Malta: Valletta, Gozo, temples, best time to visit, getting there and costs 2026

Malta suits you if you want to combine Stone Age temples, fortified towns and the sea over short distances. On 316 km² there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the city of Valletta, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum and the Megalithic Temples (as of September 2026). English is an official language alongside Maltese, and the euro has been the currency since 2008.

What is new in 2026 is above all the eco-contribution. Since 1 July it costs €1.50 per night and adult in licensed accommodation instead of €0.50. Since the 2026 accommodation regulations, short-term rentals must display a sign outside. It gives the licence number and a contact person who takes complaints around the clock. Malta's first marine park at Ċirkewwa has had a management plan since August 2026.

Malta is a poorer fit if you are looking for space and quiet. According to Eurostat, in 2024 it was the most densely populated country in the EU, with 1,817.4 inhabitants per km². In July and August the mean maximum at the Luqa station is 31.8 and 31.9 °C (German Weather Service, average 1991–2020).

Getting there from Germany

At the 22 main German airports, a total of 448,994 passengers boarded flights in 2025 with Malta as their last known destination, ranking 42nd of 211 destination countries abroad. Passengers changing planes abroad are not counted. All flew to Malta International (MLA) in Luqa, most often from Munich (146,982) and Frankfurt (141,653), followed by Düsseldorf (36,745) and Berlin Brandenburg (32,048). The strongest month was October with 49,461 passengers, the weakest January with 19,259. The source is the Federal Statistical Office, year 2025; total, ranking and breakdown are our own analysis.

From the airport to the centre: Airport Direct buses

When you come out of the arrivals hall, signs lead to the airport bus station. This is where the five Airport Direct lines of Malta Public Transport begin. A journey costs €3 per person, on the TD1 €3.50. You pay in cash or contactless on the bus and do not have to book anything in advance (as of September 2026).

The TD3 runs every half hour from 5:15 daily; it takes 28 to 30 minutes to St Julian's and 40 to 43 minutes to Sliema. The TD1 runs once an hour every day via Rabat (17 to 26 minutes) and Buġibba to the Gozo ferry port Ċirkewwa, which it reaches after 58 to 90 minutes. The journey times are our own analysis of the timetables (as of September 2026). Several companies offer taxis at the airport; according to the operator, the official service is provided by Malta Taxi. The sources we evaluated give no fixed prices.

Regions and destinations at a glance

Journey times from the airport: our own analysis of the timetables, as of September 2026.

“—” means: no documented drawback.

Since 2025 Malta's constitution has named Valletta expressly as the capital. The Grand Master's Palace, today the seat of the President, receives around 300,000 visits a year, more than any other Heritage Malta site. Adults pay €12 (as of September 2026). The Throne Room is closed until further notice, and the state rooms are closed on certain days entirely or until 13:30.

In the walled city of Mdina, also called the “Silent City”, stands the Baroque St Paul's Cathedral from the 17th century. Right next to it lies Rabat with St Paul's Catacombs, an underground burial site from Roman times. Mdina is not a World Heritage Site; it has been on UNESCO's tentative list since 1998.

You reach the Three Cities by ferry to the Cospicua landing stage or by bus lines 2, 3 and 4 from Valletta. For the Second World War, Heritage Malta counts 69 direct hits on Fort St Angelo in Birgu. Adults pay €10 there (as of September 2026).

Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra near Qrendi are over 5,000 years old, have been a World Heritage Site since 1992 and have been covered since 2008. A ticket for both costs adults €10 (as of September 2026). The southern building at Mnajdra is aligned so that at the equinoxes in spring and autumn the sun rises exactly on the axis of its entrance. In the fishing village of Marsaxlokk there is a fish market on Sundays.

The Gozo Channel car ferry takes about 25 minutes from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr (timetable until 8 November 2026). From the bus station in Victoria, lines run to Marsalforn, Dwejra and Xlendi, among others. On the plateau of Xagħra stand the Ġgantija temples, two Neolithic buildings with a shared outer wall. The combined ticket with the Ta' Kola windmill costs adults €10 (as of September 2026).

