had my doubts, in the end, I am glad I decided to visit. I really enjoyed looking around the Co-Cathedral and listening to the stories and information on the audioguide.

The tour added another dimension and was well worth the €5 to climb up the clock tower.

So if you have doubts like I did, I say take the plunge and include St John’s Co-Cathedral in your Malta itinerary – I think you will be glad that you did.

And if you’re exploring Malta beyond Valletta, make sure to check out how to plan a day trip to Gozo, another incredible experience you won’t want to miss.

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TRAVEL PLANNING ESSENTIALS

Find flights – I always use Skyscanner as my starting point when searching for flights. One search will give many options including airlines I may not have thought of. This means I can find the best possible flights to suit my needs

Book accommodation – my go to is always Booking.com for the best places to stay. It’s not just hotels anymore, but hostels, apartments, B&Bs and more. I love that the bookings are usually cancellable, and that I can book now and pay later.

Hire a rental car – RentalCars.com is my go to here. It allows me to do just one search and it finds cars from many of the different supplies, so no checking multiple websites to compare.

Get travel insurance – you would have heard by now that saying “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel”. If we’ve learnt anything from the last couple of years it should be how essential travel insurance is. I use CoverMore for my insurance.

Pick up an eSIM – I tried an eSIM on my last trip and it was fantastic. I set it up before I went so it was ready as soon as I landed, and I still had access to my home number for emergencies. Get your own eSIM at Airalo.

Book activities, tours & attractions – I use a few different websites for this. Viator and Get Your Guide tend to be the first places I look. In Asia, Klook often has more options, and in Australia it’s Experience Oz.

Manage your money – the best way to manage your different currencies is with an account from Wise. You can hold money in many different currencies, and use them with the ATM card or from your phone.

Josie Kelsh

Josie will help you to plan your next trip filled with bucket list experiences balanced with budget travel. She discovered travel in her late thirties, but since then has travelled extensively, visiting more than 60 countries and taking an adult gap year. She is now based in Australia and loves sharing all she has learned about travelling on a budget but with the added comforts a Gen Xer requires.