Top 17 Things to Do in Malta by Region

The best things to do in Malta range from walking the honey-coloured streets of Valletta and Mdina to swimming the Blue Lagoon on Comino, exploring the prehistoric Ħaġar Qim temples, and ferrying to Gozo for its rugged cliffs and the Ġgantija temples. With over 7,000 years of layered history packed into 122 square miles, you can comfortably hit the highlights in 4 to 6 days without rushing.

Picking the right things to do in Malta is the difference between a generic Mediterranean trip and one that actually pays off the flight. Malta packs more history per square mile than almost anywhere in Europe, and the size of the islands means you can fit a lot into a short stay if you plan with intention. This guide pulls 17 specific experiences across Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities, Gozo, Comino, and the wilder coastal corners, with notes on cost, season, and who each one suits best. If you’re still building the bigger trip, our Malta destinations guide covers the locations themselves and our honest take on whether Malta is worth visiting answers the question most travellers ask before booking.

Malta sits between Sicily and the North African coast, which gives the food, the architecture, and the weather a distinct mix you don’t get on the Italian mainland or in Spain. English is an official language alongside Maltese, the euro is the currency, and the public ferries connect the three main inhabited islands (Malta, Gozo, Comino) for a few euros each way. For a wider context, our best cities in Europe to visit roundup includes Valletta, and our Mediterranean destinations guide shows where Malta fits in the broader region.

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Table of Contents

Best Hotels in Malta

If you’d rather skip the comparison shopping, these hotels consistently get the strongest reviews for location, service, and atmosphere:

The Phoenicia Malta, Floriana – grand 1940s landmark right outside Valletta’s gates, gardens overlooking the harbour, the most central luxury option on the island
Iniala Harbour House, Valletta – boutique waterfront hotel inside Valletta’s UNESCO old town, suites overlooking the Grand Harbour
The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux, Mdina – inside the silent city walls, the only five-star hotel within Mdina itself
Hotel Ta’ Cenc & Spa, Gozo – clifftop resort on Gozo’s south coast, private beach access, the strongest pick on Gozo
Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour, Senglea – converted 16th-century maritime warehouse in the Three Cities with rooms looking straight at Valletta

Top Tours and Day Trips for Malta

A few guided experiences make Malta easier to navigate, especially if you don’t want to drive on the left or chase ferry timetables:

Comino Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon catamaran cruise – full-day sail from Sliema with stops at both lagoons and Santa Marija Caves
Mdina and Rabat half-day walking tour – local guide through the silent city’s medieval streets and St Paul’s Catacombs
Gozo full-day jeep tour – 4×4 across the second island, hitting Ġgantija, Ramla Bay, and the inland sea at Dwejra
Valletta food and wine walking tour – three-hour evening tour through Valletta’s backstreet bakeries, pastizzerias, and wine bars
Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra prehistoric temples guided visit – combined entry with a licensed archaeology guide explaining the 5,000-year-old structures

Recommended Malta Travel Essentials

Malta’s a small country that punches above its weight on heat, sun, and rocky beach access. A few items make every trip easier:

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Best Things to Do in Valletta

Valletta is Malta’s UNESCO-listed capital, built by the Knights of St John in the 16th century. The whole city is a fortified peninsula you can cross on foot in 20 minutes, which makes it the easiest base for first-timers.

1. Tour St John’s Co-Cathedral

Walking into St John’s Co-Cathedral is one of those moments where a guide book undersells the place. The exterior is sober Maltese limestone, then you step inside and every surface is gilded baroque. Caravaggio’s “Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” hangs in the oratory, and it’s the only painting he ever signed. Allow at least 90 minutes and book a combined ticket online to skip the queue.

Recommended read: The best places to visit across Malta

2. Walk the Upper Barrakka Gardens

The Upper Barrakka Gardens give you the best free view in Malta. The terrace looks straight across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities, and the Saluting Battery below fires its cannons at noon and 4pm daily, a tradition kept since the British era. Best at golden hour for photos and earlier in the day to dodge cruise crowds.

3. Explore the Grandmaster’s Palace

The Grandmaster’s Palace was the residence of the head of the Knights of Malta and is now the Office of the President. The state rooms, the armoury (one of the largest collections of arms in the world), and the Gobelin Hall all open to the public. It’s a more grown-up, less crowded stop than St John’s, ideal for the slower second day in Valletta.

4. Visit Casa Rocca Piccola

Casa Rocca Piccola is a still-occupied 16th-century palazzo whose owners open the upper floors as a small museum. It’s hands down the most personal stop in Valletta, with WWII air raid shelters in the basement, a chapel, and rooms full of the family’s silver, antiques, and portraits. The current marquis is often onsite and happy to chat. A quirky, intimate counterweight to the grander cathedral and palace stops.

Best Things to Do in Mdina and Rabat

Mdina was Malta’s capital before Valletta and goes by the nickname “the silent city” because cars are banned inside the walls. It sits inland on a hilltop, paired with the larger town of Rabat just outside the gate. Half a day covers the highlights, and it’s the strongest day-trip destination from Valletta after the Three Cities.

