Three Days in Malta

For this trip, Andrew stayed home. Instead, my travel buddy was my mom. She came to visit from the USA and we went to both Malta and Spain. Next to Andrew, she is my favorite travel companion of all time. We have been taking trips together for years, starting with Ireland followed by locations like Vancouver and Portland, Oregon. This post is about our trip to Malta and the next post will probably be about our trip to Valencia, Spain. 

We really enjoyed Malta, especially once we escaped the congestion and noise of the big city. I love cities, but sometimes they are just too much for me. We both preferred the countryside and less populated areas of Malta compared to the cities. Don’t get me wrong, there are great places to see and things to do in cities like Valletta that I am happy I experienced. I just enjoyed the country a bit more. Here I have outlined what we did followed by some other activities that I would have liked to add to our itinerary if I had known more ahead of time. 

Visiting Malta in Three Days (Our itinerary)

Day 1 – Arrival and Valletta

Our first day started early. Very early. The plane to Malta left Pisa at about 6:30am and we arrived at about 8am. An easy flight to be sure, but some yawns were definitely well-earned. When we landed in Malta, we were greeted by a small aquarium with two large fish. We then ended up outside where we had to figure out how to take the bus to our hotel. I rely a lot on Apple Maps, and it was able to tell me which line to take and where to get off. There is a machine at the bus stop where you can purchase bus cards. You can also buy individual tickets directly from the driver. If you get the card, you can top it off on their app. 

We finally got on the bus and off we went. Wow! There are so many cars on such a small island! The congestion was crazy and drivers were a bit wild. When we finally got off the bus we were a bit confused as there was no sidewalk or crosswalk to get where we needed to go. We learned that this is just the way it is in Malta. We eventually found our hotel, Chapter 5 Boutique Hotel, and were able to check-in and get a brief summary of things to do and places to go on the island. 

The next thing we needed to do was find coffee. We found ourselves at The Busy Bee down the street where we finally got some caffeine and food. We were waiting for a close family friend to meet us and when she arrived, we headed out and walked along the harbor across from Valletta. This was a nice walk, but it was next to a busy and noisy road. The water was crystal clear and I could tell that snorkeling near the island was probably amazing. Unfortunately, the water was too cold for us to commit to renting gear and finding a place to go. 

After having a nice walk, we decided to catch the bus to Valletta, Malta’s capital city. We were first greeted by a giant and beautiful fountain, Triton’s Fountain. We then entered the old city center which is full of charming cafès and bars along with throngs of people. Coming from Italy, I am used to crowds, but I still do not enjoy them. Who does? Despite the endless flow of people, we still had a great time exploring the streets and gardens. There are two gardens in Valletta: the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Lower Barrakka Gardens. They may not be large, but they offer beautiful views. From the Lower Barrakka Gardens you can look at the Great Siege Bell Memorial which honors those who fought in the Siege of Malta between 1940-1943. 

Marianna needed to head back for a class and we were going to meet her later for dinner with her friends. Until then, mom and I had a few hours to kill. We started off our time with a drink on a cute street that led down to the harbor. The little bar, Da Gino Lounge, was very cute with outdoor tables and a nice waitress. We enjoyed the shade and the views before making our way to our next activity. We decided to visit the archaeological museum as the island is covered in ancient ruins and history. It is a small museum on the main street of Valletta, and it is only 5€ for an adult (less for a senior\student). We learned a lot and mom even squeezed in a nap in front of one of the exhibits. So, you probably can guess what we did next: coffee. 

Once we got ourselves some gluten free pastries and much needed coffees, we headed down to the Great Siege Bell Memorial. We wanted to check out what it was and see it up close. We then headed to dinner, had some pizza, met some cool young ladies, and then went back to the hotel to call my brother for his birthday and then crash. 

Day 2 – Harbor Tour, Mdina, Buskett Gardens, Ruins, and Mexican Food

Coffee, everyday needs to begin with coffee. We are crazy for coffee and we found a great source at Coffee Circus Porto near our hotel. The dirty chai was delicious and they have affordable toasted sandwiches. From here we made our way down to where people were selling tours along the harbor and found the harbor tour we had been wanting to take. Marianna joined us for our adventure and we enjoyed puttering around the two main harbors by Valletta and the three old cities. There was commentary, but it was a bit hard to follow. I was also distracted by all the boats, old buildings, and a crane painted like a giraffe. The largest catamaran in the Mediterranean was docked there and travels between Malta and Sicily. It is the second largest in the world. We also saw where filming will be taking place for the new Gladiator movie. The boat was a bit rocky, so I was glad Andrew wasn’t there as he would have gotten sea sick. 

