Malta in winter, the islands without the queues or the peak prices

Winter is Malta’s least-marketed season and, to my mind, the most rewarding if you’re interested in the place rather than just the beach. In this guide winter runs from November to March, because that’s when opening hours, fares and the pace of the islands all change. For month-by-month weather in more detail, see Malta weather.

What a Maltese winter is really like

The Met Office gives an average of 13.3°C (56°F) for December, January and February, with 522 hours of sunshine across those three months. That sounds like spring, and on many days it is. What the averages hide is the wind. In January and February the norm is around 9 knots, but storms send it soaring, as in February 2026, when the month averaged close to 13 knots.

Then there are the storms. During Storm Harry in January 2026 the Met Office forecast Force 8 to 9 winds and kept a red warning, its highest level, in force. And in February 2023 Helios came through, dumping on Luqa in twenty-four hours more than twice the rain of a normal February. It isn’t a weekly event, but bear it in mind before booking a January boat to Comino. The rest of that month, with the sea at 16.2°C and the airport at its quietest, is in Malta in January.

The flip side is that plenty of winters are mild. December 2023 averaged 15.9°C, 1.4°C above its norm, and the 2023-24 winter averaged 14.8°C, level with 2007 as one of the warmest on the Met Office’s records. I’d still pack a windproof jacket and a jumper for the evenings.

What to do in Malta in winter

Everything you’d rush in August. The Three Cities, Mdina or Valletta’s bastions are a pleasure at 14 or 15°C without hunting for shade. Open-air temples such as Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra are better without the midday sun, and on 20 and 21 December 2026 Heritage Malta has the winter solstice there.

It’s also exhibition season. Heritage Malta’s 2026 calendar lists an Egyptian exhibition at the National Museum of Archaeology from October to March and another on the Phoenicians at Tas-Silġ between November and February. Fort St Elmo keeps its In Guardia re-enactments on various autumn dates until 13 December 2026.

Nature has its winter fans too. BirdLife Malta runs the Għadira reserve below Mellieħa, free to visit between September and May, with weekday afternoons (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and longer opening on Saturdays and Sundays. Walkers should also know that the British government flags a shooting season in spring and autumn, with hunters out from before dawn until after dusk, sometimes close to paths.

What changes in opening hours and prices

The main Heritage Malta sites switch from summer hours (09:00-19:00) to winter hours (09:00-17:00) on 1 November, the change I open with in Malta in November. The Hypogeum does its own thing. Until 3 January 2027 it holds on to 10:00-18:00 opening, and booking is always compulsory. From 4 January the smaller museums close on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you’re thinking of a multi-site ticket, read up on Malta sightseeing passes first.

Transport works in your favour. The bus is €2 a ticket against €2.50 in summer, and Gozo Channel cuts its night fare through the cooler months, November to March. The Sliema to Valletta ferry, on the other hand, runs shorter hours. From 1 November to 31 May, on Sundays and public holidays it finishes at 18:30. None of this is a reason to hire a car in winter, as the buses and ferries cover the main sights, and fewer tourists on board makes them far more pleasant than in August.

Christmas, carnival and closures

Winter brings two big festivals. December is Christmas, which has its own page on Malta at Christmas, and February brings carnival, held from 13 to 17 February in 2026. Watch the closures, as Heritage Malta museums shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January. The public holidays on the 8th, 13th and 25th are in Malta in December, and St Paul’s Shipwreck, a holiday on the 10th, in Malta in February. For UK travellers the good news is that the plugs and the driving side are the same as at home, so a winter city break needs no adapters.

And the sea in winter?

It’s milder than the air, with a January norm of 16.2°C (61°F), and Visit Malta says bathing is possible well into winter. I wouldn’t plan a winter trip around the beach, but a quick dip off the rocks in Sliema on a sunny day is perfectly doable. The details are in Malta sea temperature. If you’re torn between this season and another, compare with the best time to visit Malta.