Malta is an archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea right between Sicily and north Africa. It may be a small country but it has a lot to offer — from stunning beaches and turquoise waters to ancient architecture and ruins, Malta has something for everyone.
Last summer, we decided to spend five days in Malta to check out the cities, beaches and history. The country is made up of three islands — Malta, Comino and Gozo — so there is quite a bit to explore over a 5 day Malta itinerary.
Here’s the perfect 5 day itinerary for Malta!
DAY 1: Valletta & “The Three Cities”
We flew into Malta’s international airport, located about 20 minutes from the capital city of Valletta. After arriving, we checked into our hotel, Cugo Gran Macina Grand Harbour Hotel, located in Senglea. This city is part of “The Three Cities,” a collective description of the three fortified cities of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua located near the capital city of Valletta.
This is a great place to base yourself to explore Valletta and the Three Cities, and we absolutely loved our hotel (especially the gorgeous rooftop pool!). After we were settled, we wandered around Senglea and Birgu, stopping for lunch at the delicious Don Berto.
I definitely recommend eating lunch here and don’t skip the Maltese platter! Seriously, if you are someone who is into a charcuterie board situation… this is right up your alley!
Next, we hopped on a gondola to take us to Valletta. Gondolas were very easy to find in Senglea and Birgu and only cost about 2-3 Euros per person — and they only fit 6 people max so you might have the entire ride to yourself depending on your group size. If you’ve ever been on a gondola ride in Venice, then you know this is definitely a bargain!
The journey from the Three Cities to Valletta takes less than 10 minutes and is seriously gorgeous. The views of Valletta and Birgu from the water were so breathtaking, I didn’t want to get off the gondola!
Our gondola dropped us off at the base of Upper Barrakka Gardens where we took a quick elevator up and we had jaw-dropping views of the Three Cities. At this point, I was in awe of Malta’s architecture and historic feel.
Valletta and many other areas of Malta were used as filming locations for Game of Thrones and it definitely felt like we had stepped right into King’s Landing!
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around, admiring the architecture and taking nonstop photos of the beautiful balconies that Valletta is known for. You may also spot some of the iconic telephone booths that remain from when Malta was a British colony.
St. John’s Co-Cathedral is one of Valletta’s main attractions. This beautiful cathedral is home to two paintings by Italian painter Caravaggio including The Beheading of St. John the Baptist.
To close out the day, we watched the sunset over cocktails at Nori at the Villa in St. Julian’s Bay.
DAY 2: Blue Grotto, Mdina & Dingli Cliffs
Having explored the capital city and surrounding areas, we set off to explore more of the island. Our first stop was one of Malta’s most famous attractions, the Blue Grotto. To get there, we rented a car (note: they drive on the left side of the road in Malta!) and set off for the Blue Grotto, just a 20 minute drive from Senglea.
While there are many boat tours offering rides around the Blue Grotto, we opted to enjoy it from above. The viewpoint was not too busy and the views were spectacular!
A quick story: to get a photo sitting on the cliff overlooking the Blue Grotto, you have to hop over a brick wall — I know, I know, probably not the best idea! With my fear of heights, I was a little nervous but determined to do it after taking a look and deciding that it wasn’t too risky. While taking photos, I realize there is a huge snake skin nearby and guessed that the owner probably wasn’t too far away. Panicked, I tried to get back over the brick wall but was couldn’t without a hand… luckily I had some friends with me to help me over and crisis averted.
Moral of the story: watch out for snakes if you play to visit the Blue Grotto overlook!
Next stop: the ancient walled city of Mdina. This city was previously the capital of Malta and is filled with rich history — and it was another filming location for Game of Thrones!
Driving through the rural countryside, Mdina is set on a hilltop and can be seen from afar. Since there are no cars allowed within the city’s walls, we parked outside and set off to explore.
Walking through the entrance bridge and wandering around the cobblestone streets is like stepping by in time. The city is 4,000 years old and has an old world feel to it, along with incredible architecture. It’s quite a small city so it’s easy to explore and then stop for lunch!
