Ultimate MALTA Travel Guide

Ever since I saw a photo of the azure blue Mediterranean waters of Malta, and the cheap flight prices from Italy while playing Flight Roulette, I wanted to go there.

A rocky island off the coast of Southern Italy, yet still its own country with TONS of historical relevance, this small area has a lot to offer! After asking for tips on Instagram and receiving a tidal wave of suggestions, I decided to rent a car to attempt seeing as much as possible.

To my slight disappointment, I found driving in Malta to be absolutely terrifying, which is why I decided to use public transportation for the second half of my trip, which will help give you an idea of what you want to do.

Oh, and for you Game of Thrones fans…you’ll be able to see several locations where Season 1 was filmed!

So here’s everything you need to know!

Getting to Malta:

There’s one main airport called Luqia, and you can book a flight there from anywhere, HOWEVER if you want to be travel hack savvy, the cheapest destinations to fly from are Italy and Spain.

See my tutorial on how I play Flight Roulette to get the cheapest flights places.

Transportation Options:

As I mentioned, I attempted both renting a car and then using public transportation. I wanted to rent a car so I could be on my own time, not worry about bus schedules, not have to take my luggage in and out of hotels, and go some places buses don’t go.

It was more convenient but also more stressful. Especially since I’m not good at driving manual

Renting a Car:

I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to get a rental car discount then used my points as well, and it came out to about €13 per day. I got a basic little four door Peoguet, which was cheapest, the only problem was that it was a Manual. (There are limited Automatics, and they cost a lot more).

I somewhat know how to drive Manual, but the last time I did, I flipped the rental car, so I was a little weary about doing it again. Soon I discovered how narrow the streets are, and how close you must get to oncoming cars to pass them. It was absolutely nerve wrecking at times, but I managed 3 days with no accidents…

The car company I used was called GoldCar, and it had the best rates from what I saw. I couldn’t find it on a car rental comparison site, so you’ll need to go directly to their website to book. I also obviously got the full insurance for an additional €60.

To find my way around I used my Google Maps, but the GPS on my phone was off a few times, or the spoken directions were delayed, so I ended up going the wrong way a lot which was additionally incredibly frustrating.

BUT, I won’t deny that the fact that I could get to many places earlier, or that buses can’t get to was a huge perk. I could also stop as I pleased if I saw a cute area I wanted to explore.

Taking the Public Bus:

Taking the public bus in Malta seems like it’s almost encouraged, since there’s literally a bus stop everywhere you look, and bus routes that go pretty much everywhere. It’s super cheap as well, the only real downside is how packed they get and how many stops they take.

You can pay for a ticket each time you get on the bus, or get a card in advance from the airport or bus stations.

Prices are:

€1.50 per short distance ride

€15 for 15 day rides

€21 for unlimited rides

To figure out which bus you need to take, you can attempt using the bus route map, or just use Google Maps on your phone since it tells you all of your options and how long they take, plus where the nearest bus stop is. I also like using the app because then I know when to get OFF the bus as well.

Tourist Buses:

I will never ever knock those Hop on Hop Off Buses you see in almost every city, because they’re actually not a terrible deal!

If you’re not wanting to commit to attempting using public buses, this is a great alternative, because you literally can’t get lost since it goes in one loop and to all the must-see destinations.

Cost for 24 hours is €20, which is more than a rental car for a day, but technically the same price as taking a taxi from the airport to the main city of Valleta! I think one of the routes even goes to the airport, so you could technically get savvy and use it for that too!

The Main Areas to See:

Almost everyone will immediately tell you that “You have to also go to Gozo!” Which you’ll have no idea what they mean or how to do that just like I did.

So there’s technically three islands that comprise Malta; the main one which is just Malta, smaller one called Gozo, and a tiny one in between called Comino where the famous Blue Lagoon is.

