The five-minute ferry from Valletta's waterfront to the Three Cities — Vittoriosa (Birgu), Senglea, and Cospicua — is one of the best short excursions in Malta and costs almost nothing. The crossing gives you the classic view of Valletta's honey-stone bastions rising above the harbour, with the spires and towers of the city silhouetted against the sky. This is the view that made Malta famous as a strategic naval base.
The Three Cities are older than Valletta itself — the Knights fortified Birgu before building the new capital — and they have a quieter, more working-class character. Vittoriosa (Birgu) is the most visited, with the Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor's Palace, and Fort St Angelo. Senglea is smaller and less touristed, with good waterfront views back toward Valletta. The ferry runs regularly throughout the day from the waterfront below the Lower Barrakka Gardens.