Malta Discovery — Self-Launched Island Adventure
5 days · Malta
Soleto Travel charges £1,650
No-markup version: ~£490 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 5-day version of Soleto Travel's Malta Discovery tour, covering Valletta, Mdina, the Cottonera Three Cities, Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto, Dingli Cliffs and Gozo — but built around public buses, ferries and self-booked walking tours instead of a private driver-guide. Base yourself in a Valletta or Sliema guesthouse and use Malta's excellent (and cheap) bus network plus the Gozo Channel ferry. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude flights, which are usually cheapest booked separately to Luqa (Malta International).
Day-by-day
Arrival in Valletta
Valletta
Land at Malta International Airport (Luqa) and take the public X4 or X5 express bus from outside arrivals to Valletta bus terminus — roughly €2 (about £1.70) for a single, or buy a 7-day Explore Card (€25/£21) at the airport info desk if you plan lots of buses. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel inside or just outside the city walls (e.g. a private room in a Valletta townhouse or a Sliema hostel). Spend the late afternoon wandering Republic Street, the Barrakka Gardens and the harbour viewpoints for free. Pick up groceries or eat at a pastizzi shop (two pastizzi plus a coffee is about €3/£2.50).
🚌Airport bus X4/X5 (~£2) or optional 7-day Explore Card (~£21)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private room in Valletta/Sliema (~£36/night)
- →X4/X5 airport bus to Valletta
- →Self-guided wander of Republic Street and Upper Barrakka Gardens
- →Sunset harbour views
- →Pastizzi dinner
Valletta and Mdina
Valletta & Mdina
Morning: join a self-bookable Valletta walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£18–22 for a 2.5-hour small-group tour) covering St John's Co-Cathedral exterior and interior, the Barrakka Gardens and the Grand Master's Palace from outside. St John's Co-Cathedral entry is €15 (£13) on its own if you go independently. Grab a local pastizzi or imqaret pastry tasting in the market. Afternoon: take bus 51/52/53 from Valletta to Mdina (about 30 min, €2/£1.70) — Mdina is free to walk, and you can visit St Paul's Church (small entry) and enjoy the Belvedere viewpoint over the island. Return by bus in the evening, or eat in Rabat's cheaper trattorias before heading back.
🚌Local buses 51/52/53 to Mdina (~£3.50 return)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Valletta/Sliema (~£36/night)
- →Self-booked Valletta walking tour (GetYourGuide)
- →St John's Co-Cathedral entry
- →Pastizzi / imqaret tasting
- →Bus to Mdina and self-guided walled-city walk
- →Mdina Belvedere viewpoint
Cottonera, Marsaxlokk, Blue Grotto and Dingli Cliffs
Three Cities, Marsaxlokk & Dingli
Do this as a DIY south-Malta loop. Start with the bus or a short ferry across Grand Harbour to the Three Cities (Senglea, Vittoriosa, Cospicua) — walk the quiet lanes, waterfront and Gardjola Gardens for free. Then catch bus 81/82 to Marsaxlokk fishing village, see the colourful luzzu boats and browse the market stalls; eat lunch at a harbour-side seafood restaurant (grilled fish ~£12–15) instead of the included group lunch. Continue by bus toward Wied iz-Zurrieq and optionally take the small boat into the Blue Grotto (€10/£8.50, weather permitting, paid locally). Finish with a bus leg to Dingli Cliffs for the coastal sunset, then return to Valletta. A full-day Explore Card or a reloadable tallinja card keeps transport costs down.
🚌Local buses / short harbour ferry across south Malta (~£8 total)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Valletta/Sliema (~£36/night)
- →Self-guided Three Cities walk (Senglea, Vittoriosa, Cospicua)
- →Marsaxlokk market and luzzu boats
- →Optional Blue Grotto boat trip (paid locally)
- →Dingli Cliffs sunset viewpoint
Gozo Island Tour
Gozo
Take bus 41/42 or 45 from Valletta to Ċirkewwa ferry terminal (about 1 hour), then the Gozo Channel ferry across — foot passengers travel free on the crossing, you only pay on the return (€4.65/£4). On Gozo use the hop-on/hop-off buses or local services: visit Ta' Pinu Basilica, the Dwejra coastline (Inland Sea), Xlendi Bay for a swim, and the Ġgantija megalithic temples (€10/£8.50 entry). Spend the afternoon in Victoria — the Citadella is free to explore and the Victoria market and St George's Square are worth a wander. Return by ferry and bus to Valletta; consider a late dinner of ftira or rabbit stew (stuffat tal-fenek) back on the main island.
🚌Bus to Ċirkewwa + Gozo ferry return + Gozo local buses (~£14)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Valletta/Sliema (~£36/night)
- →Gozo Channel ferry crossing
- →Ta' Pinu and Dwejra coastline
- →Ġgantija temples entry
- →Victoria Citadella and market
- →Xlendi Bay swim
Departure
Valletta
Final morning: a last coffee and pastry in Valletta, perhaps a quick free walk along the Valletta waterfront or a dip at a nearby rocky beach if timing allows. Then take the X4/X5 bus back to the airport (about 30 min, £2). If you have an evening flight, a locker at the bus terminus or the airport lets you store bags and use the day. Costs below exclude flights home.
🚌X4/X5 airport bus (~£2)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Morning walk in Valletta
- →Optional swim at a rocky beach
- →Airport bus
Self-launched vs. Soleto Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Soleto Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£490 | £1,650 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,160 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Soleto Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£490
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Malta Discovery — Self-Launched Island Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £490 per person for 5 days in Malta. 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 Soleto Travel?+
Yes — Soleto Travel charges around £1,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £490 — a saving of roughly £1,160 (70%) per person.
How long is the Malta trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Malta.
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, budget, backpacker trip through Malta, 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.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.