Valletta’s Sinister Secrets – Lies, Lust and Loot
Embark on an adventure where survival, intrigues, and desire collide, revealing the darker side of Valletta whilst viewing malta sightseeing plaHear of love gone terribly wrong, exotic delicacies with a sinister past and much more during one of the best Malta tours. Join us, and discover why on our Valletta walking tour, it’s not just the harbour that’s grand – the scandals are too!
Original Price:
€20.00
Discounted Price:
€15.00
Bookings are closed for this event.
- Ages: 16+
- Starting Location: Auberge de Castille ( by the fountain in front of Auberge de Castille)
- Tour Difficulty: Easy
- Photo Friendly: Yes
- Duration: 2 hours
- Ending Location: Lower Barrakka garden, Valletta
- What to wear: Comfortable clothes and walking shoes
- Guide: Licensed tourist guide in authentic corsair costume
- English
Tour Highlights
- Valletta’s Sinful Streets: Explore Valletta, one of UNESCO’s naughtiest World Heritage Cities and top Malta sightseeing places, tracing the dark footsteps of the legendary Corsairs during the Knights of St John period.
- Scandalous Stories: Entertain yourself in tales of audacious plunder, unrestrained desires, and ingenious schemes that will make your lawyer blush and your history teacher weep.
- Dark Secrets: Learn why “going to Malta for business” was the 17th century’s equivalent of a Vegas trip. As you climb the ladder, find out how deep this rabbit hole goes. You’ll be surprised, hopefully not too shocked!
- Immersive and animated Storytelling: Step into the shoes of a struggling Valletta resident and see history through their eyes as your costumed guide helps you escape poverty through Malta turning “finders keepers” into an economic policy (don’t try this at home).
- Hidden Havens:Explore hidden off beaten paths such as the fabulous East street and the less visited but equally magnificent Lower Barrakka Garden, with its jaw-dropping views of our Grand Harbour ,that are Instagram gold (No filter needed) and will make your social media light up with jealous comments on one of the best Valletta Walking Tours!!
Location Highlights
- Auberge de Castille
- De Valette Statue
- Auberge D’Italie
- Merchant Street
- Castellania
- Monte di Pieta
- Banca Giuratale
- Grand Masters Palace (Back View) with some little known gems
- Valletta Food Market
- Oratory of the Jesuits
- Off Beaten Streets
- St. Ursula Church and Monastery
- East Street and a surprise along the way
- Lower Barrakka Garden with epic views of the Grand Harbour
• Comfortable walking shoes.
• A hat in summer (although the streets will be mostly shaded and shaded areas available).
• Warm clothes in winter as Valletta can be chilly.
Professional Maltese Tour Guide, in authentic corsair costume portraying a real 17th century character to better tell this remarkable story.
Entry to buildings is not included.
Participants must be 16 years old or above due to adult content involving violence, brutality, sex, adultery, and more.
Our tours typically have a small group size to ensure a personalized experience.
The tour will only be cancelled in case of extreme weather conditions.
Unless there is extreme rainfall, the tour will still happen. If the tour is cancelled, we will notify you beforehand and refund your order. We will always prioritize the safety and comfort of our clients first.
Easy, at the very top, is the Tickets option. Juts select the number of tickets you need and press “Submit Booking” red button and take it from there.
Cancellations or change of bookings are only allowed if received via email notification on [email protected] at least 24 hours before the tour commences.
Our tours are designed to be safe and enjoyable for all clients. We prioritise safety above all else and work with experienced guides and tour operators to ensure that all activities are conducted safely.
We advise to bring good walking shoes, due to steps going down heading towards the Barrakka Gardens
The tour is on even paved ground. However, some steps must be tackled to head towards the panoramic views.
The tour includes around 17 stops.
The route, sights, and topics may vary slightly depending on weather , noise , events and any building works.
Approximately half an hour of walking is involved.
The path is an easy one, flat ground and always heading downwards where steps are involved to our last few gems such as East Street and the Lower Barrakka Garden with Epic views of the Grand Harbour
Also pushchair friendly
Yes, ALL tours MUST be booked in advanced.
The meeting place is less than 10 minutes away from a public car park and the bus stop is less than 10 minutes’ walk away.
Our Starting Location being Auberge De Castille is extremely easy to find and convenient whether your coming via cruise liner and exiting from the Upper Barrakka Garden ( less the 1 minute) or coming through Valletta Main Gate ( approx 5mins walk time from the main gate)
Yes 3 in all
A Public Bathroom available close to the meeting place. (UPPER Barrakka Garden)
Another bathroom is available halfway during the tour.
