Best Things to Do in Malta With Kids: Our Family Favorites

Malta turned out to be an unexpectedly great destination for our family of five.

We spent almost two weeks exploring Malta and Gozo with our three kids, and one of the things we loved most was the variety. We could spend one day snorkeling and jumping off rocks, the next wandering through a centuries-old walled city, and the next exploring a harbor, eating gelato and letting the kids play.

If your kids are anything like ours, you don’t necessarily need a packed itinerary of official attractions to have a great vacation. Some of our favorite Malta memories came from simply wandering, swimming, eating and seeing what we found.

Here are the things we would put at the top of our list when visiting Malta with kids.

If you’re visiting Malta during the warmer months, make the water part of your itinerary.

This was easily one of our favorite things about Malta. We were able to find a different swimming or water activity almost every day, from sandy beaches to snorkeling spots to cliff jumping and boat trips.

And the water itself is spectacular.

Our kids loved being able to swim, snorkel and jump from rocks, and we appreciated that the water days didn’t all feel the same.

Some of our favorite water experiences included:

• Snorkeling in the incredibly clear water around the Blue Grotto
• Cliff jumping at Il-Kalanka
• Swimming and playing at Ramla Bay in Gozo
• Exploring Comino and the Blue Lagoon
• Taking private boat trips around Gozo
• Spending time at Malta’s sandy beaches

If your family loves being in the water, Malta is an especially easy place to build a vacation around it.

Valletta is one of those places where we didn’t feel like we needed a detailed sightseeing checklist.

Instead, we just wandered.

We loved walking through the narrow streets, popping into shops, stopping for coffee and gelato, and taking our time over lunch. The city is beautiful enough that simply exploring on foot is an activity in itself.

One stop that was a particular hit with our kids was the Upper Barrakka Gardens. If you’re there around noon, you can watch the daily cannon firing.

Our kids thought this was fantastic.

Valletta is also a good place to embrace the slower side of family travel. You can see some history, admire the architecture, stop for food and let everyone have a little downtime without feeling like you’ve wasted the day.

Family tip: If you’re driving, you can’t simply drive into Valletta and park on the street like you might in another city. We used the MCP car park in Floriana, just outside the city walls, and found it to be the straightforward option.

Mdina, also known as the Silent City, is another place where we think wandering without much of a plan is the right approach.

We parked in Rabat and walked toward the city gates.

Before going inside, we found a great playground just outside the walls. If you have younger kids who need to run around before being asked to appreciate another historic city, this was a very helpful stop.

And don’t skip the gelato near the city gates.

Once inside Mdina, we let the kids lead the way.

At one point, they wanted to go into an old monastery. We almost talked them out of it because we assumed they wouldn’t be interested.

We were very wrong.

They became fascinated by the lives of the nuns, the history of the building and even how they made bread and wine. We ended up spending more than an hour there.

That was one of our favorite reminders from this trip: don’t assume your kids aren’t interested in history just because they’re kids.

Afterward, we went back to wandering the streets, admiring the colorful doors and intricate knockers and ducking into churches.

We also had lunch at Coogi’s, which we’d highly recommend for a family lunch. It’s a little nicer, but still comfortable with kids, and it gave us a welcome break from the heat. The octopus stew was outstanding, and there were enough traditional and Italian options that everyone found something they liked.

A trip to Comino and the Blue Lagoon is likely to end up on almost every list of things to do in Malta.

And yes, it’s beautiful.

The catch is that beautiful does not mean peaceful.

We visited twice and learned quite a bit about how we’d approach it differently.

If you have limited time, young kids or simply want more control over your day, we’d strongly consider a private boat trip. We booked one through our Airbnb hosts, and the flexibility was fantastic. You can choose when to go, how long to stay and where to stop rather than being locked into someone else’s itinerary.

The other option is a larger group excursion. These are generally less expensive and can be a fun full-day experience, but you’re on the boat’s schedule.

When we visited Comino during the main part of the day, the Blue Lagoon was crowded. There were plenty of food, fruit and drink trucks, and the main beach area felt much more like a party scene than a quiet family beach.

We had a better experience by moving farther away from the busiest section.

Our kids still had a great time. They jumped off the boat, snorkeled around the boat, swam at the beach and enjoyed the whole boat-day experience.

Just know what you’re signing up for.

One important family note: On one of our group boat trips, there weren’t life vests available for kids who wanted to snorkel. We saw smaller boats where this appeared to be different, but it’s something we’d specifically ask about before booking. We also brought our own gear for snorkeling. You can rent or buy on the big boats, but they’re not going to have anything kid sized.

Il-Kalanka was one of the biggest surprises of our trip and one of our kids’ favorite places to jump into the water.

