10 days in Malta with a Sicily day trip

Why 10 days is for slow travellers who want to do it all

Ten days in Malta sounds like a lot. It isn’t — not if you want to actually understand the archipelago rather than just photograph it. With 10 days you can see Valletta properly (twice if you want), spend two nights in Gozo without rushing, do the Blue Lagoon at the right hour, tick the UNESCO temples, visit the Three Cities, and still have an extraordinary day trip to Sicily that most visitors to Malta don’t even know is possible.

This itinerary is car-based for flexibility, though days 1-2 and day 7 can be done entirely car-free. The Sicily day trip on day 9 goes by catamaran from Marsa harbour — a 2-hour crossing to Catania or Taormina, a day in Sicily, back by evening. It is one of the more underrated travel experiences in the central Mediterranean.

This is for: people who are not in a hurry, retired couples, those on extended leave, anyone who has done Malta briefly before and wants to go deeper this time.

At a glance

Day	Base	Focus
1	Sliema	Valletta: walking, St John’s
2	Sliema	Three Cities, harbour cruise
3	Sliema	Mdina, Rabat, Dingli
4	Sliema	Hagar Qim, Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk
5	Sliema	St Peter’s Pool, Marsaskala, north drive
6	Gozo	Ferry, Citadella, Ġgantija
7	Gozo	Dwejra, Ramla, wild south
8	Sliema/Mellieha	Comino and Blue Lagoon
9	Sliema	Sicily day trip (Etna + Taormina or Syracuse)
10	Sliema	Slow day, markets, farewell Valletta

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Day 1 — Valletta in depth

Morning

Sliema-Valletta ferry and a full morning walking the capital. [ 3-hour guided walking tour of Valletta ] to start — you’ll spend two proper days exploring this city over the 10 days, so the first one is for orientation and the big hits.

Afternoon

St John’s Co-Cathedral — €15, book ahead. This is the most important site in Valletta. [ Combined city tour and St John’s entry ] is the most efficient booking. Then Upper Barrakka Gardens for the Grand Harbour view and the 4pm cannon salute.

Evening

Explore Strait Street and the Valletta backstreets. [ Valletta street food and culture walking tour ] (3 hours, evenings available) covers pastizzi, ftira, Maltese wine, and local snacks — a good first-evening activity.

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Day 2 — The Three Cities

Morning

Valletta-Three Cities ferry (€2.65 return, 10 minutes). The Three Cities — Birgu, Senglea, Cospicua — are older than Valletta and far less visited. [ Three Cities walking tour with Inquisitor’s Palace ] for the morning.

[ Fort St Angelo e-ticket and audio tour ] — the ramparts with views over the Great Siege battlefield. Essential for anyone interested in Malta’s history.

Afternoon

[ The Three Fortified Cities tour including boat trip ] is a full half-day option that adds a boat circuit of the harbour. Or take the [ Sliema harbour cruise ] separately in the late afternoon.

Evening

Try the Malta wine scene tonight: [ Malta Three Cities wine tasting ] at the Marsovin cellars — local wine with a tour of Malta’s main winery, 2 hours.

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Day 3 — Mdina, Rabat, Dingli

Morning

Drive from Sliema to Mdina (30 minutes). Park outside the walls. Early morning in Mdina before the coaches. [ Guided walking tour of Mdina ] or self-explore with [ the Mdina Experience show ] first.

[ Mdina and Rabat walking tour including catacombs ] is an excellent single booking that covers both towns.

Afternoon

St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat — [ St Paul’s Catacombs and Domvs Romana ] combo ticket. Then drive to Dingli Cliffs (10 minutes). Walk the cliff path, views to Sicily, the Buskett woodland behind. Then the Ta’ Qali crafts village if you’re looking for local honey, blown glass, or lace.

Evening

[ Dingli farm-to-table private Maltese cooking class ] in the late afternoon/evening — a genuinely local experience in the Dingli countryside, worth booking ahead for dinner timing.

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Day 4 — Hagar Qim, Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk

Morning

Drive from Sliema to Hagar Qim and Mnajdra on the southern cliffs (35 minutes). These prehistoric temples — UNESCO, 5,500 years old — sit on a clifftop above the sea. [ Prehistoric temples of Malta guided tour ] covers Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, and Tarxien with a guide who explains the astronomical alignments and the calendar function of the temples.