We sat up on the rooftop patio of Coogi’s Restaurant and had stunning views where we were even able to spot Valletta!
Our final stop on the island of Malta was the Dingli Cliffs — these cliffs are the highest point in Malta, sitting at about 830 feet! Just a 10 minute drive from Mdina, the cliffs were totally empty (we were the only ones there enjoying the view!) and so we were able to soak in some of the most incredible views in Malta.
For the next three nights, we planned to stay on Gozo island where we rented a cute farmhouse on Airbnb. To get to Gozo, we took the ferry from Cirkewwa — it costs just €15.70 roundtrip for your car and a driver, and €4.65 for each additional passenger. In just thirty minutes, we arrived on Gozo island where we were then able to drive our rental car to our farmhouse for the evening!
DAY 3: Comino Island
Comino is the smallest of Malta’s three islands and is home to Malta’s famed Blue Lagoon.
It’s only inhabited by a handful of people and there is just one hotel — but during the day it’s packed with day trippers from Malta and Gozo.
From either Gozo or Malta island, Comino island is just 15 – 30 minutes by ferry or boat. There are tons of tour operators and ferries leaving for Comino island but I recommend renting or going with a private boat company so you can get there earlier to avoid the crowds and hop around the island to find secluded coves.
We chartered a boat for our group to take us to Comino for the day through Oceanline and had a wonderful experience! Our captain took us first to the Blue Lagoon so we could enjoy before the tour groups arrived.
The Blue Lagoon was even more beautiful and blue than I had imagined but once the crowds started pouring in, we opted to find a new spot.. that’s when we found the Santa Maria Caves!
The Santa Maria Caves are on the North side of Comino island and is a network of caves and a popular diving spot.
We arrived at this incredibly idyllic spot with calm turquoise water with dramatic rocky cliffs as the backdrop. We spent several hours floating in the water, soaking in the sun and eating lunch on the boat — all while only see one or two other boats. Such a treat!
DAY 4: Gozo – Cittadella, Blue Hole, Wied il-Ghasri & Ramla Bay
DAY 4: Gozo – Cittadella, Blue Hole, Wied il-Ghasri & Ramla BayOn our last full day in Malta, we had a ton of of places we wanted to see on Gozo island. Our first stop was the ancient Cittadella, Gozo’s ancient fortified city. The city is filled with rich history and walking the walls, you’ll see stunning views of Victoria and beyond.
Next up: time to hit the beach! Gozo has a stunning coastline with beautiful beaches, dramatic rocky cliffs and some of the bluest waters I’ve seen!
As a Game of Thrones fan, I wanted to see the famous Azure Window which was used as a filming location for Khalessi’s wedding scene. However, in 2017, the window collapsed during a storm — now, it’s a popular diving spot known as the ‘Blue Hole.’ Even without the window, this area is still gorgeous and absolutely worth a visit as a swimming hole!
Another popular swim spot is Wied il-Ghasri. This secluded inlet has a little beach and gorgeous turquoise waters — it’s both a popular spot on Gozo for swimming and diving.
For our last evening in Malta, we spent the late afternoon at Ramla Bay beach and watched the sun go down above the beach at Tal Mixta Cave. At first this cave was a bit tricky to find but we met a friendly local who took us — and it was well worth the trek!
DAY 5: Valletta & Depart
On our last day in Malta, we were sad to leave and felt we could have stayed one or two more days to explore more of the country — but you always have to save some things to explore for next time, right?
We took the ferry back to Malta island and just had a time for a quick lunch and we were on our way! The Malta International Airport is easy to navigate but we found some of the check-in lines to be long so would recommend getting there a few hours early, especially if you plan to check a bag.
And that wraps up the ultimate 5 day Malta itinerary — I’ll be sharing more posts on Malta in the coming weeks, stay tuned!
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I loved this post! Planning a trip to Malta and this post was super useful! Just a question, when did you went to Malta? Which month I mean, the weather looks great! Thank you for sharing this content!
I’m so glad to hear that! Malta is just gorgeous. We visited Malta last June and the weather was hot but perfect for swimming!