Malta

Malta, in a few days

From baroque Valletta to the silent city of Mdina, then across to Gozo and the Blue Lagoon of Comino, by car and ferry: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Valletta

Days 1-3

The city the Knights of St John built after holding off the Ottomans in the Great Siege of 1565, its first stone laid in 1566. The whole walled capital is UNESCO-listed, from St John's Co-Cathedral to the bastions over the Grand Harbour.

🎟️ Worth booking

• St John's Co-Cathedral (Caravaggio)1h · from €15
  The Knights' church, plain outside and gilded from floor to vault inside, with two Caravaggios including his largest painting, The Beheading of Saint John.
• The Grandmaster's Palace1h · from €12
  The seat of the Knights, then of the British governors, with painted corridors and one of the largest collections of armour still in its original building.

✦ Free to visit

• The Upper Barrakka Gardens
• The Saluting Battery gun salute
• The baroque streets
• The view over the Three Cities

📲 Book things to do in Valletta on GetYourGuide

2

Mdina and Rabat

Day 4 · 🚗 Car 30 min

The walled hilltop town that was Malta's capital before the Knights moved to the coast, known as the Silent City. Rabat, just outside its gate, holds the early Christian catacombs.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Mdina, the Silent City, guided1h30 · from €12
  The old capital inside its walls, with a guide to explain the palaces, the cathedral and the families who still live behind the doors.
• St Paul's Catacombs1h · from €8
  A network of Roman and early Christian burial chambers cut into the rock under Rabat.

✦ Free to visit

• The ramparts of Mdina
• The view across the island
• The medieval lanes
• Howard Gardens

📲 Book things to do in Mdina and Rabat on GetYourGuide

3

Gozo

Days 5-6 · ⛴️ Ferry 1h

The smaller, greener island to the north. Its Ġgantija temples, built around 3600 BC, are older than the pyramids of Giza, and its coast is one of the best diving areas in the Mediterranean.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Ġgantija temples and the CitadelHalf day · from €15
  Two megalithic temples over 5,000 years old, then the fortified Citadel above Victoria, Gozo's main town.
• Diving at the Azure Window siteHalf day · from €55
  The famous rock arch at Dwejra fell into the sea in 2017; its blocks now form a dive site next to the Blue Hole.

✦ Free to visit

• Ramla Bay and its red sand
• The Marsalforn salt pans
• The Citadel of Victoria
• Wied il-Mielaħ sea arch

📲 Book things to do in Gozo on GetYourGuide

4

Comino and the Blue Lagoon

Day 7 · ⛴️ Boat 30 min

A near-empty island between Malta and Gozo, and the shallow, clear channel beside it. Landing at the Blue Lagoon now requires a free timed pass, booked online in advance.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Boat trip to the Blue LagoonFull day · from €30
  A day on the water around Comino, with time to swim in the lagoon's pale, clear shallows.
• Snorkelling and sea cavesHalf day · from €35
  Mask and fins along the Comino cliffs, with a boat to take you into the caves.

✦ Free to visit

• The Blue Lagoon's turquoise water
• The Comino footpaths
• St Mary's Tower
• Swimming in the quiet coves

📲 Book things to do in Comino and the Blue Lagoon on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

A small car, and the ferries · A small hire car covers the main island, though parking in Valletta is hard work. Ferries to Gozo leave from Ċirkewwa through the day, and boats run to Comino from both islands.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Pastizzi: flaky pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas, sold for next to nothing and eaten hot.
• Stuffat tal-fenek: rabbit slow-cooked in wine and garlic, the national dish.
• Ftira: a ring of Maltese bread filled with tuna, tomato, capers and olives.
• Aljotta: a garlicky fish soup with rice and fresh herbs.
• Kinnie and local wine: Kinnie is a bittersweet orange soft drink made on the island since 1952.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Traffic drives on the left and parking is scarce: think twice before taking a car into Valletta.
• Buses can be full and slow in summer, so leave extra time.
• The sun is strong and shade is rare on the coast and at the temples: carry water and a hat.
• The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum admits only a few visitors a day: book weeks ahead.

Words that help

English ↔ Maltese

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/malta

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.