Afternoon

Blue Grotto boat trip from Wied iż-Żurrieq (5 minutes from Hagar Qim): 25-minute trip through the sea caves, €8 per person. Then drive to Marsaxlokk for a late lunch. If it’s Sunday, the fish market will be winding down around 1pm — still worth going for the harbour atmosphere and the luzzu boats.

[ Marsaxlokk luzzu boat tour ] — 30-45 minutes out on a traditional painted boat.

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Day 5 — The far southeast and north coast

Morning

Drive to St Peter’s Pool (south of Marsaxlokk, rough track the last 800m). Natural swimming pool cut from the limestone — one of the most beautiful spots in Malta. Bring a picnic. [ Marsaskala sunset boat to St Peter’s Pool ] if you prefer arriving by sea.

Afternoon

Drive north — Marsaskala for lunch (local restaurants, no tourists), then up the east coast through Birzebbuga and Kalkara, across to the north: Mellieha, Mellieha Bay for a late swim. Popeye Village visible from the road if you don’t want to stop.

Evening

Base for tonight: Mellieha or return to Sliema. Mellieha makes sense if you have an early morning Gozo ferry planned.

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Day 6 — Gozo: arrival, Citadella, and temples

Morning

Drive to Cirkewwa (5 minutes from Mellieha). Take the car on the ferry (€15.70 car + driver, pay return at Mġarr). 25-minute crossing.

Citadella in Victoria — drive up, park below, walk up. Free entry, extraordinary views over all of Gozo. [ Victoria guided walking tour ].

Afternoon

Ġgantija temples in Xaghra — UNESCO, 5,500 years old, built before the first pyramid. [ Gozo full-day tour: Ġgantija, salt pans, Dwejra ] if you want an organised option rather than self-driving.

Salt pans at Xwejni/Marsalforn for the late afternoon. The stone channels still produce sea salt in summer — still a working operation, not a museum.

Evening

[ Wine tasting and 4-course dinner in Victoria ] — genuinely excellent Gozitan wines with a dinner to match. Book ahead in peak season.

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Day 7 — Gozo’s wild west and Ramla

Morning

Drive to Dwejra — the Inland Sea, the Blue Hole dive site, Fungus Rock, the former Azure Window site. One of the most otherworldly landscapes in Malta. [ Gozo full-day jeep tour with lunch and boat ] if you want local guidance.

Afternoon

Ramla Bay — Gozo’s one proper sandy beach. Red-gold sand, clear water, Calypso Cave above the beach. Then drive the Sanap Cliffs on the south coast for the isolation (no facilities, just clifftop).

Evening

Final night in Gozo: [ Victoria sunset walking food and drink tour ] — 2-3 hours of the Citadella at golden hour, local food and wine.

Return to Malta by last ferry (check schedule) or stay one more night.

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Day 8 — Comino and the Blue Lagoon

Morning

From Mellieha/Cirkewwa area, take a boat to Comino. [ Mellieha 3-islands cruise to Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon ] is good, or [ Sliema-Comino-Blue Lagoon cruise ] if departing from Sliema.

Comino: the Blue Lagoon before 10am is extraordinary. After noon in July-August it is extremely crowded. With 10 days, you have the flexibility to plan this around good weather and timing.

Afternoon

Return by midafternoon. Drive along the Sliema/St Julian’s seafront in the late afternoon — the promenade (Xatt il-Bdiewa) at sunset is one of Malta’s best urban walks.

[ Sliema to Comino, Crystal Lagoon and Blue Lagoon cruise ] is the alternative if you want both lagoons in one trip.

Evening

Paceville (St Julian’s) for the nightlife option if you want it — or a quieter Valletta dinner. St Julian’s restaurant scene (Barracuda, Zest) is also good for a mid-range dinner with harbour views.

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Day 9 — Sicily day trip by catamaran

This is the day most Malta visitors don’t know exists. [ Malta to Mount Etna and Taormina by catamaran ] departs from Marsa harbour (south of Valletta) around 7am, reaches Sicily in 2 hours, and gives you 6-7 hours in Sicily before the return.

Option A — Etna and Taormina [ Etna and Taormina day trip from Malta ] — the most popular Sicily option. Mount Etna by cable car (or 4x4 safari if weather closes the top), then Taormina’s Greek theatre and Via Teatro Greco. Returns around 8pm.

