Start with the capital, because everything else on this list is easier once Valletta has set the scene. After that the island opens into three kinds of days: stone and history, salt water, and slow village or harbour evenings. Mix them in any order, and treat the list as a menu rather than a route. Malta rewards a loose plan better than a packed one, mostly because the midday sun in July makes a five-stop itinerary miserable.
How to plan your things to do in Malta
Distances are short but traffic is not. A trip from Sliema to the south coast can take longer by bus than the map suggests, so group places by area rather than by theme: Valletta and the Three Cities on the harbour, Mdina and Rabat in the middle, Mellieħa and the beaches in the north, Marsaxlokk and the temples in the south.
Put outdoor things at the cool ends of the day in summer and indoor ones in the middle. Check opening days for Heritage Malta sites before you set out, since a few small ones open only on some days. For the sea, mornings are calmer than afternoons, and the cave boats run only when the water allows.
Not sure where to base yourself? The guide to where to stay in Malta sorts the main areas by feel, and Malta day trips covers loops out of any of them.
History and ancient Malta
1. Walk Valletta from end to end
A grid of straight streets on a ridge between two harbours, built after the Great Siege of 1565. Enter by the gate Renzo Piano rebuilt, follow Republic Street downhill and detour into the side lanes. Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage city, and the city alone can fill a day. A longer plan sits in things to do in Valletta.
2. Stand under the ceiling of St John’s Co-Cathedral
Plain stone outside, gilded and painted within. The floor is a carpet of inlaid marble tomb slabs, and the side chapels belong to the Knights’ langues. St John’s Co-Cathedral deserves unhurried time, and shoulders and knees should be covered.
3. Get lost in Mdina
Malta’s old capital sits on a hill, behind walls, with lanes narrow enough to keep the sun out. Evenings are the best time, once the day trippers have gone. Take in the cathedral square, then drop into the museum in the Baroque Vilhena Palace. Plan a slow afternoon in Mdina and continue next door in Rabat, where the catacombs and the Roman house sit a few minutes from the walls.
4. Go underground at the Hypogeum
A prehistoric temple and burial complex cut into rock over three levels. Visits are by timed tour in small groups. Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum should be booked before you land.
5. See the temples above the south coast
Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra stand a short walk apart on a slope facing the sea, both more than 5,000 years old. A protective canopy covers them now. Start at Ħaġar Qim and walk down to Mnajdra; the return climb is the tiring part in July.
6. Cross the harbour to the Three Cities
Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua faced the Ottomans in 1565, and the Knights’ first base on the island was here. The streets are older and quieter than Valletta’s. Allow a day for the Three Cities, and add Fort Saint Angelo at the tip of Birgu.
7. Go down into the Lascaris War Rooms
Tunnels beneath Lascaris Bastion served as the Allied command centre in the Second World War. Passages are narrow, with steep stairs, so flat shoes are the right choice. Lascaris War Rooms is also one of the better answers to a rainy morning.
8. Look for Ice Age bones at Għar Dalam
A 144 metre cave, of which about fifty metres can be walked, gave up the remains of dwarf elephants and hippos. Bring a light layer, because the cave stays cool even in August. Għar Dalam sits close to Birżebbuġa and combines easily with Marsaxlokk.
Sea and coast
9. Spend a day at Golden Bay
A wide sandy bay on the north-west coast under steep cliffs and a watchtower, with sunbeds and kiosks. It is the busiest of the west coast beaches, so arrive early. Golden Bay is also a good place for a late walk up the cliff for the sunset.
10. Swim at the shallow end of Mellieħa Bay
The longest sandy beach on the island, gently shelving, with calm water that suits small children and slow swimmers. Mellieħa Bay faces north-east and can get breezy, but the water stays calm for most of the day. The bird reserve sits right behind it.
