Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea with beautiful baroque architecture, a lively old town atmosphere and stunning scenery with cliffside hiking trails, crystal blue water and coastal caves. It is great for a relaxed beachside holiday, the sunrise hikers and those interested in the fascinating history of Malta and their megalithic temple culture.
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How long should I stay?
With an efficient and expansive bus system it is easy to explore the island in 2 to 3 days, but I would recommend staying longer if you’re visiting in the summer to allocate time for beachside activities or a trip to Gozo.
I visited Malta in early March with my sister, arriving on Saturday night and flying back home mid day on Tuesday. This gave us 2 full days to explore the island, and an extra evening and breakfast in Valletta where we stayed. I think this was a good amount of time as we were able to fit a lot into our trip.
Read our full itinerary for Exploring Malta in 2-3 Days ▸
Should I stay in Valletta or a nearby town?
We got a great deal on an apartment in the city centre of Valletta, but we originally looked at staying in St.Julian’s. Just a 10 minute bus journey away, its perks are being a tourist town with a small beach front and generally cheaper than staying in Valletta.
However, If you can get a good deal or don’t mind spending a bit extra, it’s worth staying in Valletta, allowing you to explore the picturesque city at your own pace, and being conveniently located for the bus station. Being a relatively small city it is easy to walk around in a few hours and the collection of museums are all in close proximity. We were able to explore Valletta in the early morning before the wave of tourists arrived and when we came back from our day trips in the golden hour light. It was also nice to spend the evenings in the city in the many squares and long streets with a buzzing atmosphere just a short walk from our apartment.
Another thing to think about is how much of the island you would like to explore whilst on your Malta adventure. With Valletta being the transportation hub of the island, staying outside of the city would require an additional bus and change over in Valletta for each of your trips. But don’t worry if you’ve already planned on staying somewhere else. We explain below how you can save some money with an unlimited bus pass!
For a list of the top things to do and places to visit in Malta, read our Top 10 Island Highlights ▸
Save money with a bus pass
It is very easy to get around Malta by bus, with a regular and reliable timetable and buses that continue into the evening. In the arrivals area of the airport there are machines to purchase bus passes, known as Talljina cards. You can also pay for a single ticket whilst getting on the bus, however, we would recommend getting a pass as you can save money even with just a couple days of travel.
There are Talljina cards that we would recommend;
‘12 Single Day Journeys Card’ is €21 and gives you 12 journeys to use within 6 months of your first usage. Perfect for a weekend trip or a more relaxed beach stay.
Another option is the ‘Explore Card’ €25 for Adults and €7 for children this provides unlimited travel for 7 days.
You can read more about the Talljina cards on the Malta Public Transport website ▸
If you’re unsure if 12 journeys will be enough for your trip we would recommend the Explore card. This is the card we went with, purely because the machine ran out of the 12 day cards, but we still made our money's worth and knowing it was unlimited meant we visited more places than planned and even hopped over to Sliema for the sunset view of Valletta. We did the maths and with 11 bus trips over our 2-3 day trip we saved €3 with the Explore Card, imagine how much you will save on the 7 day unlimited card if you’re staying longer!
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