Planning a Trip to Malta: Your Holiday in 9 Steps
Planning a trip to Malta is simple, as long as you make your decisions in the right order: when to go, how long to stay and your budget first, then entry requirements, flights, where to stay, how to get around and finally the visits to book. The archipelago is small, but its islands, ferries and very marked seasons hold a few traps for anyone who improvises.
This guide takes you through it step by step, with prices checked on 7 October 2026, three sample itineraries of 3, 5 and 7 days and a pre-departure checklist. For each topic, we point you to our detailed page rather than repeating everything here.
Step 1: choose when to go to Malta
Your dates determine the price of flights and accommodation, the crowds and whether you can swim. Malta can be visited all year round, but each season offers a different trip.
- Mid-April to June: the best compromise. It is already warm, the sea becomes pleasant from June and prices stay reasonable outside bank holidays and school holidays.
- July and August: intense heat and the sea at its warmest, but crowds on the beaches, at the Blue Lagoon and on the buses, and prices at their highest. Book everything very early.
- September and October: the sea stays warm and the crowds gradually thin out. It is our favourite time to combine the beach and sightseeing.
- November to March: ideal for a cultural break on a budget. Days are mild, but wind and showers can disrupt boat trips and ferries.
Average temperatures, sunshine, sea temperature and live forecasts: it is all covered in our guide to the weather in Malta and the best time to go. Check the calendar of public holidays in Malta too: some museums close or change their hours, and summer village feasts liven up the evenings but clog the roads.
Step 2: decide how long to stay and set your budget
How many days do you need?
Malta covers just 316 km² in total, but distances take a while to cover because of the traffic. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), tourists stayed an average of 6.3 nights in 2025. Our guidelines:
- 3 days: Valletta, Mdina and a trip to the south. A successful long weekend, without Gozo.
- 5 days: the highlights of the main island, with a day at sea around Comino.
- 7 days or more: you can add Gozo, ideally with a night there, and beach days without rushing.
Not sure what kind of trip you want? See our types of holidays in Malta and our good reasons to visit Malta.
What budget do you need for a trip to Malta?
Your budget depends mainly on the season and the standard of accommodation. As an overall benchmark, the NSO puts average spending per tourist at €971 per trip in 2025. To build your own budget, here are the items to cost and the official prices known on 7 October 2026:
| Item | Price guide | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| Return flight | Varies widely with the season and how far ahead you book | Compare several weeks in advance, especially for summer |
| Accommodation | The biggest expense, rising sharply in July and August | Choose the area to suit your itinerary (step 5) |
| Environmental contribution | €1.50 per night per adult (18 and over) since 1 July 2026, capped at €22.50 per stay | Usually paid at the hotel, on site |
| Bus | €2 per journey out of season, €2.50 in summer, €3 at night (ticket valid for 2 hours) | 7-day Explore card at €25 for an adult |
| Ride-hailing from the airport to Sliema or St Julian’s | About €15 to €20 outside peak demand | Fare shown in the app before the ride |
| Gozo Channel ferry | €4.65 return per adult foot passenger, €15.70 for a car and driver | The ticket is paid on the way back, in Mġarr |
| Sightseeing | St John’s Co-Cathedral: €15; Fort St Elmo: €10; Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum: €35 | Book sites with limited capacity |
Food is the most flexible item: street food and supermarkets let you eat cheaply, while restaurants in tourist areas charge big-city European prices. For tips on avoiding extra charges (cash machines, cards, receipts), see our 11 tips before you travel to Malta.
Step 3: check the entry requirements
Malta is in the European Union and the Schengen Area, and its currency is the euro. EU citizens, Irish included, only need a valid passport or national identity card for a holiday. British, American, Canadian and Australian travellers do not need a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, but they do need a passport issued less than 10 years before arrival and valid for at least 3 months after leaving the Schengen Area. Other nationalities should check whether they are visa-exempt or need a Schengen short-stay visa, several weeks before departure.
Fully operational since 10 April 2026, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) registers non-EU short-stay travellers at the border (photo and fingerprints), British travellers included: allow a little extra time on arrival. ETIAS authorisation, on the other hand, is still not required as of 7 October 2026. Every scenario (nationalities, minors, stays of more than 90 days) is covered in our guide to visas for Malta.
Remember your health cover too: the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for EU citizens, or the free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for UK residents, which you should apply for a few weeks before departure. More practical advice is in our tips for travelling to Malta.
