Exploring Malta with Kids: 15 Must-Do Family Activities (+ Free Scavenger Hunt Map!)

Trip Type: Cultural Trip

Difficulty Level: ✈️/5

Well, we did it! We made it to Malta—yep, the tiny island where Game of Thrones was filmed, Apostle Paul shipwrecked, and some of the world’s oldest ruins (hello, UNESCO sites!) are just hanging out like no big deal. Honestly, I didn’t know half of that until I found a trip deal to Istanbul that included a multi-day stop in Malta. With its year-round sunshine, perfect temps, and let’s be real—major curiosity vibes—I couldn’t resist. And you know me, I try to do my research before jumping on a plane. So if you’re wondering about the best things to do in Malta with kids, I’ve got you. Here are 13 fun, family-friendly adventures that made our Malta with kids trip one for the books! Don’t know what to pack, let me help!

Heads up! Some links on here are affiliate links, meaning I might make a tiny commission if you buy something—at no extra cost to you. But don’t worry, I only recommend stuff I actually love. My opinion? 100% my own!

Stroller Recommendation

Malta with kids is completely doable, however, you’ll need a great stroller to do so. Here’s my all-time favorite stroller is the Hagaday 2-1 Baby Stroller.

Anyways, here’s the lowdown on the trip and my highly recommended kid-friendly Malta “must-dos” in no particular order.

✨1 ✨St Julian’s Bay Street Shopping Complex✨ 

After arriving at the beautiful Malta International Airport, we were picked up by our hotel shuttle service and dropped off at the hotel lobby to explore the area (it was too early to check in). Be.hotel was situated within a large shopping area, so imagine a hotel attached to Universal Studios CityWalk! I’ll list off a few “things to do” that were around the hotel with kids.

✨2✨ Explore Mdina, The Silent City

Okay, our first tour!! So exciting! We hopped onto a packer van that picked up our group and rode into Mdina, otherwise known as the Silent City! It’s referred to as the Silent City because it does not have a lot of vehicular traffic and has very strict noise regulations. Keep in mind that there are horses that carry passengers into Mdina, and they do not stop for walkers, so make sure to move over if you hear their bells ringing.

Our journey to 700 BC began by walking through the main city gates, where, according to Christopher Rudder from Rudder Less Traveled is where in the tv show Game of Thrones, is the entrance to King’s Landing and is also where Ned and Catelyn kiss goodbye. We then continued on and explored the city on foot with our awesome tour guide. We learned that the city was built on a hill for its strategic location and that there are currently still around 250 residents. We also learned some fun facts about what the buildings used to be wayyyyyy back in the day. This walking tour was incredibly kid and stroller-friendly, which I highly recommend. Carrying the baby the whole time was not fun!

✨ 3 ✨ Mdina Christmas Market

Malta’s most common religion is Catholicism, which comes with the accompaniment of many holidays. Because we were there end of November, we were surrounded by Christmas decorations and European holiday markets in the town square. Make sure to check the dates and times of the local markets and festivities happening during your visit. Also, try the homemade Christmas mince pies, we had so many and they were all delicious!

✨ 4 ✨The Malta Classic

✨5✨ St Paul’s Catacombs

Okay, I get it. Catacombs?! Like from the terrifying movie “As Above So Below”, yes, catacombs similar to those. But not scary at all. And besides, if you have a 5-year-old boy, he may be very interested in this. My kid was, to my great surprise, way more excited than scared. St Paul’s catacombs served as a burial ground as far back as the Punic, Roman, and even Byzantine times. We descended old stairs into the catacomb area, where there are no currently *known* bodies, so it’s kid-friendly in that sense. This goes without saying: do not bring a stroller. The catacombs are a large interconnected cave-like system, and there’s no way a stroller would be useful or fit. So carry them babies!

✨ 6 ✨ Valletta, Capital City of Malta

After, we continued exploring Valletta and attended a ceremony where the cannons are blasted at every hour by Maltese soldiers. There were also many Christmas decorations to stroll through, and artisan markets where we loaded up on artwork, wooden toys, prickly pear jam, and jewelry. Additionally, make your stop by the Triton Fountain for some beautiful photos. If you’re visiting during winter, you’ll likely spot great Christmas photo ops and the Fairyland right by the city’s entrance. The Fairyland Market is a Christmas market that sells food and items, along with a few rides.

