Three Days in Malta: A Detailed Itinerary

We weren’t looking for an epic adventure when we planned three days in Malta. We were based in Paris, winter was hanging on, and we wanted a few days of mild weather, good food, and something interesting to look at.

Malta delivered on all three.

It’s a small island, but we packed quite a bit into a short stay. In three days, we made it through a Baroque capital city packed with history, and a medieval walled city that doubled as a Game of Thrones filming location.

We explored ancient temples older than the pyramids, sea cliffs, and a charming fishing village. Perhaps most importantly (for us), we had some delicious meals. We came home feeling like we’d really seen the place, not like we’d just skimmed it.

Here’s exactly how we approached a three-day itinerary in Malta.

Three-Day Malta Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1: Valletta
Casa Rocca Piccola, St John’s Co-Cathedral, Legligin, Grand Master’s Palace, Fort St Elmo

Day 2: South Malta
Blue Grotto, Neolithic Temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, Marsaxlokk, St Peter’s Pool

Day 3: Mdina, Rabat, & the Cliffs
Game of Thrones sites, St Paul’s Cathedral, Catacombs, Dingli Cliffs, Misrah Ghar il-Kbir

This itinerary is best for: Travelers who like history and culture over beaches, anyone looking for a solid long weekend from a European base, and food lovers.

How many days is enough for Malta?

Three days are enough to see the highlights. You can visit Valletta, plan a day trip south to the Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk, and spend a full day in Mdina and Rabat. You won’t feel like you’ve rushed anything, either.

A fourth or fifth day opens things up quite a bit. You can visit Gozo, Malta’s quieter sister island, see the Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Cospicua, and Senglea), or spend some more relaxed time near the Grand Harbour.

Three Days in Malta: Day 1

You’re starting with one of the most underrated capitals in Europe: Valletta.

Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is compact and walkable. You can cross the city in about 20 minutes!

That means you can fit a lot into a single day without feeling rushed. I’d still start early, though, especially if you’re visiting during the cruise season. The main sites do get busy.

I have a full one-day Valletta itinerary, but here are the highlights for your first day in the capital:

• Casa Rocca Piccola: This 16th-century noble home also served as a WWII bomb shelter. Read my guide for why you need to book the guided tour, plus what to expect on your visit. Say hello to Kiku the macaw on your way in/out.
• St John’s Co-Cathedral: This is Malta’s most visited attraction. The interior is all good everything, and it houses Caravaggio’s The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, the only work he ever signed. Book tickets in advance.
• Legligin: This Michelin-recommended spot has an affordable Maltese tasting menu. If you eat meat, their rabbit (the national dish) is fantastic. Book a table in advance, whether you’re here for lunch or dinner.
• Grand Master’s Palace: The throne room may have been closed during our visit, but we had fun looking up at all of the ceilings in Malta’s palace. If you love looking at muskets and armour, budget at least an hour or two here.
• Fort St Elmo: The National War Museum at this historic fort walks you through Malta’s history from the Knights of St John through WWII. The panoramic views are also among the best in Valletta.

Three Days in Malta: Day 2

Today takes you south, where ancient temples, a famous sea cave, and a sleepy fishing village make for one of the most varied days on the island.

I’d recommend booking a driver for today if you can. The bus connections between these spots are slow and infrequent, and having a ride makes the whole day more relaxed.

We booked a driver through Daytrip, and I’d highly recommend it as an option in Malta. Drivers are local, with insider knowledge that you wouldn’t get on bigger tours. Ours even adapted on the fly when conditions changed, which leads us to the first stop.

Stop 1: Blue Grotto Overlook

The boats to the Blue Grotto can be cancelled depending on sea conditions. They were on our visit. But even without getting on the water, the overlook is impressive.

We didn’t feel any real FOMO skipping the boat tour, especially because my seasickness has gotten out of control. If conditions are good on your visit, though, the boat trip may be worth adding.

The trips run about 20 minutes and take you inside a complex of sea caves where the sunlight reflects off the seabeds in a pretty magical way. (That’s what the photos suggest, at least.)

Stop 2: Neolithic Temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra

Just five minutes up the road from the grotto, these two UNESCO-recognized ancient temples are the most underrated stop on the island.

They’re about 1,200 years older than the Pyramids of Giza and at least 1,800 years older than Stonehenge, and in remarkably good condition for their age.

Ħaġar Qim has a small opening in the stone that captures the summer solstice sunrise, which tells you something about the thoughtfulness behind the design here. Mnajdra is more elaborate, with three temples side by side, each with a different orientation.

Budget about an hour to walk both sites, as they’re connected by a long walkway.

Note: We were told to watch the short film in the visitor’s center before heading out to the historical sites, but the timing just didn’t work out. The guy manning the whole situation wasn’t the warmest, so we gave up after two failed attempts.

