First Visit to Malta
 

DH always wanted to visit Malta so for his birthday in October we did it as a side trip while on our most recent trip to Italy. We flew Ryan Air from Napoli to Malta in about an hour! We did book the fast track for security at the busy Napoli airport and it was beneficial because of the big crowds that were there for a mid-day departure. We each had a carry on bag each and an under the seat bag. If you have your boarding pass and are not checking luggage you can go through security and then to the gate for the flight.

It's been awhile since we flew budget airlines and we forgot about the steep stairs to climb to board the plane with our luggage but managed to get on the plane without tripping or faceplanting. Right about the time we flew to Malta we learned that Delta will fly direct from NYC in June of 2026. That would be a great way to arrive!

One of the suggestions we were given was to download the Bolt app for transportation around Malta. There's also Uber, white cabs and busses. The white cab fares are about 3 times the price of the other transportation services and Uber is about the same price as Bolt. When we left the airport we had no idea where to go so we asked a police officer at the exit and were advised to go across the street to the lower level and car park to meet our Bolt driver. The cab fare was about 26 euros from the airport to our Sliema apartment where we stayed for a week. Bolt turned out to be an excellent transportation option. We used it all over the island and most fares were around 14 euros on average. The drivers were friendly and reliable and the app was accurate to the minute. Between driving on the left, heavy traffic, and not always being able to find parking we were glad not to rent a car for our 1st visit to Malta.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5e3c43b0d.jpeg
View of Valleta from Saliema

I was in Malta last year and really enjoyed it.

I hope to go back so following along to see what you did there.

Hi Sassy, thanks for reading along! I'd be interested in hearing about your trip, please join in anytime if you'd like!

The town of English speaking Sliema was our base in Malta. If you play Wordle you’ll find that the most unused consonants in the game are frequently used in Malta, like x,k,q and z! We really had no difficulty with language in any area of Malta and rarely needed to use a translate app.

With a recent knee injury I wanted to be able to walk without too many steep steps and cobblestones and found the incredibly scenic 3 km mostly level waterfront promenade ideal for walking. The ferry to Valletta was literally outside our doorstep. There was very easy access to restaurants, cafes, and shopping here. The electric is British standard, 220 volts for adaptors. We were advised to drink bottled water by our host of the apartment we were staying at and water here was easily accessible and inexpensive.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5482a3a99.jpeg
Here's a steep street in Valletta!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...39b08bbb2.jpeg
The long white building seen from our apartment is the Sliema ferry terminal where you board to go to Valletta.

Excellent reminder about the UK electric adapters. I somehow missed this and had to buy one when I had plenty at home. I stayed in St. Julian and did use the bus which was very easy. You could pay the driver and it was only €2.

I also used the ferry and couldn't believe how steep those hills were in Valletta but once up, it wasn't too bad. I also accidentally got in the crosshair of a court case. All these news reporters and cameras were filming when I got to the top. Apparently, it was in their news and a guy was in handcuffs as I walked right in front of him. I probably landed on TV and didn't even know it.

I went to Malta last December, I really liked it, but I have to say it felt that it was off-season. We didn't use a car from the airport, we just took the transportation (the bus)! But I can understand if for someone is better to take a car. Malta is beautiful and the language actually is very close to the Tunisian dialect and Italian ofc. It's a very nice small country that i would like to visit again.

Hi Sassy, what an experience you had in Valletta! The most action we saw was when a motorcade came up the cobblestone streets to the Presidential office at the Grand Master’s Palace.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1502d4aac.jpeg
Here’s the first set of stairs we came across after exiting the ferry at Valletta. We took the gradual but kinder to the joints approach following the roads to get to the top of the city. Some people opted for a tour to the city for 5 euros right near the ferry exit and taxis are an option, too.

Thank you for your comments, Daphne! The busses are another reasonable way to get around the island!

