If you’re looking to enjoy warm, sunny weather, beautiful sea views, interesting history, and a feeling of extended summer, then you can’t go wrong with exploring the best things to do in Malta in September!
From swimming to sailing, all the best Malta activities will be at your fingertips in September… with far fewer crowds than you’d find on the island in August.
Our September trip to Malta saw us tasting delicious food in Valletta, exploring the history of Mdina, taking a memorable boat cruise around Gozo and Comino, soaking in harbor views at Marsaxlokk, and even enjoying popular swimming spots like the Blue Lagoon and the Crystal Lagoon.
Sure, the water may have been a bit chilly for swimming for our taste, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying it!
Here’s exactly what to do in Malta this September, and why you should definitely book that trip if you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer.
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Planning your September trip to Malta at the last minute?
We’ll cover all of these things to do in Malta and more in far more detail below, but if you’re trying to get things booked ASAP, here are the top excursions we recommend in this blog post:
- Blue Lagoon, Gozo & Crystal Lagoon Boat Tour (we LOVED this experience!)
- Gozo Full-Day Buggy Tour (the simplest way to see the best of Gozo)
- Mdina + Rabat Walking Tour With Catacombs (3 cultural stops in 1 afternoon)
- Three Fortified Cities Half-Day Tour (with a ride in a traditional fishing boat!)
Wondering where to stay? We highly recommend basing yourself in Valletta, and these popular properties are all worth a look:
- Melior Boutique Hotel (modern & in an incredibly convenient location)
- Hotel Pjazza Merkanti (a boutique property with included breakfast in the heart of the historic center)
- Embassy Valletta Hotel (rooftop pool + phenomenal views!)
The Best Things to Do in Malta in September
Wander the streets of Valletta.
The streets of Malta’s capital city are absolutely gorgeous, and down every road, you’ll be able to see the enclosed balconies that Malta is known for, which give its cities their distinct look.
It’s no surprise that Valletta is regularly named among the top places to see in Malta!
The best things to do in Valletta include stepping inside the incredible St. John’s Co-Cathedral (don’t miss the Caravaggio paintings!), visiting Fort St. Elmo, stepping inside the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens, take in the views from Victoria’s Gate, and of course, wandering all those picturesque streets.
If you’d like to make the most of your time spent exploring Valletta, including discovering hidden gems and making sure you don’t miss popular highlights like the view from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, this popular walking tour is a great option!
Even one day in Valletta is long enough to appreciate its charms, though odds are that you’ll be tempted to settle in and explore even longer.
Also: if you’re looking for a fast and delicious meal, we had some amazing fresh pasta here at a restaurant called Pastaus near the center.
If you get a chance, go, and be sure to order whatever noodles the family running the shop tells you pair best with the sauce you pick!
Visit the Marsaxlokk Fishing Village.
Home to a harbor full of colorful wooden fishing boats, a lovely waterfront stuffed with restaurants serving fresh seafood, and a fish market on Sundays, Marsaxlokk is the perfect place to spend a relaxing day in Malta!
Located on the far eastern edge of Malta, Marsaxlokk is a cumbersome bus ride or drive away from places like Valletta.
It’s well worth the effort, though: there’s a reason Marsaxlokk’s harbor is widely considered to be one of the most picturesque places in Malta!
While you’re there, stroll around the harbor, check out the open market, enjoy a fresh seafood lunch, and then…
Dive into St. Peter’s Pool.
Located at Delimara Point, this naturally formed pool is incredibly beautiful and the perfect place to enjoy a swim and, for adrenaline seekers, even some mild cliff diving!
St. Peter’s Pool is about a 35-minute walk from Marsaxlokk (or a shorter taxi ride, if you feel like negotiating with a driver in town).
When you board the bus to Marsaxlokk, be sure to bring your swimming suit to take advantage of St. Peter’s Pool while you’re there!
We absolutely loved our afternoon of soaking up the sun and sea here, and found it to be a lovely, lowkey spot in comparison to places like the Blue Lagoon (though it is far from a hidden gem, to be clear).
Visit the Hagar Qim temples.
Three thousand years before the Romans, more than 5000 years before us, the temples of Hagar Qim were built on Malta.
That amount of history at Hagar Qim boggles the mind, and it’s all the more reason to stop by and stare in wide-eyed wonder at these remarkably well-preserved temples that date to 3600 – 3200 BCE.
Want to get beyond Hagar Qim when exploring the thousands of years of history that you can find on the island?
If so, Malta’s megaliths and ancient temples will be a huge draw (and there’s no doubt that the cooler weather makes these sites more appealing during a September trip than a height-of-summer one).
Cross the water from Valletta to visit the Three Cities.
Just across the water from Valletta, you’ll find Malta’s Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua.
Once fortified cities important to Malta’s defense, these are now excellent neighborhoods for exploring!
Even getting to the cities is remarkable enough to rank among the best Malta attractions in the fall, though: the ferry across the water just so happens to be the perfect way to get an amazing view of Valletta.