It’s also a good example of why I wouldn’t plan a Malta trip entirely around the places you’ve seen on the standard “top attractions” lists.

The snorkeling was excellent, with interesting and varied marine environments, and the cliff jumping gave our kids an option that felt exciting without being as intimidating as some of the higher jumping spots.

There aren’t a bunch of beach services here. When we visited, there was essentially a gelato truck.

That’s part of the appeal.

You’ll first pass St. Peter’s Pool, which can look like it’s causing an enormous traffic jam because so many people stop there. Keep going.

Il-Kalanka was much more our speed.

If your kids love swimming, snorkeling or jumping off rocks, put this one high on your list.

We spent time around Birgu, Cospicua and the Three Cities area for our Flytographer photo session, and we ended up loving it.

In fact, I’ll say something that may be slightly controversial:

We thought this area was even more beautiful than Valletta.

There. I said it.

What we liked was that it felt a little more like regular life and a little less like a tourist destination.

We loved walking the narrow streets, looking at the painted doors and windows and seeing the military history throughout the area. Along the waterfront in Cospicua, the kids found plenty of cannons to investigate.

We also had a fantastic dinner at Cargo, where we ate on the upper patio.

Another advantage for families is that you can take a ferry from the Three Cities to Valletta, giving you another way to experience both areas without having to drive into Valletta.

If you want a combination of beautiful streets, history, good food and a more relaxed atmosphere, we’d absolutely return here.

One of our favorite days was a combination of several stops in southern Malta.

We started around the Blue Grotto, where the water was incredibly clear and especially appealing for snorkeling and diving.

We also tried to visit Ghar Lapsi, although it was closed when we were there.

From there, we continued toward Il-Kalanka for swimming, snorkeling and cliff jumping before heading to Marsaxlokk for the evening.

This made for the kind of Malta day we loved: a little exploring, a lot of water, then food and wandering.

It’s a good example of why having a car was valuable for our particular trip. We wanted to see a lot of the island and weren’t interested in spending the entire vacation in one small area.

Marsaxlokk is a fishing village with a busy harbor and the colorful traditional fishing boats Malta is known for.

It’s a fun place to wander after spending the day in the water.

We enjoyed looking at the boats and walking around the harbor, but one of the most memorable parts for our kids was something we never could have planned for.

We came across a couple of domesticated birds on the street. Their owners were incredibly generous about letting our kids hold them, and our children ended up asking to go back to see them several times.

That was one of those completely ordinary travel moments that somehow becomes one of the kids’ favorite memories.

And that’s part of why we liked Malta so much.

We stayed in Mellieha for six nights, so we had more time to explore the area than someone simply visiting for an afternoon.

It ended up being one of our favorite bases for our family.

There are beaches, historical sites, walking paths, playgrounds, restaurants and plenty of opportunities to simply wander around town.

One morning, before it got hot, we followed an old stone pathway toward Il-Palazz. Google Maps suggested it would be a short walk, and for once, the map was right.

The walk was peaceful and beautiful, with prickly pears, cactus, stone walls and little glimpses of wildlife along the way.

The Red Tower is another worthwhile stop if you’re interested in history. Learning about Malta’s network of towers and how they worked together to protect the island made the history much easier for the kids to understand.

Then there are the beaches.

Mellieha Bay is the main beach near town, while Golden Bay offers a beautiful sandy beach and easy water entry.

In the evenings, we also loved walking through the historic part of Mellieha after dinner. There are little staircases, winding alleys, fountains and tucked-away playgrounds that we kept discovering.

If your family wants a classic sandy beach day, Golden Bay is a good choice.

It’s a beautiful golden-colored beach with soft sand and an easy water entrance, which made it one of the more straightforward beaches for our kids.

You can rent chairs and umbrellas, and there are places to buy snacks and beach gear. We also found parking without much trouble because we arrived earlier in the day.

The water wasn’t our favorite of the trip when we visited. There were sections with more sediment close to shore, although the water became clearer as we walked farther out.

Still, if your priority is soft sand and an easy beach entrance, Golden Bay is worth considering.

I’d just plan to arrive earlier if you’re visiting during a busy summer period.

Ramla Bay was one of our favorite beaches on Gozo.

The beach is beautiful and sandy, although there are quite a few rocks in the water, so water shoes are a good idea.

We found that if you walk to the right side of the beach, past the lifeguard stand, there was a sandy section where getting into the water was much easier.

The water stayed shallow for quite a distance, which made it a great place for kids to play and float.

There are also places to buy beach gear, food and drinks, and our kids absolutely loved the smoothies.

It’s another place where we were happy to spend time without needing a long list of activities.

If your Malta itinerary allows for it, I would strongly recommend spending at least two nights on Gozo.