Valletta and the 3 Cities
 

Baroque architecture and even older buildings on the Island are 50 shades of beige limestone. Pops of color are found on some windows and doors on buildings and other colors are from the gardens, the sky, and the seas. There are parts of Malta that are stunningly beautiful though there’s the industrial, commercial and dry desert like undeveloped land we saw touring the island like other places we have visited. One of the Bolt taxi drivers told us there are 380 churches on the island and if even if you visited one church a day you'd not see them all in a year.
The capital city of Valletta is like a walking museum! Valletta is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 320 monuments located in a small city of around 0.20 square miles.
We enjoyed two half days visiting Valletta in the morning before the cruise ships arrived. There are schedules online about what ships come to Valletta and the times the ships are there and how many passengers they carry. When we checked for ships visiting Valletta during our stay there were days that as many as 10,000 people could visit. There were times the streets were full of wall to wall people. Another good time to visit Valletta and avoid the crowds is in the evening when the cruise ships leave.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c539d12b.jpeg

Valletta
 

There are so many choices of sites to see in Valletta. We ended up choosing the top two attractions. The first was visiting St John’s Co Cathedral’s nine chapels, and seeing the only signed work and largest painting by Caravaggio. The Caravaggio docudrama exhibit upstairs was, to us, as impressive as the elaborately designed chapels. If you get a chance read about the theft of a Caravaggio complete with news articles from that time.



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c1c98cd41.jpeg
Exterior of the cathedral doesn't match the elaborate inside

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e41b3a1b.jpeg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dccb6436b.jpeg

The other top site for us was the Grandmaster’s Palace and the Armory. When we looked back at some of the mannequin soldiers that were set up in the huge room they looked like they were staring right at you!

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bbd6409c6.jpeg
Crowds were minimal when visiting as soon as the palace and cathedral opened.

To celebrate DH's birthday we dined at 59 Republic across from the Grandmaster's Palace seated in the outdoor shaded terrace. The food was beautifully presented and delicious. The service was attentive and the interior design of the restaurant makes one want to linger longer. I would have been happy to dine inside if it were not for an indoor event happening while we were there.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f164aa4ca.jpeg
The sangria was made with rum and very refreshing! Bread was served with a spicy eggplant spread, another with butter and parsley, and balsamic and olive oil

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...34693ac43.jpeg
Bites and starters-Lobster spring rolls, Scottish scallops, and carbonara risotto
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf416cef5.jpeg

Main courses-Lamb fillet and a vegetarian sweet potato bean cake
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6312d217f.jpeg
Down the stairs to the indoor dining area of the restaurant
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2cc041ae3.jpeg
Wandering around Upper Barrakka Gardens with panoramic views of the Grand Harbor and a view below to the Saluting Battery .
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c1819694c.jpeg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9929ea3e9.jpeg


A visit to Valletta is amazing. With a little timing and planning one can enjoy this delightful city that is steeped in history and culture!

Tips from our favorite Bolt Driver

We got friendly advice from a lifelong resident of Valletta which included-

A gondola ride from Valletta across the harbor was a great way to arrive to the 3 Cities. (We ended up not doing that because of the very windy weather on the day we traveled there but sure would have enjoyed that!)

There is a 1 hour 45 minute ride by ferry from Valletta to Sicily

He suggested we try the beloved snack pastizzi on made of phyllo pastry and filled with savory fillings like peas, ricotta, anchovy and chicken at the Crystal Palace (Is-Serkin in Maltese) in Rabat because it has the reputation for having the best pastizzi on the island

If shopping for souvenirs visit the artisan village located in Mdina. Buying direct from the artists is much cheaper there than in the shops.

Mdina and Rabat
 

After visiting St John’s Co-Cathedral we booked a Bolt taxi in Valletta to Mdina and Rabat. Usually we’d plan to go to popular sites first thing in the morning to beat the crowds but there were only a couple of smaller cruise ships in port that day.