5. Wander Mdina at Sunset

Mdina drains of day-trippers around 5pm, which is exactly when the limestone goes molten gold and the empty alleys feel like a film set. Game of Thrones used the main gate as King’s Landing in season one. Walk the bastion walls for sweeping views over the centre of the island, then book dinner at one of the handful of restaurants inside the city walls.

6. Descend Into St Paul’s Catacombs

Just outside Mdina in Rabat, St Paul’s Catacombs are an underground Roman and early Christian burial complex stretching across more than 2,000 square meters. The site is run by Heritage Malta and is one of the easiest ways to time-travel through Maltese history without needing a guide. Combine with the on-site Domus Romana to see Roman mosaics from the same era.

7. Tour the Mdina Cathedral and Museum

The Cathedral of St Paul in Mdina is a baroque rebuild after the 1693 Sicily earthquake flattened the original. The marble floor is covered in inlaid tombstones of Maltese nobility, and the adjoining museum holds Dürer woodcuts and a strong collection of religious silver. Less crowded than St John’s in Valletta and an easier hour-long stop.

Best Things to Do in the Three Cities

Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua sit across the Grand Harbour from Valletta and predate Malta’s capital. Tourism here is meaningfully lighter, the food is more local, and a 10-minute traditional water taxi (dgħajsa) gets you across from Valletta for under 5 euros.

8. Take a Dgħajsa Across the Grand Harbour

The traditional Maltese water taxis are colour-painted wooden boats, descended from Phoenician designs, and the crossing from the Three Cities ferry landing in Vittoriosa to the Valletta Waterfront is one of those small experiences worth doing. The boat captains are licensed and have been working these waters for generations. Best at sunset when the limestone lights up.

9. Explore Fort St Angelo

Fort St Angelo on the tip of Vittoriosa was the Knights’ headquarters during the Great Siege of 1565, when Malta held off the Ottoman fleet. The fort is now run by Heritage Malta with restored chapels, audio-visual rooms explaining the siege, and a quiet rooftop with the best Grand Harbour view on the south side. A half-day stop that pairs beautifully with lunch on the Vittoriosa waterfront.

10. Walk Senglea’s Vedette Tower

The little vedette (lookout) tower at the tip of Senglea has the carved eye and ear icons that became the symbol of Malta during the siege. The walk along the Senglea bastions takes 30 minutes, gives you a different angle on Valletta, and the gardens at the end are a lovely picnic spot before walking back across the harbour.

Best Things to Do on Gozo and Comino

Gozo is Malta’s quieter, more rural sister island, reached by a 25-minute ferry from Ċirkewwa in the north. Comino sits between the two and is essentially uninhabited, made famous by the Blue Lagoon. Both are easy day trips from Malta, but Gozo deserves an overnight if you can spare one.

11. Swim the Blue Lagoon on Comino

The Blue Lagoon is the photo everyone takes of Malta. Crystal-clear turquoise water in a sheltered cove between Comino and tiny Cominotto islet, with a sandy bottom that makes the colour pop. It gets crowded between 10am and 3pm in summer, so the trick is to either book a sunrise or sunset cruise from Sliema or to overnight at Comino’s only hotel and have it to yourself for the early hours.

Recommended read: The best beach destinations across Europe

12. Visit the Ġgantija Temples on Gozo

The Ġgantija temples are older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, dating to around 3600 BC, and are one of seven UNESCO megalithic temple sites scattered across Malta and Gozo. The on-site interpretive centre is small but well-curated, and you can finish the visit at the working windmill nearby. According to UNESCO’s listing of the Megalithic Temples of Malta, these are the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world.

13. Walk the Cliffs at Dwejra

Dwejra Bay on Gozo’s west coast is best known as the place where the famous Azure Window stood until it collapsed in 2017, but the area itself is still spectacular. The Inland Sea, Fungus Rock, and the cliffs around the old window site make for one of the strongest coastal walks in the Maltese islands. Local boatmen run short trips through the sea cave that connects the Inland Sea to the open Mediterranean.

Recommended read: The most beautiful islands across Europe

14. Spend a Morning at Ramla Bay

Ramla Bay is Gozo’s largest beach, a 750-metre crescent of red-orange sand backed by farmland. There are no big resorts here, which keeps the bay quiet even in July. Climb the path to Calypso’s Cave above the beach for the postcard view (the cave is closed for safety but the lookout itself is open).

Best Outdoor and Coastal Things to Do in Malta

Malta’s outdoor scene is split between prehistoric sites and the rugged south coast. These three round out a trip with the kind of experiences you won’t find on the typical Valletta-only itinerary.

