Malta and Gozo in Two Weeks: A 14-Day Itinerary

Arrive at Malta International Airport (MLA). The TD4 Airport Direct bus runs to Valletta every 30 minutes, or take a taxi from the rank outside arrivals. You will not need a car for the first five days.

Check in and walk the length of Valletta from City Gate to the sea. End at the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the view over the Grand Harbour and, across the water, the forts of the Three Cities.

Keep the first evening easy. Graze on pastizzi, flaky pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas, and a plate of bigilla with bread, then turn in early.

Be at St John's Co-Cathedral when it opens. The church of the Knights of St John is plain outside and lavishly gilded within, with a floor of inlaid marble tombstones and Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John in the oratory. Cover shoulders and knees.

After lunch, choose two of three: the state rooms and armoury of the Grandmaster's Palace; the National Museum of Archaeology, the best introduction to the Neolithic temples you will see later; or the bastions and parade ground of Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum at the tip of the peninsula.

Have dinner in one of the stepped streets that drop towards Marsamxett Harbour. Order timpana, the baked pasta pie, or bragioli.

Cross the Grand Harbour by ferry to the Three Cities. In Birgu (Vittoriosa), climb Fort St Angelo, the Knights' stronghold during the Great Siege of 1565, for the view back across to Valletta.

Walk inland through Birgu to the Inquisitor's Palace, then cross the creek to Senglea (Isla) and the small garden at the point. Spend the rest of the afternoon at a marina cafe.

Join a Grand Harbour cruise in the late afternoon to see the creeks and forts from the water, then eat in Birgu. Check whether Birgufest, and check the programme, falls during your stay.

Go to Paola for your booked slot at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a Neolithic burial complex carved into the rock on several levels and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Before or after, walk to the Tarxien Temples, known for their carved spiral reliefs.

Continue to Marsaxlokk on the southeast coast, where the brightly painted luzzu boats tie up along the harbour. Eat seafood by the water; in autumn try lampuki pie. On a calm, warm day, swim off the rocks at St Peter's Pool on the Delimara peninsula.

Back in Valletta, a quiet evening. A bowl of aljotta, the fish soup with garlic and herbs, is the right end to a fishing-village day.

Take the ferry across Marsamxett Harbour from Valletta to Sliema and walk the seafront promenade. There is no sightseeing list today. Swim from the rock platforms along the front or rent a board for stand-up paddleboarding if the water is calm.

Follow the promenade to St Julian's and Spinola Bay, then on to St George's Bay, a small sandy beach for a late swim. Alternatively, book a guided sea kayaking trip.

Eat by the water in St Julian's, then return to the Sliema ferry landing or take a bus back to Valletta. Paceville, next door, is the nightlife district if you want a late night.

Collect the hire car and drive to Wied iz-Zurrieq for the Blue Grotto. Small boats visit the sea caves when the sea is calm, and the morning light shows the colours best.

Continue a few minutes to Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (Ħaġar Qim), two sheltered megalithic temples on the headland, joined by a footpath down towards the sea. Afterwards, swim in the rocky cove at Ghar Lapsi, a short drive west, which is popular with local families.

Drive back to Valletta for your last night there. Order stuffat tal-fenek, rabbit braised with wine and garlic.

Check out and drive inland to Mdina, the walled former capital. Visit St Paul's Cathedral and walk the lanes to the bastion viewpoint before the day visitors arrive.

In Rabat, see the Roman mosaics at the Domus Romana and go underground at St Paul's Catacombs. Then drive south to the shade of Buskett Gardens, a wooded valley that is rare on this dry island, and on to Dingli Cliffs.

Watch the sun set over the sea and the islet of Filfla from Dingli, then drive north to Mellieha for three nights. Dinner late and simple: kapunata and grilled fish.

Walk part of the coast in the Majjistral Nature and History Park, the protected stretch of garrigue and cliffs above Golden Bay. Spring brings wild flowers; in summer, start early. See coastal walking and hiking for routes.

