Malta is a small country in Europe, located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Although it is still an undiscovered gem for many people, it attracts thousands of tourists every year. If you are looking for a destination with gorgeous blue beaches, amazing nightlife, warm summer temperatures and absolutely no rain (I experienced no rain in the month of July), then Malta should be on your bucket list!

During the summer of July 2023, I spend the month exploring the island of Malta. I was able to explore many of the known tourist attractions, but I also had time to discover some of its hidden gems. This travel guide sums up some of the best attractions that you should visit in Malta and puts in into a realistic and organized 1 week itinerary.

This 1 week itinerary around Malta starts with your first full day on day 1, or when you will arrive in the early morning, and ending on day 7, which would be your last full day in Malta.

In this guide, you will have access to recommendations on recommended areas to stay in, how to get to each location, a packing list, activity suggestions, my comments for each activity, realistic pictures of what things look like, and much more.

I hope that this guide helps you plan your future trip to Malta.

Table of Contents

• General Information
• Day 1: Valletta and the Three Cities
• Day 2: Marsaxlokk, St. Peter’s Pool and St. Julian’s
• Day 3: Blue Grotto, Mdina and Dingli Cliffs
• Day 4: Beaches by day, Gianpula by night
• Day 5: Blue Lagoon and Popeye Village
• Day 6: Gozo
• Day 7: Gozo
• Packing List
• Google Maps Pins

General Information

Malta is was a British colony that later gained its independence. Therefore, although Maltese is spoken by most people, English is also one of their main languages. You can get around very easily without having to speak Maltese.

If you decide to rent a car, be aware that you need to drive on the left side. If you are not used to driving on the left side or do not feel confident, I would recommend using public transportation or ubers/taxis. The Uber rides can get expensive if you are trying to get to the other side of the country on your own, but if you split it with others, it is very affordable.

For public transportation, the official bus app is Tallinja. The app shows the bus stops, the bus numbers, the bus schedules, etc. However, I found the app to be unreliable for a few occasions. The buses were late, and the app would not update the time arrival accordingly. As a second option, I also used Google Maps. However, I did not find it to be more accurate than Tallinja. I do still recommend using the app because it is accurate for most of the times, but don’t be surprised if your bus does not come, even though the app says that it already did.

There are three inhabited islands in the country of Malta: Malta, Comino and Gozo.

Malta is a very small country. I recommend picking a home base for the entire trip, except when you will be going to the island of Gozo, one of the three inhabited islands that Malta has. To get from one end of the island of Malta to the other, it will take you 1 hour by uber (longer by bus). Therefore, I recommend staying somewhere in the middle of the country but also with good facilities around, like for example in Valletta or Sliema.

Although I did not travel to Malta solo, I is definitely an amazing solo traveller destination for all genders. I did not one time feel unsafe, even walking alone at night. However, just like any other destination, you of course always need to take basic precautions.

If you do not have a SIM card that is valid in Malta, many suggested WHSmith, which is a store at the airport. However, when I arrived, the store did not sell any. I did get my SIM card when I was strolling around Valletta on my second day there, and I saw a random shop that sold SIM cards. I got a plan of 15GB data, unlimited calls and unlimited texts. It cost me 10.00 euros.

You can also buy an eSIM before or after landing in Malta. Having an activated eSIM has its advantages because you do not have to search at the airport for a new SIM card, and in my case, I didn’t find any. You can find an eSIM that works for you with Airalo by clicking here. I did not use Airalo for my trip because I had only discovered of its existence afterwards.

The walking setting on Google Maps does not work for in Malta. A lot of the times, unless you are in a major city such as Valletta or Sliema, the walking route that Google Maps gives you will lead you to a dead end or will tell you walk across a highway, which in many cultures, is not very common to do.

In addition, the pedestrian crossing rules might be different for you. In Malta, you will find that there aren’t a lot of pedestrian crossings (at least compared to Canada). Therefore, the locals will cross the road whenever there are no cars coming through both directions. You can consider walking on the side walk to the nearest crosswalk, but you might be walking for a while.

