8 min read · Published: October 24, 2024 · Updated: October 29, 2026 · Prices and details checked: October 2026
A Malta package holiday works best as a base, not a programme: flight, transfer and hotel come from the tour operator, and two or three days of the week you plan yourself. Gozo, Valletta and the inland towns are all day trips by bus or ferry from the resort areas, and the fares are low. This guide shows what a package includes, what it leaves out, and how to fill the free days without booking an excursion from the hotel lobby.
Key takeaways
- A standard Malta package covers flight, airport transfer and hotel with the chosen meal plan. Bus tickets, ferries, museum entry and excursions are paid locally.
- The environmental contribution of 0.50 euros per person and night (capped at 5 euros per stay, guests aged 18 and over) is charged in Malta, not by the operator.
- Gozo is a 25 minute crossing from Cirkewwa; the walk-on ferry ticket costs 4.65 euros and covers the return trip.
- A single bus journey costs 2.00 euros in winter and 2.50 euros in summer; the Explore card gives 7 days on day and night routes for 25 euros.
- Keep two or three days of a seven night stay free and book only one thing in advance: the Hypogeum.
Table of contents
- What does a Malta package holiday usually include?
- What is not included and what does it cost on the spot?
- How many days should you keep free, and where should the hotel be?
- Free day one: Gozo by public ferry
- Free day two: Valletta on foot and the harbour by boat
- Free day three: Mdina, Rabat and the Hypogeum
- How do you get around without the operator’s coach?
- FAQ
What does a Malta package holiday usually include?
A package from a European operator bundles the return flight, the transfer between airport and hotel, and the room with the meal plan you chose (room only, breakfast, half board or all inclusive). Everything inside the hotel is covered; everything outside it is not.
Many operators add a welcome meeting with a representative who sells coach excursions. These are convenient but fixed: you leave when the coach leaves and see the same stops as every other group. The idea here is to replace two or three of those days with trips you control.
What is not included and what does it cost on the spot?
Four things are almost never in the package price: the environmental contribution, buses, ferries and entry to sights. All four are cheap compared with the package itself.
The environmental contribution (often called eco tax) is 0.50 euros per person and night, capped at 5.00 euros per person for one continuous stay, for guests aged 18 and over on the day of arrival. It is collected in Malta, so budget it separately even if the operator did not mention it.
A single bus journey on a day route costs 2.00 euros in the winter tariff and 2.50 euros in summer, valid for 2 hours including changes. Night routes cost 3.00 euros. Travelling without a valid ticket costs 50 euros, so keep the ticket until you get off.
Museum entry varies, and children aged 1 to 5 enter Heritage Malta sites free. If you plan several Heritage Malta sites in a week, including the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, compare the Multisite Pass at 60.00 euros for adults (30 days, not valid for the Hypogeum) with the single tickets.
Combine your trip with a hotel in Malta
Flight plus hotel in Sliema, St. Julian's or Gozo for your dates and budget.
Show Malta offersHow many days should you keep free, and where should the hotel be?
For a seven night package, keep two or three full days free and leave the first and last day for arrival, departure and the pool. That gives you one day on Gozo, one in Valletta and one inland, with beach days in between. Avoid Sunday for Valletta, because St John’s Co-Cathedral is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Sliema and St. Julian’s are the best base for independent days because they sit on the main bus corridor and have a direct ferry to Valletta every 30 minutes from 06:45 (3.00 euros one way, 5.00 euros return for adults, 1.00 euro one way for children). Bugibba, Qawra and Mellieha in the north put you closer to the Gozo ferry at Cirkewwa but further from Valletta. Choose the resort by what you want to see on your free days, not by the hotel photos.
A package lets you request a resort area but rarely a specific street. If the address matters, a flight plus a self-catering apartment gives the same freedom with the location fixed; our holiday apartments in Malta are a short walk from the Sliema ferry.
Free day one: Gozo by public ferry
Gozo is the day trip coach excursions do badly, because the tours spend most of the day on the bus. Take the Gozo Channel ferry from Cirkewwa to Mgarr instead: the crossing takes about 25 minutes and the walk-on ticket costs 4.65 euros for both directions. Foot passenger tickets are sold and checked only at the Mgarr terminal on Gozo, so you board at Cirkewwa without queuing and pay on the way back. Children aged 3 to 12 pay 1.15 euros and children up to 2 travel free with a free ticket from the counter.
