Holidays in Malta: 8 Types of Trip to Suit Every Traveller

Which type of Malta holiday suits you?

The table sums up the main options. The periods are a guide only: for month-by-month details, see our page on weather and climate in Malta.

Cultural holidays in Malta: over 7,000 years of history

Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, the Knights of the Order of St John (from 1530 to 1798), the French and then the British until independence in 1964: every era has left its mark. The Knights shaped the landscape most, with fortresses, Baroque churches and, above all, Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Who for: history and museum lovers, couples and older travellers who enjoy sightseeing on foot.
• When to go: March to May and October to November. In August, the heat makes sightseeing hard going.
• Where to stay: in Valletta to do everything on foot, or in Sliema, a few minutes away by ferry.

3 highlights for a cultural holiday

1. Valletta: St John’s Co-Cathedral and its two Caravaggio paintings, the Grandmaster’s Palace and the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the Grand Harbour. A guided tour of Valletta gives you the essentials in a morning. More in our complete guide to Valletta and our list of things to do in Valletta.
2. Mdina and Rabat: the “Silent City” is best visited late in the day, once the tour groups have left, and Rabat is home to St Paul’s Catacombs. Book the guided walking tour of Mdina and Rabat or read our guide to Mdina.
3. The megalithic temples: Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, near Qrendi, and Ġgantija in Gozo (around 3600 to 3200 BC) predate Stonehenge. Opening hours and prices on our Ħaġar Qim temple page.

Option	Departure point	Price
Valletta guided tour	Valletta	23 €
Mdina and Rabat walking tour	Mdina	26 €
Casa Rocca Piccola palace & museum ticket	Valletta	12 €
Valletta: Maltese food & drink walking tour	Valletta	50 €

For a ready-made itinerary, see our top 10 must-see attractions in Malta.

Beach and relaxation holidays: sun, coves and lagoons

Around 300 days of sunshine a year and a pleasant sea until October: Malta ticks every box for a lazy holiday. Bear in mind, though, that the coastline is mostly rocky. Sand is concentrated in the north (Għadira, Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa) and in Gozo (Ramla); elsewhere, you swim from rock platforms, as in Sliema or at St Peter’s Pool.

• Who for: anyone who wants to rest, read by the sea and dine on a terrace.
• When to go: June to September, ideally June or September to avoid the crowds.
• Where to stay: around Mellieħa, close to the sandy beaches, for example at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Golden Sands above Golden Bay, or in Gozo (Marsalforn, Xlendi) for a slower pace.

3 highlights for a relaxing holiday

1. Comino’s Blue Lagoon: shallow turquoise water between Malta and Gozo. Since 2025, access requires a free time-slot booking (bluelagooncomino.mt), with a limit of 4,000 people at any one time. Go early or opt for a sunset cruise to the Blue Lagoon. Details on our page Blue Lagoon: how to get there.
2. Riviera Beach (Għajn Tuffieħa): ochre sand at the foot of clay cliffs, reached by a long flight of steps that keeps the crowds at bay. Early risers can join a yoga class on the beach.
3. Café del Mar in Qawra: the island’s best-known beach club, with its infinity pool facing St Paul’s Bay, open roughly from April to October. Book your sunbed at weekends.

To choose your beach, see our top 10 best beaches in Malta and our guide to beaches in Malta.

Sightseeing and activity holidays: exploring the archipelago

The short distances mean you can change scenery every day: a morning at sea, an afternoon in a fishing village, a day in Gozo. It is the ideal formula for a first visit.

• Who for: curious travellers and first-timers who like to mix nature and sightseeing.
• When to go: April to June and September to October, warm enough to swim without the summer heat.
• Where to stay: in Sliema, the starting point for many boat trips, or in St Paul’s Bay, closer to the Gozo ferry. See our guide to getting around Malta.

