Highlights of Malta & Gozo — Self-Launched
7 days · Malta & Gozo
Intrepid Travel charges £1,840
No-markup version: ~£405 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of Intrepid's "Highlights of Malta & Gozo" (7 days, Valletta loop) built for solo travellers and small crews. Same route — Valletta's baroque core, the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, the Hagar Qim temples, silent Mdina, then ferry to Gozo for Victoria's Citadel, the Ta Cenc and Wied il-Ghasri coastal walks, the Xwejni salt pans and a village winery. You book your own hostel/guesthouse beds, use Malta's excellent public bus network and the Gozo Channel ferry instead of a private minibus, and self-book walking tours, museum tickets and a wine tasting directly. Roughly six to seven times cheaper than the guided group departure. All costs are approximate per person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Valletta — sunset at the waterfront
Valletta
Fly into Malta International Airport (MLA). Take the X4 express bus or the Tallinja 24hr/7-day Explore card from the airport to Valletta bus terminus (about £2-3 per single journey, or ~£21 for a 7-day unlimited card — worth it for this trip). Check into a Valletta or Floriana hostel dorm (Marcus/Knights Hostel style) or a budget guesthouse in Sliema across the harbour. Spend the late afternoon on your own orientation walk: Triton Fountain, the City Gate, Upper Barrakka Gardens for the 4pm or 5pm saluting battery firing over Grand Harbour. Optional: National Museum of Archaeology (~£5) to see the Sleeping Lady before you visit the temples later in the week. Eat pastizzi and ftira in a Valletta bar for £6-10. If you want company early, post in the Travel Crew group chat and agree a 9am meet-up at the City Gate for Day 2.
🚌X4 or X1 bus from MLA to Valletta (~£2-3); walking in the city
🛏Hostel dorm in Valletta/Floriana or budget guesthouse in Sliema (~£22-30)
- →Self-guided Valletta orientation walk
- →Upper Barrakka Gardens & saluting battery
- →Optional: National Museum of Archaeology (~£5)
Valletta in depth — Co-Cathedral, gardens and a harbour ferry
Valletta
Self-launched version of the guided walking tour: book a 'Valletta Highlights' small-group walking tour on GetYourGuide (~£18-25) or use a free/pay-what-you-want walking tour and tip £5-10. Key stops you can do on your own with the same route: St John's Co-Cathedral and its Caravaggio (Beheading of St John the Baptist) — entry ~£13 with audioguide, book online to skip the queue; the narrow grid streets of the grid-plan city; Upper Barrakka Gardens; then the Barrakka Lift down to Grand Harbour (~£1) and a short harbour ferry across to Birgu/Vittoriosa and Senglea (single ~£2, the three-cities ferry) for the views back at Valletta's bastions. Coffee at a traditional Valletta cafe ~£2-3 (try a Maltese 'kuċċarina' coffee). Evening: Strait Street bars or the Valletta waterfront for a ftira and local Cisk beer (£10-15).
🚌Walking plus Barrakka Lift (~£1) and Grand Harbour ferry (~£2 each way)
🛏Hostel dorm in Valletta/Floriana or budget guesthouse in Sliema (~£22-30)
- →St John's Co-Cathedral & Caravaggio (~£13)
- →Small-group Valletta walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£20)
- →Barrakka Lift to Grand Harbour (~£1)
- →Three Cities harbour ferry (~£4 return)
- →Maltese coffee at a local cafe (~£3)
Marsaxlokk, Hagar Qim temples and silent Mdina
Valletta → Marsaxlokk → Hagar Qim → Mdina → Valletta
Big south-west day trip on public buses. Start early: bus 81/85 from Valletta to Marsaxlokk (~£2, 40 min) for the Sunday-style fish market and the luzzu boats — arrive before 11am if you want the market energy. Then bus 119/81 toward Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (€2 per site, ~£2, or combined ticket ~£7-9; book online on Heritage Malta). These are UNESCO megalithic temples older than the pyramids — do the visitor centre film first, then walk the covered shelters. Continue to Mdina by bus (change at Rabat, ask the driver; ~£2): the Silent City's narrow lanes, St Paul's Cathedral (~£5), and the Mdina Dungeons or the Viewpoint for the island panorama. If you want the operator's sit-down lunch equivalent, Mdina and Rabat have great farm-to-table trattorias (Bacchus, Coogi's) — expect £18-28, or do a cheaper ftira at Fontanella for the view. Return to Valletta by bus 51/52/53/56 (~£2).
