What to see in Malta in 4 days: Valletta, the Three Cities, Mdina, Gozo and Comino. 2026 prices for boats, buses and tickets, and what to book in advance.
The whole Maltese archipelago is smaller than Greater London, and still you can lose a lot of time there. You lose it on changes: the bus to the port, the ferry to Gozo, the boat to Comino, the queue at the underground Hypogeum when you did not buy a ticket. If you build your plan around the boats and the bookings, in four days you can see Valletta, the Three Cities, Mdina and Gozo.
This article is the plan we would use ourselves. We checked ferry, bus and ticket prices with the operators on 6 October 2026: Gozo Channel, Valletta Ferry Services, Malta Public Transport, Heritage Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority. Where 2026 prices are not published yet, we say so. Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
When should you go to Malta: for swimming or for sightseeing?
Malta has two different seasons, and your plan changes with them. According to the long-term averages of the Maltese weather service on the WMO website (Meteorological Office Malta, 2026), Luqa has an average high of 30.7 °C in July and August, and it almost never rains. So in summer we suggest sights in the morning and the sea in the afternoon.
April, May and October are better for sightseeing. In May the average high is 23.3 °C with only 2.8 days of rain. In October it is 24.2 °C, but with 10.2 days of rain. November, at 20.1 °C, is for the towns, not the beach.
| Month | Average high | Days with rain | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 19.1 °C | 6.4 | sights, Gozo, walks |
| May | 23.3 °C | 2.8 | sights and a first swim |
| July and August | 30.7 °C | 0.4 and 1.0 | the sea, sights in the morning only |
| October | 24.2 °C | 10.2 | sights, a swim on a sunny day |
| November | 20.1 °C | 10.6 | towns and trips, not the beach |
These are averages from 1961 to 1990 for the Luqa station. If you want both sights and the sea, go in May or October.
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How do you get to Malta from the UK?
The quickest way is to fly. On the flight search, compare airports and days of the week for your dates, and check if a flight is direct or has a change.
Compare flights from the UK to Malta on Kiwi.com for your dates. With cheap fares, check which bags are included before you buy. For four days, we suggest a morning flight out and an evening flight back.
Where should you stay in Malta to avoid waiting at bus stops?
Malta has no train, and the buses run in a star pattern. Most routes start or end at the terminus in Valletta. From the route list of Malta Public Transport (2026) we picked the ones that matter for each base: from Valletta, route 15 goes to Sliema, routes 42 and X300 to Ċirkewwa for the Gozo ferry, and route 85 to Marsaxlokk through Paola, where the Hypogeum is.
| Base | From the airport | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valletta | Airport Direct TD4, every 30 minutes | walk to the sights, ferry to the Three Cities, buses everywhere | more expensive rooms, quiet in the evening |
| Sliema and St Julian's | TD3 and TD2, every 30 minutes | boat to Valletta, restaurants, route 222 to Ċirkewwa | hotels on a busy road, sea access mostly from rocks |
| Mellieħa | TD1, once an hour | sandy beach, close to the Gozo ferry | far from Valletta and the south |
| Gozo | TD1 to Ċirkewwa and the ferry | quiet, nature, Dwejra | a ferry for every trip to Malta |
The airport bus frequencies are from the Airport Direct page (Malta Public Transport, 2026). For four days of sightseeing we would stay in Valletta or Sliema, not in Mellieħa. From Sliema to Valletta is a few minutes by boat. Mellieħa makes sense when your main aim is the beach and Gozo.
Places to stay inside the walls of Valletta are often in old houses with small rooms and stairs, and a lift is not a given. Check the floor and the air conditioning. Compare Valletta with Sliema for the same nights.
How do you get around Malta, with or without a car?
