Things to do in Malta

The 17 best things to do in Malta

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1. 1Valletta

   See Caravaggio and the gilded interior of St John's Co-Cathedral

   St John's Co-Cathedral was built in 1572 by the Knights of St John, and inside it is a Baroque masterpiece. You find ornate marble floors, vaulted ceilings painted by Mattia Preti and, in the Oratory, Caravaggio's The Beheading of St John the Baptist, the only painting he ever signed. Caravaggio reached Malta in 1607 after fleeing Rome, was welcomed into the Order, then was imprisoned in Fort St Angelo and escaped to Sicily. His St Jerome hangs in the cathedral too.

   Tip: Save time for the Oratory, where the Caravaggio hangs, and look down as well as up at the marble floors.

   €[fee]; closed SundaysKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (official); Visit Malta (official, Malta Tourism Authority)
2. 2VallettaBook ahead

   Descend into the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum underground burial complex

   The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an underground burial complex carved from globigerina limestone, in use between 4000 BC and 1500 BC. A stone mason found it by accident in 1902 while digging foundations for houses. Halls, chambers and passages are cut over three levels, and the deepest room lies 10.6 meters below road level. Some smooth middle-level chambers echo the shapes of Malta's above-ground megalithic temples. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1981. Only 10 people are allowed in at once to protect the air and humidity, and photography is banned. It sits in Paola, not far from the Grand Harbour.

   Tip: Book as far ahead as you can, because it is one of Malta's most popular attractions and last-minute tickets are sold only one day ahead.

   Entry: €35 (about $39) · Book a time slotFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
3. 3Valletta

   Tour Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum

   Fort St Elmo guards the tip of the Valletta peninsula. A star-shaped fort was built here in 1552, and in 1565 it took the full force of the Ottoman siege, holding out for a month before it fell on 23 June. On 11 June 1940 it suffered the first aerial bombing of Malta in the Second World War. Today the National War Museum inside covers 7,000 years of Maltese military history in seven sections, with the Second World War best represented. Highlights include the Gloster Sea Gladiator called Faith, Roosevelt's jeep Husky and the George Cross awarded to Malta. The grounds also have two chapels dedicated to St Anne and wide views over the harbours.

   Tip: On days when the In Guardia show runs, regular admission starts at noon, so check the show dates before you go.

   Entry: €10 (about $11) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (official)
4. 4Mdina

   Wander the walled streets of Mdina, the silent city

   Mdina is one of Europe's finest walled cities, a mix of medieval and Baroque buildings with palaces lining narrow, shady streets. Its medieval name, Città Notabile, means the noble city, and noble families still live here, some descended from Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords who settled from the 12th century. Tradition says St Paul lived here after his shipwreck in 60 AD. It is known as the silent city and is lit by lamps at night. Rabat, just outside the walls, holds Roman and early Christian sites to visit next.

   Tip: Come back after dark if you can, when the lamplit lanes are at their most atmospheric.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Visit Malta (official, Malta Tourism Authority); Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
5. 5Valletta

   Explore the State Rooms and Armoury of the Grand Master's Palace

   The Grand Master's Palace was the first building the Knights of St John put up in Valletta, and it has stood on St George's Square for around 450 years. It later became the Governor's Palace, hosted Malta's first constitutional parliament in 1921 and is now the seat of the Office of the President. Inside, the State Rooms hold Matteo Perez d'Aleccio's paintings of the Great Siege of 1565 and Baroque illusionistic ceilings. The former Parliament Chamber is now the Armoury, with armor of Grand Masters Alof de Wignacourt and Jean de Valette. It is Heritage Malta's most visited site, with around 300,000 visitors a year.

   Tip: The palace occasionally closes for state functions, so check Heritage Malta's notices on the day.

   Entry: €12 (about $13) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
6. 6Qrendi

   Walk the megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra

   Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra are two megalithic temple sites more than 5,000 years old, part of the UNESCO listing for the Megalithic Temples of Malta since 1992. Ħaġar Qim sits on top of a promontory, with an unusual outer wall of doorways and features, and views over open sea. Mnajdra lies 500 meters downhill. Its south temple's doorway lines up with sunrise at the spring and autumn equinoxes, and at the solstices the rising sun lights different decorated slabs inside. Protective shelters were added in 2008. The park, in Qrendi, also has a Visitor Centre.

