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Malta packs a UNESCO World Heritage capital, a walled medieval city, prehistoric temples older than the pyramids and a turquoise lagoon into an archipelago you can drive across in under an hour. A visit to Malta is made up of three inhabited islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino, and most first visits centre on Valletta and Mdina before a day trip covers Gozo or Comino. Basic facts about Malta, its size, population and location, are covered on that page rather than repeated here.
1. Valletta
Valletta is Malta’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, packed with roughly 320 monuments inside an area of just 0.61 sq km (0.24 sq mi), which makes it one of the most densely historic city centres in Europe. The Knights of St John built the city in the 16th century and named it after Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette, who led Malta’s defence during the Great Siege of 1565. Its streets are laid out in a strict grid, an early example of planned urban design, lined with baroque facades, palaces and churches.
St John’s Co-Cathedral is Valletta’s must-see interior: built by the Knights between 1572 and 1577, its floor is inlaid with over 400 marble tombs of knights and officers, and it holds Caravaggio’s “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.” Entry costs €15 ($16, £13) for adults, with lower rates for seniors and students and free entry for children under 12. The Upper Barrakka Gardens, a former private garden of the Knights dating to 1661, look out over the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, and its Saluting Battery fires a ceremonial cannon at noon and 4 pm daily. Both sights, along with the rest of the old city, are free to walk into.
2. Mdina
Mdina, nicknamed the Silent City, is Malta’s former capital and one of Europe’s most intact walled medieval towns, with roots going back over 4,000 years. No cars are allowed inside its walls, which is a large part of why it feels so quiet: narrow lanes, baroque facades and St Paul’s Cathedral fill a space you can walk end to end in twenty minutes. Entry to the old city is free, though the cathedral and a couple of small museums inside charge separately.
3. The Three Cities
The Three Cities, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, sit across the Grand Harbour from Valletta and show a quieter, more local side of Malta than the capital does. Fortified for centuries before Valletta existed, reach them by a short harbour ferry from Valletta rather than the longer drive around the water. The Vedette lookout point between Senglea and Cospicua and the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa are the two sights most visitors build a stop around, and there is no admission charge to walk the streets themselves.
4. Comino and the Blue Lagoon
Comino is a mostly uninhabited island between Malta and Gozo, and its Blue Lagoon, a shallow bay of turquoise water over white sand, is the single most photographed spot in the archipelago. No car ferry serves Comino: a passenger ferry or boat trip from Ċirkewwa, Mġarr or Sliema is the only way in, and most people plan a half-day around swimming and snorkelling there rather than a full day, since the island has little shade and few facilities. April, May, October and November bring noticeably fewer boats and crowds than the peak of July and August.
5. Gozo
Gozo is Malta’s quieter sister island, reached by a 25-minute car or foot ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr, and it trades Malta’s density for a slower pace and rolling countryside. Victoria, Gozo’s main town, is built around a hilltop Citadel with views across the island; Dwejra, on the west coast, is where the natural limestone arch known as the Azure Window once stood before it collapsed into the sea during a storm in March 2017, so it’s no longer there to see, whatever an older guide or map might still show. Ġgantija, one of the Megalithic Temples covered below, is Gozo’s own UNESCO site and predates Stonehenge by over a thousand years.
6. Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an underground Neolithic burial complex carved into rock roughly 5,000 years ago, and it’s the one Malta sight that has to be booked well before the trip, not on it. Heritage Malta, which runs the site, allows only small groups in at a time to protect the chambers from humidity and carbon dioxide buildup, and tickets for the busier months routinely sell out weeks or months in advance. Adult admission is €35 ($38, £30), with lower rates for youths, seniors and children; a small allocation of last-minute tickets is sometimes released the day before a visit, at a higher €50 ($54, £43), and sold first-come, first-served from a handful of Heritage Malta sites, not the Hypogeum itself. Anyone building a Malta trip around seeing it should book through Heritage Malta’s own site as one of the first things they do, not the last.
7. The Megalithic Temples of Malta
The Megalithic Temples of Malta are a group of prehistoric temple complexes across Malta and Gozo, including Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Tarxien and Ġgantija, and collectively they’re a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognised as some of the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world, dating from roughly 3600 to 2500 BC. Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra sit close together on the southern coast and are usually visited as a pair; admission to Ħaġar Qim is €10 ($11, £9) per person, and a visitor centre at the site explains the temples’ construction and possible use for solar alignments and ritual. Tarxien, inside a residential area near Paola, has the most detailed carved stonework of the group, including spiral reliefs and animal figures.
8. Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is a working fishing village on Malta’s southeastern coast, known for the brightly painted traditional boats called luzzus moored along its harbour. Visit on a Sunday, when its market brings stalls along the waterfront selling the morning’s catch alongside local produce and crafts, and the seafront restaurants serve that same catch the same day. Bus routes 81 and 85 connect Marsaxlokk to Valletta directly if driving and parking near the harbour isn’t the plan.
9. Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a sea cave on Malta’s southern coast near the village of Qrendi, named for the blue and green light that filters through the water into a 30-metre limestone arch. Small boat tours run from the harbour at Wied iż-Żurrieq into the cave and several smaller grottos nearby; swimming inside the cave itself isn’t allowed. Morning light, before around 11 am, gives the clearest colour in the water, and a free public viewing platform east of the harbour covers the view for anyone skipping the boat trip.