Buses and Explore cards
You can buy a ticket from the driver, in cash or with a contactless card. According to the Malta Public Transport fares (2026), a single daytime ride costs €2.00 in winter and €2.50 in summer, and a night route €3.00. A ticket is valid for 2 hours, with changes. In the 2025/26 season the winter fare applied from 19 October to 13 June. The operator has not yet published the dates for winter 2026/27. Without a valid ticket you risk a €50 fine.
| Ticket or card | Price 2026 | When it pays off |
|---|---|---|
| single daytime ride | €2.00 winter, €2.50 summer | 1 to 2 rides a day |
| 12 rides, can be shared | €19.00 | a couple who ride little |
| Explore Flex for 4 days | €21.00 | 4 days, 3 or more rides a day |
| Explore Flex for 7 days | €27.00 | a week with day trips |
| Explore child card for 7 days | €7.00 | children aged 4 to 10 |
The Explore Flex card also covers the Airport Direct routes, so the trip from the airport and back is included. With four days of trips it pays for itself quickly. If you travel as a couple and ride little, the shared 12-ride card is better. According to the operator, you can also use credit on the tallinja card to pay for the boat from Valletta to Sliema or the Three Cities.
By car: drive on the left
In Malta you drive on the left, as in the UK, and hire cars have the steering wheel on the right. Parking in Valletta and Sliema is hard. We would only hire a car for a day or two for the south of the island and for Gozo, where buses run less often.
What can you see in Valletta and the Three Cities?
Valletta in one day
Valletta sits on one peninsula, and you can walk around it in half a day. Triq ir-Repubblika runs from the city gate to Fort St Elmo. The main sight is St John's Co-Cathedral, with paintings by Caravaggio. According to the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation (2026), entry costs €15. The cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 16:45, with last entry at 16:15. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays, so do not leave it for the last day if you fly home on a Sunday.
Fort St Elmo with the National War Museum costs €10 for an adult, according to Heritage Malta (2026). The Upper Barrakka Gardens above the Grand Harbour are free, and from there you see all of the Three Cities.
By boat to the Three Cities
Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua, together the Three Cities, lie opposite Valletta on the other side of the Grand Harbour. By bus it is a long way round, by boat a few minutes. According to Valletta Ferry Services (2026), boats run every 15 minutes from Valletta to Cospicua and from Sliema to Valletta. A single trip costs €3.00 in the daytime, a return €5.00, and a child pays €1.00 and €1.50. Night boats from 19:30 cost €3.50 and €5.20.
The winter timetable runs from 1 November to 31 May, the summer one from 1 June to 31 October. In Birgu, we suggest you walk along the waterfront with the yachts to Fort St Angelo and come back through the lanes.
How do you get to Gozo and Comino?
The Gozo Channel ferry: you only pay on the way back
The Gozo ferry goes from the port of Ċirkewwa in the north of Malta to Mġarr on Gozo. You cannot book, and you board in the order you arrive. The most important thing many people do not know: you pay nothing from Ċirkewwa to Gozo. According to Gozo Channel (2026), foot passenger and car tickets are only checked in Mġarr, before the trip back to Malta. So one ticket covers the trip there and back. The foot passenger ticket office in Mġarr is open 24 hours.
| Boat | Adult | Child | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gozo Channel, foot passenger, return | €4.65 | €1.15 (aged 3 to 12) | you pay in Mġarr |
| Gozo Channel, foot passenger, night fare | €4.05 | €1.15 | from Mġarr after 20:00, November to March |
| Gozo Channel, car with driver | €15.70 | night fare €12.80 | |
| Valletta and the Three Cities, single | €3.00 | €1.00 | night €3.50 |
| Valletta and the Three Cities, return | €5.00 | €1.50 | night €5.20 |
Gozo Channel prices are from the pages for passengers and cars (Gozo Channel, 2026). You can only buy a child ticket at the ticket office in Mġarr, not online. A family of four with two children pays €11.60 for the boat, which is little for a full day out. Routes 42 and X300 take you from Valletta to the ferry at Ċirkewwa.
We would keep a full day for Gozo. The capital, Victoria, has a Citadel on a hill with a view over the whole island. In the west is Dwejra, with cliffs and Fungus Rock in the sea. Near Xagħra are the Ġgantija megalithic temples. According to Heritage Malta (2026), they share a ticket with the Ta' Kola windmill, for €10 per adult. Without a car you travel by bus from the terminus in Victoria, so we suggest you go early in the morning.
