19 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Malta

We just returned from a family trip to Malta, and it was suuuuch a dreamy holiday. We traveled as a small family (4-year-old & 1-year-old) and it was absolutely perfect. Although we traveled as a family, Malta is the ideal destination for any type of traveler.

Malta is a small, Mediterranean island nation located just southwest of Italy and east of Tunisia in Africa. It’s known for crystal clear blue water, gorgeous rocky cliffs, beautiful historical cities, and friendly locals.

We started our trip to Malta with 3 nights on Gozo and finished it with 4 nights in Malta. We were so, so happy that we chose to spend multiple nights on Gozo and we wish we would have stayed there even longer (although, we were glad we had so much time to spend on Malta as well- it’s all just so great).

This post is to help you with all of the things you need to know before you take a trip to Malta- my top Malta tips that we wish we had known before our visit to Malta!

If you are looking for more information about visiting Malta as a family, check out my two guides: 23 Amazing Things to Do in Malta with Kids and 23 Amazing Things to do in Gozo with Kids.

*There are affiliate links in this post.  Read my privacy/disclosure policy to learn more.

Is Malta Worth Visiting?

Yes, yes, definitely yes. Malta is absolutely gorgeous with so many different things to see and do. You can choose to visit beautiful sandy beaches, breathtaking rocky coves, or stunning old cities.

You can take guided boat tours, delicious food tours, and even full-day trips around the island.

Or you can rent a car (like we did) and cruise the island at your own pace. It’s a great way to really take in the beauty of this Mediterranean destination (plus we took a boat tour).

If you’re traveling with kiddos- no worries because Malta is perfect for families too (we were there with our two young kids)!

19 Things You Need to Know Before Planning a Trip to Malta

1. The country of Malta is made up of 3 main islands

First things first- you’ll want to get acquainted a bit with Malta’s geography so that you know how and where to spend your time. Malta is comprised of three main islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Malta is the largest main island where the airport and the largest cities are located (plus many other beautiful places).

Gozo is the second largest island and is just a short, 25-minute ferry ride from Malta. It’s much quieter and less visited than Malta (however, it definitely needs to be on your Malta itinerary).

Comino is the smallest of the three islands. It has very little infrastructure on the island, but it is where the famous Blue Lagoon is located (more on that later).

2. The Water on Malta is so, so, so blue

If you’ve seen any photos of Malta, then you’ve seen how blue the water is. I was pretty hesitant to get my hopes up about the blueness of the water (we’re looking at you, photo filters). But as soon as I saw the water in Malta for the first time I was pleasantly surprised that it actually WAS crazy blue.

The most famous blue-water spot in Malta is the Blue Lagoon which is located on the small island of Comino. There are a few different ways to get to the Blue Lagoon. You can either take the ferry from either Cirkewwa Malta or Gozo to the Blue Lagoon or you can book a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon. The boat trips often include snorkeling, time anchored in other pretty coves, and more.

There are private boat trips to the Blue Lagoon, sunset cruises to the Blue Lagoon, and powerboat trips to the Blue Lagoon (plus loads of other trip choices- you can check them all out on Viator or read my guide to the Blue Lagoon).

Keep in mind that the Blue Lagoon can get crazyyyy crowded so I highly recommend visiting first thing in the morning (like 9 am) or much later in the day (like 5 pm).

However, the Blue Lagoon is by far not the only blue water in Malta. You’ll find gorgeous blue water almost everywhere- try visiting Ramla Bay, Ghar Lapsi, Riviera Bay, or St. Peters Pool (or pretty much any other beach/cove).

3. The Best Time of Year to Visit Malta is May-June or September-October

If you want great swimming weather but don’t want to be melting in the Malta heat, I recommend visiting Malta from May-June or September-October. During these months you’ll see high temps in the mid-70°s F-low 80°s F.

We visited in June and had days with temperatures between 76°- 83° F and it could not have been better. It was always plenty warm to swim and it was just getting to the point where some days felt a bit too hot (however, a dip in the water immediately cooled us down).

I would not have wanted to be there when the temps were any higher. If you visit in July or August, you’ll definitely get higher temps reaching into the 90°s (plus you get more crowds). I don’t know why you’d want to battle crowds and get roasted by the Malta sun in July and August- just visit a different month.

