MyPassportStory
Your travels, worth telling.
MyPassportStory › Destinations › Malta
π²πΉThings to Do in Malta
From Valletta's fortress walls to the Blue Lagoon's turquoise water - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Malta is small enough to see most of it in under a week - a fortified capital, a silent walled former capital, prehistoric temples older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, and a scatter of small islands offshore, all within a short drive or ferry ride of each other. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Valletta
Malta's fortified capital, built by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage city - St. John's Co-Cathedral holds a Caravaggio painting among its baroque interior.
π Valletta
π Malta has no railway: every bus route ends at the Valletta terminus outside the City Gate, and the Barrakka lift carries you up from the Grand Harbour waterfront in 25 seconds.
Blue Lagoon, Comino
A shallow, brilliantly turquoise inlet on the tiny island of Comino, between Malta and Gozo, reachable by boat - one of the most photographed spots in the Maltese islands, best visited early to beat the day-boat crowds.
π Comino
π Ferries run from Cirkewwa and Marfa on Malta and from Mgarr on Gozo, taking 20 to 25 minutes - Comino has no cars, no roads and one hotel, so the boat is the whole transport system.
Mdina
Malta's 'Silent City,' a walled medieval former capital with narrow car-free streets, used as a filming location for parts of Game of Thrones' early seasons.
π Mdina
π Bus routes 51, 52 and 53 from Valletta reach Mdina in about half an hour; the silent city is walled and car-free, entered through the baroque main gate on foot.
Δ¦aΔ‘ar Qim & Mnajdra Temples
Megalithic temple complexes predating Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids by over a thousand years, among the oldest free-standing structures in the world.
π Qrendi, southern Malta
π Bus 74 from Valletta runs to Hagar Qim's visitor centre in about 50 minutes - the two temple complexes are joined by a 500m path down the slope towards the sea.
Gozo
Malta's quieter sister island, with the Δ gantija temples (also older than Stonehenge), the Inland Sea rock formation, and a slower pace than the Maltese mainland.
π Gozo
π The Gozo Channel ferry runs every 45 minutes from Cirkewwa to Mgarr, taking 25 minutes, with Gozo's own bus network fanning out from Victoria at the island's centre.
Diving Malta's Wrecks & Reefs
Malta's clear water and numerous shipwrecks, including WWII vessels, have made it one of the Mediterranean's most popular diving destinations, with sites suited to both beginners and advanced divers.
π Across Malta & Gozo
π Dive centres cluster in Sliema, St Paul's Bay and Marsalforn on Gozo, all on bus routes - shore dives like the Blue Hole at Dwejra are reached by bus and a short walk.
Mark Malta, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Malta?
4-5 days covers Valletta, Mdina and the Blue Lagoon well. A week lets you add Gozo and a proper diving day without rushing.
What's the best time to visit Malta?
April-June and September-October have warm, comfortable weather without peak-summer heat or crowds. July-August are hottest and busiest, particularly at the Blue Lagoon.
Is Malta good for a first-time visit?
Yes - it's small, English is an official language alongside Maltese, and buses and ferries connect the main sights and islands easily without needing a car.
Do I need a visa to visit Malta?
Malta is part of the Schengen Area, so citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: foreignandeu.gov.mt.
What are some things to do in Malta on a tight budget?
Walking Valletta's and Mdina's fortified streets costs nothing, Malta's public buses are inexpensive and cover most of the island, and visiting the Blue Lagoon by public ferry rather than a private boat tour cuts the cost significantly.
Can I rent a car in Malta, and what licence do I need?
Yes, though the bus network reaches every site on this list and the islands are small. EU and EEA licences are valid as issued; other visitors may drive on a home licence for up to 12 months, with an International Driving Permit if it is not in English. Minimum age is usually 21 to 25. Traffic drives on the left, roads are narrow and parking in Valletta and Sliema is genuinely difficult - many visitors park outside and take the bus or ferry in. Official rules are published by Transport Malta at transport.gov.mt.