Our favorite Bolt taxi driver had told us about the Crystal Palace so we arranged to be dropped off there. We joined the fast moving line, got our hot out of the oven order of pastizzi. We carried them outside to a nearby park bench to enjoy the flaky and delicious snack. That was a tasty lunch and was under 5 euros with a bottled water for both of us!
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c6913bc5c.jpeg
Crystal Palace in Rabot for the "best patiszzi in Malta."
[img alt="7E499FEC-8E8E-4ECD-B030-EF7892E9D57B.HEIC"]blob:https://www.fodors.com/3de6611f-943a-42d8-82e7-775fd7683fe8[/img]
You go to the counter to order and pay. There were some tables inside the restaurant and out front. If no tables are available there are park benches nearby to sit and eat.Mdina, a 4,000 year old medieval town is called the Silent City and is accessed through ancient gates. We spent an hour or so strolling the winding narrow streets with only an occasional car competing for the cobblestones. As we were leaving the front gate we walked to the left to climb up to the Mdina wall to see a panoramic view of the island of Malta from this hillside city.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e8eae4cf.jpeg
Mdina gate
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ae8129cbf.jpeg
Entrance to the Mdina Cathedral Museum
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...241157be3.jpeg
What an entrance!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...044f2d95f.jpeg
The view from the Mdina wall outside the main gate


It was a short walk from the ancient gate of Mdina to Rabat. We followed gps and the street signs along the route to St Paul’s Catacombs and paid the small entrance fee to see the rock carved burial chambers and tunnels. Some parts of the catacombs are narrow and have low ceilings, so if you’re claustrophobic or have limited mobility you may prefer to stay above ground. Stairs are also involved and though some steps are illuminated the lighting is dim. It was a little eery underground.

We were getting tired and probably only spent an hour in Rabot before we used the app to arrange a Bolt taxi pick us up to return to Sliema. The wait wasn’t long. Bolt taxis were never more than 4 or 5 minutes away no matter where we were on the island! Another favorable impression of Malta transportation was that there was no request to add a tip to the taxi fare. We also found that there was no tipping for meals at most restaurants except at the higher priced restaurants.

How we spent a day seeing Gozo! Day 4
 

Gozo Pride Quad Tours-our favorite day in Malta!

The quad tour was an incredible deal from the all inclusive pick up and return, the round trip ferry transfer, a 3 course meal, and great stops around the beautiful island of Gozo! Transportation returning back to Malta was delayed and disorganized, otherwise the tour was a 5 star adventure!

This link provides great info about the quad and other tours that are offered by Gozo Pride.

https://www.gozopridetours.com/gozo-tours/guided-tours/
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5c3d8a140.jpeg
The ferry ride from Malta to Gozo
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e9bbcc2f4.jpeg
Going by The Blue Lagoon with Comino in the distance.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fd55e7d27.jpeg

This cave was the cave the dragon flew out of on a Game of Thrones episode.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1490bfa08.jpeg
A stop at the Blue Hole, popular for diving and snorkeling.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20beba62b.jpeg
The incredible views
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...57a6070db.jpeg
The salt pans
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d0f357d36.jpeg
Last stop for us was Xwejni Bay where swimming was offered if you wanted.

Marsaxlokk Day 5
 

This town was suggested in a couple of guidebooks to go on a Sunday to see the painted boats in the harbor and to walk along the streets for market day, one being a fish market.
We took a Bolt taxi a short distance away from the marina.
There were so many people at the markets I couldn’t even see the wares being displayed or have much of a view of the luzzo (colorfully painted boats) in the harbor.
We left the overcrowded markets to check out menus. We made a reservation for one we liked and walked around on the less crowded streets. There was no early seating at the restaurant we chose. In fact the young workers at the restaurant made people leave who thought they could sit down at the outdoor tables before the restaurant opened, reservation or not. When the restaurant opened it filled up pretty quickly. The seafood and service was good.

It’s a pretty town, for sure, but perhaps any other day except Sunday might be a better time to visit?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e07b8560a.jpeg
The harbor in Marsaxlokk
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a222976d1.jpeg
Liska Restaurant Risotto Fruitti di Mare and Linguine Vongole

Awesome report. I was in Malta last December and really enjoyed my visit too. Went over the winter holidays so it was festive with the Christmas decorations up.

