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Are you considering a trip to Malta, or have you already decided and trying to figure out how to spend your time there with an organised itinerary?
You’ve come to the right place!
Seven days in Malta is more or less the perfect amount of time to spend in this small island nation. Having a full week in Malta allows you to explore the country’s rich history, enjoy the Mediterranean Sea and natural beauty, and explore some of the local culture and village life.
In this guide, I’ll help you with the ultimate Malta itinerary for one week, perfected after having helped thousands of travellers plan their trips. I’ll also give you a few more options to swap certain days depending on your personal preferences since planning the perfect Malta itinerary can be very personal.
In my experience advising people visiting Malta, the best way to spend one week in Malta is with this carefully crafted itinerary. You can find the locations covered in this handy map.
Day 1: Valletta (blue)
Day 2: Comino & Blue Lagoon (yellow)
Day 3: Exploring Gozo Island (orange)
Day 4: Mdina, Rabat and surroundings (green)
Day 5: Floriana and The Three Cities (red)
Day 6: Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk and Megalithic Temples (purple)
Day 7: Mellieħa and surroundings. (khaki)
A full week in Malta allows you to find a good balance between:
In my Malta itinerary, I’ll combine these three elements, paced in a way that makes sense to most, to get the most out of your trip to Malta.
Hi! My name is Edward, and I’m a tourist-turned-local with Maltese roots. I’ve experienced Malta as a tourist and know the country inside out now that I’ve lived here for a number of years now.
Through Malta Uncovered, I do my best to give travellers like yourself all they need to have a memorable trip to this Mediterranean island nation.
I’ve helped thousands of people through this site (and my guidebooks), and based on their feedback, I’ve carefully crafted a few itineraries for visiting Malta:
Although I’ll focus on helping you plan your trip in this guide, at the end, I refer to other articles that can help you plan other aspects of your trip, like where to stay, whether to rent a car or not, etc. So when you’re ready, there’s a lot more you can learn here before you visit Malta.
In the section Practical advice for planning your Malta trip (click/tap to jump there), you’ll find guides on:
You’ll find a few links to recommended tours and services within this Malta itinerary. I will earn a small commission if you book via these links, but:
If that’s all fine with you, I greatly appreciate your support!
Valletta is Mallta’s capital city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That’s right, the whole city is listed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites and is a must to include on any Malta itinerary.
Why?
This majestic fortified city is more or less an open-air museum full of ages-old buildings built in the Baroque style, churches, museums, squares, gardens and more. Erected by the Knights of Malta in the 17th century and surrounded by fortifications, Malta’s capital has a lot of stories to tell you.
Even though it’s one of the tiniest capital cities in Europe (just 0.8 km2 or 80 ha.), there’s enough to see and do for three full days. In fact, in my Valletta guidebook, you can find walking routes and itineraries for 1, 2 and 3 days in the city.
For most people visiting Malta for the first time, however, one full day is enough to get a good feel for the city.
If you plan on visiting multiple museums on your trip, consider getting a Heritage Pass from iSeeMalta. You can save on multiple entrance fees with this combo pass.
Prefer taking a guided tour? These are a few great options to consider:
The Blue Lagoon is a small bay on the island of Comino and is known for its crystal clear azure-coloured shallow water. It’s probably the #1 summer destination for tourists as a result and a must-visit on a trip to Malta for most visitors.
However, be warned: It can get _very_ busy here in summer.
Comino Island itself is small but has some charming places to visit on foot. However, I’d only advise exploring the island from October to April/May, as there aren’t many trees to find shade under during the year’s hottest months.
You’ll also need to wear a pair of sturdy walking shoes.
Although you can take the ferry, most day trips and boat tours that stop at the Blue Lagoon allow you to get off and wander around but will ask you to be back at a specific time for the return journey.
Some of the highlights on Comino are:
Gozo is Malta’s smaller sister island that can be reached easily with a short ferry ride from Ċirkewwa (North of Malta) or Valletta (fast ferries).