Day 1: Valletta and the Three Cities

Spend your morning exploring the city of VALLETTA, the capital city of Malta. It is very accessible to use the bus to get to Valletta because they have a multitude of buses stopping there. Do make sure to go during non rush hours, especially during peak season (July and August). A lot of the times, the buses will be full, and you will have to wait for the next ones.

There are plenty of things that you can do in Valletta. Here are some recommendations of things that you should visit:

1. St. John’s Co-Cathedral
2. Parliament of Malta
3. Triton Fountain
4. Upper Barraka Gardens and Lower Barraka Gardens

At the Upper Barraka Gardens, you will see a gorgeous view of the cities on the other side of the river, which are the Three Cities. The entrance is free.

In the afternoon, make your way to the THREE CITIES. From the Upper Barraka Gardens, you can take a short boat ride, which will bring you to Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, also known as the Three Cities. To do so, take the Barrakka Lift, located at the Upper Barraka Gardens. The person working at the lift will give you instructions on how to get to the start of the boat ride. At the time, the boat ride cost around 2.80 euros one way.

If you are not interested in taking the boat, you can also get to the Three Cities by bus or by uber from Valletta.

The boat will bring you to Vittoriosa, also known as Birgu. In Birgu, you can visit the following:

1. Fort St. Angelo
2. Inquisitor’s Palace
3. Malta Maritime Museum
4. St. Lawrence’s Church

Everything is within walking distance, so you do not have to worry about taking transportation from one place to another. In fact, the Three Cities are all within walking distance, and I encourage you to walk and explore because it also allows you discover things that you usually would not when in a car or a bus.

If there is one thing to visit out of this list, it would be Fort St. Angelo. There is an entry fee of 10.00 euros for adults. You can see all the different entry fees here.

From Birgu, you can walk towards Cospicua. In Cospicua, I recommend just walking around and discovering the things around you. I did not find any specific attractions that were very impressive, but I loved wandering around and appreciating the architecture.

From Cospicua, you can walk to Senglea. In Senglea, I recommend for you to visit Gardjola Gardens. Gardjola Gardens is located at the end of Senglea, near the waterfront. You can get panoramic view of Valletta and Birgu. The entrance is free.

Day 2: Marsaxlokk, St. Peter’s Pool and St. Julian’s

On a Sunday, visit the fish market at MARSAXLOKK. If it isn’t Sunday yet in your schedule, I recommend reordering this day to a Sunday. This is because there is a vibrant fish market only during this day of the week.

To get to Marsaxlokk, you can take the bus or an uber. There are a good amount of buses that get to Marsaxlokk, so if you are not tight on time, it isn’t a bad idea to take the bus.

In the afternoon, make your way to ST. PETER’S POOL to cool off and to do some cliff jumping (if it interests you).

St. Peter’s Pool is near Marsaxlokk, so if you follow this itinerary, you are only 3km away from St. Peter’s Pool. You can get there by walking 40 minutes or by taking a 10 minute uber ride. You won’t be able to take the bus because the closest bus stop from St. Peter’s Pool is actually in Marsaxlokk. St. Peter’s Pool is located in an area secluded from everything. I would recommend taking an uber because the walk there can be quite confusing.

For a review of the beach of St. Peter’s Pool, you can check out my blog post on a Review of the Beaches in Malta. A rocky beach, St. Peter’s Pool is perfect for relaxing or even cliff jumping. It can get quite crowded, but I think that this location is worth it despite the crowds. In addition, there are no facilities around, so make sure to bring water and food.

After going back to your accommodation and cleaning up a bit, in the evening, go bar hopping in ST. JULIAN’S.

St. Julian’s is a city in Malta that is known for its vibrant night life. It has a lot of bars and clubs. The best area in St. Julian’s is Paceville. To get there, you can take the bus or an uber. When leaving, I recommend taking an uber because it can get quite crowded. If you stay in Sliema or Valletta, the drive is not long. The peak of night life in Malta is usually after midnight.

Tip: If you go to St. Julian’s before midnight, many bars offer a free drink per person. They will usually be giving out free drink coupons at their entrance, and you can just grab one before entering. There is no scam or trap to this. This is perfect if you want to go bar hopping before midnight, or if you want to save some money on drinks.

