When to go to Malta: the right month for the holiday you want

Picking when to go to Malta has less to do with the weather, which is decent most of the year, than with what you’re going for. A beach week and a temples trip want different months, and so do a half-term family holiday and a long weekend in March. I’ve sorted it by trip type, using the two figures I trust most for this, the Met Office climate data and the number of passengers going through the airport each month.

The short answer is May or October

Ask me for one month and I’ll say May. It averages about 20°C (68°F), gets roughly 10 mm of rain across the whole month, clocks over 300 hours of sunshine, and the sea is creeping towards 18°C. Village feasts start at the end of the month too, and the 2026 Blue Flag season began on 29 May, so you get lifeguarded beaches without the August crush.

October mirrors it. The water is warmer than in May, averaging 24°C, and highs are still around 25°C. The trade-off is the first storms (October’s rainfall norm is 77.6 mm), and one heavy downpour can rearrange a day. I’d still take it over July or August without much hesitation.

When is Malta least crowded?

In winter, and the gap is big. Malta International Airport handled 507,574 passengers in January 2025 and 1,072,390 in August, more than twice as many. The curve climbs through spring (896,750 in April, 927,709 in May), peaks in July and August and eases off slowly until November. Hotels tell the same story, with the Malta Tourism Authority putting occupancy at 49% from January to March 2024 and 80.7% from July to September.

I haven’t found an official index of hotel or flight prices by month, so I won’t quote any. What I can say is that more demand usually means less choice and higher prices, and that the winter bus fare is €2 instead of €2.50. If saving money is the aim, start with Malta on a budget.

For beaches and swimming

Here the water matters more than the air. From June to October the sea sits above 22°C (72°F), peaking in August and September at around 26°C. May is swimmable but fresh. Every month is laid out in my guide to Malta sea temperature.

My pick for a beach holiday is the second half of June or September. Warm water, long days, the feasts, and none of the August peak. In high summer, bear in mind that landing at Comino’s Blue Lagoon now means booking a free slot, with numbers capped, so check this year’s rules first.

For towns, temples and museums

This is where winter and early spring win. Wandering Valletta or Mdina at 14 or 16°C beats doing it at 32°C, and at open-air sites such as Ħaġar Qim the midday sun is hard to escape. Do check Heritage Malta’s hours, though. From 1 March to 31 October 2026 the big sites opened 09:00 to 19:00, and in winter they shut at 17:00. Between 4 January and 28 February 2027 the smaller museums also close on Mondays and Wednesdays.

March is the most underrated month for this kind of trip. You get the long museum hours, around 224 hours of sunshine and occasions like Freedom Day on 31 March, while the airport is still well below its summer pace.

When I’d stay away, and why

I’d avoid July and August unless you’ll spend most of the day in the water. August’s average high is 32°C (90°F) and heatwaves are becoming routine. July 2026 had one lasting seven days, from the 16th to the 22nd, hitting 43.3°C (110°F), and late August brought another with an orange warning. In that heat, sightseeing shrinks to early morning and early evening. If that’s when you’re going anyway, Malta in July and Malta in August show how I’d split those days.

Nor would I choose January or February for a beach trip. The sea is around 15 or 16°C and the storms can be serious. On 20 January 2026, Storm Harry kept the Met Office’s red wind warning in force. In return you get museums without queues, which is how I pitch Malta in January. For a city break, though, those months have their charm, and I cover them in Malta in winter.

If you’re tied to school holidays

Easter works well, and in 2027 it’s an early one, Good Friday being 26 March, with spring weather and processions in the villages. February half-term lands in Malta’s coolest, windiest weeks, fine for sightseeing but not for the beach. In summer, if there’s no alternative, book early, stay near the sea and flip the day round, culture first thing and the beach at midday. Temperatures and rainfall for each season are in my page on Malta weather.