Why we love it and how to do Malta on a budget as a family

Malta has quickly become one of our favourite affordable European family destinations. We’ve now visited twice, once in April 2025 and again in February 2026, and each trip has given us a completely different experience, from colourful carnival celebrations in Valletta to wandering the ancient streets of Mdina and finding surprisingly affordable luxury hotels.

What I love most about Malta is that you can mix culture, history, sunshine, sea views and family travel without spending a fortune. There are so many things to do simply by walking around, soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the cities on foot, which makes it ideal for a more budget-conscious family holiday. The people are so friendly and welcoming and we found visiting out of peak season the best way to get maximum value.

Why Malta works so well on a budget

My top tips for maximum value family holidays to Malta are…

• affordable Bolt taxis – this is the best way to get around the island along with buses (although avoid some of the busiest routes)
• walkable cities – there’s sooo much to see!
• free attractions and sightseeing – you don’t need expensive tickets like in Rome, there’s so much to do for free.
• low-cost cafés and bakeries – perfect for picking up snacks and drinks in the sunshine
• off-season travel value – we went early in the year and didn’t regret it

Where we stayed in Malta

The Westin Dragonara, St Julian’s

I’ll get my full review posted here soon but this is one of our favourite hotels we’ve been to in any coutry ever. It is huge, beautifully designed and laid out, the rooms are spacious and stylish and the food was AMAZING! We’ve never know staff as friendly and helpful and it was a magical experience.

• location
• pools
• sea views
• family friendly
• luxury feel
• The half-board option was brilliant value.

DoubleTree by Hilton Malta review

We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Malta during our Malta family holiday after finding a reasonably good deal, and although there were definitely positives, it ultimately wasn’t a hotel we completely fell in love with.

Our family room was clean and functional, with a sofa bed already prepared for the children, but the space did feel quite cramped for four of us. If we stayed again, I would probably pay extra for one of the larger family room options with separate sleeping areas. Some areas of the hotel also felt a little tired, particularly the corridors and lift spaces, despite the more polished reception and pool areas.

The food was disappointing and a real let down especially compared to the outstanding food on offer at the Westin Dragonara.

The facilities were probably the strongest part of the experience. There are multiple pools, sea access, spa facilities and lots of places to sit and relax, so it works well if you are looking for a resort-style base in Malta. The location in St Paul’s Bay also makes it fairly easy to explore the island using Bolt taxis, which we found surprisingly affordable throughout the trip.

Overall, although we enjoyed parts of the stay and the hotel has good facilities, it wasn’t somewhere that felt particularly special or memorable for us personally. For the price point, we came away feeling there are probably nicer hotels in Malta that offer a bit more character, atmosphere or value for money.

Read my full review of the Hilton Doubletree Malta here

Exploring Valletta on foot

The best way to do Malta on a budget is to explore on foot as there is so much to see in Valletta. We caught the bus which dropped us at Valletta bus station which is located right outside the city entrance and right by the amazing Triton Fountain. If you are travelling with kids we also found a small selection of food vendors here we got a few pizza slices and a couple of drinks which were very reasonably priced and delicious. 

Once inside the city gates it seems like every corner you turn around reveals another beautiful street, the Main Street is Republic Street and leads all the way down to Fort St. Elmo and an amazing view of the port. It can get busy and we found peeling off down some of the side streets worked well as you then discovered some less busy gems. One of which was St Paul’s Cathedral which is free to enter and is beautiful inside well worth a visit and if you get thirsty after exploring the church they also sell beer in the gift shop on the way out (Cisk beer aka maltese champagne!).

Malta Carnival in Valletta

On our second visit to Valletta we stumbled upon the Traditional Malta Carnival which takes place from February 5 to February 9, running in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. It was great loads of colourful floats, load music and busy streets we got a Bolt into Valletta this time be prepared for public transport to be busier with people travelling into the carnival over these dates. 

Visiting Mdina: Malta’s Silent City

Worth a visit if this is your first time to Malta, it used to be the capital of Malta before Valletta and is know as the “Silent City” as traffic is largely restricted and the atmosphere is quiet you might encounter a few horse and carts but that’s about it traffic wise. Mdina gate the entrance to the city is also famous for appearing as the gate to King’s Landing in Game of Thrones.

Some really nice streets to walk around a lot quieter than Valletta you won’t need as long to explore as it a lot smaller and doesn’t have as many places to stop for drinks and food.

The Grandmaster’s Palace Armoury

The The Saluting Battery is definitely worth a visit it has a great view of the port and if you time it right you can see the cannons being fired,  they fire daily (Monday through Saturday) at 12:00 PM (Noon) and 4:00 PM. We were unaware of this and it fired whilst we were eating lunch at a cafe just below, which made us all jump out our seats! 

A great view of the port and the cruise ships that dock in Valletta, also some great information about Maltas rich history and appreciate the curtain walls built by the Order of Saint John and the British Empire. 

Free and low-cost things to do in Malta

If you are going to try Malta on a budget here’s a few things I’d recommend doing:

• Walking Valletta, amazing streets and great views
• Explore Vallettas many Churches many of which are free
• Time the trip with the carnival season in Malta
• Visit Mdina, amazing place to explore on foot and has some great views
• Public beaches swim and sunbathe at public sandy spots like Mellieha Bay or Ghajn Tuffieha without paying for entry
• Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens, Walk through these public garden terraces for panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities
• The Saluting Battery, watch the historic cannons fire daily from the ramparts at noon

Our Malta on a budget travel tips

• Use Bolt instead of hotel taxis
• Travel outside peak summer months
• Combine sightseeing areas on foot
• Pre-book attractions selectively
• Look for hotel package deals
• Compare Hilton offers vs luxury independents
• Take advantage of free cultural sites