Since 1 May 2025 you can only go ashore at the Blue Lagoon on Comino with a free booking; the day is divided into three time slots (as of September 2026). More than 4,000 visitors at a time are not allowed, and without a booking a fine is possible. According to the head of the tourism authority, the requirement applies only to the lagoon, and booking is still possible on arrival.

Best time to visit

The values are averages for 1991 to 2020 from the German Weather Service for the Luqa station (91 m). DWD and WMO list no second Maltese station.

Of the 544.9 mm annual precipitation, 459 mm falls between September and February (our own calculation). July, with 0.9 mm and 369 hours of sunshine, is the driest and sunniest month. According to older WMO values (1961–1990), it rains at least 0.1 mm on 14.2 days in December and on 0.4 days in July.

Getting around the country

Bus

Malta Public Transport buses run on Malta and Gozo. A journey on day routes costs €2.50 in summer and €2.00 in winter and is valid for two hours including transfers (as of September 2026). The winter price most recently applied from 19 October 2025 to 13 June 2026; the fare page does not yet give a date for 2026/27. Explore Flex for unlimited journeys including Airport Direct costs from €21 for 4 days and €27 for 7 days.

Ferries

The ferry between Sliema and Valletta runs without an intermediate stop and leaves both ports every 30 minutes during the day; the summer timetable applies until 31 October. A single costs €3.00 during the day and €3.50 from 19:30 (as of September 2026).

Securing a place in advance is not possible with Gozo Channel: first come, first served. From November to March a night tariff applies from Mġarr after 20:00: car with driver €12.80 instead of €15.70, on foot €4.05 instead of €4.65.

Car and roads

According to ADAC, traffic drives on the left in Malta, cars may drive 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h outside them, and your German driving licence is enough (as of September 2026). Maltese traffic law sets the limit at 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, equivalent to 0.5 per mille. For holders of a probationary licence it is 20 mg (law as amended in 2026).

Except in Valletta, according to ADAC you pay neither toll nor vignette. In Valletta, Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 18:00, every hour after 30 free minutes costs €0.82, at most €6.52 a day. With a hire car, the hire company charges you the toll; with a German number plate you pay nothing (as of September 2026). More than 30 car hire companies are represented at the airport.

Money and costs

Malta has paid with the euro since 1 January 2008. According to ADAC, common international credit and bank cards are accepted very often (as of September 2026).

Admission prices apply to adults. Before July 2026 the eco-contribution was €0.50 per night, according to the Malta Institute of Taxation. You reach the maximum after 15 nights (our own calculation). The accommodation collects the levy and shows it separately on the invoice. All Heritage Malta sites close on 1 January, Good Friday and 24, 25 and 31 December.

Practical information

The time is the same as in Germany all year round, and the emergency number is 112. The mains supply is 230 volts and 50 hertz; for German plugs you need a travel adapter, according to ADAC. Because Malta belongs to the EU, you phone and use data there at the same prices as at home (as of September 2026).

Besides the 14 public holidays, every Sunday counts as a holiday in Malta. For the rest of 2026, 8, 13 and 25 December follow as holidays; in 2027 Good Friday falls on 26 March (our own calculation).

You will find up-to-date information on entry, safety and health at the German Foreign Office.

Who Malta is not for

• Anyone looking for space and quiet: Malta is the most densely populated country in the EU (1,817.4 inhabitants per km², 2024). In 2025, according to the tourism authority, 4.0 million tourists came, around seven per inhabitant (our own calculation).
• Anyone who wants to avoid construction noise: According to the tourism authority, building sites disturb residents and hotels, but demolition and excavation were banned in 2026 only in selected tourist zones from 15 June to 30 September.
• Anyone who doesn't cope well with heat: In July and August the mean maximum in Luqa is 31.8 and 31.9 °C.
• Anyone who wants to visit the Hypogeum or the Blue Lagoon spontaneously: Only 10 people at a time may enter the Hypogeum, and at most 4,000 the lagoon, and only with a booking.
• Anyone who dislikes driving on the left: Traffic drives on the left in Malta, and with a hire car Valletta costs up to €6.52 city toll a day from Monday to Friday (according to ADAC).
• Anyone who wants to take a car to Gozo and dislikes waiting: Gozo Channel does not take reservations; it is first come, first served.