What to Do in Malta: 15 Can’t-Miss Things to See and Do

Last updated on October 29, 2025

Wondering what to do in Malta for an upcoming trip? Here are 15 can’t-miss things to see and do on the island, besides basking on the beach!

As a small Mediterranean island, Malta is one of Europe’s top beach destinations. Known for its crystal-clear water, incredible swimming spots, and breathtaking coastline. But beyond the sea, there’s a lot to see and do—from visiting prehistoric villages, exploring charming towns, dining at local restaurants, and participating in unique traditions.

If you’re wondering what to do in Malta, this guide shares 15 of the best things to see and experience to make the most of your Malta vacation.

Malta Mini Travel Guide

🚗 Curious about how to get around Malta? This guide explains your transportation options and whether we think renting a car in Malta is a good idea or not.

What to do in Malta

Below are fifteen of the top things to do in Malta. While this is an extensive guide of what to do in Malta, it’s definitely not all of the cool places to visit. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide, purchase our map with over 50+ destinations, restaurants, and sites to visit across the island.

1. Explore Valletta

Valletta is Malta’s fortified capital city. Its history dates back to the founding of modern-day Malta by the Knights of St. John, who helped protect Malta from Ottoman attacks. Well-preserved since its founding in the 16th century, the historic area is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We opted to explore Valletta on a walking history and food tour, but you can definitely wander the magical streets on your own.

One of the most popular places to visit in Valletta is the St. John’s Co-Cathedral. It’s an extremely ornate cathedral adorned with gold finishes, tapestries, and beautiful hand-painted details on every inch of the church. We didn’t personally visit, but if you’re interested, buy tickets online beforehand, which are between €12 and €15 per person.

Republic Street is the main road in Valletta with tons of shops and restaurants with outdoor seating. It’s a very European vibe and is always busy. Look to the right and left of Republic Street and you’ll find very steep side lanes with views down to the ocean.

They are truly picturesque and an awesome spot to stop and have a drink. If you want a great cocktail with a view, go to the Caffe Society.

The Lower and Upper Barrakka Gardens are also a must. They provide sweeping views of the Three Cities, the lighthouse, and the resting woman—an icon for the country. If you can time your visit to Upper Barraka Gardens at 10:00 am or 4:30 pm, you can see their Saluting Battery.

Upper Barraka Gardens is also a great spot for sunset! Other things you can do in Valletta are visit the National Museum of Anthropology or Fort St. Elmo.

2. Try Traditional Maltese foods

Malta is a unique culture with thousands of years of history influenced by multiple empires across the globe. We love trying local dishes and restaurants when traveling, and Malta has so many great spots to try throughout the island. The best way to familiarize yourself with Maltese foods is on a food tour.

We did a food and history tour in Valletta on our first day, and it was a great way to get a taste of Malta (pun intended). We learned about the ingredients they use the most, special holiday foods and drinks, and what Maltese people eat the most. It included six stops to restaurants around Valletta, which were all super tasty!

Pastizzi are the most common and popular Maltese food to get, but there are so many other unique dishes to try. If you’re interested in learning more about what to eat and where, we’ve written an entire post about the top places to eat in Malta!

3. Relax on a beach

Okay, I know this one sounds a bit obvious, but you need to visit one of Malta’s incredible beaches! It surprised us to discover that most of Malta’s beaches are rocky cliffs that jut up against the ocean. However, there are a few sandy beaches on the island, the most popular being Golden Bay and Għadira Bay, but we loved the rocky “beaches” and embraced the unique vibe they offered beach-goers.

Sliema has fantastic beaches all across the island, like Exiles Bay Beach or the Victorian Reproduction of Roman Baths. The baths were built in the 19th century to give women access to the ocean without having to jump in or show their skin, which was prohibited at the time.

☀️ Make sure you bring mineral sunscreen, a hat, and a cover-up. The sun in Malta is no joke during the summer season!

4. Visit the Hypogeum

The number one most visited site in Malta is the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. Discovered in 1902, the Hypogeum is an underground burial complex dating back to 4000-1500 BC. The necropolis has remains of an estimated 7,000 people and is a rare glimpse at prehistoric life. This site is so old, there is still a lot of mystery around the civilization that built it and what its intended uses are. But you can learn about its history and see the site on a guided tour.

🎫 Tickets for the Hypogeum sell out months in advance. If you want to visit, book your tickets as soon as you confirm your flight. Just note, no photos or videos are permitted inside the site at all.

5. Visit Ancient Ruins

If you can’t get into the Hypogeum or prefer to learn about Malta’s ancient history in other ways, you can visit one of the seven archeological sites in Malta. Ħaġar Qim is the largest and most popular. It has a small museum to explain what you are seeing as you walk around and a free audio guide to accompany you.

Tickets cost between €5.50 to €10.00 and include access to Mnajdra Archaeological Park. There is also the Ras Il-Wardija Punic Temple, built into a cliff, and the Ġgantija Archaeological Park on Gozo Island.

6. Visit Comino Island

Comino Island is a small, mostly uninhabited island between the Malta mainland and Gozo Island. Known for crystal clear water, picturesque beaches, and caves perfect for swimming, diving, or snorkeling, it’s one of the most popular things to do in Malta.

The only way to get to Comino Island is by boat. This post explains your options for getting there, things to do on the island, and things to consider when planning a Comino day trip. We did a six-hour boat tour to Comino Island, and it was our favorite day of the trip. Learn more about the cost, things to bring, and what to consider before booking a Comino Island boat tour in this post.

7. Visit Gozo Island

If you search “what to do in Malta” on Google, Gozo Island will probably be one of the top responses. It’s widely considered the most beautiful part of Gozo, and where most locals will tell you to visit to see the best of their country. It’s rural, rustic, and absolutely beautiful! It has everything from ancient ruins to incredible beaches, swimming holes, and hiking.