Following our tour, we took a Bolt to the silent city of Mdina. Mdina is the old capital of Malta and it is beautiful inside and out. Inside the walls the narrow streets are perfect for wandering and getting lost. It turns out that it is quite a small city, so we were able to find our way out in the end. There is a lookout on one end that offers a stunning panorama of the surrounding countryside and sea. After leaving the city and getting a magnet to add to our new collection, we found lunch at Chalk Cafe and Wine. After filling our bellies with some salad and sandwiches, we got a Bolt to Buskett Gardens. These gardens were planted as a hunting ground and now make up the largest wooded area on the island. There is a nice walking path that leads through the middle of the woods, but it isn’t very long. We didn’t spend too much time here as we wanted to make sure to make it to the ancient ruins, Hagar Qim.

The ruins do require admission, but there are two sets of ruins and incredible sea views. Mom really wanted to see the mysterious tracks worn down into the stone of the island, but they weren’t close enough to us. As it was, it was a great experience to see the structures that were built thousands of years ago. The buildings are protected from the elements by coverings, this prevents any further deterioration. I would definitely put these ruins on your list if you are interested in archaeology. Many of the artifacts that were found during the excavation can be found in the archaeological museum in Valletta. 

When our Bolt driver dropped us off at the ruins, he told us how we could walk down to the Blue Grotto overlook. We took advantage of the advice and went to look at the rock formation carved out by the sea. It was then that we called it a day and headed back to the hotel.

Day 3 – Gozo

We started day three thinking that we didn’t leave until 10pm. It turns out that while checking into our flights I realized we left at 6pm! That threw a little bit of a wrench in our plans to visit the island of Gozo at a more relaxed pace, but we were still determined to visit the less populated island. 

After grabbing some coffee at our new favorite coffee shop, we took a car to the Gozo Fast Ferry terminal. There are ferries that stop at other cities and other small islands, but we wanted to zip over to Gozo and get started with our adventure for the day. The ride is about 45 minutes and you will arrive in Mgàrr’s harbor. This is also where you can buy tickets for the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour that brings you around the island. We bought tickets and the saleswoman helped us figure out that we only had time for one stop. She suggested that we get off in the capital city of Victoria for an hour where we could walk around and also see the citadel. The tour was wonderful as it offered beautiful views of the farmland, seaside, and cities. If I ever go back, I will take advantage of the other stops where you can visit the beach, more famous ruins, and much more. There is definitely no shortage of things to see and do on the island. I almost wished we were taking the later plane, but we were also ready to head back to Pisa to see Andrew and Wally. 

Once we made it back to the main island of Malta, we got a ride to the airport where we found a bite to eat. Be aware that the food court is not inside the terminal if you want to grab some food before your flight. The airport was buzzing with huge crowds waiting for their flights. It’s a small one-terminal airport and so it isn’t hard to find where you need to go. The flight to Pisa is less than two hours and we were able to walk home from the airport and enjoy the nice evening.  

What to do in Malta

Wander the streets of Valletta 

Visit the island of Gozo

Wander the streets of Mdina

Visit Some Ancient Ruins

Take a Harbor Tour

Other Things to Do 

There are almost always things that I wish I could have done differently on a trip if only I had known beforehand what things would be like. Visiting Malta was great, but if I did the trip again I would probably rearrange some of our itinerary. Now I know how to best get around, what I liked the best, and how I may want to change the order of our days to move more smoothly. Here are some things I would have liked to add to our trip. Of course three days just isn’t long enough to do everything, but you can always try.

Visit the fishing village of Marsaxlokk 

This village was recommended for its seafood. I would have loved to visit, yet time just didn’t allow. 

Watch the sunset from Ghajn Tuffeha Bay

This bay is supposed to offer fantastic views of the sunset and has areas that offer food and drinks. 

Snorkel and\or SCUBA Dive

This is something I would love to do if I go back to Malta. There are many great places to dive, especially shipwrecks. Some shops offer packages to those with no experience. Please be very careful, getting into the ocean in SCUBA gear with no prior experience can be very scary and potentially dangerous. Take things slow and don’t feel pressured to move faster than your comfort level requires. 

Go to the Beach

Another activity I would probably take advantage of if I was to go back to Malta. I believe there are some sandy beaches, but we also saw people laid out on the rocks next to the water. 

General Facts about Visiting Malta

• Language – Maltese and English
• Currency – Euro
• Emergency number – 112
• Tipping – Encouraged 
• Transport – Bus, Bolt, uber
  • In the busy season, the buses can become very crowded. We found that the extra expense of a Bolt car hire was well worth it. The first 7 rides are 50% off when you sign up.