Getaways from Valletta: day trips and destinations close by.

Direct bus from Luqa to City Gate

To Malta airport (MLA), at Luqa, in the middle of the island, there are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. From there, the bus goes direct to the City Gate terminal, at the gate of the walls, and the taxi has a fixed fare from the airport booth. A national ID card is enough.

Valletta is a pocket-sized capital: inside the walls, from City Gate to the tip at St Elmo it is a quarter of an hour on foot. For the city you do not need a car, and for the Three Cities either: a boat crosses the Grand Harbour to Birgu in ten minutes, for €3 each way.

For the rest of the island there are two ways. The Malta Public Transport bus reaches almost everywhere: the 41, 42 and X300 go from Valletta to Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip, from where the boats to Comino and the Gozo Channel ferry leave. A hire car gives more freedom, but you drive on the left and on narrow roads; if you are going to take it across to Gozo, check that the insurance covers the ferry. Without going via Ċirkewwa, the fast Gozo Highspeed ferry leaves Valletta's Grand Harbour for Mġarr, passengers only.

Two whole days without leaving the walls

Inside the walls and across the harbour there are two whole days with no moving other than on foot: St John's Co-Cathedral with its Caravaggios, the Grand Master's Palace, the midday cannon at Upper Barrakka, Fort St Elmo and, by boat, Birgu and Fort St Angelo.

An hour and a quarter away, counting the bus or car to Ċirkewwa and the twenty-minute boat, is Comino's Blue Lagoon. Since May 2025 it has booking with slots and capacity; with Comino Ferries access is included in the ticket. The same boat then goes on to Gozo.

An hour and forty minutes away are the Ġgantija temples, in Gozo, with the car to Ċirkewwa and the 25-minute ferry. Gozo is more rural and peaceful than Malta: the Victoria Cittadella on high, villages with squares and the Dwejra coast to the west. It can be seen in a long day, but is enjoyed more with one or two nights.

In July and August, the first boat to the Blue Lagoon

From April to June and in September and October you can walk around Valletta comfortably at any hour and Gozo is at its best for walking between villages and temples.

Summer is for the sea. The Blue Lagoon is for swimming from June to October; in July and August, take the first boat. In the city, midday in the street is hard: leave Upper Barrakka for the 16:00 cannon, which also fires.

Winter is fine for the city and for Gozo, but it gets dark early: to see sunset at Dwejra you must arrive before 17:00.

There are weekday details worth knowing. The co-cathedral is closed to visitors on Sunday, Rubino, in Birgu, serves lunch only Monday to Friday, and in Gozo Al Sale closes on Thursday and the Cittadella's old prison on Monday. The ferry to Gozo is paid only on the return, on leaving the island.

The co-cathedral at opening time and the twelve o'clock cannon

• On foot, the first day: Valletta in a day. The co-cathedral at opening time, the Grand Master's armoury, the twelve o'clock cannon, ftira and rabbit at Ta' Nenu and the afternoon at St Elmo, Monday to Saturday.
• In the day, with a swim: Comino and Gozo from Valletta. The boat from Ċirkewwa to the Blue Lagoon, the same boat to Gozo, fish at Mġarr, the Cittadella walls and the ferry back.
• With two nights: Gozo in two nights. A farmhouse turned hotel in Xagħra, Ġgantija on foot, the Cittadella, sunset at Dwejra and a try dive.

For anyone staying in the capital, Valletta in three nights brings together the city, the boat to Birgu and three Maltese restaurants, without a car. If there is only one morning, the Three Cities by boat; if there is a whole day for the other island, Gozo in a day.