Stop 3: Lunch in Marsaxlokk

From the temples, we headed to the small fishing village of Marsaxlokk. It’s a colorful spot with traditional luzzu boats bobbing in the harbor and a market running along the waterfront.

Fun fact: Visit on Sundays for the Marsaxlokk Fish Market. It’s very popular with tours, but if you go early, you can beat the crowds and see locals buying fresh catch before the tour buses roll in.

We ate at Ta Mattew, a tiny place right on the point. They had no indoor seating, but the sun was shining, so it felt right. It felt less right when a squall came through and sent us packing. We perched on the bar, eating waterlogged fries and fried fish.

It was more hilarious than anything else, but we did feel bad for our waiter. He moved our food three times depending on what the sky was doing over the course of our meal.

Before you leave, stop at a pasticceria for some pastizzi. This is Malta’s iconic savory pastry, best warmed up. Brian liked the mushy peas version, but I’m a fiend for ricotta.

READ MORE: If you love islands with a great food scene, visit Crete. Learn about why it’s one of our favorite destinations in Greece!

Stop 4: St Peter’s Pool

Just a short drive from Marsaxlokk, St Peter’s Pool is a natural swimming hole carved into the limestone coastline. There’s no beach here, just flat rocks leading down to the water.

In warmer months, it’s popular for swimming, but it’s worth a look for the views even if you don’t want to cool off.

Alternative Stop 4: Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

If you’re the kind of traveler who plans ahead, and I mean really plans ahead, consider swapping an afternoon at St Peter’s Pool for a visit to the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum.

This is an underground prehistoric burial complex in nearby Paola, carved entirely by hand around 4,000 BC. It’s arguably the single most impressive ancient site in Malta, which is saying something given what you saw this morning.

Fun fact: Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet, a remnant of Arab rule that predates the Knights by centuries.

Only 80 visitors are admitted per day, which means tickets sell out weeks, sometimes months, in advance. If you can snag them, do it. We didn’t, but that was a fail on my part. If you can’t, the day you’ve had will still be an impressive one.

READ MORE: Love a quirky archaeological site? Check out this guide to Crete’s Knossos Palace.

Stop 5: Dinner at AYU

Back near Sliema, we had a meal booked at AYU on the Gżira waterfront for dinner. This was one of our favorite meals on the island. They serve up a fusion menu with things like bao buns, spicy dumplings, a Sri Lankan curry, and fried ravioli.

The spice levels on some of the dishes were even up to Brian’s standards, and that’s saying a lot. The guy likes to sweat in his food.

It was about a 20-minute walk from Sliema, or you can take a quick Bolt if you’re staying elsewhere. Reserve ahead. It fills up by a normal dinner hour.

Three Days in Malta: Day 3

If you’re staying in Sliema as we did, take a Bolt rather than the bus today. The rideshare takes under 30 minutes. The bus takes over an hour. You don’t have that kind of time!

Stop 1: Mdina

Malta’s former capital, the so-called Silent City, earns its nickname, sort of. The walled medieval city is largely car-free and quieter than the rest of the island.

Walk the narrow streets, photograph the Old Gate (yes, the one used as King’s Landing in Game of Thrones), and stop into St Paul’s Cathedral and its museum.

The museum should take about an hour unless you’re deep into religious artifacts. Check out Pjazza Mesquita while you’re here. It’s another GoT filming location for the fans out there. I know we were excited, despite how we felt about the ending.

Stop 2: Rabat

From Mdina, it’s a short walk into Rabat, the town that wraps around the old city walls. Wander through and visit the St Paul’s Catacombs if history is your thing. The same ticket gets you into the WWII shelters and a small museum.

Game of Thrones fans should seek out St Dominic’s Priory, whose garden area stood in as the Red Keep.

Note: If you visit when we did over the feast of Saint Joseph, you’ll see Rabat all dressed up. This is a very Catholic country, so they like to celebrate their saints’ days hard.

Stop 3: Lunch at Coogi’s

Grab lunch at Coogi’s in Rabat, because pizza is always a good idea. The burger we shared was less impressive, so I’d skip that. Past the restaurant, you can also find a panoramic viewpoint over the island that’s worth a quick detour.

If you’d prefer something more casual, especially if you haven’t had any pastizzi yet, Is-Serkin Crystal Palace Bar is a popular local snack stop.

Stop 4: Dingli Cliffs

If it’s still midday after lunch, make your way to the Dingli Cliffs. You can take a 10-minute bus ride from Rabat if you time things right. We didn’t, so it was either walk all the way there or wait 41 minutes until the next bus came.

As Brian loves getting his steps in, you can guess what we did.

