Things to Do in Malta
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Malta, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Right, Malta. Whole country, one island group, try to keep up, you've reached an entire country now, a fortress capital built almost from scratch after a legendary siege, and a genuinely thorough British colonial legacy still visible in the driving side and the phone boxes. This is the proper, no-nonsense guide to things to do in Malta: what things actually cost, when to go, what to skip, and which bits are worth the ferry ride. Five main stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site to see if you were paying attention.
Valletta's Knights of St John
Malta's capital, Valletta, was built by the Knights of St John after a famous 1565 siege, built an entire capital city practically from scratch after successfully defending the island, a genuinely remarkable piece of urban planning, the Great Siege of Malta, where a small force of knights and Maltese defenders repelled a massive Ottoman invasion force, is considered one of the most significant military victories in European history, and Valletta was deliberately built afterward as a fortified statement of that survival.
St John's Co-Cathedral, the knights' principal church, holds a genuinely extraordinary interior, ornately gilded, and Caravaggio's largest surviving painting, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, worth the entry fee for this single masterpiece alone.
Hours Mon–Sat, roughly 9.30am–4.30pm
Address St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta
Malta's British Colonial Legacy
Malta's official languages include Maltese and English, a legacy of British rule, drive on the left, red phone boxes still standing, thorough colonial legacy, that one, a genuinely visible, still-functioning bit of history, Malta was a British colony until independence in 1964, and the connection remains evident throughout daily life, from the language to the driving side to certain architectural and administrative habits.
This makes Malta genuinely easy for English-speaking visitors specifically, worth knowing you'll rarely struggle with language here, a real practical advantage alongside the historical interest.
Gozo & the Blue Lagoon
Malta's largest inhabited islands are Malta and Gozo, known for its capital Victoria, Comino's the tiny one in between, mostly famous for one very blue lagoon, Gozo offers a genuinely quieter, more rural pace than the main island, worth a day trip or overnight stay if you want a break from Valletta's busier tourist centre, the Citadel in Victoria and the dramatic Azure Window's former site (destroyed in a 2017 storm, though the surrounding coastline remains striking) are both worth seeing.
Comino's Blue Lagoon, genuinely one of the most photographed spots in the Mediterranean, turquoise water over white sand, gets extremely crowded in peak summer, worth an early boat crossing if you want to see it without the worst of the crowds.
Getting there Ferry to Gozo from Cirkewwa, about 25 minutes; Comino boats from various points
Best time Early morning for the Blue Lagoon, to beat the crowds
Malta's Megalithic Temples
Malta holds some of the oldest surviving free-standing structures in the world, a genuinely staggering claim, several megalithic temple complexes here predate the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, worth a visit for anyone interested in deep, prehistoric human history.
The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni, an underground burial complex carved from rock, is genuinely remarkable but requires advance booking given strict daily visitor limits to protect the fragile site, worth arranging well before your trip if this specifically interests you.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am–5pm
Best time Book Hypogeum tickets weeks or months ahead given limited daily capacity
Mdina, the Silent City
Malta's former capital, a genuinely atmospheric walled medieval city, nicknamed 'the Silent City' for its hushed, largely car-free streets, worth a proper afternoon wander through the narrow lanes and grand palazzos, particularly striking at sunset when the honey-coloured stone catches the light.
It's a compact, easy visit, worth combining with the neighbouring town of Rabat, which holds significant early Christian catacombs worth exploring if that history interests you.
Best time Late afternoon into sunset
Address Mdina, Malta
Best time to visit Malta
May through September gives the most comfortable weather for the amount of beach and island-hopping this list involves, warm and dry through the whole Mediterranean summer.
Malta's mild winters make it a genuinely workable year-round destination too, worth considering the shoulder seasons specifically if you'd rather avoid peak summer's biggest crowds at the Blue Lagoon and other popular spots.
Getting around Malta
Buses cover the main island reasonably well and are genuinely affordable. Ferries connect Malta to Gozo and Comino, and walking covers central Valletta and Mdina comfortably once you're there.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Malta worth visiting?
- Yes, easily, genuinely one of the most historically dense small countries anywhere, Valletta's knightly fortifications, prehistoric temples older than the pyramids, and the Blue Lagoon all within one small archipelago.
- How many days do you need in Malta?
- Five days gives a comfortable pace for Valletta, Mdina, a Gozo day trip, and the Blue Lagoon.
- Is Malta expensive?
- Moderate, generally comparable to or slightly cheaper than mainland Southern Europe for dining and accommodation.
- What is Malta famous for?
- Valletta, built by the Knights of St John after the 1565 Great Siege, its ancient megalithic temples predating the Egyptian pyramids, and the Blue Lagoon off the island of Comino.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
