I had always imagined Malta to be a bit of a resort island, with shiny, high-rise apartments and crowded beaches (in summer, at least). It didn’t really seem like a backpacker destination. I will freely admit how wrong I was. This tiny group of tiny islands just south of Italy has so much going for it – cheap hostels, affordable food, great public transport, stunning views and a fascinating history, so it’s pretty easy to visit Malta on a budget. And because it’s so small, you don’t need much time to see the best this Mediterranean nation has to offer. I ended up there on a very spontaneous short trip that I booked because I realised I hadn’t been to a single new country in 2023 and that just didn’t sit right with me! So I jumped on SkyScanner, and found the cheapest flights to the first new country that popped up (love that ‘Everywhere’ search option!). And while I ended up having to postpone my trip until the following January, it made for a really great winter break to start off 2024.
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I spent three days bus-hopping around the main island of Malta, and I loved each place I went (even if I did get rained on one day). I was so surprised by how well-connected the tourist attractions are by bus, which meant I could see so much in such a short time, while also getting to experience Malta on a budget. I actually decided not to visit the most well-known attraction – the Blue Lagoon, because I certainly wasn’t going to be swimming in it at that time of year, and there were a few other places I wanted to see more. If I’d had an extra day or two, I absolutely would have visited the lagoon and Gozo, the second-largest island to the north.
Here’s a list of the prettiest, most interesting and most budget-friendly places I visited during my Malta trip.
Valletta – Malta’s budget-friendly capital
The peninsula on which Valletta sits juts into the centre of a large harbour, so it has beautiful water views in three directions. I was not expecting Malta’s capital city to be so pretty, to be honest. With it’s long, hilly streets and colourful balconies typical of the island, there are photo opportunities around every turn here. At the very tip of the peninsula sits Fort St. Elmo and the National War Museum, an impressive stronghold that played a major role in holding back the would-be conquerors of the Ottoman Empire during a four-month siege in 1565. Because I was keeping my Malta budget to a minimum, I didn’t go into the fort, but the views were great.
While wandering around the city (and trust me, this is great city for wandering), you’ll also come across the decadent 16th century St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Strait Street, a narrow street filled with pretty cafes and late-night bars, multiple squares and plenty of viewpoints. In particular, don’t miss the very pretty Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens (both free!) that look out over the Grand Harbour and a couple of forts on the other side. And of course, it’s impossible to miss the City Gates, surprisingly modern and minimalist and the fifth gate to have stood in that spot to welcome the droves of visitors each year.
The Three Cities
I read about the Three Cities on other blogs about Malta, and couldn’t wait to make them my first stop upon arriving on the island. So I was a little concerned when I was buying a bus pass at the airport (more on that below) and the clerk had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned them to him. I guess they don’t really call them the Three Cities in Malta. Across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, these three “cities” each sit on their own small peninsula. I highly recommend walking through Birgu (also called Vittoriosa), the central of the three and the oldest, with the Knights of Malta establishing their headquarters there in 1530. Fort St. Angelo, similar in appearence to Fort St. Elmo, sits at the very end of the peninsula, and as you make your way there, you’ll pass several marinas housing superyachts and cruisers, winding streets and pretty squares, St. Lawrence’s Church and the Malta Maritime Museum.
I arrived at the fort as it closed in the evening, but since I also arrived in time for one of the best sunsets I’ve seen in a long time, I really didn’t mind. The sky went from gold to pink to deep scarlet, reflected in the waters between me and Valletta, and silhouetting church spires in Senglea, the western peninsula of the Three Cities.
Marsaxlokk
This lovely little fishing town is just thirty minutes by bus from Valletta, and is definitely worth a half-day trip. The harbour is full of boats, many of them the colourful luzzijiet – traditional Maltese fishing boats, of which there are only a few hundred left as they are no longer made. Some have been converted to tourist boats, offering trips around the harbour and nearby peninsula to popular sights such as St. Peter’s Pool and past sea caves and rocky cliffs. As I walked around the harbour, I saw plenty of tours being offered for as low as €5! While I decided to have a relaxing day eating pizza and reading by the water in the winter sunshine, the tours seem very popular. Marsaxlokk is also well-known for its traditional Maltese cuisine.
Beyond the seafront, there isn’t much to see in Marsaxlokk, but if you want to be a bit more active than I was, you can walk along the top of the peninsula to see some of the coves and ruins from land. It’s about an hour’s walk to the end of the peninsula from the centre of town.
Malta’s Megalithic Temples
It’s no secret I’m obsessed with UNESCO World Heritage Sites (I mean, it’s a perfect, ready-made travel bucket list!), so when I found out Malta has three, I figured it would be easy to tick all of them off in a short trip (easy to do, not easy on your budget, unfortunately). The city of Valletta is one – check. Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, an important and unique underground temple complex is another. However, if you don’t book tickets in advance, and simply show up at the ticket office, entry is a whopping FIFTY EURO. And as much as I wanted to go three-for-three, since that was more than my entire daily budget for Malta, I simply couldn’t bring myself to pay that much. Which brings me to UNESCO World Heritage Site number three – the Megalithic Temples of Malta.
