Malta’s wet days are brief, but a grey morning in January or November can still wipe out a beach plan. The good news: the islands hold unusually many indoor sights for their size. Museums sit in palaces, churches in Baroque domes and some of the best visits go underground, where the weather does not matter at all.
Average rainfall from the Luqa station across 1991 to 2020 runs at about 80 to 100 mm a month from October to January, and falls to almost nothing in July. Rain days are a different matter: showers pass and bright spells follow, which means a plan with one indoor anchor and a flexible second half works better than a full day indoors. For a general list see things to do in Malta.
Underground and wartime sites
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
Three levels of underground chambers cut into the rock beneath Paola, used as a temple and burial place some five thousand years ago. Entry is by timed tour with small groups, and tickets go weeks ahead. Book before the trip, since rainy-day impulse bookings rarely work. See the Hypogeum page for the practical side.
Lascaris War Rooms
Tunnels beneath Lascaris Bastion in Valletta that served as Allied headquarters in the Second World War. Passages are narrow, with steel ladders, so flat shoes matter. The Lascaris War Rooms take a morning at a relaxed pace.
Malta at War Museum and the air raid shelters
In Vittoriosa the Malta at War Museum has original shelters and wartime film. The shelters are cool, so bring a light layer. Up north, the Mellieħa Air Raid Shelter is a hand-dug shelter of more than 500 metres with family rooms and a maternity section.
Catacombs and the Roman house
In Rabat, St Paul’s Grotto and Catacombs lie beside a large network of Roman-period tombs, only part of which is open, with steep steps in places. The Domus Romana is the remains of a wealthy townhouse with mosaic floors. Both fit a wet morning near Mdina.
Museums
Valletta
The National Museum of Archaeology holds finds from the temples and the Sleeping Lady, and is best seen before the sites. The Grandmaster’s Palace and its Armoury are a short walk away, though some state rooms close without notice. Casa Rocca Piccola is entered by guided tour. The National Museum of Fine Arts holds the largest collection of Mattia Preti paintings, but its listing showed it as temporarily closed, so confirm the status first.
The harbour side
The Malta Maritime Museum fills the former Royal Naval Bakery on the Birgu waterfront, with large halls and comfortable shoes recommended. The Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa has stairs and uneven floors.
Mdina and Rabat
The National Museum of Natural History fills the Baroque Vilhena Palace at the entrance to Mdina. Palazzo Falson is a medieval palace with a collector’s silver, rugs and armour, closed on Mondays; very young children are not admitted.
More small museums
The Knights Hospitallers experience tells the story of the Order of St John in part of the Sacra Infermeria. The National Library on Old Treasury Street was built in 1796 for the Knights. The Wignacourt Museum in Rabat sits beside St Paul’s parish church. The Malta Aviation Museum at Ta’ Qali has a rebuilt Spitfire and a Hurricane; it stands on an open former airfield, so check what is covered. Smaller places such as the Postal Museum and the Classic Car Collection in Qawra keep their own hours, so confirm them first.
Churches and cathedrals
St John’s Co-Cathedral is the obvious wet-day choice, with covered shoulders and knees. Mosta Dome has the 37-metre dome and the story of the 1942 bomb that failed to explode. St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. Churches are working places of worship, so check for services.
Family indoor days
The National Aquarium in Qawra suits two to three hours. Esplora in Kalkara has about 200 interactive exhibits and a planetarium. The Playmobil FunPark at Hal Far has indoor zones for children from age one. See Malta with kids for more.
Getting around in the wet
Roads and limestone steps turn slick in rain, so shoes with grip are the one item to carry. Buses keep running, but waits at open stops feel longer, and the Valletta ferry can be rough on windy days. Taxis are worth a thought for the last stretch between two indoor sights. Cave boats and cliff paths are better postponed: boats to the Blue Grotto run only when the sea is calm enough, and cliffs such as Dingli are unfenced in places.
A wet-day order
Start with the booked item, usually the Hypogeum, then move to a museum in the same area, take a long lunch and finish indoors in Valletta or Mdina. If the sun comes out in the afternoon, switch to a walk through the lanes of Mdina or Valletta, which are best explored on foot in any case. Keep a spare layer in the bag, since underground sites stay cool in every season, and leave a gap between bookings so a late bus does not wreck the plan.
