The capital and the harbour
Most trips revolve around Valletta, the honey coloured fortress city built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565. It is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, yet packed with baroque churches, palaces, museums and views over the Grand Harbour. Directly across the water sit the Three Cities: Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua, older, quieter and very local, reached by a short ferry or a traditional boat.
The old inland capital
In the centre of the island, Mdina and Rabat are a pair: Mdina is the walled medieval city on a hill, almost car free and hushed after dark, while Rabat next door is a lively town of catacombs, pastizzi shops and village life. Together they make one of the best days on the island.
The seafront
Sliema and St Julian's form the modern coastal heart of Malta, with a long promenade, rocky swimming spots, shops, hotels of every kind and the nightlife district of Paceville. It is the most convenient base for ferries to Valletta and boat trips to Comino.
The sister island
A short ferry ride north, Gozo is greener, slower and more rural, with a hilltop Citadel in Victoria, salt pans, red sand at Ramla Bay, sea cliffs at Dwejra and some of the best diving in the Mediterranean. Give it at least one night if you can.
Beyond the main bases
Malta's south holds the temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, the Blue Grotto and the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. The north has the sandy beaches of Mellieħa, Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa. Comino, between Malta and Gozo, is home to the Blue Lagoon. All of these are easy day trips from any base.
How to combine them
For a week, stay four or five nights in Valletta or Sliema and two or three on Gozo. Distances are short, but summer traffic and bus waits can stretch journeys, so plan one main area per day. Our places to visit list and the free trip planner help you shape the days.