   Tip: Wear sturdy shoes, since Mnajdra is 500 meters downhill and is not accessible for visitors with limited mobility.

   Entry: €10 (about $11) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
7. 7Gozo

   Climb the ramparts of Cittadella in Victoria, Gozo

   Cittadella is Gozo's fortified hilltop city, visible from across the island and occupied since prehistoric times. It was fortified in the Bronze Age, grew into a Roman acropolis with a temple to Juno, and was rebuilt by the Knights of St John between 1599 and 1603. Until 1637 the whole population had to spend the night inside for safety, and the 1551 Ottoman raid had taken nearly all of Gozo's people into slavery. Inside the walls stand the baroque Cathedral of Santa Marija and small museums, including archaeology, folklore and nature. A walk along the ramparts gives a full circle of views over Gozo and across to Malta.

   Tip: Walk the full circuit of the ramparts for the views, and book museum tickets online through Heritage Malta.

   Walk the citadel; museums charge
   Sources: Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo); Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo)
8. 8Comino

   Swim at the Blue Lagoon on Comino

   Comino is the smallest inhabited island of the archipelago, about 3.5 square kilometers with only two residents, and its Blue Lagoon is famous for turquoise water and white sand. The island has no roads, shops or facilities beyond seasonal kiosks, so you explore on foot. Beyond the lagoon you can reach quieter Santa Marija Bay, the sea caves, and the 1618 Santa Marija Tower, and a hike around the whole island takes about three hours. Boats cross from Mġarr in Gozo in around 15 minutes, or from Ċirkewwa in about 35. Since 2025 every visitor arriving by boat must pre-book a free time slot.

   Tip: Reserve your free Blue Lagoon slot on the official booking site first, then book the boat, and bring water, snacks and sun protection.

   Boat trip needed; check the booking notice
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo); Malta Tourism Authority (official)
9. 9Gozo

   Step inside the Ġgantija Temples on Gozo

   Ġgantija is a pair of Neolithic temples on the Xagħra plateau in Gozo, built from hard coralline limestone with softer globigerina limestone for doorways, altars and decorated slabs. Each temple has its own entrance, a row of apses around a central corridor and a shared outer megalithic wall. Fragments of plaster with red ochre show the inner walls were once painted. Animal bones, hearths and libation holes in the floor point to feasting and offerings. The site is among Malta's first UNESCO World Heritage listings. You enter through an interpretation centre with audiovisuals and finds from Gozo, then follow an outdoor path to the temples.

   Tip: Allow about an hour, and note that photos are fine without tripods but flash is banned inside the interpretation centre.

   Combo with Ta' Kola Windmill: €10 (about $11) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (official); Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo); Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
10. 10Birgu

    Explore Fort St Angelo in Birgu across the Grand Harbour

    Fort St Angelo stands on a hillock at the end of the Birgu peninsula, dominating the Grand Harbour. It was a medieval stronghold known as Castrum Maris by 1274, then headquarters of the Order of St John after 1530, and it played a major role in the Great Siege of 1565. The Royal Navy used it as a base until the last foreign forces left in March 1979, and it took 69 direct hits in the Second World War. Today you can see its artillery and displays, with panoramic views of the surrounding fortified towns. Reach Birgu by ferry between Valletta and the Three Cities.

    Tip: Expect steps to reach the upper fort, so wear comfortable shoes.

    Entry: €10 (about $11) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt); Visit Malta (official, Malta Tourism Authority)
11. 11Valletta

    Meet the Sleeping Lady at the National Museum of Archaeology

    The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta is the best first step into Malta's prehistory, with finds from the Neolithic period to the early Phoenician era. The ground floor shows tools, vessels and figures from the temple sites, including the Sleeping Lady, the Venus of Malta and a colossal statue from Ħal Tarxien. Upstairs are skulls from the Hypogeum, Bronze Age and Phoenician displays, a large terracotta sarcophagus and the Cippus that helped decode the Phoenician alphabet. The museum is in the Auberge de Provence, a Baroque building dating to 1571, whose painted Gran Salon is worth a look.

    Tip: Visit it before or after the Hypogeum, since the Sleeping Lady statuette from there is displayed in this museum.

