Is 4 days enough for Malta?
Four days is enough for the highlights of Malta and a day trip to Gozo, if you base yourself well. The islands are tiny on a map, but traffic is heavy and buses can be slow, so the plan below keeps each day in one area.
Flights from the UK take around three to three and a half hours, and there are plenty of them year-round. Malta is easy for British visitors: English is an official language, the currency is the euro, cars drive on the left, and the plugs are the same three-pin type as in the UK.
Where to stay
- Valletta: the best base for a short trip. The capital is compact, beautiful, and the hub for buses and ferries, including the fast ferry to Gozo. Rooms are often in converted townhouses, so they can be small.
- Sliema or St Julian's: more hotels, sea views and nightlife, with a short ferry across the harbour to Valletta.
- Avoid staying in the far north (around Mellieħa) on a 4-day trip unless you mainly want the beach, as it adds travel time to everything else.
Day 1: Valletta
Spend your first day in Valletta, a walled city built by the Knights of St John in the 1500s and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- St John's Co-Cathedral: plain outside, astonishingly ornate inside, with Caravaggio's *Beheading of St John the Baptist*.
- Upper Barrakka Gardens: the best view over the Grand Harbour. The Saluting Battery below fires a cannon at noon.
- The Grandmaster's Palace and the side streets with their enclosed wooden balconies.
- An evening drink on the steps of one of the sloping streets, and dinner at a Maltese restaurant: try *ftira*, rabbit stew or *pastizzi*, the flaky pastries sold everywhere.
It's a hilly city, so wear good shoes, and the Barrakka Lift saves the climb up from the harbour.
Day 2: The Three Cities and the south
Cross the Grand Harbour from Valletta to the Three Cities (Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua) by the short ferry or a traditional *dgħajsa* water taxi. Birgu's quiet lanes, Fort St Angelo and the waterfront are a contrast to the busier capital.
In the afternoon, head south:
- Marsaxlokk: a fishing village full of brightly painted *luzzu* boats. Its Sunday market is the busiest.
- The Blue Grotto: boat trips into sea caves, best in the morning light and only when the sea is calm.
- The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum: an underground prehistoric burial site. Tickets are very limited and usually sell out weeks ahead, so book as soon as you know your dates.
Day 3: Gozo
Gozo is Malta's smaller, greener sister island, and it's worth a full day.
- Getting there: the fast ferry from Valletta to Mġarr takes about 45 minutes. Alternatively, the car ferry from Ċirkewwa, in the far north of Malta, takes about 25 minutes, but getting to Ċirkewwa can take an hour by road. Check the current timetables.
- On Gozo: hire a car, join a tour, or use the hop-on hop-off bus. Don't miss the Citadel in Victoria (Rabat), the Ġgantija temples, which are older than Stonehenge, the red sand at Ramla Bay, and the cliffs and salt pans around Dwejra and Xwejni.
The famous Azure Window collapsed in 2017, but Dwejra's coastline is still dramatic. In summer, a boat trip to Comino's Blue Lagoon is popular, but it gets extremely crowded by late morning.
Day 4: Mdina and Rabat
End with Mdina, Malta's old walled capital on a hill in the middle of the island. It's known as the Silent City, and its narrow lanes are at their best early in the morning or in the evening when the day-trippers have gone. Climb to the bastions for views over the whole island.
Next door, Rabat has the St Paul's and St Agatha's catacombs. If you have time on the way back, the Dingli Cliffs are good for a sunset walk. Mdina is around 20 minutes from the airport, which makes it a good last stop before an evening flight.
Getting around
- Buses cover the whole island and are cheap, but they can be slow and full in summer. A travel card saves money if you'll use them a lot.
- Ride-hailing apps and taxis are widely used and often the quickest option for short hops.
- Driving is possible, but traffic is heavy and parking hard, so a car is more useful on Gozo than on Malta.
- Ferries link Valletta with Sliema and the Three Cities across the harbours.
When to go
- April to June and late September to October: the best time for sightseeing, warm but not too hot, and the sea is warm enough to swim from June.
- July and August: very hot, often in the 30s, and the busiest time.
- November to March: mild, often around 15 to 17°C, with fewer crowds and cheap flights. Some days are wet and windy, and boat trips may not run.
Malta is a good choice for winter sun with little time difference: see our guide to winter sun with no jet lag. If you're deciding between short breaks, our 3-day city break list and the where to go in March page might help.