4. Lodging in Malta Can be Quite Affordable

Compared to European cities like London or Amsterdam you get SO much more bang for your buck in Malta. We found a gorgeous 2-bedroom Airbnb on Gozo with amazing views and a pool for just 200 euro per night and we stayed in a simple (but new) 2-bedroom Airbnb on Malta for only 70 euro per night.

There are many different hotels and vacation rentals in Malta from basic rentals to 5-star hotels. You’ll be able to find what you need no matter the type of traveler you are.

5. Spend 7 Days in Malta to Really See Most of the Main Attractions

I’ve read so many short Malta itineraries that really miss the vast majority of the beautiful things to see and do on Malta. It breaks my heart that someone can leave Malta without realizing how many gorgeous places there are.

Because of this, my top recommendation would be to take your time in Malta and spend a week traveling and relaxing on both the islands of Malta and Gozo. If you don’t have a week- then try for five days.

If you don’t have time for five days, then spend at LEAST three full days. Trust me, you’ll thank me later (and be sure some of that time is spent on Gozo).

6. Both English and Maltese are the Official languages of Malta

Something that makes traveling in Malta a little easier is that English is one of the official languages (along with Maltese). You’ll hear locals speaking both English and Maltese together and pretty much all signs/grocery store items are in English.

Thankfully, you can easily get by with only English in most places you visit in the world these days. However, sometimes it’s just nice to be surrounded by English and not have to worry about doing any translating.

7. Malta is a Great Place to Travel with Kids

We traveled to Malta with our 4-year-old and our 1-year-old and it was absolutely amazing. The people were very kind and helpful and our kids couldn’t get enough of all of the different water and beach activities. Our 4-year-old even wandered through Valletta with us (sans stroller) and she had a blast.

If you’re headed to Malta as a family, be sure to check out my guide to visiting Malta as a family: 23 Amazing Things to in Malta with Kids + Top Tips, Itinerary & Map. I also have a Gozo-specific guide: 23 Amazing Things to do in Gozo with Kids.

We opted to not bring a stroller to Malta as we have previously done when we visited Amsterdam with kids or Paris with kids. Instead, we let our 4-year-old walk and brought our baby carrier for our 1-year-old.

Since the vast majority of our activities in Malta were playing at different beaches we had no need for the stroller. And Valletta was a manageable enough city that our 4-year-old was able to walk on her own (a stroller really would have been quite difficult in Valletta anyway).

Our 4-year-old talks of how this was the best trip she’s ever been on (and she’s been on a lot of trips😅). If you do Malta right- your family will have a total blast.

I don’t think she’s had more fun on vacation than she did in Malta. It even beat out our trip to Disneyland Paris (which was also fun, just in a different way).

8. Booking a Rental Car is the Best Way to Explore Malta

You’ll find guides that suggest that Malta can be navigated via bus (which I don’t doubt). However, we booked a rental car for our time in Malta and I’m so happy we did. We had so much freedom to travel wherever and whenever we wanted on the island.

And dare I say one of the best parts was being able to get into an air-conditioned car rather than walk in the heat to the bus stop? Okay, that probably wasn’t the best part of a rental car but it’s definitely a perk.

And if you’re planning to travel to Malta as a family, I definitely recommend a rental car. Our kiddos took so many naps in the car and used that quiet time to recharge for our next activity.

We used Economy Bookings for our car rental and saved hundreds of dollars. I’m not usually one for booking through a third party, however, this was our second time finding a killer deal on Economy Bookings and after a first great experience, I just had to take advantage again.

I recommend searching over a course of a few days on Economy Bookings because the prices seem to fluctuate. As soon as you find a great deal you need to book immediately before it disappears.

9. You Drive on the Left Side of the Road in Malta

Something that comes as a shock to many Americans is that you drive on the left side of the road in Malta (with the steering wheel on the right side of the car). This is because Malta was once under British rule and so the driving is the same as what you will find in the UK.

Driving on the left definitely takes some getting used to. Plus, the drivers in Malta are very confident drivers who navigate small, bumpy roads at quick speeds. If driving (even in ideal conditions) is scary or difficult for you, you may consider taking the bus in Malta.