Malta in January-February
 

We’ve never been to Malta and are considering going this winter. We are avid walkers, foodies, love the experience of being somewhere new and communicating with the locals.
Does anyone have any advice for me on how to spend 3 weeks in Malta? Is 3 weeks that time of year too much?
Thank you

Thank you for reading tripplanner. Christmas decorations must have been quite a sight to see!

Hi Travelon. Rough Guides and Lonely Planet had suggestions for longer stays. Whatever you decide I’m sure you will enjoy Malta!

I was only in Malta for 5 days and wished I had more time. How much time is subjective because we didn't get a chance to go swimming, even at the hotel. My friend also wanted to take the Ferry to Sicily, which is a long day and some people feel cheated on time. I think for us, another couple of days to a week would have been sufficient as we did want to do more things slower. We also missed a few things. The weather matters too so keep that in mind.

Thanks tcinct

Very interesting, we had considered adding Malta to a Sicily itinerary a few years ago but ran out of time. I hope we can get there one day.

It was definitely a festive atmosphere. Here are some photos from last December. The fireworks were over Grand Harbor on New Year's Eve.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bbff1dc6fc.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68f503ea37.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...086028c391.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c17127eb11.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bc787a85af.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b79b0c806a.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...23c7e4867c.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1b71c80c8d.jpg

Thank you, Anuj. I enjoyed your trip report about Molise and Abruzzo. We have been to Molise a few times and enjoyed our stays there. We are west of Naples now checking out the Phlegrian Fields and it's another great location to explore!

Tripplanner, thank you for sharing the holiday photos! We saw some fireworks one evening from our apartment. We kept watching and saying that must be the grand finale but the fireworks continued for much longer than we expected and with 35 fireworks factories in Malta it's quite the show! There's even an International Festival of Fireworks every year in late April or early May.

The Three Cities
 

Hi Travelon,
Looking back at my notes the website Malta.com listed 7 walks that might be of interest.

On day 5 of our stay we took a sea side walk along a beautiful wide promenade with historic sites including a tower and a fort turned into a restaurant. There are benches to sit and enjoy the view. There are rocky beaches, a few small sandy patches of beach, hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops. We walked to Spinola Bay in San Julian to try Maltese cuisine at Gululu. We were offered a table and drinks till the restaurant opened. Our choices included Krustini Kappunata which is grilled Maltese bread spread with little aubergine chunks cooked with onion, capers, olives, and tomatoes. Froga Tat-Tarja Biz-Zalzett Malti is a crisp flat pasta cake resembling an omelette made of strands of fine spaghetti mixed with egg, Maltese sausage, a generous dose of grana Padano cheese, finely chopped parsley and roughly ground pepper. A fresh salad and Spnotta Mixwijia-grilled fillets of fresh sea bass, with an olive and raisin tapenade finished the meal. Service was good, the food was fresh and tasty!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1d0d231e8.jpeg
The fort turned into a restaurant
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c6cc5abc.jpeg
Rocky beaches
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3a7cf5144.jpeg
The promenade
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0624c02b8.jpeg
A stretch of sandy beach
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...90b9f6bb9.jpeg
Krustini Kappunata
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5ac101db1.jpeg
Froga Tat-Tarja Biz-Zalzett Malti
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecde0507f.jpeg
Spinola Bay

While driving to the Gozo ferry passing through Paceville I noticed the stunning twisting design of a building in the distance. I later learned the building was the Mercury Tower that was designed by Architect Zaha Hadid who tragically died before it was finished. We decided to walk along the lovely promenade from Sliema to St Julian to check out the Tower, the Odyssey Adventure, and had booked lunch reservations there at Toro Toro, too..

The 30+ story tower is amazing! It includes a hotel, restaurants, apartments, a three-level shopping mall and a square. For the Odyssey Adventure we booked tickets online because tickets were a better deal than buying them at the location.