The silver lining was that we passed through quite a bit of rural Malta to get there. I’m talking roosters doing their thing in the distance, miles of pasture, and moments of stillness punctuated by my heavy breathing.

About 45 minutes later, we made it.

The views at the top of the cliffs are some of the best on the island. Walk east along the clifftop for more viewpoints. When you’ve had your fill, you can take a Bolt back to Sliema, or add the next stop.

Optional Stop 5: Misrah Ghar il-Kbir (Clapham Junction)

Just a short detour near Dingli, Misrah Ghar il-Kbir, or Clapham Junction, is one of Malta’s stranger and more overlooked sites.

This is a field of prehistoric cart ruts carved deep into the limestone, running in parallel grooves across the rock before disappearing off the edge of a cliff.

No one has fully explained how they got there or what they were used for. It takes about 20 minutes and is free, but it’s the kind of thing that might intrigue travelers who like the quirky stuff.

I know we generally do. I was just too friggin’ tired from that walk to the cliffs to make this one happen.

Stop 6: Dinner

By this point, you’ve put in a full day, so dinner comes down to how much energy you have left. We stayed close to our accommodations and snagged some kebabs from a local shop.

If you want to wind down near home base, the Gżira and Msida waterfront area, a short Bolt from Sliema, has a relaxed stretch of restaurants right on the water.

If you want to go out on a high note, head back into Valletta for a proper send-off dinner. Noni is a Michelin-starred spot on the harbor that feels like a worthy bookend to three days in Malta. Book ahead.

With More Time in Malta

If you can extend your trip beyond three days, here are a few bonus stops worth considering:

• Take a day trip to Gozo. Malta’s smaller sister island has a slower pace and some impressive scenery, including the Azure Window site and the Citadella fortress.
• Tour the Three Cities. Vittoriosa, Cospicua, and Senglea sit across the Grand Harbour from Valletta and offer a quieter look at Malta’s Knights-era past.
• See Upper Barrakka Gardens. This was closed during our trip, but it looks like it’d be worth a stop in Valletta for harbor views and the daily cannon salute.
• Visit the Lascaris War Rooms. This is an underground WWII command center beneath Valletta. It’d be a natural follow-on to the Fort St Elmo exhibits.
• Swim in the Blue Lagoon. The turquoise water on the tiny island of Comino is one of Malta’s most iconic sights. Go early or visit in the shoulder season.
• Sip Maltese wine. Malta has a small but interesting wine scene. Meridiana Wine Estate seems to be one of the most visitor-friendly, with tastings on its terrace.

If you’d prefer that someone else do the planning, Malta has lots of options for guided tours beyond the private drivers we booked through Daytrip.

Here are some fun options:

Do I need a car in Malta?

You don’t need one for this itinerary. Buses are cheap and frequent, though crowded, the Valletta ferry is a nice option for the crossing from Sliema, and Bolt is reliable and inexpensive for longer trips.

A car is useful if you’re spending a week and want to explore at your own pace, though. See more tips in my guide to getting around Malta.

What’s the best time to visit Malta?

Late spring (May-June) and early autumn (September-October) offer warm weather without the peak summer crowds. Winter is mild and much quieter, though some boat trips may be weather-dependent.

We visited in mid-March and had a great time, but we did see some rain. It was much too wavy for any boating, too.

Is Malta safe?

Malta is one of the safer destinations in Europe, and we never felt uncomfortable at any point during our trip. Standard precautions apply. Watch your belongings in crowded areas like markets and busy tourist sites.

The one practical heads-up is to skip the white taxis at the airport. Pre-book a transfer or use Bolt, and you’ll avoid the overcharging that sometimes sours first-timers’ first impressions of the island.

Where to Stay in Malta

Sliema is our recommendation for this itinerary. It’s well-connected to Valletta by bus and ferry, has plenty of restaurants and cafes, and feels a bit less touristy than staying inside the capital walls.

We stayed at the Sliema Studios and would recommend it for a short trip. Our booking came with a ride from the airport, too, which was a nice bonus upon arrival.

If you want to base yourself in Valletta, that works well too, especially if you’re planning day trips to other parts of the island.

Use the map below for more options in and around Valletta:

Is Malta worth visiting?

Absolutely. It’s one of the most history-dense places in Europe relative to its size. This small island packs in ancient temples, Baroque architecture, WWII history, and an impressive coastline.

I get into more in my guide to reasons to visit Malta.

Malta was one of those trips we were a little indifferent about. We wanted a quick trip somewhere new, and figured the small island would be one of those destinations we stuck in the “fine” category.

In reality, it was a much more pleasant surprise.

Three days gave us ancient history, a Baroque capital, a medieval city, cliffs, good wine, and some of the best meals we’d had in months. That’s not bad for an island you can drive across in under an hour.

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