All are easily accessible by car, bus, and ferry, but I’ll go over each of them, what’s there, and how to get to them individually:

1. Malta Main Island

The most things to see are on the main island, so some people don’t even make it to the smaller island of Gozo! Don’t get anxiety if you don’t end up having enough time for Gozo though, because you definitely don’t want to miss the things that are on the main island!

Top locations are:

Valleta:

The most popular and also most congested city center area, which is also where cruise ships dock. The adorable streets lined with matching building facades have a Neo-Roman look to them, and everything seems to be the same pastel-beige, with flecks and pops of color on window panes or doors.

 You’ll find many restaurants, shops, museums, and of course, beautiful views, and there’s also a Valleta Waterfront area with restaurants along the (terminal) water.

I actually wouldn’t recommend the Waterfront if you’re looking to eat/drink somewhere, since it just looks out at the cruise ships and industrial park. There’s many more cute outdoor spots towards the center of the town and even along stairways!

Three Cities:

You can see a view of them from Valleta, and you can also take a ferry to them. They are the three fortified cities with the oldest one being from the medieval times, but that’s pretty much all I know.

Popeye’s Village 

You can probably guess what this is as the name implies! But yes, it is the actual set of the old Popeye movie, which is now a museum!

You can check it out from this birdseye viewpoint, or go in and act like you’re really in the movie!

St. Julian’s

This is the area where everyone told me to go for nightlife…even though I don’t really do the nightlife scene (girl’s gotta work every day!). There’s also a beach and cute marina here as well.

Mellieha

This was the first area I stayed in because I wanted to be closest to the ferry terminal to go to the Blue Lagoon. I actually really liked the complex I stayed at and its close proximity to cute little restaurants on the water, as well as a beach!

It was called Luna Holiday Complex which I found for pretty cheap, and although it was a self-catering apartment, it also had a really nice rooftop pool that overlooked the marina.

It also has a restaurant and small mini-mart, and there’s a couple restaurants nearby. I had the rental car while I was there, but there was also a bus stop right out front.

Mdina

An ancient city that actually used to be the capital of Malta! Now however it’s better known for its appearance in Game of Thrones, and there’s actually GOT Tours that will take you around to all the spots where the show was filmed…

For those of us who aren’t familiar with GOT, Mdina is an exciting escape into what feels like its still a medieval city, especially when the Malta Experience is happening and people are dressed up and acting like Knights!

I ended up staying in Mdina because it was getting late and I didn’t want to drive in the dark, but I actually really liked the snug little studio I found last minute there.

Dingli Cliffs

About 15 minutes from Mdina, towards the coast, are the Dingli Cliffs which are one of the top iconic spots to photograph in Malta. Their breathtaking sheerness into the blue waters is stunning to see, especially at sunset.

Marsaxlokk

This is a popular market town that also has a ton of really cure old-fashioned fishing boats on its bay. The market has tons of local (and not so local, “Made in China”) goodies, and is a short distance to the more impressive St. Peter’s Pool.

St. Peter’s Pool

This is one of the places that buses don’t go…because they wouldn’t fit on the road that goes to it. I believe you can get dropped off relatively close to it though by bus.

By car you take the narrowest road ever to a parking lot, passing a stunning bay on the way, and there you can easily climb the pathway down to the pool.

It’s definitely less crowded than places like the Blue Lagoon, but since it’s also a lot smaller, it still gets pretty crowded with sunbathers and cliff jumpers.

Qrendi (Blue Grotto)

Another one of the most famous landmarks to see in Malta. You can easily drive to it, or of course the tourist bus drops you near it. If you do the tourist bus you do have to walk about half a mile to get to this view point.

You can also pay to take a small boat in the actual grotto. But in my opinion, the view from up here is much better!

GOZO

Ferry Terminal: Gozo Ferry Terminal

Roundtrip Cost:   Car + Passenger: €16

There were a couple of places I specifically wanted to see on Gozo, and also a few places I skipped because I didn’t feel like attempting to drive the damn rental car through the narrow, crowded streets. There are also the public buses, and tourist buses on the island as well!

