Malta itinerary 6 days: Valletta, Mdina, Gozo and Comino

Forty minutes, free, next to City Gate. After check in, start on the terrace above the Grand Harbour, with the Three Cities across the water, which is tomorrow’s plan. Just below is the Saluting Battery, which fires a cannon at noon and at 4 pm. The Barrakka Lift next door drops to the ferry quay.

One hour, 15 euros with audio guide, closed on Sundays. Five minutes on foot from the garden is the richest interior on the island: a floor of the knights’ marble tombstones, a vault painted by Mattia Preti and, in the oratory, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, the only painting Caravaggio ever signed. Last entry is 4:15 pm: arrive by 3:45 pm and cover shoulders and knees.

One block below the cathedral, this narrow lane parallel to Republic Street was once the sailors’ bar quarter and is now lined with wine bars and pavement tables. Have dinner here or on one of the stepped side streets, which fill with tables after 7 pm.

Ninety minutes, 10 euros. Ride the Barrakka Lift down and take the Three Cities ferry, about ten minutes across the harbour to Birgu. The fort was the headquarters of the Knights of St John during the Great Siege of 1565, and from the top you see all of Valletta from the water.

At noon the Saluting Battery fires across the harbour. Afterwards, wander Birgu’s lanes to the Inquisitor’s Palace and have lunch on the waterfront.

Thirty minutes, free. Walk around the creek to the tip of Senglea, where the stone watchtower carries a carved eye and ear, symbols of vigilance over the harbour. It is the classic photo of Valletta across the water.

One hour, 35 euros, booking only on the Heritage Malta website, in small groups every hour. In high season it sells out weeks ahead; if you miss out, last minute tickets cost 50 euros and go on sale the day before at Fort St Elmo in Valletta. Children under 6 are not admitted and photos are banned.

From Senglea it is about 15 minutes by bus to Paola. Below ground are three levels carved into the rock more than 5,000 years ago, including the Oracle Room and ceilings painted in red ochre.

Forty five minutes, 6 euros. Walk about 500 metres to the complex of four temples built between 3150 and 2500 BC, now under a protective canopy. Look for the spiral and animal reliefs on the blocks and the base of the giant fertility goddess statue. From the gate the bus gets back to Valletta in about 20 minutes.

Fifteen minutes. The bus from Valletta takes about 30 minutes to Rabat, right by the walls. The baroque gate of 1724, over the moat, played the King’s Landing gate in the first season of Game of Thrones. Arrive before 10 am, while the streets are still empty.

One hour, on a combined ticket with the cathedral museum, sold at the office opposite. Rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafà after the 1693 earthquake, the cathedral stands where tradition says the Roman governor Publius welcomed Saint Paul after his shipwreck. Then stroll the streets of shuttered palaces that gave Mdina its Silent City nickname.

Forty five minutes. The terrace on the northern bastions has the widest view in Malta, all the way to the sea, and is famous for its chocolate cake. Then head down to Rabat, just outside the walls, and grab pastizzi at Crystal Palace for lunch.

One hour fifteen, 6 euros. Ten minutes on foot from the Mdina gate, this network of 3rd and 4th century catacombs holds dozens of tombs and agape tables cut into the rock, where families shared meals in memory of the dead.

One hour, free. From Rabat the bus takes about 15 minutes to the roughly 250 metre cliffs, the highest in Malta, with the chapel of St Mary Magdalene on the edge and the islet of Filfla out at sea. Stay for sunset and take the bus back to Valletta.

One hour fifteen, 10 euros including the Ta’ Kola windmill. Catch an early Gozo Highspeed catamaran from the quay below Upper Barrakka: 45 minutes to Mġarr, 7.50 euros each way. From the port, bus or taxi to Xagħra. The two temples were raised around 3600 BC from blocks weighing several tonnes and predate both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

Ninety minutes. Have lunch first on It-Tokk square at the foot of the Citadel, where rabbit stew is the speciality. The ramparts are free and loop all the way around the island view; the cathedral and the museums inside share a combined ticket.

One hour fifteen. The Azure Window collapsed in 2017, but Dwejra Bay is still worth the trip: the Inland Sea is a lagoon linked to the open sea by a tunnel in the cliff, crossed by small fishing boats when the water is calm. Take the bus back to Mġarr and check the time of the last catamaran to Valletta.

Three hours. Since 2025 a free timed pass is mandatory, booked on the official system listed by the Malta Tourism Authority: morning (8 am to 1 pm), afternoon (1:30 to 5:30 pm) or evening. The cap is 4,000 people at once, and in July and August the morning slots go weeks ahead.

From the Ċirkewwa terminal, just over an hour by bus from Valletta, boats cross in 15 minutes for about 15 euros return. Bring water and a hat: sunbeds and kiosks are pricey.

One hour on foot. A 20 minute trail across the treeless plateau leads from the lagoon to the tower the knights built in 1618, a filming location for The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). From the top you see Gozo, Malta and the open sea, far from the lagoon crowds.

One hour. Check out early and use a ride hailing taxi today, with your bag in the car. Boats leave the small harbour of Wied iż-Żurrieq, paid at the jetty, for a short trip through the caves; morning light is what turns the water electric blue. In rough seas there are no departures, but the roadside viewpoint shows the arch from above.

Ninety minutes, 10 euros for both. About 1.5 km from the Blue Grotto, the visitor centre leads to Ħaġar Qim on the ridge and Mnajdra 500 metres below, toward the sea. Both sit under protective tents; at Mnajdra the sun rises in line with the main doorway at the equinoxes.

One hour fifteen. About 20 minutes by car brings you to the fishing village of the luzzu, boats painted blue, yellow and red with the Eye of Osiris on the bow. On Sunday mornings the waterfront turns into a fish market. Order the grilled catch of the day at one of the harbour restaurants.

One hour. The natural rock pool is 2 km from Marsaxlokk and about 15 minutes by car from the airport. There is no sand, shade or kiosk: bring water and get in from the flat rocks. From here, go straight to your flight.