There are seven megalithic temples dotted around Malta, and I managed to get to three of them over two days, all by bus. Each temple is unique in when, how and why they were built. One is on the way to Marsaxlokk if you go by bus, called Tarxien, and though it might be the easiest to get to, I didn’t find it as impressive as the other two I visited. Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra are right next to each other, located within one archaeological area, in a beautiful location on Malta’s west coast. All three of these temples have a covering above them to give some protection from the elements, but it doesn’t take away from the experience. Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra also have a handy QR code offering a free audio guide, with numbered spots around the sites giving really nice information about what you’re seeing. I’ve always loved archaeology, so I found the temples fascinating and really beautiful.
I still wonder if I should have paid that fifty euro… Hey, two out of three ain’t bad, right?
Dingli Cliffs
While the Dingli Cliffs may not be the most impressive out there (I’m from Ireland, so I know a good set of cliffs when I see them!), it was really nice to get away from Malta’s cities and see a different side to the island. And despite getting rained on (it was light, to be fair), I thoroughly enjoyed walking along the rocky cliff tops and taking in the views. Rising to heights of over 250 meters – the highest point in Malta – these sheer limestone cliffs provide a dramatic backdrop against the Mediterranean. Evidence of habitation from the Bronze period has been found in the area, and you can see tiny, uninhabited Filfla island isolated in the water at all times. Since the island has restricted access to prevent disturbance to its fragile ecosystem and protect its unique biodiversity, this is likely as close to it as you’ll get.
Where I stayed in Malta
Marco Polo Hostel: Located in the popular St. Julien’s area of Malta, this is highly-rated party hostel. Normally, I avoid party hostels like the plague, but since it was off-season, I had no issues. The dorms are also located on multiple floors, and have privacy curtains, so I think even in summer it would have been pretty quiet. The only downside is that if you’re not interested in a strong night life, then there’s really nothing in St. Julien’s that adds to the experience, it just means an extra bus to Valletta any time you want to go somewhere on the island. But if you’re on a budget, then Valletta has much fewer accommodation options to choose from.
Getting around Malta on a budget
While hiring a car will give you the most freedom during your visit to Malta, it’s not the most budget-friendly option there is. And since all the places I’ve mentioned in this post can be reached by public transport, it’s the perfect way to keep that budget low. I highly recommend that the first thing you do when arriving in Malta is get a bus pass. There are several options in terms of number of uses/days, but the one I went for which felt like great value was the unlimited 4-day pass for just €15. There is a ticket office in the arrivals area, so don’t miss it. Without a bus pass, each trip is €2 when purchased from the driver, so this pass ended up being totally worth it.
There are bus stops galore in the area just outside the Valletta city gates/walls, so you can get to anywhere on the island from here. Just make sure to note the code of the stop you need, because there are A LOT. Though I found Google Maps to be pretty accurate in terms of routes and schedules, you can also download the Tallinja app, which is the official public transport app of Malta.
I recommend combining Mdina, the Dingli Cliffs and the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples into one day trip, because the bus routes work best this way. Start in Mdina, where buses head from Valletta and Sliema frequently throughout the day, then once you’re finished in Mdina (you really should only need a few hours at most), hop on the 201 to the Dingli Cliffs. The bus has multiple stops along the coastline here, but I recommend you get off at the ‘Cliffs’ bus stop (where the chapel is), take a look around, then walk along the road to ‘Mundu’ (the Zuta stop doesn’t exist, even though it’s on Google Maps), taking in the views along the way. The same bus will then take you to the temples entrance, and the same stop will bring you back to Valletta. However, bear in mind that you need to be watching out for the buses at this stop – don’t make the same mistake I did which was to sit in the concrete shelter and be surprised by a bus speeding past because it didn’t see me.
How budget-friendly is Malta?
The short answer – very! These are the prices I paid in January 2024:
Accommodation: €11 per night for a female-only dorm
Food: €6-12 per meal in a standard restaurant, and going to bakeries for breakfast and snacks, etc. is even cheaper! However, drinking water isn’t readily available, so you do need to buy bottled water.
Transport: €15 for a 4-day unlimited bus pass
Activities: walking is free! Visiting Mdina, Valletta, Marsaxlokk and the Dingli Cliffs all cost nothing. Entry into the temples cost €7.50 for Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, Tarxien costs €4.50. St. John’s Co-Cathedral is €15 for entry/tour (free in on Sundays but there’s no tour and it’s only open for mass, so you can pop in for a quick look).
My total spend: €113.35 excluding flights for 3 days. That’s just under €38 per day!
Of course, if you want to do anything like walking/food tours, or trips to Gozo/Blue Lagoon, your budget will increase a bit. Want some activity ideas? Check out these tours from Get Your Guide!
So what do you think? Has Malta made it onto your budget-friendly bucket list? Let me know in the comments below!
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