Although I have been far from trying out all of the bars and the clubs in Paceville, here are some of my recommendations, and things that they offer:

• Peppermint: Bar. They have cheap drinks.
• Havana: Club. Although I have never been, they seem to be a very famous place for people to go to.
• The Nordic Bar: Bar. They have a dance floor that seems to become like a club later in the evening. They have great music in my opinion, and it was one of my favourite bars.
• Toy Room: Club. The place is very nice, but it gets very crowded during peak hours.
• Triq Santa Rita: Bars. This is a street where there were a lot of bars that gave out free drinks before midnight. The Nordic Bar is one of the bars on this street.

Day 3: Blue Grotto, Mdina and Dingli Cliffs

In the morning, visit the BLUE GROTTO. To get to the viewpoint, search “Blue Wall and Grotto Viewpoint” on Google Maps. There is a bus station right next to this location, and there is also a parking lot in case you are renting a car. You will be able to see the Blue Grotto from above here.

Another activity that you can do at the Blue Grotto is to take a boat tour to drive under the caves and get close up to them. The boat tour costs 10.00 euros per person. To get to the boat tour, you will have to walk a bit from the viewpoint. To get there, search “Blue Grotto Boat Service” on Google Maps. It is an 850 meter walk from the viewpoint.

In the afternoon, get a ride to MDINA, where you can stroll around the silent city and take beautiful pictures. I recommend starting your visit at the Mdina Gate. Mdina was Malta’s capital city, which has now become Valletta. It is also known as the silent city.

To get to Mdina Gate, you take the bus or an uber. There are many bus stops near Mdina Gate, so you should find one that fits your needs.

Take your time to walk around, visit local shops and take cute pictures. Mdina is such a picturesque city, and it is also known as the silent city.

If you are interested, I recommend for you to try some of Malta’s traditional food, one of them being pastizzi. You can find some of the best pastizzi near Mdina, at a shop called “Crystal Palace Bar.”

If you have time, you can also visit RABAT, which is located walking distance from Mdina. Something to visit in Rabat is St. Paul’s Catacombs. To see their admission prices, click here.

At sunset, hike around the DINGLI CLIFFS. If you are going during the summer, do make sure to bring a lot of water and to use sun protection because it can get very hot.

The Dingli Cliffs cover a very large area. To get there, I recommend going to “Dingli cliffs viewpoint” on Google Maps. From there, walk north west, as long as you feel comfortable walking. The sunset is gorgeous because you get to see the sun come down. I recommend bringing some food and having a small picnic while taking in the sunset. This is a great way to finish your day.

Day 4: Beaches by day, Gianpula by night

Start your day at GNEJNA BAY. To get there, you can take the bus or an uber. However, there is a good amount of walking to do if you want to take the bus. We took the bus to Riviera Beach, which required a 10 minute walk to reach it from the bus stop. Then, from Riviera Beach, we did a short hike all the way to Gnejna Bay.

If you do decide to do this small hike, note that it was less than 2km one way. Although it was very short, the path is very steep and slippery, so make sure you have the right shoes with you.

Once you get to Gnejna Bay, I recommend renting kayaks to go see the Ta’ Marija Cave. You do not need to book in advance. Renting a kayak for an hour costs 8.00 euros per person, whether you take a single kayak or a double kayak. Renting a paddle boat costs 5.00 euros per person if you fit all of the seats on the boat. To check out their other water sports and any changes in their rental rates, click here.

If you want to see the Ta’ Marija Cave, an hour is enough to kayak to the cave and come back. However, the paddle boat will take a lot longer because it goes a lot slower. Also, although you should make sure it is safe the day of, the current was not strong the day we went kayaking.

You can spend your afternoon at Gnejna Bay and/or discover the other beaches around the area, which are RIVIERA BEACH and GOLDEN BAY. To get there from Gnejna Bay, you can walk or take an uber. If you want to get there quick, I recommend an uber.

Between Riviera Beach and Golden Bay, I recommend Riviera Beach. Although both are crowded, I found that Riviera Beach was the least crowded. It is also a lot cleaner, whereas I found trash in Golden Bay. Both are sand beaches.

After resting at your accommodation in the evening, spend your night at GIANPULA VILLAGE. Gianpula Village another very famous location known for its night life. It is packed with many night clubs.