Bus 222 links Sliema with Cirkewwa. From Valletta, the Gozo High Speed passenger ferry sails directly to Mgarr in about 45 minutes; check its prices in the booking system.
On Gozo, the Ggantija Temples near Xaghra (10.00 euros for adults, combined with the Ta’ Kola windmill) are rarely crowded in the morning. Gozo buses radiate from Victoria, so plan one or two villages beyond it, not five. More in our Gozo guide.
Free day two: Valletta on foot and the harbour by boat
Valletta needs a full day on foot, and the Sliema ferry is the best way to arrive. From the waterfront, the Upper Barrakka lift takes you up to the gardens for 1.00 euro return; children under 10 ride free. It runs from 07:00 to 21:00 in winter (1 November to 31 May) and to midnight in summer.
St John’s Co-Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 16:45. Adults pay 15.00 euros, students and seniors 12.00 euros, and the belfry tour costs 5.00 euros extra. Dress for a church and leave stiletto heels at the hotel, as they are not permitted on the marble floor.
The Sliema ferry runs until at least 01:00 in summer (1 June to 31 October) and earlier in winter, with a night fare of 3.50 euros one way after 19:30, so you can stay for dinner.
Free day three: Mdina, Rabat and the Hypogeum
Mdina and Rabat make a relaxed inland day for any weather. In Rabat, St Paul’s Catacombs cost 6.00 euros for adults and 3.50 euros for children aged 6 to 11, and the Domvs Romana, a Roman townhouse with mosaics, costs 6.00 euros. Inside Mdina, the National Museum of Natural History charges 5.00 euros. Heritage Malta sites stop admitting visitors 30 minutes before closing, so start in Rabat and finish in Mdina.
The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola admits only 10 people at a time for conservation reasons. Adults pay 35.00 euros, young people aged 12 to 17 and seniors 20.00 euros, and children under 6 are not admitted. Heritage Malta strongly recommends booking early; a few last minute tickets at 50.00 euros are sold the day before, first come first served, maximum 4 per person. If the Hypogeum matters to you, book it before you confirm the package dates.
How do you get around without the operator’s coach?
The bus covers all three days above, and a weekly card saves carrying coins. The Explore card costs 25.00 euros for adults and covers 7 days on all day and night routes (not the Tallinja Direct express buses); it is sold at sales offices, not on the bus. For only two bus days, the 12 Single Day Journeys card at 19.00 euros can be shared between travellers. We advise against a hire car for two or three free days: parking in Valletta and Mdina is the hardest part of the trip, and bus and ferry reach everything in these plans.
FAQ
Can I change the resort after booking a package?
Usually only against a change fee and subject to availability, so decide on the resort area before you confirm. Ask whether the transfer is shared or private before you pay; a shared coach may stop at several hotels before yours.
Is Comino worth one of the free days?
The Blue Lagoon is the busiest spot in Malta in summer, so take the first boat if you go. Boats from Marfa and Cirkewwa run about every 30 minutes, the crossing takes around 20 minutes, and the return fare is 15.00 euros for adults and 7.00 euros for children under 10.
Do I need to book excursions through the hotel representative?
No. Every trip in this article uses public ferries and buses, with tickets bought on the day or at a sales office. The only advance booking we recommend is the Hypogeum.
Is the eco tax included in all inclusive packages?
Normally not. The contribution of 0.50 euros per person and night, up to 5.00 euros per stay, applies to guests aged 18 and over and is settled in Malta regardless of the meal plan.
Are children’s tickets much cheaper?
Yes. Children under 4 travel free on the bus and children aged 4 to 10 pay 7.00 euros for a 7 day Explore Child card. On the Gozo ferry, children aged 3 to 12 pay 1.15 euros. At Heritage Malta sites, children aged 1 to 5 enter free.
Take the package for the flight, transfer and hotel, then put the Gozo ferry, the Valletta boat and one inland day in your own hands. If you would rather fix the address and the dates yourself, we arrange flights and accommodation in Sliema and St. Julian’s through our booking service.
Image credits: Pexels; Pixabay / photosforyou; Pixabay / 2427999
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