Option B — Syracuse and Etna [ Etna and Syracuse day trip from Malta ] — older, more cultural. Syracuse’s Ortygia island is one of the great Greek-era Mediterranean towns. A full UNESCO tour in a single long day.

Option C — Modica, Ragusa and Scicli [ Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Scicli baroque day trip ] — the baroque hilltowns of the Ragusa province. Less dramatic than Etna but more architecturally coherent. Modica chocolate is a genuine thing worth eating.

Honest tip: Sicily day trips are long days — 13-14 hours total, up to 2 hours each way by catamaran in rough weather. Do not book this on the last day before a very early flight. Day 9 gives you day 10 as buffer.

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Day 10 — Slow day: markets, last meals, farewell Valletta

Morning

No agenda. This is the day for things you missed or want to repeat. Some options:

• Valletta’s main market at Merchant Street on weekday mornings (8am-12pm): local vegetables, fish, cheese, household goods. The anti-Instagram market.
• [ Valletta food walking tour with tastings ] — a final morning exploring Valletta’s food culture properly.
• The Hypogeum if you managed to book it (2-3 months ahead, Heritage Malta, 80 visitors/day): the most significant prehistoric underground temple in the world. No GYG link — book directly at heritagemalta.mt.

Afternoon

Final Valletta walk — the National Museum of Archaeology has the original “Sleeping Lady” figurine from the Hypogeum and the Venus of Malta, both extraordinary. Free with Heritage Malta pass. [ Valletta 3-in-1 museum pass ] if you haven’t got the Heritage pass.

Late lunch at Noni (Republic Street) — one of Malta’s best restaurants, tasting menu for around €65 per head, reservations essential.

Evening

Ferry back to Sliema. Final sunset from the Sliema promenade looking across to Valletta’s illuminated bastions.

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What this itinerary skips

Detailed nightlife: Paceville is mentioned on day 8 but not featured. With 10 days of daytime activity, you’ll be tired. If nightlife is a priority, adjust.

Deep Gozo diving: One full dive day is possible if you want to add it — see 7-day diving itinerary for the wreck sites.

Marsaxlokk market (Sunday): We scheduled Marsaxlokk on day 4 without specifying Sunday. If your trip includes a Sunday, align day 4 to be a Sunday for the fish market.

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How to adapt this itinerary

• With more focus on history: Replace day 5 (east coast drive) with Tarxien Temples and Hypogeum. See 5-day history buff itinerary.
• Slower version: See 14-day slow Malta itinerary — two weeks with evenings free and no rushing.
• Budget version: The Sicily day trip is the biggest single cost. See 5-day budget Malta itinerary for cost-cutting strategies that apply to any length trip.

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Practical info

• Car rental: Recommended for days 3-7 and 9. €35-50/day. Gozo ferry with car: €15.70 car + driver return. Book in advance.
• Sicily day trips: Depart from Marsa harbour (south of Valletta). Available April-November. Book at least 1 week ahead in peak season. Price approximately €80-100 per person including guide.
• Accommodation: Sliema mid-range B&B €70-90/night (nights 1-5, 7-10). Gozo guesthouse €65-80/night (nights 6-7). Total accommodation roughly €700-850 for 10 nights.

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Frequently asked questions about a 10-day Malta itinerary

Can you really do a Sicily day trip from Malta?

Yes — by catamaran from Marsa harbour (near Valletta). The fastest options take 1.5-2 hours to reach Sicily’s east coast. You get 6-7 hours ashore in Taormina, Catania, or Syracuse. It is a long day but completely doable and genuinely extraordinary.

Is 10 days too much for Malta?

Not if you want to do the archipelago properly. Malta + Gozo + Comino genuinely fill 7 days. The extra 3 days in a 10-day trip are for deeper exploration of the south coast, slower pacing in Gozo, the Sicily day trip, and a relaxed final day.

Should I rent a car for 10 days in Malta?

For 10 days, yes — the cost per day (€35-50 in shoulder season) is reasonable, and the flexibility on days 3-7 is enormous. You’re not obligated to use it every day — park in Sliema for Valletta days.

What’s the best Sicily day trip from Malta?

For natural drama: Etna + Taormina (the most popular, combine volcano and Greek theatre). For culture: Syracuse (UNESCO, Greek theatre, Ortygia island). For baroque architecture: Ragusa-Modica-Scicli (more unusual, fewer fellow tour groups).

Last reviewed: 2026-04-20