3 highlights for a sightseeing holiday

1. The Blue Grotto: a natural arch and sea caves explored by small boat from Wied iż-Żurrieq when the sea is calm. The Marsaxlokk, Blue Grotto and Qrendi tour adds the fishing harbour of Marsaxlokk. Practical information on our Blue Grotto Malta page.
2. Kayaking or paddleboarding: the best way to get inside caves you cannot reach on foot, with the guided kayak tour of Gozo and Comino or the paddleboard tour of the Mellieħa coastline.
3. A day in Gozo: about 25 minutes by ferry from Ċirkewwa, the island brings together the Citadel in Victoria, the Ġgantija temples, the Xwejni salt pans and Dwejra, where the Azure Window collapsed in 2017. To see it all in a day, take a quad tour of Gozo or a tuk-tuk tour of Gozo, and read our page on things to do in Gozo.

Option	Departure point	Price
Malta: Marsaxlokk, Blue Grotto and Qrendi guided tour	Valletta	38 €
Guided kayak tour of Gozo, the Blue Lagoon and Comino	Qala	60 €
Gozo quad tour	Malte	98 €
Gozo tuk tuk tour	Gozo	85 €
Blue Lagoon sailing cruise from Valletta	Pietà (Marina di Valletta)	750 €

More ideas in our selection of the top 10 activities in Malta.

Party holidays: Paceville, open-air clubs and boat parties

The scene is concentrated: bars and clubs in Paceville, the nightlife district of St Julian’s, and big open-air parties and festivals at Gianpula, out in the countryside. From June to September, village feasts (festas) add free fireworks and brass bands almost every weekend.

• Who for: 18 to 30-year-olds, groups of friends, stag and hen parties.
• When to go: June to September for open-air events and the sea; Paceville stays lively at weekends all year round.
• Where to stay: in St Julian’s or Gżira so you can walk home. See our guide to St Julian’s.

3 highlights for a party holiday

1. Paceville: a few pedestrian streets packed with clubs, from R&B and reggaeton to electronic music. The Paceville pub crawl saves you hunting for the best spots.
2. Gianpula Village: indoor clubs and open-air stages near Rabat, with international DJs and festivals such as Glitch Festival in August. The open-air season runs roughly from May to September.
3. Boat parties: music and a bar on board between Sliema and Comino, for example the Blue Lagoon cruise with open bar.

Active holidays: diving, hiking and climbing

Crystal-clear water, little current, caves and wrecks reachable from the shore: Malta is one of the best diving destinations in the Mediterranean. On land, limestone cliffs and coastal paths lend themselves to hiking and climbing almost all year round.

• Who for: beginner and experienced divers, hikers, climbers.
• When to go: May to November for diving, October to May for hiking and climbing (too hot in summer).
• Where to stay: in Mellieħa or St Paul’s Bay, near Ċirkewwa and the dive centres of the north, or in Gozo.

3 highlights for an active holiday

1. Diving: Ċirkewwa, which became the archipelago’s first official marine park in February 2026, is home to two deliberately scuttled wrecks, the P29 patrol boat and the tugboat Rozi. To get started, try a discover scuba diving session or a scuba diving trip in St Julian’s.
2. Hiking: the north-west coast, between Mellieħa and Golden Bay, and the Dingli Cliffs, the island’s highest point, offer the finest views. As trails are sometimes poorly marked, the guided hike along the north-west coast makes things easier.
3. Climbing and watersports: the cliffs of the south and of Gozo have plenty of bolted routes, and the northern bays are perfect for a surf lesson for beginners or a stand-up paddle trip to St Paul’s Island.

Family holidays: an easy destination with children

Short journeys, shallow sandy beaches, English spoken everywhere: Malta is one of the easiest Mediterranean destinations with children. The only drawback is the July and August heat: beach in the morning, something in the shade in the afternoon.

• Who for: families with children of all ages.
• When to go: June or September if you can, otherwise the Easter holidays or the October half-term.
• Where to stay: in Mellieħa, opposite Għadira beach (the db Seabank Resort + Spa is right across the road), or in Qawra and Buġibba, near the promenade and the aquarium.