Comino and the Blue Lagoon, with a booking
Since 1 May 2025 you must book to visit the Blue Lagoon on the small island of Comino, between Malta and Gozo. According to the Malta Tourism Authority (2025), the booking is free on bluelagooncomino.mt. At most 4,000 people may be in the lagoon at one time, and you choose one of three time slots: 8:00 to 13:00, 13:30 to 17:30 or 18:00 to 22:00. You get a QR code and a wristband. Without a booking you cannot go in, and you risk a fine.
Make the booking before you buy a boat ticket, and check the 2026 rules on the booking website. We would take the morning slot.
Boats go to Comino from Ċirkewwa, from Mġarr and, in season, also from Sliema, often as a round trip with the sea caves below the cliffs. You can find departure times and prices for a given day among the Comino boat trips and other things to do in Malta on Klook. Check how much time the boat gives you in the lagoon. Less than three hours is not worth it from Sliema.
Which sights do you need to book in advance?
The Hypogeum: 10 people at a time
The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground burial site in Paola, is the hardest ticket to get in Malta. People used it from 4000 to 1500 BC, and it is on the UNESCO list. According to Heritage Malta (2026), only 10 people may be underground at one time, you may not take photos, and children under 5 cannot go in. An adult pays €35, young people aged 12 to 17 and seniors €20, and children aged 6 to 11 €15.
Buy tickets as soon as you have your flights. Heritage Malta itself advises you to book as early as possible. If they are sold out, there is a last-minute ticket for €50. It is only sold the day before your visit, until 12:00, and only at Fort St Elmo or at the Archaeology Museum on Gozo. One person can buy at most 4 tickets. Route 85 from Valletta takes you to Paola.
Mdina, Rabat and Ħaġar Qim
Mdina is the old capital, on a hill in the middle of the island. Entry through the walls is free, and the streets are so quiet that people call it the Silent City. Right next to it in Rabat are St Paul's Catacombs, €6 for an adult according to Heritage Malta (2026). You can see Mdina and the catacombs in one morning.
The Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra megalithic temples near Qrendi stand above the sea in the south of Malta, under a large protective roof. According to Heritage Malta (2026), entry to the park costs €10 for an adult, and the bus stop is a 3-minute walk away. If you have a car, combine them with Marsaxlokk, a fishing village with colourful luzzu boats.
A four-day plan for Malta
- Day 1 arrive, Valletta in the afternoon: the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Triq ir-Repubblika, in the evening the boat to Sliema
- Day 2 St John's Co-Cathedral in the morning (not on a Sunday), in the afternoon the boat to the Three Cities and a walk in Birgu
- Day 3 early in the morning route 42 or X300 to Ċirkewwa, the ferry to Gozo, the Citadel in Victoria, Dwejra, Ġgantija
- Day 4 the Hypogeum at the time on your ticket, Marsaxlokk, Mdina and Rabat in the afternoon, fly home in the evening
Comino and the Blue Lagoon only fit into four days in summer, instead of the Three Cities or Mdina. Add them on a fifth day. Boats to Comino also leave from Ċirkewwa, where the Gozo ferry leaves.
Malta FAQ
How many days do you need in Malta?
Four days are enough for Valletta, the Three Cities, Mdina and one day on Gozo. With Comino and the beaches, plan five to seven days.
Do you need to book the ferry to Gozo?
No. Gozo Channel does not take bookings, and you do not pay from Malta to Gozo. As a foot passenger you pay €4.65 in Mġarr before the trip back, and €15.70 for a car with driver.
Do I need a booking for the Blue Lagoon?
Yes. Since May 2025 there is a free booking on bluelagooncomino.mt, with three time slots and at most 4,000 people at one time. Without it you cannot go into the lagoon.
How far in advance should you buy a Hypogeum ticket?
As early as possible, ideally when you buy your flights. Only 10 people are underground at one time. Last-minute tickets for €50 are only sold the day before, at Fort St Elmo and at the museum on Gozo.
Is a bus card worth it in Malta?
Yes, if you take three or more rides a day. The 4-day Explore Flex costs €21 and also covers the airport bus. A single ride costs €2.00 in winter and €2.50 in summer.
If you only have a long weekend in Malta, buy your flights first and the Hypogeum ticket right after. You can sort out everything else, the ferries, the buses and Valletta, when you are there.