Unlike the main island of Malta, this little Mediterranean island is quieter, and life there is still a little more easygoing. Gozo is less of a tourist hotspot but very popular to visit among the Maltese for long weekends or summer breaks.
If you’re spending just a week in Malta, you should at least spend one day there as part of your Malta itinerary. It’s a really unique experience and a combination of raw nature at its best, paired with local culture and interesting places to visit.
These are some of the best points of interest to visit Gozo on your third day:
If you’re interested in visiting most of the above highlights of Gozo, I highly recommend the following (tried-and-tested!) tours, operated by the same provider that gets glowing reviews.
These tours are all-inclusive, with transport to/from your place of stay as well as lunch included.
Mdina and Rabat are neighbouring towns located towards the Southwest of Malta and are popular items on most visitors’ itineraries.
This location has deep roots in history, from early settlers to the Romans and, eventually, the Knights of Malta.
Rather than just visiting Mdina, I recommend spending time in Rabat on your Malta itinerary to balance the touristic side with local village life and culture to explore.
Nicknamed The Silent City, this small (tiny) town is surrounded by tall bastions and a moat takes you back in time, with ages-old buildings, narrow winding alleys and a few interesting museums, chapels and churches to visit.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is located at the heart of Mdina, and its bell tower can be seen from miles away – an iconic feature of the skyline at night.
Did you know? Mdina’s main gate featured in the first season of Game of Thrones
These are the highlights of Mdina to visit on your fourth day:
Situated right on the doorstep of Mdina, Rabat is a small town that offers a good opportunity to get a taste of local life. Once you’ve finished exploring Mdina, head to Triq San Pawl at the nearby roundabout to enter Rabat.
These are a few recommended places of interest to explore:
Floriana and The Three Cities offer a combination of history/heritage as well as local village life and culture. Each can be covered on foot for roughly half a day. This part of your Malta itinerary is estimated to take 3 hours in Floriana and another 3-5 hours in the Three Cities.
Floriana is located on the doorstep of Valletta and is a bit of a hidden gem with the right walking route. It’s the best place to start your day since it’s a short walk away from Valletta’s bus terminus.
Cross the road of St. Anne Street (carefully – use the zebra crossing!) and make your way down the Valletta Waterfront. At the harbourside, former storage facilities for sea trade have been converted for use by restaurants and shops, and it’s a great place to grab lunch on one of the (shaded) outdoor terraces.
This cluster of harbourside villages is made up of three neighbouring harbour towns: Senglea (Isla), Cospicua (Bormla) and Vittoriosa (Birgu). They’re located just a stone’s throw away from Valletta, across Grand Harbour. The latter was the first location for the Knights of Malta to settle before Valletta even existed.
You can easily reach the Three Cities by taking a short (7 minutes – I timed it!) ferry ride from Valletta. Reach the ferry by following the seafront from Valletta Waterfront and getting to Fort Lascaris. The departure point is indicated as Valletta – 3 Cities Ferry on Google Maps.
You’ll arrive at Bormla to start your walk around the area.
This is my suggested route:
Southern Malta is often less explored since most of the tourist destinations are located in the North. Nevertheless, exploring this part of the country on a 7-day Malta itinerary is a great idea.
The Blue Grotto is a sea cave South of the village of Żurrieq, which has been a popular tourist destination for a very long time. The reason is its magical beauty caused by sun rays reflecting off the white sandy sea bottom inside the dark cave, creating bright blue hues.
You can reach the spot by bus (routes 74 and 201), and walk down to the sea to hop on to one of the small boats that take you inside the cave on a short boat ride. It’s very much worth it, but only if you can combine it with another outing (i.e. one of the below).
The town of Marsaxlokk, located on the southeast coast of Malta, is known as one of the few remaining traditional fishing villages. It has a small harbour lined with various brightly-coloured fishing boats (called the luzzu with its iconic painted eyes at the front.
