Visit Malta in a weekend of 2 or 3 days

Are you tired of bad weather and low temperatures? Looking for a destination not too far from France, and especially not too expensive ?

I have the ideal solution: itinerary for 3 days in Malta. To you the sun and the sea, only 2 hours flight from France.

Discover the capital of Malta, Valletta , and the main places of interest to see such as St. John’s Co-Cathedral and Upper Barrakka Gardens. Spend a day exploring the surrounding villages of Mdina and Rabat, or bask in Comino and its beautiful Blue Lagoon.

Thanks to our itinerary and our advice, visit the most beautiful corners of Malta and optimize your time during this short stay in Malta.  And because a relaxing weekend is not complete without a nice hotel, we also give you our selection of the best accommodations. 

So what to do and see in Malta in 2 or 3 days? 

2 or 3 days in Malta: what to do and see?

Day 1: Valletta / The 3 cities

To start your tour of 2 or 3 days in Malta, no time to lose, direction Valletta, the capital!

You do not need to rent a car for this first day in Malta. To reach Valletta from the airport, 2 solutions:

• Take the X4 bus leaving from the airport every 30 minutes. The journey takes about 25 minutes and costs 1.50 € (2 € in summer). This is obviously the most economical solution.
• Get in a taxi. Allow around € 15 for a 15-minute journey. The rates are supposed to be fixed so do not hesitate to insist a little if you are offered a more expensive trip.

After depositing your luggage at your hotel, it’s time to go discover Valletta’s essentials. The main thing is that the city is relatively small so you can walk very well on a day trip. Of course, visits will be a little condensed, but it will not be the race!

Visit Valetta in 1 day, first of all go to see the emblematic place of the city, the co-cathedral Saint-Jean. If you only have to visit one historic monument in Valletta, this is the one I recommend. It is the most touristy but also the most beautiful!

A tip: to avoid queues, go early enough in the morning or around 12:30 during the lunch break.

From the outside, you can not imagine that the interior is so glitzy yet! Everything is covered with gold, carved, painted to form a beautiful whole. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve seen. Be sure to admire the marble floor beneath which are the tombs of the knights of the order and the 8 chapelsdedicated to one of the languages ​​of the order.

Plan a proper outfit, if you come in shorts, sleeveless T-shirt or dress, it will cover you with shawls made available inside the Cathedral Saint-Jean.

To visit the co-cathedral of Valletta, the information is on the official website (in English).

Continue this 2 or 3 day stay in Malta, visiting the other tourist monument of Valletta, the palace of the Grand Masters. As its name indicates, it was the place of residence of the Grand Masters of the Order .

So you can visit the state apartments and the armory, an impressive collection of weapons and armor that belonged to the knights. For the minute culture, know that the palace now houses the offices of the President of Malta and its administration.

Leaving the palace, continue your walk in Valletta to the Lower Barrakka Garden , which offers a beautiful view of the 3 Cities.

Continue your loop, passing by the sea to join the Upper Barrakka Garden , also known for offering a beautiful panorama of the 3 Cities but also for its ceremony of the gun , fired every day at 12h and 16h. Originally, the gun was intended to accommodate foreign ships arriving in the port.

The 3 Cities, it is precisely here that I advise you to continue this circuit of 2-3 days in Malta. To get there, nothing is easier:

1. Take a panoramic lift in Upper Barrakka Garden
2. Once in the street, cross and take a left to join the docks.
3. A small shuttle will take you in just 10 minutes to the other side of Valletta. Count around 2.80 € round trip.

The boat drops you off at Vittoriosa, one of the 3 Cities. The other 2 are Cospicua and Senglosa. They are known for the beautiful views they offer on Valletta. The opportunity to take a nice walk or small tourist train if you are tired or a little in a hurry.

In the late afternoon take the shuttle in the opposite direction and end the day by walking the streets of Republic Street and Merchant Street, the main commercial arteries of Valletta. You can enjoy some shopping in the many souvenir shops or clothes shops.

These streets also concentrate a multitude of cafes and restaurants. The ideal place to drink a drink and then enjoy a good meal typical Maltese.

Accommodation in Valletta

For this weekend of 2 or 3 days in Malta, the best is to sleep in Valletta. This is clearly the most convenient for a short stay!

Here is a selection of the best accommodation in Valletta , according to your budget. In Malta, the best hotels are very fast, so I recommend booking as soon as possible!

• Private Room : Located 300 meters from Fort St. Elmo and 700 meters from Barrakka High Garden. Comfortable double room from 75 €, the night breakfast included. The most: the excellent location, the welcome and kindness of the host, calm.
• Grand Harbor Hotel : Hotel with traditional architecture, located in the city center of Valletta, just 100 meters from the Barraka High Gardens. Basic double room from 90 € per night or with view of the sea and the Three Cities for 110 €, breakfast included. Pros: ideal location, beautiful views, roof terrace.
• Tano’s Boutique guesthouse : Hotel located in the center of Valletta, 2 steps from all places to visit. Spacious and bright double room from 115 € per night. Most: central location, quiet, roof terrace for breakfast. The best value for money in the city!
  
