Ultimate Malta Travel Guide | Bucketlist Destination

Malta is a small archipelago Island in the Mediterranean sea sitting between Sicily and North Africa but do not let it’s size fool you. Malta is Europe’s best-kept secret, even though its small, there is no shortage of things to do and we curated the ultimate Malta travel guide to highlight all the things you can do on this small Maltese island. Malta is an island known for its historical sites, all year round sunshine, megalithic temples and fortresses.

The island of Malta is an all-year-round paradise of sunshine thanks to its Mediterranean climate making it the perfect destination year round. Malta’s history is full of successions from the Romans to the British, the island is heavily influenced by Italian and Arabic cultures this is evident not only in the language but in culture too. The ultimate Malta travel guide covers the popular tourist spots and how to spend a long weekend on the Island.

ULTIMATE MALTA TRAVEL GUIDE | SEE-DO

The capital of Malta is Valetta and the country has a population of less than half a million people. Together with the islands of Gozo and Comino, it makes Malta is an exceptionally beautiful destination to visit all year round. During our recent venture to the Island, I spent 3 days and 2 nights for the first solo trip of the year. 3-days is the minimum time I would recommend spending on the island, in these 3 days I was able to explore almost the entire island and took a day trip to Gozo and Comino as well as the Blue Lagoon. The ultimate Malta travel guide highlights all the places that I had the chance to explore in more detail and what I recommend doing on your next visit to the Island.

Enjoy sightseeing on a tour bus

Whenever I visit a city for the first time, I always book the city sightseeing as its such a great way to see the city at your own pace in the comfort of a tour bus. In Malta I chose to book the tour bus and enjoy the beautiful weather at the same as I toured the city. There are several tour bus companies in Malta and most stop near popular hotels like the Westin, Hilton and Radisson Blu. I was able to explore the island in 3 hours and then chose the places I wanted to explore further more and I was able to see more places this way.

Visit Malta’s Mdina – Silent City

Formerly the capital city during the medieval time, the Mdina is a fortified area in the Northern region of Malta. It is also known as a noble city, visiting this part of the country, you will find yourself treated with cute baroque alley ways. The Mdina is called the silent city because no cars are allowed in the walled city and has a small population of 300 people.

You can explore the entire area within an hour plus because it sits on a hill, you get a good glimpse of the city. I was intrigued to learn that Malta too had a Mdina like the Medina in Marrakesh, this definitely asserted the ‘Arabic’ influence that the island displays.

St. John Cathedral

Situated in the heart of Valletta and commissioned in 1572, St. John’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church and is dedicated to the saint of John the Baptise. If there is more church in Malta that you should visit it is this church if not for the internal architecture which is Baroque and the finest in Europe. I unfortunately did not have much time to explore the church but it is high of the list of places I want to visit on my next trip to Malta.

Sample Maltese wine

Prior to visiting Malta, I did not think they made any wine until during the tour bus ride I learned that the wine industry is slowly booming on the island. For many years Malta did not make its own wines and when it did the ingredients were all imported from Italy and further afield in Europe. I sampled a few wines at the hotel but I lucked out on visiting a vineyard or wine cellar to check out some of the best Maltese wines.

Day trip to Gozo & Comino

As a spontaneous traveller, there is nothing I love more than throwing in an expected destination into my travels. I had initially not planned to venture outside the Island of Malta but Gozo was too appealing to miss out on. The night before the day trip, I booked my ticket with getyourguide.com and I was able to get a good deal and had the best time. Not only did we get a chance to tour Gozo and Comino, we managed to visit the blue lagoon too and it was the best experience by far, highly recommend it.

Explore Valletta

Valletta is the smallest and southern most capital in Europe, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a Baroque characteristic. Even though the city suffered incredible damage during the WII, the city still has some of its original features. The Knights Hospitaller built the 16th-century builds that decorate the city and its situated on the Southeastern region of the Island

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ULTIMATE MALTA TRAVEL GUIDE | WHAT TO EXPECT

Currency – the local currency is euros (€) just like main land Europe, whilst cards are accepted I would take some cash with you for tours and souvenirs.

Weather – the Maltese island enjoys the Mediterranean type of weather which means even during winter months the weather is still warmth. During our recent winter escape, we enjoyed temperatures of 20 degrees during the day and 7 degrees at night.

Getting around – Malta has a ‘good enough’ public transport system which was frequent in the St. Paul’s Bay Area where I stayed during my visit. In Malta they drive on the same side as the UK (left) so you can hire a car too and cover the entire island. Getting from the airport I would recommend booking a pickup service that drops you ofvfg7t6f at your hotel.

Where to stay – depending on where you want to explore and who you are travelling with, there are many wonderful options. I stayed at Pebbles Resort in St’ Paul’s Bay which is perfect for solo travellers, families and couples. It is nicely located near the harbour/beach and small shops for necessities but it is directly on the city sightseeing bus line. Another hotel I would recommend is Radisson Blu located on the Golden Bay, perfect location for those who want to relaxing beach holiday.

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During my visit to Malta, I found it to be an easy going, ‘safe’ and easy to navigate island, people speak English, Italian and Arabic so you will hear different dialects being spoken. I would highly recommend going on a city tour as this is the most convenient and cost-effective way of exploring the island if you are not driving. If you are planning a visit to the Island, I would recommend visiting for 3+ days as it allows you enough time to explore Valletta, Gozo and find time for the beach.