Although it’s quite touristy, the fisherman’s character is still alive, and the seafront is lined with good seafood restaurants to dine at. On Sundays, it’s a popular destination for a Sunday lunch out, while the Sunday market attracts bargain hunters.
An important part of the history of the civilisation of Malta, its Megalithic Temples are some of the oldest freestanding man-made structures worldwide. They’ve taught us a lot about early civilisations in the Maltese islands, their practices, values and religion.
Although there are more sites with temple remains, there are seven temple sites that are listed together as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
If you’ve visited the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, the temples themselves add a lot of context to what you would’ve seen there.
The two temples of Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim are the most convenient options on a 7-day Malta itinerary and have a visitors centre with insightful information.
A visit here is easy to combine with the Blue Grotto, being located only a short drive (or bus ride – same routes) away.
There aren’t many options for tours to this part of the island. Consider these options but keep in mind that these tours are organised on separate days.
Mellieħa is a village in the North of Malta, in a fairly quiet part of the island, surrounded by nature and beaches.
Although it’s a popular tourist resort, it has a unique character and still has a traditional Maltese community and strong local culture. I highly recommend adding it to your Malta itinerary on your final day, as it’s a fairly quiet spot to relax before heading back home.
In Mellieħa, visit:
Apart from the village itself, there are a few places in the surrounding area I recommend:
Explore some raw nature starting from Selmun Palace (to the southeast of Mellieħa) all the way down to Imġiebaħ Bay – a secluded sandy beach.
To add some flexibility to your Malta itinerary, these are a few swap-day options you can consider.
One of the most beautiful features of the Maltese islands is the sea, and in spring/summer, taking a boat trip to discover the islands on the sea is a popular pastime. You can take a day trip from places like Sliema and Buġibba.
These are a few options I highly recommend:
If you’re planning a trip to Malta in the off-season, why not enjoy the greener countryside on (mostly) sunny days?
There are several areas that are worth exploring on foot, for example:
Everyone has their personal requirements for planning a Malta itinerary, and the same goes for accommodation, timing, whether to book a rental car or not and more.
In this section, I give you the basics and refer you to my full guides on each topic to learn more.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me, and I’ll be happy to help!
The best time of year to visit Malta for sightseeing is generally around April-June and October/November when the weather is warm but not swelteringly hot. The downside is that weather conditions can sometimes be unpredictable.
If I had to narrow it down to two ideal months, it’s usually June and October that win: Warm enough to swim, not too hot to go sightseeing.
Between July and September, it’s full-on summer in Malta, and heatwaves are common. Humidity usually comes into play around mid-August and lasts well into September.
Where to stay in Malta for 7 days depends on a few factors: How much sightseeing do you want to do, at what time of year do you want to go and are you looking to rent a car while there?
If you want to spend a week in Malta for sightseeing, Valletta and Sliema are good options, although the former can be pretty expensive to stay.
For a more balanced stay between sightseeing and enjoying the beaches, staying in St. Paul’s Bay, Buġibba, or Qawra can be a good option. Public transport connections are good, and accommodation is reasonably priced in the area.
If you don’t plan on doing a lot of sightseeing, Mellieħa and Gozo Island are more peaceful places to stay.
In these guides, I’ve listed the best options for various locations, and I offer recommendations on where in Malta to stay here.
These are the main options to get around in Malta and Gozo to consider while planning your Malta itinerary:
Leave a comment at the end of this page or contact me, and I’ll help you as best I can!
Edward is the Founder and Editor of Malta Uncovered and author of two guidebooks on Malta and Valletta.
As a tourist-turned-expat with Maltese roots, he knows the islands inside out and helps thousands of visitors enjoy a memorable trip every year.
Check out my two guidebooks full of local knowledge and my best recommendations for your trip, and up-to-date for 2023!
Malta & Gozo guide book
Valletta: An Insider’s Guide to Malta’s Capital
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