Step 4: book your flight to Malta
The archipelago has a single airport, Malta International Airport, located in Luqa in the centre of the main island (code MLA). It handled a record 10.06 million passengers in 2025. Ryanair carries more than half of all travellers, alongside the national airline KM Malta Airlines, which succeeded Air Malta in 2024, and many other European airlines. The UK is the airport’s largest market, with direct flights from London and several other UK airports, as well as direct links with Dublin.
To find the best fare, compare every airline at once on Skyscanner, using the whole-month search if your dates are flexible: a midweek departure is often cheaper. Check the final price with hold luggage before you confirm.
There is no airport in Valletta or on Gozo: all flights land at Luqa, about twenty minutes’ drive from the capital.
Step 5: choose where to stay to suit your plans
In such a small country, where you stay mainly determines your journey times and the atmosphere of your evenings. Choose it according to what you plan to do:
| Area | Who for? | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Valletta | Short cultural breaks, couples | Beautiful but quiet in the evening, few supermarkets, central bus hub |
| Sliema and St Julian’s | First visits, nightlife, language stays | The liveliest and most expensive area; avoid streets near the Paceville clubs if you want to sleep |
| St Paul’s Bay (Buġibba, Qawra) | Families, tight budgets | Good value, seafront, further from Valletta |
| Mellieħa | Beach lovers, families | Close to the best sandy beaches and the ferry terminal for Gozo and Comino |
| Gozo | Peaceful breaks, nature, diving | Handy for one or two nights; a car or ride-hailing often needed there |
For a hotel, use a platform that brings together reviews and cancellation terms, such as Booking or Trip.com. For a flat, read our guide to Airbnb rentals in Malta first. Other localities are covered in our selection of Malta’s most iconic towns.
Step 6: plan how you will get around the islands
Decide before you leave whether you will hire a car: it affects your choice of accommodation (parking) and your budget. Here are the options, all covered in our guide to getting around Malta.
- Buses: the Malta Public Transport network serves the whole island, airport included. A journey costs €2 out of season, €2.50 in summer and €3 on night routes, with free transfers for 2 hours. Cheap, but slow and often packed in summer.
- Ride-hailing: Bolt, Uber, eCabs and Ryde show the fare before the ride. It is the most practical option for your airport arrival and evenings out. Compare them on our page on ride-hailing in Malta or read our guide to Uber in Malta. Avoid white taxis without a fare agreed in advance.
- Car hire: ideal for the cliffs, the coves and Gozo, as long as you are happy with driving on the left (second nature if you are British or Irish) and traffic jams. You can book a hire car at Malta Airport or compare rental companies on Rentalcars. Rules, deposits and the Valletta access charge: see our guide to renting a car in Malta.
- Ferries to Gozo: Gozo Channel ferries link Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip of Malta, with Mġarr in about 25 minutes, cars included. A fast ferry for foot passengers only also links Valletta with Mġarr in about 45 minutes.
- Boats to Comino: shuttles leave from Ċirkewwa, Marfa and Gozo. To set foot on the island, a free online booking has been compulsory since May 2025: everything is explained on our page how to get to the Blue Lagoon on Comino.
Without a car, a hop-on hop-off bus tour of southern Malta is a good way to link several sights in a day, and there is a similar option on Gozo with the Gozo hop-on hop-off bus tour.
Step 7: build your 3, 5 or 7-day itinerary
These itineraries assume you are staying on the main island and build on one another. Adapt them to the season: in summer, keep the sea for the morning and sightseeing for late in the day.
3-day itinerary: the essentials of Malta
- Day 1, Valletta: St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster’s Palace, the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the view over the Grand Harbour. A guided tour of Valletta gives you the keys to the Knights’ history. Our list of things to do in Valletta will help you choose.
- Day 2, Mdina and Rabat: the old fortified capital in the morning, before the crowds, then the Rabat catacombs and sunset over the Dingli Cliffs. See our guide to Mdina or opt for the guided tour of Mdina and Rabat.
- Day 3, the south: the fishing harbour of Marsaxlokk and its colourful luzzu boats, the Blue Grotto by boat, then Ħaġar Qim temple. The Marsaxlokk, Blue Grotto and Qrendi tour combines all three without a car.
5-day itinerary: add the sea and Comino
Two more days are enough to discover the turquoise waters of Comino and the Grand Harbour.
- Days 1 to 3: the 3-day itinerary above.
- Day 4, Comino and the Blue Lagoon: a day at sea, for example on a catamaran cruise to the Blue Lagoon from Buġibba or a Blue Lagoon cruise from Sliema. Set off early: the lagoon fills up by late morning in summer. More information on the island of Comino.