A Second Public bathroom is available at the end of the tour. (LOWER Barrakka Garden)
Kindly note at times opening hours of the Public Toilets may vary according to the to cleaners on duty
Yes, the tour is offered in English.
Although much appreciated, it is solely up to you to decide whether or not to tip your tour guide.
Just email us on [email protected] and we will be glad to help out.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to check in with your guide.
We will start sharp on the mentioned time, to respect the other guests plans and time constraints
Also plan ahead for traffic to reach Valletta , since it’s our capital city.
★★★★★ 5/5
Our guide really nailed it. He arrived dressed as a corsair and stayed in character throughout his entire "performance". Using a first-person story-telling style, he brought us back in time to actually feel the history. This tour checked every box - it was entertaining, informative, and memorable. I highly recommend them!
- davidfY7493MD
Tour Details
- Ages: 16+
- Starting Location: Auberge de Castille ( by the fountain in front of Auberge de Castille)
- Tour Difficulty: Easy
- Photo Friendly: Yes
- Duration: 2 hours
- Ending Location: Lower Barrakka garden, Valletta
- What to wear: Comfortable clothes and walking shoes
- Guide: Licensed tourist guide in authentic corsair costume
Overview
From Maritime mischief to monastic mayhem, the Secrets of Valletta’s streets‘s await you! Uncover the hidden and sinful chapters of Malta’s maritime city as your costumed corsair guide helps you learn the tricks of the trade to escape poverty on this Valletta Walking tour. As you visit Valletta tourist attractions You’ll discover why the Knights of St. John were more interested in booze, booty, and bootylicious wenches than actually, you know, being holy…
Discover how Malta turned plundering into a profitable career path. From forbidden love affairs, cunning courtesans’ and exotic worldwide delicacies with a sinister past, our costumed storyteller will bring Malta’s rich history to life in a thrilling, interactive, fun and engaging manner.
Who are the Corsairs of Malta? Heroes or villains? How will you rise through the ranks? Are you ready to perfect the art of living fast, loving hard, and leaving a trail of chaos in your wake? Join and find out as you discover why these legendary figures were hailed as protectors by everyday Maltese people yet despised by the feared Holy Roman Inquisition! Learn why even an angry Pope is forced to get involved, turns out, “what happens in Valletta” didn’t always stay in Valletta!
Embark on your wildest maritime ride this side of the Mediterranean, admire the rich architecture of Baroque buildings, where each location holds naughty bits that Valletta has been hiding for centuries including customs and sayings that would raise serious eyebrows today, on this Valletta walking tour you’ll get a raw and unfiltered glimpse into Malta’s colourful history.
Don’t miss this fun opportunity to explore the streets filled with nautical naughtiness, historical hanky-panky, and puns so bad, they’re practically a sin. But hey, in Valletta, sin is just another way to win. Join us and discover the dark heart of Valletta where you literally “Get Rich or Die Trying!”
Discover how Malta turned plundering into a profitable career path. From forbidden love affairs, cunning courtesans’ and exotic worldwide delicacies with a sinister past, our costumed storyteller will bring Malta’s rich history to life in a thrilling, interactive, fun and engaging manner.
Who are the Corsairs of Malta? Heroes or villains? How will you rise through the ranks? Are you ready to perfect the art of living fast, loving hard, and leaving a trail of chaos in your wake? Join and find out as you discover why these legendary figures were hailed as protectors by everyday Maltese people yet despised by the feared Holy Roman Inquisition! Learn why even an angry Pope is forced to get involved, turns out, “what happens in Valletta” didn’t always stay in Valletta!
Embark on your wildest maritime ride this side of the Mediterranean, admire the rich architecture of Baroque buildings, where each location holds naughty bits that Valletta has been hiding for centuries including customs and sayings that would raise serious eyebrows today, on this Valletta walking tour you’ll get a raw and unfiltered glimpse into Malta’s colourful history.
Don’t miss this fun opportunity to explore the streets filled with nautical naughtiness, historical hanky-panky, and puns so bad, they’re practically a sin. But hey, in Valletta, sin is just another way to win. Join us and discover the dark heart of Valletta where you literally “Get Rich or Die Trying!”
Tour Theme
Daring to Dream – Freedom vs Responsibility – Brotherhood and Loyalty – Risk-Taking and Adventure – Consequences of Greed – Ethics of Piracy – Profit through misery
Location Highlights
- Auberge de Castille
- De Valette Statue
- Auberge D’Italie
- Merchant Street
- Castellania
- Monte di Pieta
- Banca Giuratale
- Grand Masters Palace (Back View) with some little known gems
- Valletta Food Market
- Oratory of the Jesuits
- Off Beaten Streets
- St. Ursula Church and Monastery
- East Street and a surprise along the way
- Lower Barrakka Garden with epic views of the Grand Harbour
Have any questions?