You definitely need a full day to explore the island. You can either get there by driving to the north tip of Malta in Cirkewwa (Mgarr Harbor) and hopping on a 15-minute ferry or taking the high-speed ferry from Valletta to Gozo.

8. Watch the sunset at the Dingli Cliffs

If you’re looking for a good sunset, you should head to Dingli Cliffs on the west side of the island. Not far from Ħaġar Qim or Mdina, it’s home to some of Malta’s highest sea cliffs. The cliffs alone are worth a visit, they are truly stunning, but it’s westward direction makes it a dreamy spot to relax and enjoy the sunset.

St. Mary Magdalene Chapel is the spot most people come to watch the sunset. The chapel adds a vibe to the already epic vista point and has a bus stop nearby, making it easy to get to and from.

9. Admire the Blue Grotto

About a 20-minute walk from Ħagar Qim is the Blue Grotto. One of Malta’s most iconic and photographed spots, this overlook offers an epic vantage of a unique sea cave with crystal-clear aquamarine water. Try to time your visit to when the sun is pointing down on the water (morning to midday) and not behind the grotto (late afternoon) so you can really appreciate the view.

If you want to get up close to the grotto, you can take a boat tour from one of the local fishermen in the morning. The tours leave from here, but if you visit later in the day, skip the boat tour and take a dip in Grotodrey. It’s a cove that winds into the cliffs and has a protected area perfect for swimming. It was packed with locals when we visited and was one of our favorite places we visited on our trip.

10. Explore the charming streets of Mdina

Mdina was the original capital city of Malta, dating back 1,000 years to the Phoenicians. The fortified city is small, but it feels like you’ve stepped back in time to the 16th century. This well-preserved city is often called the Quiet City or the Ancient City, home to fewer than 250 people. After the Knights of St. John took control of Malta, they moved noblemen into the palaces of Mdina. Those homes mostly remain in the same familial lineage and are sprinkled in with a few shops and restaurants.

We explored Mdina on a walking history tour and definitely appreciated getting to learn the history behind this area and more about its architecture and sites, rather than just walking aimlessly. This town is super picturesque and perfect for those Instagram shots, so make sure you have your camera handy!

11. Walk through WWII bunkers and Rabat Catacombs

After exploring Mdina, walk through Rabat, which means “suburbs” in Arabic. Located just outside Mdina’s fortified walls, Rabat is a thriving local town with lots of restaurants, charming streets, and unique historical sites, including the WWII bunkers and catacombs under St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The Cathedral is an important place for Catholics thanks to the St. Paul’s Grotto, but beneath you can venture into ancient catacombs dating back thousands of years. During WWII, the area below the church also became a bunker to protect the town from air raids, which were common during the war.

We saw mixed reviews about the catacombs and bunkers online, but we were so glad we went on this tour! It was really helpful to have a guide there to explain what we were seeing and help us navigate the very confusing pathways.

12. Visit the Three Cities

The Three Cities are located on the other side of Sliema and are among some of the oldest areas of Malta. Founded by the Knights of St. John, the three towns were used strategically to help fortify the new capital city. Today, they offer visitors an equally charming experience as Valletta, with fewer crowds and their own unique attractions.

You can take a dgħajsa water taxi to get to the Three Cities from Valletta for less than €3 one-way. Some of the top sites to visit in the Three Cities are the Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor’s Palace, and Fort St. Angelo.

13. Explore Sliema and St. Julian’s

Two other awesome cities to explore in Malta are Sliema and St. Julian’s. Located on the other side of Valletta, these cities are a great place to grab a meal, drink, relax on a beach, go shopping, or experience some of Malta’s famous nightlife.

St. Julian’s has lots of casinos, nightclubs, and bars, while Sliema has a more family-friendly feel to it. We personally stayed in Sliema and consider it one of the best places to stay in Malta. If you’re visiting on a Thursday night, grab dinner at Ayu or Beirut Bay, then get drinks and listen to jazz music at Teatru Salesjan.

You can also get an epic vantage point of Sliema and the surrounding cities at Mercury Tower Roof, which is the highest building in Malta.

14. Visit A Swimming Hole

Beaches are a huge draw in Malta, but so are its swimming holes. Given Malta’s unique geology consisting largely of limestone, its rock cliffs and caves make fantastic swimming areas. There are loads of cool swimming holes to explore, like St. Peter’s Pool in the south of Malta or Blue Hole and Wied il-Għasri on Gozo Island.

15. Hike Il-Majjistral Nature & History Preserve

If you still aren’t sure of what to do in Malta, the last activity we recommend is hiking. There are lots of beautiful cliff trails, walking paths, and inland trails on Malta’s mainland, Comino, and Gozo Island to explore. But one of the best is in Il-Majjistral Nature and History Preserve. The photo spot at Il-Qarraba is a show stopper!

Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand what to do in Malta on your trip and showcased some of the top sites to visit. If you’re looking for more help in planning your Malta guide, check out our four-day itinerary, which helps you craft the perfect day-by-day itinerary, including where to eat and what to do in Malta.

Don’t forget to explore our other blog posts to help you plan the perfect trip to Malta!

• Where to Stay in Malta: Best Areas & Hotels for All Travelers
• Complete Guide to Comino Island (Blue Lagoon + Beyond!)
• Best Way to Get Around Malta: Car Rental vs Bolt vs Bus
• 20 Best Restaurants in Malta and Must-Try Maltese Dishes
• Is a Comino Boat Tour to Blue Lagoon Worth It?
• The Best Malta Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know
• What to Pack for Malta in Summer: Complete Packing Guide