Swim at Ghajn Tuffieha Bay (Għajn Tuffieħa), reached down a long flight of steps, or next door at Golden Bay, which has more services. Quieter Gnejna Bay is a short drive south.

Stay on the west-facing sand at Golden Bay for the sunset, then drive back to Mellieha. Try imqaret, date-filled fried pastries, for dessert.

A slow morning on Mellieha Bay (Għadira), a long sandy beach with shallow water. Across the road, the Ghadira Nature Reserve is a protected wetland for migrating birds; check its visiting days before you go.

Drive up the Marfa ridge to the Red Tower (St Agatha's Tower), a Knights-era watchtower with views to Gozo and Comino. Families may prefer Popeye Village, the film set in Anchor Bay. Then swim at quieter Paradise Bay near Cirkewwa.

Pack for Gozo. Have dinner in Mellieha and an early night, as the ferry is tomorrow morning.

Drive the short way to Cirkewwa and board the Gozo Channel ferry to Mgarr, a crossing of about 25 minutes. Tickets can be bought online or at the Gozo booths and are validated in Gozo before the return journey. Check into your base for four nights on Gozo.

Spend the afternoon in Victoria (Rabat) and its Cittadella, the fortified old town on the hill, with its cathedral and a walk around the walls looking over the whole island. The Gozo travel guide covers the town in more detail.

Eat in Victoria's main square or drive to the waterfront at Xlendi or Marsalforn. Start with gbejniet, the small sheep's cheeses made on Gozo.

Drive to Dwejra Bay and the Inland Sea on the west coast. Small boats go from the enclosed lagoon through a cave to the open sea when the weather allows, and the cliffs and Fungus Rock are worth the walk. The Azure Window arch no longer stands. Divers use Dwejra for popular shore dives; see scuba diving.

On the way back, stop at Ta' Pinu Basilica, the pilgrimage church standing alone in open country near Gharb. Then head to Xlendi Bay, a narrow inlet where conditions must be checked before swimming, for a swim.

Stay in Xlendi for dinner by the water and watch the light fade on the cliffs at the mouth of the bay.

Late spring to early autumn: take a boat from Mgarr to Comino, a trip of around 15 minutes. Landing at the Blue Lagoon requires a free time-slot booking, introduced in 2025 to cap numbers at 4,000 at any one time, so book the slot first. The Comino and Blue Lagoon guide has the details.

Winter or rough seas: skip Comino. Boats sail much less often in the cooler months and not at all in bad weather. Instead, swim or walk at Mgarr ix-Xini, a deep fjord-like inlet on Gozo's south coast.

On Comino, walk across the island (you can cover all of it in about three hours) to St Mary's Tower and the quieter Santa Marija Bay, or take a boat trip around the caves. On the Gozo option, drive to Hondoq ir-Rummien, a small cove facing Comino, for a final swim.

Return to your base and keep dinner simple after a day in the sun. A sweet qaghaq tal-ghasel ring from a bakery makes a good end.

Visit the Ggantija Temples in Xaghra, two Late Neolithic structures that Heritage Malta dates to between 3,800 and 2,000 BC, part of the UNESCO-listed Megalithic Temples of Malta. The combined ticket includes Ta' Kola Windmill in the village.

Spend the rest of the day at Ramla Bay, the red-sand beach below Xaghra, or at quieter San Blas Bay down a steep lane nearby. If you would rather be active, rent a bike; cycling in Gozo covers easy routes.

A last Gozo dinner. If you have not yet tried Gozitan ftira, the pizza-like bread topped with potato, anchovy or cheese, tonight is the time.

Drive to Mgarr and take the ferry to Cirkewwa; validate your ticket here, buying it at the Gozo booths if you have not bought online. Allow time for the queue in summer.

From Cirkewwa, the drive to Malta International Airport depends on traffic, so check conditions and allow a generous buffer. Refuel near the airport and return the car with time to spare.

Fly home from MLA. With a very early flight, consider moving to a hotel near the airport or in Valletta on day 13 instead, so the ferry is not on your departure morning.