10. Be Sure to Visit the Island of Gozo During Your Trip to Malta

If you don’t remember, the country of Malta is made up of three main islands. The largest island is Malta (where the airport is and the largest cities), the next largest is Gozo and the third island is Comino (which is barely inhabited).

Many people visiting Malta totally skip Gozo and that’s a huge mistake. Gozo has some of the best things to do in Malta and it’s much, much quieter. We talked with a few locals who live on Malta but have second homes on Gozo where they spend their weekends and/or winters. It’s definitely the place where locals go to relax (it’s incredible).

If you only have time for a day trip to Gozo, that will have to suffice. There are many different guided day trips to Gozo if you are worried about logistics. You can choose from full-day guided jeep tours, full-day quad/ATV tours, or even tuk-tuk tours of Gozo.

Booking a guided day trip to Gozo may be a great idea to make the most of your time on Gozo.

However, I recommend spending at least 1-2 nights on Gozo. We spent three nights on Gozo followed by four nights on Malta. However, we wish we would have reversed that and done four nights on Gozo and three nights on Malta.

You can easily get to Gozo via two different ferry routes:

1. Cirkewwa to Gozo ( 25 minutes-suitable for both cars and pedestrians)
2. Valletta to Gozo (45 minutes-suitable only for pedestrians)

I recommend booking a car to explore Gozo and Malta, however, I have heard the bus routes are decent if booking a car is not an option for you.

11. Malta Has Many Famous Filming Locations

If you’re someone who loves to visit filming locations, then Malta is the place for you. The list of movies/shows filmed in Malta goes on and on.

Some of the most popular films and shows filmed in Malta include Jurassic World, Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Troy, Count of Monte Cristo, and The Da Vinci Code.

There is even a film set left over from the live-action, 1980 film Popeye starring Robin Williams (it’s a fun place to go as a family). You can check out this list of films/shows filmed in Malta to see if there are others that are of interest to you.

12. A Boat Trip Will Probably Be a Highlight of Your Holiday Malta Holiday

You definitely need to ensure you get out on the water during your trip to Malta. There are loads of different boat trips you can book ahead of your trip to Malta. The most common boat trip is to visit the Blue Lagoon and the area around it (which I’ll go into more detail below).

But you should also be aware that there are many other, shorter boat trip options to various sites in Malta and Gozo. A must-do on your list should be The Blue Grotto. There are also many boat trips that leave from Marsaxlokk to St. Peters Pool or a very short boat trip through a tunneled cave on Gozo from the Inland Sea.

But here is some more info on the boat trips to the Blue Lagoon. There are full-day boat trips on large boats with slides, private boat trips or spacious catamaran boat trips. You can even book a relaxed kayak trip that visits the Blue Lagoon (among other stops).

We visited the Blue Lagoon on this private boat trip and a second time by taking the ferry from Cirkewwa to the Blue Lagoon. If you want to not be bothered by other passengers and you want the experience of jumping from your boat to snorkel, then a private boat trip is for you.

If you want a full-day excursion chilling on a boat, visiting multiple sites and having additional add-on experiences as an option, then you’ll want to book a full-day boat trip like this one.

However, if you just want to get to the Blue Lagoon and pass some caves on the way (while going in one cave) then the ferry option is for you.

13. Be Sure to Keep Some Cash on Hand

We quickly realized that we needed to keep cash (euro) on hand during our Malta holiday. Many places accept cards- but there are plenty of places that only accept cash.

Not only do some small food trailers only accept cash, but my husband went to a bakery that surprisingly only accepted cash. We made a couple of stops at different ATMs during our trip and had no problem after that.

14. The Blue Lagoon and the Blue Grotto are Two Different Places in Malta

When I was researching things to do in Malta, I kept hearing about the Blue Lagoon and the Blue Grotto. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I was mixing up the two and thinking they were the same place. Yes, both places feature gorgeous blue water, however, they are two different locations.

The Blue Lagoon:

You’ve heard about the Blue Lagoon many times by now in this post. The Blue Lagoon is a large area of aqua-blue water located on the small island of Comino. There is a very small, white sand beach at the Blue Lagoon, a slab of rock with umbrellas for rent, and various other rocky areas you can perch to enjoy the views.