Wondering about something? If it's not in sight or a bit fuzzy don't hesitate! Email us at [email protected]
Book a Private Tour of this tour instead
Prefer a PRIVATE adventure of this tour? Easy - Click the 'Book this tour as a Private Tour' below to view our prices , contact us with your preferred date and anything else to help us prepare your adventure :)
- Client Testimonials
We’re proud to receive awesome client reviews
This whole experience was fantastic, from the very funny back and forth emails with Giacomo when booking from England before we went (thanks also for the many helpful tips for things to do and see on the Maltese islands, many of which we ended up doing), to the evening itself with the simply brilliant Chris as the Corsair. Extremely educational and delivered with infectious enthusiasm. Puts everything in a much wider context; this isn't the conventional 'pantomime' piracy of eye patches, pieces of eight and parrots, but more about profiteering as a mutually advantageous political discourse to both defend the Grand Harbour and contribute to the coffers of the Knights of St John. As my daughter says below, don't miss it, there's nothing else like it.
- ShotsGeoff
Greatly recommend. Very happy that I found them. The best corsair in the Mediterranean.
Firstly, I am extremely grateful for the time Giacomo and Chris spent with me on trying to understand our needs and desires, working on setting up a nice tour to fit the budget and everyone's needs as we had 7 year old with us as well. Secondly, consideration and patience, also involving our kid (later we found out that Chris is also a teacher) and fitting into our schedule. Lastly, thank you for your personal untraditional point of view and interpretation, it was really refreshing.
- Star929
We were on a cruise and stopped in Malta. I arranged a tour with Chris who was exceptional. He customized our tour according to our time and requests. He was friendly and kind and extremely knowledgeable. We enjoyed our time with him and loved the tour of Malta. I would highly recommend him!
- MMM
I visited Malta with my adult son, who is, usually, not fond of guided tours, so I tried to find something exceptional to get him interested, and - yes! - this corsair tour was absolutely brilliant! We were lucky to have it all for ourselves - as it happen no other guests booked the tour on the same evening. The only disadvantage was the noise - streets of Valletta is overcrowded in the evening, and sometimes our points of interest were surrounded with loud music and noisy people, but in general it was very good anyway. We both highly recommend it!
- Julia
My husband booked this walking tour as part of our wedding anniversary stop over in Valletta. We have stopped in Valletta a couple of times but we learnt so much about places we have walked past previously, on this 2 hour tour with Chris aka Shandru.
We were the only people doing the tour on this rainy evening but the guide still put lots into the tour. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Corsairs in Malta and its not a long walk so is suitable for all ages. Think my grandchildren would love some of the stories and being shown around by a real life Corsair (legal pirate).
We were the only people doing the tour on this rainy evening but the guide still put lots into the tour. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Corsairs in Malta and its not a long walk so is suitable for all ages. Think my grandchildren would love some of the stories and being shown around by a real life Corsair (legal pirate).
- Jeanette W
This is not your conventional tour! It present a side of Maltese history that - even though very intriguing - hasn't been spoken of enough! Chris, the tour guide, is clearly very passionate about the tour and history. He himself becomes part of the story, with colourful descriptions based on a lot of research. Informative and fun, with details that surprised me (even though I'm a local!)
- Dylan
We highly recommend you add this tour to your Malta activities! Chris is in full Corsair character and does an outstanding job in bringing history to life! He tells interesting stories about fascinating historic characters and does it all with humor so that we really enjoyed listening and laughing! Our evening walk was perfect as the crowds had left and we could really imagine all the stories with beautiful Valletta as the setting. We learned so much about the Maltese and the Knights of Malta! An excellent activity for all ages! Thank you Chris.
- TravelingTanja7
A good visit with an amazing guide. Absolutely recommendable. The explanations were funny and unpublished. I hadn’t read these stories on any website
- pazgonzlezmiranda
We did half day trip to Hagair Qim, Marsaxlokk and Blue Grotto. I enjoyed the trip even I was there 3rd time. ;) Chris Schembri is a good guide and simpatic person, very into Maltese history and devoted to his work. Highly recommended. Btw. I lost your visit card, but I want photo of our group! :D
- Ludwika
I was looking for unique tours in Malta and was so happy to find this company. And they didn't disappoint! I had a fabulous tour with Chris, or rather I should say Xandro the Corsair :) He is a great storyteller, passionate and engaging! The organisation of the tour is well done, providing fascinating facts that I would never have imagined! It gave me a whole new perspective on Valletta and Malta. My only regret is that I didn't have time to do more tours with them. I guess I'll just have to come back soon! Thanks so much!!
- pariswithlove