After checking in at the Odyssey Adventure there’s a walk through 5 rooms with well done video and audio isplays to learn about the history and culture of Malta. The flying theater is the last part of the adventure and takes visitors through scenic highlights of Malta in a Disneyesque like ride. It was worth the price of admission!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17a215807.jpeg
The Mercury Tower with the Mercury House in the forefront.

What an incredible thread with such glorious photos!

I know NOTHING about Malta, or at least I knew nothing before reading this!! I was never interested because, although I knew there was a Maltese language, I had imagined a heavily British-influenced island (sort of a big Gibraltar). I now see how wrong I was. I also had no idea of how many towns and cities were on the island......

So you felt as if you were in an entirely different country, being there?? With many people speaking Maltese? (I don't mind being in a place where little English is spoken but it does appear that English is well understood and widely spoken on the island..)

There seems to be a specific Maltese cuisine, a sort of mash of North African and Italian--would that be about right?

I love Sicily....but this is totally different I think....

Is it best to have one base, as you did, and were you hoppy that you chose that town for a base to explore the island, plus Gozo?

This is all new to me, so sorry if the questions bely my ignorance!!!

Cruise Boats
 

I continue to consider Malta, as fascinating as it sounds, what is starting to concern me are cruise boats. As someone noted they can unload up to 10,000 people and that will absolutely change everything in the experience. I would expect that January-February, the period we are considering, there are a lot of cruise boats.

Hi Travelon,
The cruise ships do bring tourists, and over tourism can be very frustrating. Checking the cruise ship schedules in advance helps you to choose the best days to avoid the crowds. It seems like Valletta and Mdina are very popular for tours. By visiting these busy areas in the morning or after the cruise ships leave you will be able to have an enjoyable time!

Hi EKS!
Thank you for your kind comments! I am enjoying your trip report on The Mezzogiorno!!! with your wonderful food diaries, your experiences, and capers with your car rental and parking! We read about Spaghetti All'assassina in your trip report and went to Al Sorso Preferito for lunch because it was an easy train ride from Trani. We did notice there was a bit of heat. We each found a small red hot pepper on our plates which may account for that. We ordered the meatballs as an app and they were good. They were served with tasty tomatoes that supplied about a year's worth of salt. The perfect way we ended the meal was with the most delicate flaky sporcamusi, a custard filled pastry which translates to dirty faces!

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa87d809e.jpeg

I hope this answers your questions-We enjoyed Sicily, too, but Malta is different and you do feel like you are in a different country. The language barrier is minimal and we barely needed translation apps. Restaurants are plentiful and offer all kinds of cuisines beyond African and Italian influences.
For example, one of the restaurants we tried at the Mercury Tower was Toro Toro serving food and drinks with Pan American flavors. We requested a seat by the windows and the views were incredible.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a6b463ee.jpeg

We had this gorgeously designed restaurant to ourselves for most of our meal because the restaurant had just started having lunch service .
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3a60faad3.jpeg
Toro Toro
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c2f56d7d.jpeg

The guacamole delivered to the table was still smoking in a glass cloche dome.
The burrata salad was as good as any we had in Italy. The Quinoa Nikkei Salad was also quite good.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d0f439673.jpeg
The salads
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...72f5af529.jpeg
Encocados with black cod, prawns, and squid at the top of the photo, and Kampachi Tiradito with curry
We ordered the La Bomba dessert which is an exploding chocolate sphere dropped onto a large bowl at the table and served with ice cream, chocolate mousse, candy and almond cookie crumbles. I am sure this would be a delight for a child's birthday party!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...70b88748d.jpeg
La Bomba dessert

I liked having Sliema as a base because it was less crowded than the capital city of Valletta during the daytime. The ferry service at Sliema made it easy to get back and forth to Valletta. We were impressed with the taxi service. It was so reasonable and makes for easy access to the whole island. Gozo intrigued me because it is more laid back and there's the natural beauty of this less touristed island in Malta. There were some amazing home rentals there as well. For a first visit Sliema was a good base for us to see Malta and Gozo. We are still talking about our holiday week there!