15. Visit Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Temples

Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra sit on the south coast cliff edge, two megalithic temple complexes within walking distance of each other and protected by tent-like canopies that keep the limestone from eroding. The site has a small but well-built visitor centre with a 4D film that’s worth the entry fee. Try to visit on the spring or autumn equinox, when the rising sun aligns through the temple doorways.

Recommended read: The Europe bucket list of must-see sites

16. Boat to the Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto sits on the south coast near the village of Wied iż-Żurrieq. Local boats run 25-minute trips into the sea caves, where the sun reflecting off the white sandy floor turns the water electric blue. Mornings are best because afternoon winds often cancel the trips. The viewpoint above the cliff is also worth a stop for the photo even if the boats aren’t running.

17. Catch a Sunday Market in Marsaxlokk

Marsaxlokk is Malta’s largest fishing village, on the south-east coast, and the harbour is full of the colourful luzzu boats with the painted eyes on the prow. Sundays are the big fish market day, where the village quay turns into a long stretch of stalls selling fresh tuna, swordfish, and lampuki in season. Stay for lunch at one of the seafront restaurants for the freshest seafood you’ll eat in Malta.

How to Plan Your Things to Do in Malta

Malta works best on 4 to 6 days. Two days in Valletta gives you the cathedral, the palace, the Barrakka, and a half-day in the Three Cities. One day for Mdina, Rabat, and the catacombs. One full day on Gozo (or two if you can stay overnight). Half a day for the southern temples and the Blue Grotto. Comino slots in as a half-day cruise from Sliema. The official Malta Tourism Authority site publishes opening hours and ticket prices for every Heritage Malta site, which is the easiest way to lock down a tight itinerary.

Public buses cover the whole island for under 3 euros a day with the Tallinja card, but a rental car gives you flexibility for the southern coast and Gozo, where buses run less frequently. Drivers should know Malta is left-hand drive and the roads are narrow. For broader trip planning, our Europe trip guide covers how to bundle Malta with Sicily, southern Italy, or Greece.

Best Time to Visit Malta

The best windows are mid-April to mid-June and all of September into early October. Daytime temperatures sit around 73-82°F (23-28°C), the sea is warm enough to swim, and the worst of the summer crowds and heat haven’t hit. July and August are the peak tourist months and Malta runs hot, often above 90°F (32°C), with everywhere from the Blue Lagoon to Mdina at capacity. Winter is mild (low 60s°F / mid-teens C) and works for sightseeing if you skip the swimming.

For a deeper dive into shoulder-season travel across the region, our guide on the best time to visit Europe breaks down weather windows by country and our European cities by month roundup can help you pair Malta with another stop.

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FAQ

How many days do you need in Malta?

Four to six days covers Malta comfortably. Two days for Valletta and the Three Cities, one day for Mdina and Rabat, one full day on Gozo (overnight if possible), and a half-day each for the southern temples and the Comino Blue Lagoon.

What is Malta best known for?

Malta is best known for its UNESCO-listed capital Valletta, the prehistoric Ġgantija and Ħaġar Qim temples (older than the pyramids), the medieval silent city of Mdina, the Comino Blue Lagoon, and a long history shaped by the Knights of St John, the British Empire, and Mediterranean trade.

Is Malta expensive to visit?

Malta is mid-range for Europe. Expect around 100-150 euros a night for a good hotel in Valletta, 25-35 euros for a sit-down dinner with wine, and under 3 euros for a full day of public buses. Compared to France or Italy, you’ll pay 20-30% less for similar quality, especially outside July and August.

Can you swim in Malta in May?

Yes, the sea around Malta is usually warm enough to swim from mid-May onwards, sitting around 64-68°F (18-20°C) early in the month and rising into the 70s by the end of May. The Blue Lagoon and southern coves warm up earliest because of their sheltered position.

Is Gozo or Malta better to stay on?

Stay on Malta for first-time visits because it’s central, has more hotels, and puts you within easy reach of every major site. Stay on Gozo for a slower second trip or the back half of a longer holiday, when you want quiet villages, rural walks, and beach time without the day-trippers.

Key Takeaways

Malta packs over 7,000 years of history into 122 square miles, with 17 standout things to do across Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities, Gozo, Comino, and the southern coast
Valletta is the easiest base for first-timers; St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Upper Barrakka Gardens, and the Grandmaster’s Palace are the strongest single-day picks
The Ġgantija and Ħaġar Qim temples are older than the pyramids and Stonehenge and are UNESCO-listed
The Blue Lagoon on Comino is best done at sunrise or sunset to avoid the 10am-3pm crowd window
Best windows are mid-April to mid-June and September to early October; July and August are the hottest and most crowded months

Final Thoughts

Malta is one of the few European destinations where you can pack prehistoric ruins, medieval citadels, baroque cathedrals, and turquoise coves into a single week without rushing. The 17 things to do above hit every era and every kind of traveller, from culture-first first-timers to slow-paced repeat visitors looking for Gozo days. Build a 5-day plan around Valletta, Mdina, Gozo, and the southern coast, and Malta delivers more substance than countries five times its size.