What's onThis week in Malta
Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Malta, Gozo and Comino
Three small islands in the middle of the Mediterranean hold more than 7,000 years of history: Neolithic temples, Roman Rabat, the Knights’ Valletta, the British Grand Harbour. Around them are the sea-front towns of Sliema and St Julian’s, the fishing harbour of Marsaxlokk, green Gozo and the Blue Lagoon of Comino. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.
World Heritage
The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
An underground burial complex cut into the rock and used from 4000 to 1500 BC. Visitor numbers are strictly limited: Heritage Malta advises booking early (heritagemalta.mt).
Plan your visitMalta by area
From the Knights’ capital to the fishing harbours, the Silent City and the green island of Gozo: each area has its own guide.
Valletta or Gozo
Book Valletta for culture and dinner on foot, and leave a car-free day for Gozo.
Malta Art, Culture & Architecture
Honey-coloured limestone, the Knights’ baroque, Caravaggio’s greatest canvas and temples older than the pyramids.
Our advice
Caravaggio first
See the Caravaggio first thing in the morning, and book a night at the Manoel Theatre. The back story
Plan your trip
The practical things to know before you go: the airport and the sea routes, entry and money, one perfect day from Valletta to Mdina, and Gozo in a day.
Luxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesOur advice
Sunday is for rabbit
Book ION Harbour or Under Grain weeks ahead, and keep one long Sunday lunch free for rabbit. The Malta table
Malta in depth
The islands’ history, the British years, the table, where to stay and where to buy.
The back storyWhere to stayChoosing a baseThe temples
Start with the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, then see the temples. The Hypogeum must be booked weeks ahead.
Beyond Malta
Sicily is under two hours away by fast ferry: Pozzallo and the baroque towns of the south-east.
ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond
Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.
Europe
See all Europe
SerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide North America
See all North AmericaCaribbean
See all CaribbeanAsia & Indian Ocean
See all Asia & Indian OceanMiddle East
See all Middle EastComing soon: Brighton, England
HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say
The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Malta, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.
This week's pick
St John's Co-Cathedral
Go at 9.30am, when the doors open, and walk straight through the gilded nave to the oratory: Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John the Baptist hangs where it was painted to hang (visitmalta.com).
Find out moreEvery list in the guide
- Restaurants39
- Cafés & food8
- Bars & beach clubs7
- Hotels20
- Sights28
- Arts & Culture24
- Cinema & film6
- Beaches & gardens9
- Walks6
- Shopping6
- Health7
- Property8
- Developments5
- Cars & yachts6
- Getting Around9
- Valletta guideGuide
- The Three Cities guideGuide
- Sliema & St Julian’s guideGuide
- Mdina, Rabat & the centre guideGuide
- St Paul’s Bay & the north guideGuide
- Marsaxlokk & the south guideGuide
- Gozo guideGuide
- Comino & the Blue Lagoon guideGuide
- Sicily guideGuide
- LUX Living guideGuide
- Malta property guide guideGuide
- Grand hotels guide guideGuide
Plan your day
Know your neighbourhoods
Our favourites right now
Restaurants
- 1The Malta Table: the back storyValletta · In depth
- 2ION Harbour by Simon RoganValletta · Contemporary, Mediterranean
- 3Under GrainValletta · Modern, creative
Cafés & food
- 1Caffe CordinaValletta · Café
- 2Is-Suq tal-BeltValletta · Food hall
- 3Marsaxlokk fish marketMarsaxlokk · Market
Bars & beach clubs
See all 7Hotels
- 1Where to stay in Malta: the back storyValletta · In depth
- 2Iniala Harbour HouseValletta · Boutique hotel
- 3Rosselli AX PrivilegeValletta · Palazzo hotel
Sights
- 1Malta: the back storyValletta · In depth
- 2British Malta: the back storyValletta · In depth
- 3St John's Co-CathedralValletta · Cathedral
Arts & Culture
- 1Malta Art, Architecture & Culture: the back storyValletta · In depth
- 2MUŻA – The National Community Art MuseumValletta · Art museum
- 3National Museum of ArchaeologyValletta · Museum
Cinema & film
- 1Malta on film: the back storyMalta · In depth: film
- 2Eden CinemasSt Julian’s · Multiplex
- 3Embassy CinemasValletta · Cinema
Beaches & gardens
See all 9Walks
- 1Valletta: the bastions walkValletta · Our route
- 2The Three Cities by boat and on footBirgu · Our route
- 3Mdina and Rabat at duskMdina · Our route
Shopping
- 1Republic Street and Merchants StreetValletta · Shopping streets
- 2Bay StreetSt Julian’s · Shopping centre
- 3Plaza Shopping CentreSliema · Shopping centre
Health
- 1Emergencies: call 112Malta · Emergency number
- 2Mater Dei HospitalMsida · Public hospital
- 3Gozo General HospitalVictoria, Gozo · Public hospital
Property
- 1Buying in Malta: the back storySliema · In depth
- 2Frank Salt Real EstateMalta · Estate agency
- 3PerrySliema · Estate agency
Developments
- 1Malta Maritime Museum: closed for renewalBirgu · Museum
- 2The new Gozo MuseumVictoria, Gozo · Museum
- 3The Throne Room of the Grand Master’s PalaceValletta · Palace room