You can absolutely visit independently with the help of the ferry, but if you’re looking for more context and a ride through the harbor creeks in a traditional Maltese fishing boat, a guided visit to the Three Cities is one of the most popular tours to book around the Valletta area for good reason!
Book your half-day trip to and around the Three Cities today!
Visit Gozo’s magnificent Blue Lagoon.
Malta’s most famous site (and absolutely unmissable among things to do in Malta), the Blue Lagoon near the island of Comino, is accessible from the main island only by boat.
If you don’t want to miss a chance to swim in the turquoise water the lagoon is known for, you have a few choices. Most popularly, enormous ferries and giant boat tours run out to the lagoon a few times per day.
Or… you could take a smaller tour, which is what we loved doing!
We were invited on a day trip with Barbarossa Excursions that included stops at both the Blue Lagoon and the lesser-known (but equally gorgeous) Crystal Lagoon, a light lunch, and an afternoon visit to the island of Gozo.
This is the tour we took and loved.
The swimming was incredible, we dealt with far fewer people on our boat, and the best part?
We got to the Blue Lagoon well before any of the large ferries, and our group had the Blue Lagoon almost entirely to ourselves for an hour.
Considering the horror stories about how crowded it can get, we considered that quite the perk!
Take a Jeep tour of Gozo.
One of our favorite things to do in Malta was to explore the nearby island of Gozo via a half-day Jeep tour.
We were able to visit highlights of the island efficiently (including the former location of the Azure Window), and our guide, Tony, kept us laughing the whole time.
The views around Gozo are amazing and well worth the trip over from the island of Malta.
Some of our favorites include the beach near Calypso Cave, all of the coastline where the Azure Window used to be, and the view back toward Comino and Malta.
The Blue Lagoon is so bright, you can see it clearly even when perched high on a hill on Gozo!
Jeep, UTV, and ATV tours like this one are all extremely popular on Gozo, as they’re one of the most efficient ways to see the best of the island, fast. This is the updated version of the Jeep tour we loved!
Book your Jeep tour of Gozo today!
Tour the “silent city” of Mdina.
More than just a season one Game of Thrones filming location, the walled city of Mdina is home to a mere 300 people and a very limited number of cars, giving the city a hushed quality that makes it easy to feel you have stepped back in time.
Settled more than 4,000 years ago, long before the current capital city of Valletta was built, Mdina is home to oodles of history and was potentially once the home of the Apostle St. Paul.
Though we visited during the day and had a great time, I would love to go back in the evening and watch the sunset over the city!
At night, Mdina is lit by lamps, giving it an even more timeless feel.
One bonus of visiting Malta in September was that we had beautiful weather during our trip to Mdina: thanks to its inland location and arid environment, summers can get very hot in the Silent City!
Hoping to dive into the history of Mdina?
This popular walking tour is a great option and also covers a visit to Rabat, which sadly we didn’t have time to visit during our autumn trip to Malta.
Go scuba diving.
We didn’t have time to add scuba diving to our list of things to do in Malta on our September trip, but felt an ache for it as we watched divers head into the water–particularly during our Gozo Jeep tour.
Malta is home to some incredible dive sites, including a fairly new one.
The famous Azure Window is technically still able to be visited… you just have to go underwater to see it!
Though we didn’t get a chance to go diving in Malta this time, we’d love to return and give it a try! We’ve heard that it’s definitely an adventure worthy of any Europe bucket list.
Not a scuba diver but hope to learn one day?
Taking a scuba diving lesson in Malta might be the perfect way to (literally) get your feet wet!
Visit the Popeye Village.
Long before Game of Thrones descended onto Malta to film, Malta was home to another famous production!
The 1980 movie “Popeye” was filmed here, in a village set that was built especially for the movie.
It has now been turned into a small family theme park and a popular photo op, as the village set against beautiful Anchor Bay is incredibly picturesque.
Go horseback riding along the cliffs.
Like much of the Mediterranean, Malta’s beaches run more to rocky shores and beautiful cliffs than to smooth sand (though they do have their share of sand beaches, too!).
The cliffs are gorgeous, and what better way to see them than by horseback?
Go for a ride to check out Malta’s beauty from a whole new angle!
In what was a surprising twist for us, we got some flashbacks to our former home in Texas along our ride until we reached the coastline.
As it turns out, when you step away from the sparkling sea, Malta has a rocky, desert feel in many areas!
Where To Stay When Visiting Malta in September
While we were comfortable during our stay at Central Suites during our trip to Malta, we personally wouldn’t opt to stay there again.
Its location in Bugibba was too far out of the way, and we spent way too much time on buses back and forth to Valletta (about 45 minutes each way) during our time in Malta as a result.
If you’re looking for a quiet, out-of-the-way location, Central Suites might be a good pick for you.
When we go back to Malta, though, we’ll definitely choose to stay in the heart of Valletta!
Properties like the well-reviewed Melior Boutique Hotel and Hotel Pjazza Merkanti would be at the top of our list.
… Or, if we felt like a splurge, perhaps the gorgeous Embassy Valletta Hotel: those views are incredibly tempting!