- Day 5, the Three Cities and the beach: Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua in the morning, across the Grand Harbour, then the afternoon on one of the best beaches in Malta, such as Golden Bay or Għadira. With children, Popeye Village is close to Mellieħa.
7-day itinerary: the whole archipelago
A week lets you spend two days on Gozo, which is more rural and quieter.
- Days 1 to 5: the 5-day itinerary above.
- Day 6, Gozo’s heritage: the ferry from Ċirkewwa, the Citadel in Victoria, the Ġgantija temples and then the Xwejni salt pans near Marsalforn. A Gozo jeep tour or a tuk-tuk tour saves you hiring a car.
- Day 7, Gozo’s nature: Dwejra Bay, the red sand of Ramla Bay and Xlendi Bay, by quad bike or on a guided kayak tour between Gozo and Comino. All the ideas are on our page things to do in Gozo.
The most popular activities from these itineraries, to compare and book in advance:
| Option | Departure point | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Valletta | 23 € |
 | Mdina | 26 € |
 | Valletta | 38 € |
 | St Paul's Bay (Buġibba) | 55 € |
 | Gozo | 85 € |
Step 8: book the key visits and activities
In Malta, most visits do not need booking out of season. Three exceptions call for planning ahead:
- The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum: only 10 people can be inside at the same time, according to Heritage Malta. Book as soon as your dates are fixed: last-minute tickets, sold the day before, cost €50.
- Summer boat trips: cruises to the Blue Lagoon, private boats and excursions to Gozo are often fully booked in July and August.
- The Comino access slot: free, but to be booked on the official website before you go, as summer slots go fast.
For everything else, book your excursions on platforms that publish verified traveller reviews and offer free cancellation, such as GetYourGuide or Viator, rather than at the seafront kiosks. For ideas, browse our top must-see attractions in Malta and our top activities in Malta.
Step 9: the pre-departure checklist
A simple countdown so you do not forget anything:
| When? | To do |
|---|---|
| 3 to 6 months before (summer) | Flight, accommodation, car hire |
| 1 to 2 months before | Hypogeum, boat trips, visa application if you need one |
| 3 to 4 weeks before | EHIC or GHIC, travel insurance, Comino access slot |
| The day before | Online check-in, ride-hailing apps installed, a card with no foreign transaction fees |
In your suitcase:
- a valid passport (or national identity card for EU citizens), and your driving licence if you are hiring a car;
- a type G plug adapter if you are not travelling from the UK or Ireland, as Maltese sockets are the British three-pin model (see our page on plug adapters in Malta);
- sun cream, sunglasses and a hat, even in spring and autumn;
- water shoes for rocky access to the sea.
More practical advice is gathered in our 11 tips before you go and our dos and don’ts during your stay. Currency, language, time zone and dialling code are in our key facts about Malta.
Frequently asked questions about travelling to Malta
How much does a week in Malta cost?
The amount varies mainly with the season and your accommodation. As a benchmark, the National Statistics Office puts average spending per tourist at €971 per trip in 2025, for an average stay of 6.3 nights. Add the environmental contribution of €1.50 per night per adult, capped at €22.50.
Do you need to hire a car for a trip to Malta?
No, it is not essential: buses, ride-hailing, ferries and organised excursions cover the essentials. A car becomes worthwhile for exploring the coast and Gozo freely, bearing in mind that traffic drives on the left and parking is difficult around Valletta and Sliema.
How do you get from Malta Airport to your hotel?
Buses leave from outside the terminal and you buy your ticket from the driver (€2 out of season, €2.50 in summer). Faster, a ride-hailing car ordered through an app costs about €15 to €20 to Sliema or St Julian’s. You can also collect a hire car on the spot.
Can you visit Gozo and Comino on the same day?
Yes, many cruises combine the two islands, with a swimming stop at the Blue Lagoon. The pace is brisk, though: to really enjoy Gozo, allow at least a full day, ideally with a night there.
Do you need to book to visit the Blue Lagoon on Comino?
Yes, if you land on the island: since May 2025, a free booking on the official website is compulsory, with three time slots a day. Swimming from a boat anchored offshore requires no booking.
Follow these nine steps in order and you can wrap up the essentials of your trip to Malta in a few evenings: dates chosen, a realistic budget, flights compared, a well-placed base and the handful of bookings that cannot be left to chance. The rest is easily decided once you are there.