11. Ride a boat into the Blue Grotto
A group of sea caves on the south-west coast, reached by short boat trips from the small harbour at Wied iż-Żurrieq. Morning light is best. If the sea is rough the boats do not run, so keep the day flexible. See Blue Grotto for the practical side, and Malta boat trips for the wider picture.
12. Spend half a day at the Blue Lagoon
A shallow turquoise channel between Comino and the islet of Cominotto, with pale sand and clear water. There is almost no shade, so a hat and early arrival matter. The Blue Lagoon is reached by boat from Ċirkewwa, Mġarr on Gozo or one of the resort harbours.
13. Jump from the rocks at St Peter’s Pool
A natural rock bay on the Delimara peninsula, with deep clear water, popular for jumping and snorkelling. There is no equipment hire and little shade. St Peter’s Pool suits confident swimmers who bring their own gear.
14. Dive a wreck
Malta’s dive sites include scuttled ships and tunnels, among them the tanker Um El Faroud and the tugboat Rozi. Anyone qualified will find plenty; beginners can try an introductory session. Browse the diving sites before choosing, and pick an operator through the usual channels.
Villages, cliffs and viewpoints
15. Walk along Dingli Cliffs
Malta’s highest cliffs rise 253 metres above the sea, with views to the islet of Filfla and a small chapel on the edge. Keep back from the unfenced edge in wind. Dingli Cliffs are best late in the afternoon.
16. Look up in Mosta
The Rotunda of Mosta has a dome 37 metres across, and a German bomb once pierced it during the war without exploding. See Mosta Dome for the story and the opening times.
17. Visit Popeye Village
The wooden village built for the 1980 film, still standing on Anchor Bay near Mellieħa. It suits a family day with shows and a swim. See Popeye Village before you go, since opening hours change by season.
18. Sit in the Upper Barrakka Gardens at gun time
An arched terrace of 1661 above the Grand Harbour, with the Saluting Battery below. The noon and afternoon guns are fired from there, so arrive about fifteen minutes early. Upper Barrakka Gardens are free and shady, and the lift down to the water is a short ride away.
19. Stroll the formal paths of San Anton Gardens
Formal gardens laid out for a Grand Master’s country house in Attard, open to the public since 1882. Orange trees, ponds and a few birds make this a calm stop on the way to or from Mdina. San Anton Gardens is easy on the legs.
Food, harbours and evenings
20. Eat fish at Marsaxlokk
Painted luzzu fishing boats crowd the harbour in this south-east village. Sunday brings a fish market along the front, with seafood restaurants alongside. Marsaxlokk is also the nearest village to Delimara and St Peter’s Pool.
21. Take the evening on Spinola Bay
A small harbour inlet in St Julian’s, lined with cafés and restaurants, where the promenade is the point. Spinola Bay is a good place to watch the boats and decide whether to carry on to the livelier streets nearby.
22. Walk the front at Sliema
Wide sandstone slabs, a long promenade, shopping at The Point and ferries to Valletta. Locals swim here in summer, using metal handrails to get in. See Sliema for more, and the ferry write-up in Valletta to Sliema by ferry.
23. See a show at the Manoel Theatre
One of Europe’s oldest working theatres, opened in 1732, with a small oval Baroque auditorium. Daytime tours run around the performance schedule. Look at the Manoel Theatre programme before you travel.
24. Cross to Gozo for a day or more
A short ferry hop takes you to a greener, slower island with its own temples, cliffs and citadel. Read things to do in Gozo and the Gozo ferry guide before you decide how long to give it.
Last practical points
A rough week could run like this: Valletta on day one, the Three Cities and the harbour ferry on day two, Mdina and Rabat on day three, a south-coast day with the temples, the Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk, a beach day in the north, and Gozo for the rest. Swap the order around the weather. Rain days suit the war rooms, the museums in Valletta and the cathedral interiors, and sunny ones belong to the coast.
Pick one early start a week. The good light on the south coast, the cave boats, the Hypogeum slots and the quieter beaches all favour the first half of the day, and the afternoons then belong to a long lunch in the shade.
