A week in Malta, Gozo and Comino, unhurried and from three bases

A week is the most rewarding Malta trip to plan, to my mind, because seven days lets you see all three islands and still not see everything at a gallop. My plan rests on three bases, each chosen for what’s around it. The capital for the south and the centre, Mellieħa for the north and Comino, and Gozo to finish. Changing hotels twice sounds like a faff, but it saves you hours on buses. If your trip is shorter, I trim it down in my Malta 5 day itinerary, with the last two nights on Gozo, and my Malta 4 day itinerary, which I see as the sensible minimum.

Four days out of the capital

For the first four days I’d sleep in Valletta or Sliema. Day one is the walled city, never on a Sunday, as the Co-Cathedral shuts. That’s also why my weekend in Malta keeps the capital for Saturday. Day two is the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum and the Three Cities, finishing at the Gardjola Gardens in Senglea. Day three I’d take to the south-east. Marsaxlokk, with its market if it’s a Sunday; St Peter’s Pool, the natural rock pool where Spain’s Foreign Ministry advises care because of rockfalls; and the Għar Dalam cave, with bones of Ice Age elephants and hippos.

Day four is for the southern temples, Rabat and Mdina, with sunset at Dingli. If you hire a car for just one day of the week, make it this one. It’s the same route as day two of my Malta 3 day itinerary.

The north, with a night in Mellieħa

On day five I’d move base. The 42 bus heads north from the capital through Mosta and Mellieħa before reaching Ċirkewwa, so on the way I’d hop off for the Mosta Rotunda, €8 for the full visit. In Mellieħa I’d drop the bags and use route 101, which leaves Ċirkewwa and stops at Popeye Village, Golden Bay and Għadira, choosing according to the day. Popeye Village charges €18 from 1 October 2026, and if you’d rather have sand, Golden Bay is on the same route. The village and its beaches are in my guide to Mellieħa.

Why Comino on day six and not earlier?

Because from the north it’s right there, and because the day then ends on Gozo. I’d catch the first boat out of Ċirkewwa for the morning slot at the Blue Lagoon, which you book free on the MTA’s portal. At midday I’d either head back to Ċirkewwa or, if the boatman offers it, cross straight to Gozo, and by late afternoon I’d be in Mġarr with my luggage. The Gozo Channel ferry takes no bookings and charges nothing on the outward leg.

Gozo, the day that always feels too short

Day seven goes on Gozo end to end. The Citadel in Victoria early, Dwejra and Ta’ Pinu Basilica around midday, and a finish at the Xwejni salt pans or Ramla Bay, depending on which you fancy, salt or sand. With a car it all fits in a day; without one, I’d pick east or west and leave the other side for the next morning before the ferry. If you’re torn between the two sides, the scores I give in things to do in Gozo should settle it.

If your week falls in high summer

August and July are the airport’s two busiest months, and in the third quarter of 2024 Malta’s hotels ran at around 84% occupancy, according to the MTA. You’ll feel that in room rates and at the Blue Lagoon, so I’d book all three bases and the Comino slot as soon as the flights are sorted. In return, summer brings the village festas, which visitmalta says run from late May into September, and a sea that Malta’s own Met Office puts at around 26 °C in August and September. One free evening at a festa is worth more than another museum.

What it costs to get about and get in

For a week without a car, the 7-day Explore Flex costs €27 and covers day buses, night buses and Airport Direct. For sights, the €60 Multisite Pass pays for itself several times over, leaving only the Hypogeum (€35) and St John’s (€15) outside it. Add Popeye Village, the Mosta Rotunda and the eco-contribution, and the plan comes to about €180 per adult before accommodation and food. The MTA’s spending survey for 2025 puts the average at €175 per person per night across the whole trip, so the bulk of your budget goes on beds and meals, not sightseeing. I break it all down in is Malta expensive.