Malta Explorer

Itinerary · 7 days

The Cittadella in Victoria, Gozo, rising above the rooftops at golden hour, with the central Gozo countryside stretching toward the western cliffs

7 days in Malta and Gozo: the classic week, with Comino half-day

4 nights Malta + 3 nights Gozo: Valletta, Mdina, the southern temples, the Cittadella, Ggantija, Dwejra, Ramla, and a Comino early-morning excursion. Independent itinerary.

Seven days is the right length for a first Malta trip. Four nights on Malta cover Valletta, Mdina, the southern temples, and the central villages. Three nights on Gozo include the Cittadella, Ggantija, Dwejra, Ramla, and one slow day in your converted farmhouse. The Comino early-morning excursion fits naturally as a half-day from Gozo. Nothing rushed, no sights crammed; the country opens up at the pace it deserves.

Who this works for

  • First-time visitors with a clear week available.
  • Couples, small groups, or families with school-age children.
  • Anyone who prefers depth over checklist tourism.

The single most common pre-trip mistake: planning the full week on Malta and treating Gozo as a daytrip. The 4+3 split is the strong recommendation, with the second-strongest being 3+4 if you are diving or hiking.

Day 1: arrival and Valletta evening

Land at the airport, X4 bus or Bolt to your Valletta hotel. Drop bags, change shoes.

Late afternoon walk: Triton Fountain → Republic Street → St John’s Co-Cathedral (book online ahead) → Upper Barrakka → Lower Barrakka.

Evening dinner inside the walls. Strait Street walk at 21:00.

Day 2: Valletta deep + Three Cities

Morning: Casa Rocca Piccola (€9, hourly tours) and the National Museum of Archaeology (€6).

Lunch at a small kitchen off Republic Street (Legligin, Rampila).

Afternoon dghajsa to Birgu (€2). Inquisitor’s Palace, Fort St Angelo rampart, walk to Senglea’s Gardjola Gardens. Return dghajsa around 18:00.

Evening dinner in Valletta. Walk the bastions after dark.

Day 3: Mdina, Rabat, Mosta

Morning bus #202 or drive to Rabat. St Paul’s Catacombs (90 minutes), Domus Romana (45 minutes), lunch at Crystal Palace pastizzeria.

Afternoon: walk up to Mdina. Aim for arrival around 16:00; the cruise crowds are leaving. St Paul’s Cathedral and Museum (€10, 90 minutes), Mdina walking spine, Bastion Square for sunset.

Optional Mosta detour before sunset: 15 minutes drive, dome and bomb story, 30 minutes inside.

Dinner in Mdina. Return to Valletta or sleep in Mdina if you have a Xara Palace booking.

Day 4: the southern temples, Marsaxlokk, Dingli Cliffs

Hire a car for this day if you have not already (or pick it up at the airport at the end of day 3 to use for the Gozo half of the trip).

Morning: Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (€10 combined ticket, 2 hours). Or Tarxien Temples + the Hypogeum if you have tickets booked (€40, 60 minutes).

Late morning: Wied iz-Zurrieq cliff viewpoint, optional Blue Grotto boat (€8).

Lunch in Marsaxlokk (Sunday is the famous market day; weekday is the working harbour). Eat at Tartarun or Ir-Rizzu.

Afternoon: Dingli Cliffs for late-afternoon golden hour and sunset. Pick a flat stone, bring a fleece.

Evening drive back to your Malta base. This is the last Malta-side night; pack for the Gozo crossing tomorrow.

Day 5: ferry to Gozo, Cittadella, settle in

Morning crossing: drive to Cirkewwa, ferry to Mgarr, drive to your Gozo accommodation. Aim for arrival between 11:00 and 12:00.

Afternoon settling: lunch in your accommodation village or in Victoria. Cittadella visit (€15 combined ticket): the bastion circuit + Cathedral + Cathedral Museum + Old Prisons. 3 hours including breaks.

Evening dinner in Victoria or at a village kitchen. Pace yourself; the Gozo nights are designed to be slower than the Malta nights.