10. Mosta Rotunda
The Rotunda of Mosta, formally the Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, is known for its dome, one of the largest unsupported domes in the world, and for a wartime story that made it famous: during a Sunday Mass in April 1942, a German bomb pierced the dome and landed among the congregation without exploding. The near-miss is remembered locally as a small miracle, and a replica of the bomb is on display inside. Entry to the church is free.
11. Popeye Village
Popeye Village, in Anchor Bay near Mellieħa, began life as the film set for the 1980 Robin Williams musical “Popeye” and has since become a family-oriented open-air museum with boat rides, water activities and shows built around the original wooden buildings. Ticket prices vary by season and package, and it suits families with young children more than anyone chasing Malta’s history or beaches.
12. St Peter’s Pool, Dingli Cliffs and Golden Bay
A handful of natural spots round out most Malta itineraries without needing a full day each. St Peter’s Pool, near Marsaxlokk, is a natural rock pool popular for swimming and cliff jumping, free to visit and easiest reached by car or taxi rather than bus. Dingli Cliffs, on the southwest coast, mark the highest point on the island at roughly 250 metres above sea level and are a well-known sunset spot with a coastal footpath running toward the Blue Grotto. Golden Bay, on the northwest coast, is Malta’s largest sandy beach and one of the few places on the island offering horse riding along the shore.
How many days do you need in Malta?
Three to four days is enough to cover Malta’s highlights: Valletta and Mdina on two separate days, a day trip to Gozo, and time for one or two more of Malta’s coastal or archaeological sights. Add a day if the Hypogeum is on the list, since its ticket may fall on a date that doesn’t line up neatly with the rest of the itinerary, and add a day again for a slower pace that leaves room for the beaches at Golden Bay or Mellieħa.
Is Malta worth visiting?
Yes, Malta is worth visiting for the combination of a walkable UNESCO capital, a walled medieval city and prehistoric temples that predate the pyramids, all within a country small enough to cross by car in under an hour. Malta’s coastline adds turquoise swimming spots like the Blue Lagoon and St Peter’s Pool on top of the history, and its mild climate keeps most of the year workable for a visit.
Is Malta safe to visit?
Yes, Malta is safe to visit, with low rates of violent crime and a visible police presence in the main tourist areas. Petty theft such as pickpocketing happens occasionally in crowded spots, so the usual precautions with bags and valuables apply, but serious incidents involving tourists are rare.
Is Malta expensive to visit?
Malta is generally more affordable than Western Europe’s bigger destinations, though prices sit above those of Eastern Europe. Hostel beds start at roughly €30 ($33, £26) a night and simple guesthouse or Vrbo rooms run from about €50 to €100 ($54 to $109, £43 to £86), and a pastizzi snack from a bakery costs around €1 ($1, £0.85).
Which museums are worth visiting in Malta?
Listed below are museums worth visiting in Malta for a rainy day or a deeper dive into its history.
- The National Museum of Archaeology, in Valletta, holds artefacts from Malta’s prehistoric temple cultures, including the Sleeping Lady figurine. Admission is €10 ($11, £9).
- Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum, also in Valletta, cover Malta’s military history from the Great Siege to the country’s role in the Second World War. Admission is €10 ($11, £9).
- Lascaris War Rooms, built into the rock beneath Valletta, was the secret command centre for Malta’s defence in the Second World War. Admission is €10 ($11, £9).
- MUŻA, Malta’s national museum of art, is set inside an 18th-century palace in Valletta and covers works from the medieval period to today. Admission is €10 ($11, £9).
What can families do in Malta with kids?
Listed below are activities that suit families travelling with children.
- Malta National Aquarium, in Qawra, has more than 40 tanks and a walk-through underwater tunnel.
- Popeye Village suits younger children especially well, with boat rides and shows built around the old film set in Anchor Bay.
- Esplora Interactive Science Centre, in Kalkara, has over 100 hands-on exhibits across two floors.
Where to stay usually follows from which Malta sight sits at the centre of the trip. Valletta, Sliema and Mellieħa each put a different half of this list within easy reach, so it’s worth comparing hotel options through Booking.com before picking one. Queues at Ċirkewwa build fast in summer, so if Gozo or Comino are on the list, it pays to check ferry times and tours before the day itself. None of this covers what to eat between sights, so pair this list with our separate guide to food to eat in Malta, pastizzi, fenkata and everything in between.
WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips
The 3 tips below come from checking this list against Heritage Malta and the sights’ own ticketing in 2026, and each one decides the shape of a day.
- Book the Hypogeum before you book anything else, then build the trip around it. Heritage Malta admits only small groups to protect the chambers, busy months sell out weeks or months ahead, and the ticket date will not politely fall on the day you had left free. The day-before allocation costs €50.00 instead of €35.00 and is sold first come, first served from a handful of Heritage Malta sites rather than at the Hypogeum.
- Do not go to Dwejra for the Azure Window. The limestone arch collapsed into the sea during a storm in March 2017, and maps, postcards and older guides still show it standing. The rest of Dwejra, including the Inland Sea and the dive sites, is still worth the drive across Gozo.
- Time Valletta around the Saluting Battery and one paid interior. The cannon fires at noon and 4 pm every day below the Upper Barrakka Gardens, which cost nothing to enter, while St John’s Co-Cathedral charges €15.00 for adults and lets under-12s in free. Almost everything else in the city is free to walk into, so that is the ticket to plan the morning around.
About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the team covers Malta for independent travellers, including the tours, hotels and ferries worth booking, updating this page when tickets, prices and opening arrangements change.