Top Places to See:

West Gozo:

Area I Stayed in: Gharba — a small and quiet but very cute little town, which I chose because of how close it was to the Blue Hole.

And also because it would have less traffic for me to try and drive through. Great for proximity to sites, but not much else to do, including places to eat. I stayed at a B&B called Fieldend B&B which was very lovely, but not close to any shops or food.

The Blue Hole (and previous Azure Window):

Prior to 2017, one of the most photographed sites in all of Malta was the Azure Window on the west coast of Gozo.

Then it collapsed and now it’s just a cliffside, but what I found way more interesting to see was the Blue Hole below it! It’s a stunning site to see from above, and you can also scuba dive in it as well!

Inland Sea:

The Inland Sea is in the same area as the Blue Hole, and honestly not as visually alluring as I was hoping.

The water looks a bit polluted, and the shanty buildings surrounding it don’t exactly make the small area very appealing.

You can pay €4 to take a small boat through the cave tunnel/grotto that goes out into the ocean, and you can also scuba dive through it. I opted for a completely different approach and view though…and flew my drone over it.

– Ta’Pinu: Although these names sound like some sort of Polynesian temple, they are actually basilicas, and they’re in pretty much every little town. The one in the west and where I stayed was very beautiful, but for some reason, the the stunning front of it faced out over a valley…and you weren’t able to stand in front of it…

-Wied Il-Mielah: A rock “window” that looks awfully similar to photos of the Azure Window, yet doesn’t get much recognition! I went for sunset and got really great photos, and there was no one else there except a local couple canoodling on top of their car watching the sunset.

Central and East

Victoria: The main center of Gozo is Victoria, and is where I had an anxiety attack trying to drive manual through the heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Other than that it’s another really cute little Maltese town where people seemed to be shopping and enjoying eating outside.

Rambla Bay (Red Sand Beach):

While I was flying my drone at the Blue Lagoon, a couple of intrigued locals informed me of their favorite location on Gozo — the Red Sand Beach.

When I got there I realized it was pretty popular for both locals and tourists, so definitely get there early, especially if you’re driving and need a parking spot!

Once you get down to the beach, if you want to opt for an adventure, head all the way to the right and take the train that goes up along the cliffside! You can take it all the way up to a cave in the side of the mountain where there’s some stunning views of Rambla Bay!

Comino Island/The Blue Lagoon

If anyone tries to tell you the Blue Lagoon is super touristy and not worth going, do not listen to them. This little island’s bay has some of the clearest, brightest blue water that I’ve ever seen in my life…and I’ve been to 91 countries!!!

Instead, think about getting there extra early to avoid crowds! To do that you’ll need to take the ferry, but if you don’t mind crowds, the island cruises are a good alternative as well. Here’s the info:

Ferry to Comino/Blue Lagoon: 

– Located at: Ċirkewwa     *NOT the ferry terminal for Gozo!

• • Leaves every 30-45 minutes, and more frequently in summer/high season.
  • Cost: €10 roundtrip

Once your there, or even from the small marina cities near the ferry terminals, you can opt to arrange additional boat rides to other parts of the island if you’d like. Or you can bask in the sun, snorkel the clear waters, or simply just relax in them like everyone else.

Island Cruises:

• • Leaves from several marina locations near Mallieha

• • Cost: Between €14-25 depending on the company
  • Includes: Stops at several caves before giving you 2 hours at Blue Lagoon, food, some include drinks

I almost did this option because it included food, and went to more locations than just the Blue Lagoon, but since I was needing to get photos, it didn’t seem as beneficial as taking the earlier ferry with all of my camera gear.

Hiking on Comino Island:

There’s also a lot of hiking paths you can take which make for the most stunning views and photos!

After disembarking the ferry, there’s a short hike to the left where you’ll find a less crowded little cove, and all the way to the right is where the sailboats park. There’s many more areas to discover as well depending on how long you have!

So yeah! Hopefully this gives you enough information to self-plan a trip to Malta! I’ll try to get more photos up soon!