    €[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (official); Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
12. 12Marsaxlokk

    Browse the Sunday fish market at Marsaxlokk

    Marsaxlokk Bay is Malta's second largest natural harbor and the best place to see the luzzu, the traditional painted fishing boats with a mythical eye on the prow. The village is the main fishing harbor of the islands, and its Sunday fish market shows off the night's catch in every shape and color, with plenty of fish restaurants nearby. The name joins the Arabic word for harbor with the Maltese name of the south-easterly wind, the Xlokk. The Ottomans landed here for the attack that ended in the Great Siege of 1565, and Napoleon's army in 1798. Nearby Delimara Point has two rocky inlets for swimming, including Peter's Pool.

    Tip: Come on a Sunday for the fish market, and eat at one of the village's fish restaurants.

    Pay as you go
    Sources: Visit Malta (visitmalta.com), the Malta Tourism Authority
13. 13Gozo

    See the Inland Sea and Fungus Rock at Dwejra

    Dwejra is a stretch of dramatic coast on Gozo where the sea spills over the rocks. The Inland Sea is a lagoon in a circular depression, connected to the open sea by a 100 meter tunnel used by small boats, with old fishermen's huts still standing and boat trips on offer. Nearby, Fungus Rock was once guarded by the Knights of St John for a prized medicinal plant, and the 1652 tower watched the coast. The famous Azure Window arch collapsed in 2017, and its site is now a dive spot, as is the Blue Hole. Dwejra Bay was also a filming location for Game of Thrones.

    Tip: Take care in rough weather and stay back from the edge of the shore.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo)
14. 14Valletta

    Hear the noon gun fire at the Saluting Battery

    The Saluting Battery is a gun platform high on Valletta's eastern ramparts with views over the Grand Harbour and the fortified towns around it. For almost 500 years its guns protected the harbour, and later it became the island's main saluting platform for state occasions and visiting ships. From the 1820s a gun was also fired at mid-day so ship masters could set their chronometers. After a lull of nearly half a century, the battery was restored and its guns once again mark mid-day each day. It is perhaps the oldest saluting battery still in operation anywhere in the world.

    Tip: Arrive a little before mid-day to find a spot on the ramparts, since the guns fire at noon.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Malta (official, Malta Tourism Authority)
15. 15Mdina

    Descend into St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat

    St Paul's Catacombs are the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta, a maze of connected underground cemeteries used from Punic and Roman times up to the 7th century AD or later. The main complex covers over 2,000 square meters, with more than 30 hypogea in the area. The first two halls have pillars carved to look like Doric columns and round stone tables, called triclinia, probably used for meals during an annual festival of the dead. The link to St Paul is a myth, but the cemetery was part of the ancient city of Melite. It is also the first site in Malta to receive the European Heritage Label.

    Tip: Allow one to two hours, and use the audio guide, which also has a version for children.

    Entry: €6 (about $7) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Heritage Malta (heritagemalta.mt)
16. 16Gozo

    Visit the Ta' Pinu Basilica, Gozo's national shrine

    Ta' Pinu is Gozo's most famous place of pilgrimage. It began in June 1883, when a woman heard the voice of the Virgin Mary in an old chapel, and in the following years many faithful reported miracles there. Gozitans, including those abroad, raised funds for a larger church, and volunteers built it from 1920. It was consecrated in 1931, and the original 16th century chapel was kept inside the new building. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the forecourt in 1990 and Pope Francis visited in 2022. Opposite the church, Ta' Għammar Hill carries 14 white marble statues showing the Stations of the Cross.

    Tip: Walk up Ta' Għammar Hill opposite the church for the Stations of the Cross, and keep your voice low inside.

    Check the visiting hours
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Malta (visitmalta.com), the Malta Tourism Authority; Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo)
17. 17Gozo

    Relax on the red sand of Ramla Bay

    Ramla Bay, known locally as Ramla il-Ħamra or the Red Sandy Beach, is widely considered Gozo's finest beach. It is a Natura 2000 protected site with a rare sand dune habitat, and it stays undeveloped, with just a few cafes and a small stall set back from the sand. Swimming and snorkeling are the main draws, and terraced fields in the valley above make a patchwork when seen from the hills. Roman remains and features from the time of the Knights lie beneath the sand. You can reach the bay from Xagħra or from the village of Nadur, and Gozo's mild climate keeps it pleasant outside summer too.

    Tip: Treat the dunes as the protected habitat they are, and bring what you need beyond the few cafes.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Gozo (official, Ministry for Gozo)

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