Day 6: Ggantija morning, Comino half-day OR Dwejra, dinner

Two route options depending on your Comino interest.

Route A: includes Comino early morning (the strong recommendation if you want the Blue Lagoon at its best):

  • 05:30: wake up.
  • 06:30: drive to Mgarr.
  • 07:30 or 08:00 small ferry to Comino (€10 return, 10 minutes each way).
  • 08:00-11:30: Blue Lagoon (empty before 09:30), Crystal Lagoon walk, Santa Marija Tower climb. Return on the 11:00 or 11:30 boat.
  • Lunch back on Gozo in Mgarr or Xlendi.
  • Afternoon: Ggantija + Ta’ Kola windmill (90 minutes), then Dwejra for late afternoon (Inland Sea boat + swim).
  • Dinner at Ta’ Frenc in Xagħra (book ahead) or Ic-Cima in Xlendi.

Route B: no Comino:

  • Morning: Ggantija temples + Ta’ Kola windmill + Xagħra Stone Circle (€10 combined ticket, 2 hours).
  • Lunch in Xagħra.
  • Afternoon: drive to Dwejra (Inland Sea boat, Fungus Rock view, Dwejra Bay swim). 2 hours.
  • Late afternoon: a short coastal walk near Sannat or San Lawrenz, or a swim at Daħlet Qorrot on the east coast.
  • Dinner at Ta’ Frenc or a village restaurant.

Day 7: Ramla, slow morning, return ferry

Morning: Ramla Bay for one final swim and the walk up to Calypso’s Cave. Pack a picnic; the beach has only two seasonal kiosks.

Lunch: pack-and-eat at Ramla or drive back to your accommodation for a slow farmhouse lunch.

Afternoon return crossing: pack up, drive to Mgarr, board the 15:00 or 15:30 ferry. Arrive Cirkewwa around 16:00.

Drive to airport for an evening flight, or to a Malta-side hotel near the airport if you have a morning departure tomorrow.

For a 7-night trip with a morning departure on day 8, add one final overnight at a Bugibba or airport-area hotel and use the late afternoon on day 7 for the Cirkewwa-area swim or a final Sliema sunset.

Where to sleep

Malta side (4 nights):

  • Nights 1-3 in Valletta inside the walls (€180-300/night) or Sliema (€90-140/night).
  • Night 3 OR night 4 optionally in Mdina (€220-450/night) for the late-evening silent city experience.
  • Night 4 (if not in Mdina) at the same Malta-side base before the Gozo crossing.

Gozo side (3 nights):

  • Strong recommendation: a converted farmhouse in San Lawrenz, Sannat, Munxar or Gharb. €140-280/night.
  • Alternative: Cittadella boutique in Victoria (€130-220) or Xlendi seafront (€80-180).

Two-base trip is the standard pattern. Three-base (adding a Mdina night) works for travellers willing to repack mid-Malta.

Transport pattern

  • Days 1-3: bus + Sliema-Valletta ferry. No car needed.
  • Day 4 onwards: hire a car. Use it for the southern day, drive onto the Gozo ferry, use it on Gozo, drive back, return at the airport on departure day.

This pattern keeps the car-hire days to 4 (vs 7 for a continuous rental), reducing the cost by €60-80 and avoiding Valletta parking entirely on days 1-3.

Budget

At mid-range, expect €1,100-1,600 per person for the 7-day trip including flights, two hotels (Malta + Gozo), 4 days car rental, ferries, lunches, dinners, and museum admissions. Add €300-500 for boutique upgrades on either side.

The honest paragraph

Seven days in Malta with the 4+3 Malta-Gozo split is the format that most first-time visitors come away thinking they got right. The trip has rhythm: Valletta intensity at the start, Gozo slowness at the end, with Comino slotting in as a half-day surprise. Adding a third Gozo night (a 5+5 pattern over 10 days) is the next upgrade if budget allows. Going shorter than 7 days means sacrificing something material, usually Gozo’s depth.

For travellers who specifically want to dive, hike or kayak intensively, the active 7-day itinerary is a different rhythm covering the same period.