The Ultimate Malta & Gozo Itinerary: See the whole islands in 5 Days
Malta & Gozo might not be islands that you have contemplated visiting before, only for a quick summer holiday. Whilst the scorching temperatures of the island reach 40 oC+ in July and August, Malta makes the perfect holiday destination in the early spring and late autumn.
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When to visit?
The best times to visit Malta are late March - late May and late September - early November. Unless you are just wanting a pool and beach only holiday, we would advise you don't visit in the summer months. The good news is, the island never drops below around 17 oC but there are some strong winds in the winter as well as businesses closing for the off-season.
We visited Malta in early March and we were probably there 2-3 weeks too soon. Many businesses were closed and it was not warm enough for a swim, but we did get to explore the island with no tourists!
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Not got 7-days?
It is important to note that this itinerary really is slower paced. If you're not a fast traveller, then doing this in 5-days is perfect. For us, we actually did it in 7 and were a little bored at times. This was very much because the weather was not warm enough to sunbathe. If we had gone a little later in the year, we would have allocated more mornings, afternoons and even days to spend at the pool/beach.
We felt that we had a lot of time to relax and enjoy each place we went to without feeling rushed. This itinerary is very much able to be squeezed into 4 or even 3 days for the faster explorers. For example, you can bundle days X and X together as Valletta and Sliema are easy to explore in one-day. There are extra options at the end of this itinerary of extra sights that may be worth exploring.
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Language: Maltese and English
Population: 531,000
Currency: Euro €
Average price of a coffee: €2,50
Where to stay?
This itinerary involves going to every single side of the island and a day-trip to Gozo. It is therefore important that you consider where your hotel is for a base. Most of the stops are in the upper half of the island, as you can see on the interactive map below. For our trip, we decided to stay in Mellieha, up on the northern western part of the island. This was for a few reasons but the main one being that the hotel was quieter and cheaper (St Julians, Valletta, Sliema are all pricier). We got half board at a very well rated hotel for the same price as a B&B in Valletta (£300 for 2 for 7 nights in March 2023). Mellieha is also a very nice choice to stay as you have beautiful sea views, the stunning church and easy access to buses.
Our hotel recommendation:​
How to use this itinerary
Unlike our other itineraries, such as 3 Epic Days in Rome, this itinerary is not laid out into days and timings. This is because you have the choice of staying where you wish to on the island and so day 1 for us probably won't make sense for you. If you stay in Mellieha like us, then feel free to follow this itinerary in chronological order.
HOW TO USE THE MAP
Tap the icons on the map to learn more about each point of interest. To save this map for later, click the star next to its title to add it to your Google account. Then, open the Google Maps app, go to ‘Saved’, and select ‘Maps’. You’ll now see this map listed under its title.​​
How to get around the island​​
Getting around the island is super easy, purely because of how small it is. You can rent a car to move from place to place. There are a few things to consider when doing this: you have to be confident driving down very steep narrow streets (Valletta is very challenging in particular), bringing the car with you to Gozo, and driving on the left.
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You can alternatively use buses which are very easy to navigate.
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You can also use Bolt. Malta Airport to Mellieha cost no more than €20.
Mellieha
1 DAY
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Mellieha is a charming part of northern Malta that is so scenic as it sits on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. It hosts the largest sandy beach in Malta with options to do water sports in the summer months.
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Must-Sees in Mellieha:
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1. Mellieha Parish Church
A beautiful church with stunning views of the Med sea.
2. A walk along Mellieha bay
3. Visit Tunnara Museum
​For some history about Mellieha, particularly how the town played a significant role during WWII. This isn't the best museum in the world, it is very small and will take you 15 minutes to explore. They don't charge but ask for a small donation as one older gentleman runs the museum. It opens at sporadic times, so click here for updated opening times.
4. Beach and beach clubs
​During the mid-late spring, summer and early-mid autumn, relaxing on the beach is definitely a wise choice. There are options to do water sports from the main bay in during these months. We visited in early-March so not many places were open and so we were forced to spend a lot of time and money in Blu Beach Club. What a tragedy! West's face says it all...
Oh. Pssst... The cocktails are 2-4-1 at some specific times...
​​Gozo
1 DAY
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To visit Gozo, you must get the ferry from the very north of the island. You can do this independently by driving, taking a taxi or doing an organised tour.
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We visited Gozo through an organised tour on some go-cars. We booked via Get Your Guide with the tour company 'Yippee' but we cannot find the tour anymore. Keep checking Get Your Guide if you fancy the tour we did but otherwise, here is a similar self-driving tour that is bookable with the same company 'Yippee'.
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Note: You must have a driving license to do this tour but nobody checked our driving licenses... even after commenting on how West looked 16 at the time! FYI, he was 23 and he did not enjoy the compliment - ha.
Go-Car organised tour.​
If you're not exploring Gozo via a tour, here are the highlights to visit:​
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​1. Wied il-Mielaħ Window
A limestone natural arch.
2. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu
3. St. George's Square
4. Xwejni Salt Pans
Valletta
1 DAY/ OR AN AFTERNOON
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1. Explore the town centre and bay.
2. The Lascaris War Rooms​ and Saluting Battery
​To learn about Malta's pivotal role during WWII and see the firing of the cannon every hour.
Sliema
1/2 A DAY​
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1. Explore Sliema's bay
2. Go shopping!
Sliema has a very big shopping centre that is popular with the locals.
St Julians
1/2 A DAY
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St Julians is a very popular place for the party goers, yet it has some of the most beautiful beaches and fishing stations. Consider stopping here after Sliema - they are right next to each other after all.
Golden Sands Bay​
A COUPLE HOURS / WHOLE DAY IF WEATHER PERMITS​
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Golden Sands Bay didn't get its name from thin air - one of the few sand beaches on the island.
Extra things you can do
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1. Visit the Blue Grotto
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2. See more of the southern part of the island, such as the Dingli Cliffs.
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3. Swim in the Blue Lagoon in Camino.
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We personally decided none of these things were personally worth doing in addition to what we had already seen in Malta. If we had visited during warmer weather, I am sure we would have visited the Blue Lagoon. It looks stunning.
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We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Malta and strongly recommend you go. It is such a unique little island with a lot of interesting history. We were in desperate need of a holiday though, so that could have influenced our enjoyment levels.
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We hope you found this itinerary useful and enjoy your trip to Malta!
Purely for comedic effect, I took a photo of the plane leaving Malta and landing in Manchester 3 hours later. The post-holiday blues well and truly started as soon as the wheels hit the runway.