To get there, take an uber. It is located further away from the main cities of Valletta, Sliema and St. Julian’s.

There is an entrance fee to Gianpula Village. When buying tickets, make sure you buy the right ticket for the right room. At Gianpula Village, there are many different rooms, each room having their own music genre, such as techno, dance, 2000s, etc. Make sure that the ticket that you buy gives you access to the room that you would like.

I personally really loved Gianpula Village. Other than the fact that it was a bit far from our accommodation and that it always required an entrance fee, it was very great. The music was always very good, and the set up was always great, with a lot of stage animation such as fire, confetti, fireworks, etc.

Day 5: Blue Lagoon and Popeye Village

Take a boat trip to the BLUE LAGOON. The Blue Lagoon is located on the island of Comino, one of the three inhabited islands of Malta. There are many ways to get there: you can take a day cruise from Sliema or Bugibba. For a cheaper and more flexible option, you can take a ferry from Cirkewwa or Marfa. This is the option that we did. To get to Cirkewwa or Marfa, you can take the bus or an uber. I recommend taking the bus if you are looking to save money. The bus stop is very close to the ferry station.

At the Blue Lagoon, you can do swimming at the beach. The water is some of the bluest and cleanest water that I have seen. However, beware that it can get extremely crowded, especially during the late morning and the afternoon.

Another critique that I have for the Blue Lagoon is that there are not a lot of shaded areas on the island, which leaves travellers exposed to the sun during their whole visit to the Blue Lagoon. This can be dangerous, especially during the hot weather of the summer. There are umbrellas that you can rent, but it can get very crowded to the point that there are none available.

On the island of Comino, you can also hike around and explore. Two recommendations are the Santa Marija Tower and the Santa Maria Caves. We hiked to the Santa Marija Tower. From the Blue Lagoon, it is a 2.5 km walk, and it took us around 45 minutes round trip.

On your way back, make a stop at POPEYE VILLAGE. The entrance costs 21.99 euros. However, I recommend not buying the entrance ticket and instead, admiring it from outside. Actually, I find it to be nicer to admire from outside.

To get there, you can take the bus or an uber. Do note that if you decide to take the bus, the nearest bus stop is 20 minutes away by walk to Popeye Village.

Day 6: Gozo

Make your way to the island of GOZO. To get to Gozo, you can take the bus to the nearest ferry station on the island of Malta or you can uber. The ferry station is at Cirkewwa. The ferry carries people and vehicles, such as car rentals. On the island of Gozo, I recommend getting around by uber or with a rental car.

In the morning, explore the SALT PANS. The Salt Pans is a very impressive area with visible sea salt. It is an area that is not know by everyone, so you should not expect a lot of people there.

In the afternoon, visit the TAL-MIXTA CAVE. When you get there by car or by bus, you will have to walk a bit before getting to the cave. The cave overlooks Ramla Beach, which is a beach that you will visit next on this itinerary.

When we went in the afternoon, it was not too crowded, so hopefully it stays the same for your experience.

Afterwards, make your way to RAMLA BEACH. Ramla Beach is famous for its red sand and is the biggest sand beach in Gozo. You can relax and also enjoy some water sports. For a longer review of this beach, click here.

Day 7: Gozo

In the morning, explore THE CITADEL, also known as the old city. The area is free to visit. We went during the late morning, and the area was not crowded at all. The Citadel is located in the city of Victoria, which is the main city in Gozo. In Victoria, you can also find shops and restaurants.

In the afternoon, make your way to DWEJRA BAY. From Dwejra Bay, I recommend walking along the coast, direction north. Along the way, you will get to see the Fungus Rock, the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea Dive Site.

Once you make it to the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea Dive Site, spend the afternoon there by the beach. You can even tempt to try out scuba diving for the first time at the Dive Site.

For sunset, go to TA’ CENC CLIFFS. You will get panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea.

In the evening, make your way back to the island of Malta to catch your flight the next day.

Packing List

Google Maps Pins

Here is a Google Maps link with all the locations that I named in this itinerary. Every day is colour coordinated.

This is the end of the 1 week itinerary around Malta. I hope that this travel guide was helpful and that you have a blast on your next trip. 

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please let me know!