The tiny, Mediterranean island of Malta is a very underrated destination! Malta is full of history and rich in culture and given its size is a super easy country to explore. This post covers how to spend 7 days in Malta.
Table of contents
Notes on the Itinerary
- Malta is a tiny country and you can get from one corner to the other relatively fast
- You can pick one base and stay in one place your entire trip (which I loved!)
- We stayed in Sliema and loved it!
- You can do these in any order and even mix up the days. This itinerary is really a guide
- For example, you can explore the Blue Grotto described on day 5 and Marsaxlokk from day 7 on the same day
- The only day that needs to be fixed are the attractions and places to see on day 3 (more below)
- You can also consolidate these attractions into 5-6 days instead of 7
- This is especially true if you rent a car
How to Get Around in Malta
Malta has a very good public bus system that takes you across the Island including to almost all of the tourist attractions. However, if you want to save time, I highly recommend hiring a car. Note that Malta drives on the left hand side of the road with the drivers seat on the right side of the car.
Malta also has a very good and punctual ferry system between Valletta and the neighboring cities like Sliema and the Three Cities.
Where to Stay
As I mentioned in the notes section, we stayed in Sliema which was a great option for us! We were close to Valletta and the ferry station. Sliema also had ample parking and a fantastic selection of restuarants and bars.
Side Note – Happy Hours in Malta cannot be beat!
7 Days in Malta
Day 1 – Explore Valletta
Start your 7 days in Malta in its capital Valletta. Valletta is the southern most capital of Europe. This walled city was established by the Knights of St. John back in the 1500s and is a must see place in Malta.
You probably need a little over 1 day to explore Valletta. See HERE for my post on the best things to do in Valletta.
Places Not to Miss
- Republic Street and Merchant Street
- St. John’s Co-Cathedral
- Barrakka Gardens
- Barrakka Lift
- Grandmaster’s Palace
- Wander around
Day 2 – Valletta and the Three Cities
Start day 2 of this 7 days in Malta itinerary exploring any parts of Valletta you could not on day 1 and then take a ferry or private boat over to the Three Cities.
The Three Cities of Vittoriosa (Il-Birgu) , Senglea (L-Isla), and Cospicua (Bormla) are some of Malta’s oldest cities. Vittoriosa goes all the way back to the middle ages!
Places Not to Miss
- Waterfront of Senglea
- Gardjola Gardens
- Fort St. Angelo
- Waterfront of Vittoriosa
- Inquisitor’s Palace
Day 3 – Gozo and Comino
Malta is actually made up of 3 islands. The main island, Gozo and Comino. Gozo and Comino are on the North side and are islands that make up the archipelago of Malta.
Places Not to Miss
Gozo
- Cittadella in Victoria
- Church of St. John the Baptist
- Azure Window (The site of the wedding of Khal Drogo and Daenerys in Game of Thrones)
- Dwejra Area
- Village of L-GHARB
- Mġarr Harbour
Comino
- Blue Lagoon
- Crystal Lagoon
- Explore the Caves
How to get to Gozo and Comino
If you are taking your car, then you need to drive to the Gozo Channel Ferry which is a passenger and vehicle ferry. The ferry departs from Ċirkewwa in the main island of Malta.
If you are not taking a car then you can take one of the Gozo passenger ferries from Valletta offered by Gozo Fast Ferries and Virtu Gozo Ferries. The trip takes around 45 minutes. Once you get to Gozo, you can use the public bus system to get around.
To get to Comino you will have to catch a ferry to Comino from Gozo (passenger only, no vehicles) or a private boat tour. We did the private boat tour and it was great because they also took us to see the caves as well. You can get both option from the Mġarr Harbor. If you brought your car over to Gozo, you will have to park it at Gozo before heading out to Comino.
You can also visit Gozo and Comino on a tour like this one.
Notes on Day 3
In order to save travel time, visit Gozo and Comino on the same day or on two consecutive days
If you are a beach lover, you may want to spend more time Comino and therefore may want to spend more than one day in this area. This is easy to accomplish! Simply consolidate places to see from days 4,5,6 and 7 into 3 days instead of 4.
Day 4 – Beaches and Sites in the North
Spend day 4 of your 7 days in Malta exploring the beaches and sites in the North of the country. If you stay overnight in Gozo, then you can explore this area on your way back from your overnight in Gozo. If you do not stay overnight, you can still easily get to this area as it only takes around 30 minutes to get to this area from Sliema.
Places Not to Miss
- Popeye’s Village – film set turned amusement park
- Għadira Bay – enjoy lunch on this bay
- Paradise Bay – spend some time relaxing at Paradise Bay
- Golden Bay – Golden Bay is an awesome location to watch the sunset
Day 5 – Blue Grotto Area
Visit one of Malta’s most iconic sites as well as some of its historical sites on day 5 of this 7 days in Malta itinerary.
One of Malta’s most famous attractions is the Blue Grotto. The best time to visit the Blue Grotto is during the morning to mid afternoon hours. But note that boats do not go out when the sea is rough or wind conditions are bad (unfortunately what happened to us). Good news is that you don’t need to book a tour in advance. Just show up and hop on a boat. The tour lasts about 20 minutes. Don’t also miss a place called “Panorama Point” on the way to the boat station.
Malta has several pre-historic temples built during 3600 BC and 2500 BC. Below is a list of these temples.
We visited Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. These are located very close to the Blue Grotto so suggest coupling these with the Blue Grotto. The oldest temple is Ġgantija which is located in Gozo and can be easily seen on your trip to the island.
Day 6 – Mdina and Rabat
Don’t miss visiting Mdina and Rabat on your trip to Malta! Mdina is a world heritage site and used to be Malta’s capital city until the Knight arrived in Malta in the 1500s. This city is also called the silent city as you cannot take your car beyond the city gates. Rabat, a small village just outside Mdina can also be explored on the same day.
Places Not to Miss
- Gates of Mdina
- Wander around
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Palazzo Falson
- Church of St. Paul and Catacombs
Day 7 – Marsaxlokk and Sliema, St. Julian
Start your last day of your 7 days in Malta exploring Xrobb l-Ghagin Nature Park. There are some walking paths you can hike alongside the cliffs. You can also visit St. Peter’s pool for a dip before heading to Marsaxlokk for lunch. There are lots of seafood restaurants along the bay in Marsaxlokk.
After lunch, head back to Sliema and stroll along the waterfront. It was a good viewpoint of the city of Valletta. Then, head to St. Julian in the evening for drinks.
Did you find this post useful? Please let me know by liking/commenting below or sharing this post on social media! Thank you!!
Pin this post for later!