There are toilets and food vendors at the Blue Lagoon and it can get VERY crowded. If you want any space at all to yourself, I highly recommend visiting first thing in the morning (9 am) or later in the evening (5 pm).

You can get to the Blue Lagoon either via a ferry from both the island of Malta and Gozo or you can book a guided boat trip to the Blue Lagoon and surrounding areas (which is a very popular thing to do).

The Blue Grotto:

The Blue Grotto is another must-see destination on Malta and it’s located on the southern end of the island. It’s a network of multiple caves with some of the most beautiful blue water on Malta. You can buy tickets for a 20-25 minute boat ride to ride through the caves and see the beautiful area (I highly recommend).

There is also a viewpoint you can see from the main road which overlooks the largest cavern called Blue Grotto (which the area is named after). I would not say the viewpoint is a replacement for the boat ride through the caves, but it’s a great addition to your visit to the area.

15. There’s A Lot of History to See in Malta

If you’re a history buff, there is definitely a lot for you to see in Malta. The previous capital city of Mdina was first built and fortified in 700 BC. Today it’s a lovely, peaceful place to stroll through.

In Malta, you will also find a megalithic temple site (dating back to 3600 BC 😱), an ancient citadel, and even WWII historical sites. You can also visit the Museum of Archaeology in Valletta or use their site to learn more about things to see in the area.

16. Malta is a Huge Scuba Diving Destination 

You can’t be anywhere near the water without seeing various scuba diving tour groups. There are even scuba diving experiences created for first-timers in Malta that you can book. What a perfect place to try scuba diving for the first time if you’ve always wanted to.

There are 100+ dive sites in Malta with one of the most popular sites being The Blue Hole on Gozo. The Blue Hole is a 15-meter-deep hole created from wind and water in a natural rock formation and is a must-visit scuba diving destination.

17. You May Want to Bring Water Shoes for the Beaches

One top tip for visiting Malta is to bring along a pair of water shoes-you’ll thank me. Many of the beaches have areas of what I’d called river rocks which can be super hard to walk on without shoes.

My husband and I both brought our Teva sandals so we could easily keep them on to wear in the water. For our kids, we brought along more traditional water shoes to wear in the water (which was pretty much a necessity for them).

18. There are Both Sandy Beaches and Beaches Surrounded by Stone in Malta

Something that I loved about Malta is that you can find both long, sandy stretches of beach AND beautiful rocky coves that are swimmable. There are red sand beaches, white sand beaches, coves surrounded by cliffs for cliff jumping, and coves suitable for families.

Some of our favorite swimming experiences were actually not at the long sandy beaches (there’s something nice about not cleaning up an entire family covered in sand 😅). But no matter which you prefer, you’ll be able to find the type of beach for you in Malta.

There are also a few beaches with large, inflatable obstacle courses in the water which can be a great way to mix up your beach days. Or you can take a boat trip to a new beach as another great way to mix up your beach days.

19. Ftira and Pastizzi are Some of the Yummy Local Maltese Foods You Need to Try

We always like to try a few local foods whenever we visit a new place and Malta has some yummy ones to try. Our favorites were the potato and cheese ftira (which is sort of like a pizza, but not really) and the mashed pea or ricotta pastizzi (which is a type of savory puff pastry).

We also tried Kinnie which is a very popular, local soda. It’s created with bitter oranges and wormwood and you definitely get that herby taste coming through strong. Kinnie wasn’t our favorite, but it was fun to try! Especially since you’ll see so many advertisements for it during your time in Malta.

And those are all of the things I think you need to know before your first trip to Malta! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions- I’ll be sure to get back to you. Have a great trip!

Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:

• 5 Unique Swimming Spots in Malta & Gozo
• 23 Amazing Things to in Malta with Kids + Top Tips, Itinerary & Map
• 5 Different Ways to get to the Blue Lagoon in Malta + Things to Know Before you Go
• Is it Worth it To Visit Malta in June?
• 23 Amazing Things to do in Gozo (the island off of Malta) with Kids + Places to Eat, Where to Stay & a Map

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