🚌Tallinja buses Valletta–Marsaxlokk–Hagar Qim–Mdina–Valletta (~£8-10 total in singles)
🛏Hostel dorm in Valletta/Floriana or budget guesthouse in Sliema (~£22-30)
- →Marsaxlokk market and harbour
- →Hagar Qim & Mnajdra temples (€2-3.50 per site, ~£7-9 combined)
- →Mdina Silent City walk
- →St Paul's Cathedral Mdina (~£5)
- →Optional: lunch at a Rabat/Mdina restaurant (~£20)
Ferry to Gozo — Victoria's Citadel and the Ta Cenc cliffs
Valletta → Gozo (Victoria)
Take the Gozo Channel ferry from Cirkewwa (bus 41/42/222/X1 from Valletta to Cirkewwa, ~£2, then the 25-minute crossing — foot passengers currently cross free, foot passenger + bus combo covered by Tallinja card). In Mgarr, the 301/303 bus climbs to Victoria/Rabat (Gozo) (~£1-2). Drop bags at a Victoria/Rabat guesthouse or the Gozo hostel options in Xlendi/Marsalforn (~£25-35 dorm/room). Afternoon: self-navigate Victoria's Citadel — the Gozo Museum of Archaeology, Gran Castello Historic House and Gozo Nature Museum are a joint ticket (~£5-7) and easily done solo with the Citadel map. Late afternoon: bus 305/306 to Xlendi, then walk the Xlendi–Ta Cenc coastal path (~2-3 hrs) past sea caves and the Munxar cliffs to the Ta' Cenc plateau and Sannat — spectacular and completely unguided. Back via Sannat bus or a shared taxi (ask at the Gozo helpline; ~£8-12 split). Sweets from a village bakery (Tal-Barrani style) ~£2-3.
🚌Valletta bus to Cirkewwa (~£2), Gozo Channel ferry (free for foot passengers), 301/303 to Victoria (~£1-2), 305 to Xlendi (£1-2)
🛏Guesthouse room or hostel dorm in Victoria/Rabat, Gozo (~£25-35)
- →Gozo Channel ferry crossing (free on foot)
- →Victoria Citadel & museums joint ticket (~£5-7)
- →Xlendi to Ta Cenc coastal hike (self-guided)
- →Village bakery stop (~£3)
Xwejni salt pans, Wied il-Ghasri and a Gozo winery
Gozo (Marsalforn / Ghasri / Xwejni)
Rent a small car or scooter for the day (car ~£35-45 incl. insurance and fuel, ~£12-22 each if four of you split; scooter ~£25 — only if you're comfortable on Gozitan lanes) or use bus 306/311 to Marsalforn then walk the coast. Walk or drive west to the Xwejni Salt Pans near Qbajjar — the salt pans are free to visit and the salt is sold roadside (~£4-6 a bag). Continue to Wied il-Ghasri: an inland cliff gorge with a tiny inlet beach, one of the best short coastal hikes on the island and completely self-navigable (1-2 hrs). Afternoon: self-book a Gozo wine tasting at a family winery (Tal-Massar or a Gozo Wine Trail producer, ~£15-25 incl. several wines and local cheese/sundried tomato). Dinner in Marsalforn for grilled fish (~£15-20).
🚌Rental car split (~£12-22 pp with fuel) or Gozo buses 306/311 (~£2-4)
🛏Guesthouse room or hostel dorm in Victoria/Rabat or Marsalforn (~£25-35)
- →Xwejni salt pans walk
- →Wied il-Ghasri coastal hike
- →Winery tour and wine tasting (~£18-25)
- →Optional: Grilled seafood dinner in Marsalforn (~£18)
Gozo free day — beaches, ruins or Dwejra
Gozo → Valletta
Free morning to pick your own Gozo highlight: Ramla Bay's red sand (bus 302) for swimming, the Ggantija Temples in Xaghra (~£8, UNESCO, older than Hagar Qim), or Dwejra's Inland Sea / Blue Hole for snorkelling and a boat through the cave (~£6-8). If you're diving, Gozo's Blue Hole and the Xlendi wrecks are world-class — a guided shore dive is ~£40-50. Mid-afternoon ferry back to Malta (301/303 to Mgarr, ferry, then bus from Cirkewwa to Valletta, ~£4 total). Check back into a Valletta or Sliema bed for the final night. Evening: Bugibba or Sliema promenade for a cheap pizza and a beer (£10-14).
🚌Gozo buses to beach (£1-2), ferry to Cirkewwa (free on foot), bus to Valletta (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm in Valletta/Sliema or budget guesthouse (~£22-30)
- →Optional: Ramla Bay beach (free)
- →Optional: Ggantija Temples (~£8)
- →Optional: Dwejra Blue Hole / Inland Sea boat (~£7)
- →Optional: guided shore dive (~£45)
Depart Valletta
Valletta
Final morning for anything you missed — a slow breakfast at Cordina's in Valletta, last-minute souvenirs at the Valletta Waterfront, or a quick swim at St Peter's Pool or Pretty Bay if you have a late flight. Bus X4 to the airport (~£2) about 3 hours before departure. No group transfer needed, so you're flexible if you extend into a few Valletta days (Malta's Nomad visa/remote-work options and co-living spaces are worth considering if you want to stay longer).
🚌X4 bus to Malta International Airport (~£2)
🛏—
- →Optional: St Peter's Pool or Pretty Bay swim
- →Valletta souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£405 | £1,840 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,435 per person (78%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£405
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Malta & Gozo — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £405 per person for 7 days in Malta & Gozo. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £1,840 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £405 — a saving of roughly £1,435 (78%) per person.
How long is the Malta & Gozo trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Malta & Gozo.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, hiking, budget trip through Malta & Gozo, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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