Check rates & book your stay in Valletta today!
What to Pack for Autumn in Malta
Travel Adapters for Malta — Malta uses the same plugs that the UK does–and note that these are different from the bulk of mainland Europe.
Be sure to double-check that you add the right ones to your Malta packing list! We use these.
Pacsafe
Tote Bag
They’re incredibly handy and we recommend adding one to your packing list for Malta in September.
We’ve been carrying ours for years and it never stops coming in handy!
Sunscreen
Sea Bands
I use them on all boats and the occasional bus (if you look closely, you can spot them on my wrists in photos of me on a boat in this blog post!), and if things get really bad, I take some Non-Drowsy Dramamine as well.
Trust me: you don’t want to miss out on the joys of boating around the Mediterranean due to seasickness!
Is Visiting Malta in September Worth It?
We loved taking the opportunity to be surprised by this small island country, and we definitely found plenty of marvelous things to do in Malta in September.
Visiting Malta was a last-minute trip for us, and we’re so glad we took the opportunity to explore it!
Like in most destinations we take on with little planning, though, spontaneity has its tradeoffs.
We probably would have gotten more checked off this list of things to do in Malta in September (like scuba diving) had we done more research ahead of time!
That’s okay, though: it means we have all the more reason to return to Malta in the future!
… And when we do, September will continue to be at the top of our list of times to visit.
Read More About Visiting Malta + Southern Europe
Dreaming of European beach towns and making summer last as long as you can?
If so, be sure to check out these guides, too!
- A Quick Malta Travel Guide: What to Do, Where to Stay + More
- Greece in 7 Days: Itinerary Ideas for Island Hopping + Beyond
- 25 Beautiful Places to Visit in Slovenia
- The Ultimate 10 Days in Croatia Itinerary
- 15 Best Things to Do in Kotor, Montenegro
Many thanks to Barbarossa Excursions for hosting us on our full-day tour of Comino and Gozo! All opinions are, as always, our own.
any suggestions on dive companies to go with?
Sadly no, we didn’t have time to do any diving in Malta!
Going to Malta this year Sept 19 7th fir 10 days I always travel alone and all your information here has made me look forward to seeing Malta even more… thanks x
Thanks so much, Tracy! Hope you have a wonderful trip.
I really didn’t know a lot about Malta before reading this post, but it looks like a beautiful country. That jeep tour of Gozo sounds like a lot of fun. And I love checking out historic sites so a visit to Hagar Qim would be amazing.
The Jeep tour was one of our favorite events of the week–amazing views, great guide, and perfect weather to top things off. 🙂 Definitely look into it if you go!
A perfect guide for Malta. This has been on my list ever since I read about it last week. Didn’t know it has so much to offer
Thanks, Swati!
Malta IS spectacular – I guess that needs to be said even though it is so obvious by your photos. I’ve always been curious about Valletta since it’s a UNESCO site. But I see that Malta has more to offer! St. Peter’s Pool is one of a kind!
It definitely does have more to offer, but Valletta is beautiful–one of our favorite places that we visited in the country!
Malta is one of my dream destinations! It looks so nice and seems like it would always be warm and sunny. I’d definitely be up for all the things you’ve suggested, especially diving. I can’t believe the colour of that water!
Right? The water in the lagoons was crazy! Warm & sunny was definitely what we were going for–we booked this trip while dealing with the rain and cold weather in Slovakia!
I have been longing to visit Malta since quiet some time. Marsaxlokk Fishing Village looks like a great place I would love to have a some fresh sea food with lovely views. I would love to go for a Jeep tour to Gozo.
Marsaxlokk was one of our favorite places in Malta! The colorful fishing boats are so cute.
Malta is stunning and it is always on my wishlist. The blue waters of Blue Lagoon are so inviting. Wandering in the streets of Valleta is my favorite thing to do here. I would love to capture the cityscape of Malta with traditional houses. Visiting Mdina and getting soaked in dim lights of lamp for timeless feeling must be so great.
It’s a wonderful place–when you go, I definitely can’t recommend enough getting to the Blue Lagoon early in the day. I can’t imagine how different it must feel while crowded!
I’d love to visit Malta especially as it’s so close to Sicily and I’m there often. Ive heard good things about Gozo so would like to see it for myself. Valletta looks gorgeous! Almost like the Sicilian streets!
You should definitely make a trip over! We’d love to visit Sicily–hoping to make it there in the next couple of years.
The Azure window is high up on my wish list for scuba diving! Malta looks like the perfect water vacation for swimming, scuba, boating, and fishing. It is nice to see all of the “land” activities, too!
It definitely is–perfect coastal destination for water activities, and plenty to do on land, too!
I love your street shot of Valletta, the Maltese balconies photograph so well! I visited Mdina at night and I think I’d have preferred to visit during the day. The lights they used to illuminate the city are a little yellow which made it difficult to photograph naturally. The jeep tour of Gozo looks super fun!
Thanks James, I agree! That’s good to hear about Mdina–maybe we made the right call after all. 🙂