5 Days in Malta: Day-by-Day Itinerary for Valletta, Mdina, Gozo and Comino
Plan five days in Malta with a day-by-day route through Valletta, the Three Cities, Mdina, Gozo and Comino, plus transport notes and a base to suit it.
On this page
Five days is the right length for Malta if you want both walled cities and an island day without rushing. A compact plan takes in Valletta and the Three Cities, Mdina with the temples, a full day on Gozo, a boat day at Comino and one flexible day. This guide sets that out day by day, grouped by geography so you are not crossing the island twice, with notes on which days work on the bus and which are easier with a car.
Where five days gets you: what fits and what to drop
The plan works because each day stays in one corner of the island. Valletta and the Three Cities share a harbour, Mdina and the temples sit close together in the west, Gozo and Comino are reached by water, and the last day takes whichever of the south or the north you missed. Three days covers Valletta, Mdina and one island trip, but it feels full; five days lets you add Gozo without squeezing it.
If a day runs long, cut rather than cram. On the Mdina day, the temples are the part to keep and Dingli Cliffs the part to drop. On the Valletta day, the Three Cities are a quieter contrast to the capital and easy to shorten to Birgu alone. Planning around a fixed five days is easier when you know how many days in Malta each sight really needs.
Day 1: Valletta and the Three Cities
Start in Valletta, which is compact and easy on foot. The usual spine is St John's Co-Cathedral, then the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the view over the Grand Harbour. The cathedral interior holds works by Caravaggio, and a bare-shoulders dress code applies in Maltese churches, so carry a light layer.
Cross the harbour in the afternoon to Birgu (Vittoriosa), with Senglea (L-Isla) and Cospicua (Bormla) alongside. Fort St Angelo sits in Birgu, and the streets are quieter than Valletta's. A ferry or water taxi links the two sides of the harbour.
Allow a full day for this pairing rather than trying to add Mdina in the evening. If you only have a short break, a two-day version of this route covers the capital and the harbour cities alone.
Day 2: Mdina, Rabat and the temples
Head inland to Mdina first thing, while the lanes are still quiet. Walk the streets, visit St Paul's Cathedral and look out from the walls, then cross into Rabat for St Paul's Catacombs. Mdina is small, so the morning is enough.
In the afternoon, take in the megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, which sit close to each other on the same site. Cover up and carry water: the temple sites have little shade at midday. Finish at Dingli Cliffs if time allows. Since the temples are spread out, this is the one day where a car saves real time.
Budget a whole day rather than half. Cramming Valletta and Mdina into one day means skipping the temples entirely or seeing both cities in a blur, which is why four days sits awkwardly between the two.
Day 3: Gozo day trip
Take the ferry across to Gozo and drive or bus up to Victoria (Rabat), Gozo's capital, to walk the Citadel walls. Beyond Victoria, the island is rural and small enough to see several places in a day: Ta' Pinu, Wied il-Għasri and the Xwejni Salt Pans on the coast, with Ramla Bay as a possible stop. Stay off the salt pans themselves, since they are working pans.
A car makes Gozo far easier, because the ferry crossing and the rural roads eat into the day. In summer, arrive at the ferry terminal early: the queue is the main risk to your schedule. A 30-minute crossing leaves plenty of daylight, but the return trip is what decides your evening.
Day 4: Comino and the Blue Lagoon
Give the whole day to Comino and the water around it. The Blue Lagoon is the destination, and many boat trips add caves and other coastal stops. An early departure helps, and a booked boat tour removes the guesswork in peak season.
Pack water shoes and more water than you think you need, and expect to stay longer than planned once you are in the water. Do not put Valletta or Mdina on the same day; the boats return in the afternoon and you will be tired. If you already did Gozo the day before, this is the second water day in a row, so plan a quiet evening.
Day 5: Marsaxlokk, the south coast or northern Malta
Use the last day for whichever side of the island you have not seen. Marsaxlokk in the south is the fishing village stop, with its traditional boats and seafood restaurants, and it is liveliest on Sundays when the market is on. It is easier with a car if you want to combine it with anything else.
Alternatively, spend the day in the north around Mellieħa and the Sliema and St Julian's waterfront. If you would rather slow the whole trip down and add a day, a one-week version gives you room for both.
Getting around: bus, car and ferry, and what each costs you in time
Buses connect the most-visited places, including the airport, Valletta and Mdina, so you can do the two city days without a car. For the temple day, Gozo and Marsaxlokk, a car is quicker and lets you combine stops that buses would turn into a long day.
If you rent a car, inspect it carefully before driving off and photograph any damage; roads and streets are often in poor condition and damage disputes are common at handover. Driving is on the left, as in the UK, so British drivers adapt quickly.
Boats and ferries need booking in summer rather than on the day. Check current fares and crossing times with the operator before you build a day around them, since these change with the season.
Where to base yourself for this route
Base yourself in one place for the whole five days. Rabat, next to Mdina, is quiet and within a short walk of the Silent City, which suits an early Mdina start. Sliema has the best transport links to the rest of the islands, but it is busy and modern; the trade-off is convenience against atmosphere.
Valletta puts you in the middle of the day-one sights and gives good access to the harbour crossings. Wherever you choose, stay near a bus route if you are not hiring a car, because that decides how early you can start each day.
Five-day itinerary variations: reversing the order, doing Gozo and Comino together via the north
The order is flexible. If you are taking boat tours from Malta, Comino and Gozo can be done on separate days in almost any order. If you are travelling independently or renting a car, a more efficient run is to explore northern Malta first, take the ferry to Gozo and visit Comino from Gozo, which avoids repeated crossings and feels more relaxed.
Reversing the plan also helps if you want the busiest days out of the way first. Valletta on day one gets the cathedral and gardens done while you are fresh, and the quieter Mdina day falls later. Whichever order you pick, keep each day in one corner of the island.
How five days in Malta compares with three or four
Three days is enough for Valletta, Mdina and one island trip, but it feels full. Five days gives you a better balance and includes Gozo without rushing, which three days rarely manages.
Five days is not too long. Adding a sixth day buys you a slower pace rather than another must-see, which is the point at which a week-long trip makes more sense than an itinerary this dense.
Which day would you swap first?
If you have to cut a day, cut the flexible day five and keep the island days. If you have to add one, add a second Gozo day rather than doubling up on Valletta and Mdina. Either way, one base for the week keeps this plan working.
Explore more Malta guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a car in Malta?
Not for Valletta and Mdina, which are reachable by bus. A car helps on the temple day and on Gozo, where the stops are spread out and buses make for a long day. The trade-off is narrow, uneven roads and careful checks of the rental at pick-up.
Is five days too long in Malta?
Five days gives a better balance than three, with Gozo included and time at a relaxed pace rather than a rush. It is not too long; the main risk is trying to fit too much into the flexible last day.
Sources
Notes for your Malta trip
Optional updates when we add or correct a Malta or Gozo guide.
You might also like
Continue reading
More guides you'll find useful
,_Malta.02.jpg){kind=link}