• Grand Hotel Excelsior : 5 * hotel located by the sea, the view is really sublime! Very nice rooms from 170 € per night. Pros: The pool, the jacuzzi, the free parking, the excellent breakfast, the view, the service, and many other things that will make your stay truly exceptional! Our big favorite in Valletta.
• Hotel Phenicia Malta : Luxury hotel located on the City Gate Square. Spacious double room, bright and tastefully decorated from € 349, breakfast € 17. Most: the infinity pool overlooking the harbor, the huge garden, the location and free private parking. It’s simply the best hotel in Valletta.

Day 2: Mdina / Rabat / Dingli Cliffs / Ghajn Tuffieha Bay

For the second day of this 2 or 3 day trip to Malta, I recommend renting a car. As a weekend is short enough to visit Malta, it is better not to waste time in public transport and to be completely autonomous in your itinerary.

For our car rentals, we always use the rentalcars.com website . 

3 good reasons for this:

• the price comparator among all the super efficient car hire companies to find the cheapest
• free cancellation, convenient in case of problems
• complete protection in case of accident or damage, ultra fast to be refunded

If you know your travel dates, you can compare prices and book your car now by clicking here .

Once your car has recovered, go to Mdina, about 25 minutes drive from Valletta. Mdina was the ancient capital of Malta, before being abandoned by the knights of the order. He preferred to be near their ship in case of enemy attacks!

Mdina is a beautiful little walled city with charming streets. Cars are prohibited, you will be quiet to walk around and discover the main things to see in Mdina:

• St. Paul’s Cathedral and its museum
• Vilhena Palace
• The Falson Palace
• Villegaignon Street

After your visit to Mdina, you just have to cross the big public park to find yourself in Rabat, located right in front. In Rabat you can visit a church, a cave and catacombs , all dedicated to St. Paul. The apostle would indeed have failed in Rabat during his shipwreck in Malta.

Then drive your car to reach the highest point of Malta, the cliffs of Dingli. They are located just a 15-minute drive from Mdina . The walk up the cliffs is quite nice and can contemplate a beautiful panorama.

Finally, to spend a more relaxing afternoon and enjoy one of Malta’s finest beaches, head  north and stop at Ghajn Tuffieha Bay Beach. A real ocher sand beach so special, where you can enjoy the sun and swim if the season allows. There is a café, a sun lounger and toilets on site.

I also advise you to go for a walk from the stairs and along the beach to the other side. The view at the end is just splendid because you can also see the beach of Gnejna Bay, which is located just below on the left.

After this busy second day, it’s time to return to your hotel in Valletta.

Day 3: Comino

For this third and final day of your extended weekend in Malta (for the luckiest of you!) , Head for Malta’s smallest island and one of the major sights, Comino and its Blue Lagoon.

To go to Comino from Valletta , 2 choices are available:

– Take your car or join the North of the island by bus. The departures for Comino are from Cirkewwa(where the ferry is to go to Gozo , the second Maltese island) or from Marfa Bay, right next to Cirkewwa. For 10 € round trip, a taxi boat drops you off at Comino in 25 minutes. There are about every hour, a little more in high season. You can return to Malta at any time.

– Travel to Comino from Sliema, the town just off Valletta. Here there is no choice in terms of schedules, excursions are organized only for the day. You leave in the early morning and return to Sliema around 17:30. Count around € 30 per person for the full day, drinks and lunch are included in the price. Precision all the same, these boats are ultra tourist with dozens of passengers on board.

Whatever your decision, arriving at Comino, you will take the eyes at the Blue Lagoon ! The lagoon is famous for its turquoise and translucent water and its ultra fine white sand, a little air of Mauritius awaits you here. Can not resist a swim!

Before or after dipping, I also recommend going for a walk on the side of the Comino Tower . The walk is pleasant and allows to discover many points of view, more beautiful than each other.

If the flag is raised at the top of the tower, you also have the right to climb to admire a 360 ° panorama of all Comino Island and Gozo in the distance.

On Comino you will find several food trucks for catering, a hotel and public toilets. And do not miss a cocktail served in a pineapple and a selfie with, apparently it’s totally trendy!

Not bad as an idea to close this route of 2 or 3 days in Malta!

If you go to Comino by taking the shuttle bus only, you should arrive in the early morning (before 10am) to fully enjoy the place before the arrival of hordes of tourists. I’m not kidding, it’s the most touristy place in Malta! I never had so much concentration of people on such a small piece of land!

So, ready to visit Malta in 2 or 3 days?