3 highlights for a family holiday

1. Popeye Village: the set of the 1980 film “Popeye”, at Anchor Bay, now a theme park with shows and swimming, open all year (shorter hours in low season). Get your Popeye Village entry tickets and read our guide to Popeye Village.
2. The National Aquarium: in Qawra, a one to two-hour visit that is ideal during the hottest part of the day. Book your ticket for the National Aquarium and see our Malta National Aquarium page.
3. Għadira beach (Mellieħa Bay): Malta’s largest sandy beach, with shallow water stretching out for several dozen metres and pedalos in summer.

Also worth considering: the Playmobil FunPark in Ħal Far, a small, inexpensive play park, and the Splash & Fun water park at Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, open in season only (usually from late May to October): check the dates before you go.

Language holidays: learning English in Malta

A former British colony, Malta has two official languages, Maltese and English, and you will hear English everywhere in daily life. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), more than 76,000 foreign students took a course at one of the 31 licensed English schools in 2025, for an average of 3.4 weeks. Italy, Germany and France are the top three countries of origin.

• Who for: teenagers (supervised summer programmes), students, adults and professionals.
• When to go: all year for adults; junior programmes, from June to August, fill up early.
• Where to stay: in St Julian’s or Sliema, where most schools are, in a residence, with a host family or in a shared flat.

3 tips for a successful language holiday

1. Choose a school licensed by the ELT Council, Malta’s regulator for the sector: compare with our list of English schools in Malta, our ranking of the best English schools and our page on English school accreditations.
2. Pick the right course: general, intensive, exam preparation or business English, see our page on English courses in Malta.
3. Allow at least two weeks to feel real progress. Read our analysis studying English in Malta: is it a good idea?, then discover our English language stays in Malta or ask for a personalised quote.

Off-season and romantic holidays: Malta from November to March

Malta’s winter is mild: daytime temperatures often top 15°C and sunshine is frequent, despite a few spells of rain and wind. Quieter sights and more affordable hotels make it the ideal season for a city break or a getaway for two. Heritage Malta sites stay open, with shorter winter hours.

• Who for: couples, lovers of peace and quiet and of hiking, tight budgets.
• When to go: November to March, with a few highlights: Christmas lights and nativity scenes, Carnival in early February (Valletta, Nadur in Gozo), then the Malta International Fireworks Festival over the Grand Harbour in April. See also our list of public holidays in Malta.
• Where to stay: in Valletta, in a restored palazzo such as the Rosselli AX Privilege, or in Gozo for a peaceful escape.

3 highlights for an off-season or romantic holiday

1. Sunset over the Dingli Cliffs, followed by dinner in Mdina or Rabat.
2. An evening at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta, one of the oldest working theatres in Europe, in the middle of its winter cultural season.
3. A weekend in Gozo: stone villages, countryside turned green after the rain and deserted coastal paths.

Frequently asked questions about holidays in Malta

When is the best time for a holiday in Malta?

May, June, September and early October offer the best balance between a sea warm enough for swimming, bearable heat and moderate crowds. July and August suit beach and party holidays, but it is very hot and everything costs more. From November to March, focus on culture and hiking.

How many days do you need for a holiday in Malta?

A week lets you see the highlights of Malta, spend a day in Gozo and enjoy the beach. For a trip focused on a single theme, 4 to 5 days are enough.

Do you need to book to visit the Blue Lagoon?

Yes. Since 2025, access to Comino’s Blue Lagoon requires a free time-slot booking on bluelagooncomino.mt, whether you arrive by ferry, on an excursion or by private boat, with a maximum of 4,000 people at any one time.

Is Malta suitable for a holiday with young children?

Yes, as long as you avoid the hottest hours in summer. The sandy beaches of the north have shallow water, journeys are short and the family attractions (Popeye Village, the aquarium) are easy to reach from Mellieħa or Qawra.

Can you combine a holiday with English lessons in Malta?

That is exactly what a language stay is: lessons in the morning, then a free afternoon or activities organised by the school (beach, excursions, evenings out). Programmes exist for teenagers and adults alike, all year round.