We stayed for two nights and three days and still felt like we hadn’t had enough time.

Our favorite experiences included:

• Ramla Bay
• Victoria
• The Ggantija Temples
• The Ta’ Kola Windmill
• A private boat trip
• Snorkeling
• Exploring caves
• Seeing the salt flats
• Fishing and cooking our own fish

The private boat trip was a particular highlight.

We spent about three hours on the water, seeing parts of the island from a completely different perspective, snorkeling in some of the clearest water we’d found all trip and exploring caves.

We even caught and cooked our own fish for dinner.

That is a hard family travel memory to beat.

And Gozo itself felt like a good place to slow down.

If your trip overlaps with a festa, go.

We happened to be in Mosta during a festa and had no idea quite what we were walking into.

We arrived around 5:30 p.m. and walked into town, where the celebration was already getting started. There was a parade, music, decorations, food and eventually fireworks.

As the sun went down, the whole town changed. The lights and decorations came alive and the streets filled with people.

We stayed through the fireworks, which started around 9:30 or 9:45 p.m., and even caught a better view while walking back toward our car afterward.

What I loved most was that this wasn’t a performance put on for tourists. It was families and neighbors out together, catching up and enjoying their community.

If your dates happen to overlap with a festa, I would absolutely make the effort to experience one.

Victoria was bigger than we expected and turned out to be a fun stop while we were exploring Gozo.

We had a fantastic Italian meal at Casa Vostra, and then, because traveling with kids means plans sometimes go sideways, the kids ended up doing some shopping at the mall.

Not every stop has to be a major attraction.

Sometimes it’s just a good meal, a little wandering and letting everyone do something they enjoy.

You don’t have to be a history fanatic to appreciate Malta’s churches.

We popped into several during our trip, and the level of ornate craftsmanship was impressive.

If you’ve traveled in Italy, some of the churches will feel familiar in terms of their incredible interiors, but they’re still worth stepping inside.

And this was another place where our kids sometimes surprised us.

We found that if we didn’t make every stop feel like a formal history lesson, they were often interested in looking around and asking questions on their own.

This might sound like a strange thing to put on a list of “best things to do,” but it made our trip better.

Malta has a surprising number of little playgrounds tucked into neighborhoods and historic areas.

We kept finding them in places we weren’t expecting.

In Mdina, there was a playground outside the city gates that was perfect before exploring the old city.

In Mellieha, we found little playgrounds tucked into areas we’d otherwise have walked right past.

When you’re traveling with kids, these tiny stops can be just as valuable as the big attractions.

Sometimes everyone needs 20 minutes to just play.

Food was another highlight of the trip.

We found a great mix of traditional Maltese food, Italian options, Turkish kebabs, fresh seafood, casual meals, gelato and bakeries.

Some of our favorite food memories included the octopus stew in Mdina, Italian food in Victoria and the fresh bakery truck that made its way through the towns of Gozo each morning.

The bakery truck was especially fun.

It would drive through town at roughly the same time each morning, and we’d simply walk outside and buy fresh croissants, bread or pastries.

It was an easy way to have fresh breakfast without needing to keep a fully stocked kitchen.

And, of course, there was plenty of gelato.

Our favorite Malta days weren’t necessarily the ones where we checked the most things off a list.

Some days were simply:

swim → snorkel → eat → wander → gelato → dinner

And those days were fantastic.

Malta gives you enough history and attractions to fill a very busy itinerary, but you don’t have to do that.

Especially if you’re traveling with younger kids, I’d leave some days intentionally open.

Find a beach.

Go swimming.

Let the kids jump off a rock.

Walk into town for dinner.

Get gelato.

Go back to your apartment.

You’ll still have had a great Malta day.

If I were planning our Malta trip again, I wouldn’t try to squeeze every possible attraction into the itinerary.

I’d prioritize the experiences that made Malta feel different from other Mediterranean destinations:

1. Spend lots of time in the water
2. Explore Valletta
3. Wander Mdina
4. Take a boat trip around Comino
5. Snorkel and cliff jump at Il-Kalanka
6. Explore the Three Cities
7. Spend several days on Gozo
8. Visit Ramla Bay
9. Explore Mellieha
10. Visit Marsaxlokk
11. Experience a festa if your dates line up
12. Eat plenty of Maltese and Italian food
13. Leave room for unplanned wandering

And if I had to narrow it down even further?

Water, Gozo, Valletta, Mdina and simply wandering.

Those were the pieces that made Malta such a memorable family trip for us.

The biggest surprise was how little we needed to entertain our kids. Give them clear blue water, somewhere interesting to explore, a good meal and a little freedom to wander, and they were happy.

That’s a pretty good family vacation.