✨ 7 ✨ National Museum of Archeology

The National Museum of Archeology is where we learned about Malta’s rich history that dates back all the way back to 3600 BC that’s older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza!

✨ 8 ✨ Golden Bay Beach Sunset Watching

Golden Bay Beach went beyond any expectations, it was a perfect place to let the kids run around and get any and all their energy out. Although the water was a bit cold for my taste, this did not stop the kiddos from getting wet! I would like to note, however, that this beach does have public facilities to change or use the restroom and has a very cute cafe/restaurant where you can grab some great food with an even greater view. I was 5 months pregnant and got a little nauseous when I hopped into the cafe to drink some sparkling water.

✨ 9 ✨ Double Decker Bus

Today was our own, and we decided to pack in everything we could. We joined the Hop – on- Hop Off Bus Malta. We were able to purchase the tickets directly from our front desk in the hotel and walk outside to the bus stop to wait. This option is really fun because the bus stops are at popular sites around the island, and the bus arrives every 30 minutes. This allows you to see many important things on and off a double-decker bus that visits the entire island! This bus was perfect because I did not have to collapse my stroller to get on and off, and there was ample room to place the stroller inside and find a seat. This is at the top of my recommendations! They also communicated well when the buses were behind for pickup.

✨ 10 ✨ Skorba Temples

The Skorba Temples are an amazing site to see. They are megalithic remains that are a designated UNESCO World Heritage site as of 1992. While you do have to pay to enter the site, it is well worth the price. Make sure to keep an eye out on the website for any closures. Two things to note: 1. You will not want to go here with a stroller, it is a short walk to the actual temple locations from the main road where your vehicle will drop you off, and 2. to purchase a ticket, you need to head over to Mġarr Farmers Bar. This is a local bar that serves authentic Maltese cuisine and gives you a great view of where the locals go to eat and hang out. They were very accommodating, and the food was delicious. We ordered the Kusksu, a hearty soup filled with vegetables.

✨ 11 ✨ Malta National Aquarium

This aquarium was near St Paul’s shipwreck site, while you can not see the actual shipwreck, you can look out at the sea and imagine what those waters might have looked like during the horrible storm in 60 AD carrying those passengers. Additionally, there is a super well-kept and frankly new-looking playground your children can enjoy while you wait for the bus to come pick you up. The aquarium was full of species known to the Maltese area, it complete must-see for your kids to see the underwater Malta critters.

✨ 12 ✨ Walk Ta’Qali Artisan Village

Ta’Qali artist village is a quiet place where local artists work and sell their works, mainly in glassmaking. There are different types are artwork you can witness here painting or jewelry making. Additionally, there are wonderful parks for your children to enjoy while an adult visits the glass store, because I will admit THAT was scary. I did not trust my one-year-old enough to even loosen his stroller straps in the glass store. Check out this website to see the directory.

✨ 13 ✨ Gozo Island Ferry Ride

Gozo is the second largest of the archipelago islands. It is considered one of the world’s best diving destinations due to its crystal clear Mediterranean waters. Gozo has much to offer, including Salt Pans, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Ta’ Pinu, Blue Lagoon, Elephant Rock, and many others. To my surprise, Gozo is home to many filming sites, including “Game of Thrones”, “The Count of Monte Cristo”, and “By The Sea”. It just takes a short ferry ride from Malta over to Gozo. During the warmer months, many of the ferries have slides where they park the ferries off the most beautiful beaches for you to enjoy the water. This would be perfect for kids who can swim!

✨14 ✨ See the Boats at Marsaxlokk

Take a delightful stroll by the unique Maltese luzzu boats in the traditional fishing village of Marsaxlokk. These boats are so colorful that your little ones will be sure to enjoy the sights!

✨15 ✨ Don’t Skip These!

There are a few things I really regret not doing while visiting Malta that you should consider. While in Gozo, check out the unique Salt Pans. The Baths of Sliema, Malta, where you can swim and enjoy the waters that were once used by the Romans. Near Golden Bay beach is the location where Popeye was filmed, called Popeye’s Village. This is an incredibly fun place to visit, and during the warmer months, they have inflatables in the area to play in. Some NOT CHILD FRIENDLY places that I would have loved to take a date to were the highly rated cave restaurant called Grotto Tavern and the highly recommended Baracuda restaurant.

🗺️ Free Malta Scavenger Hunt for Kids & Families!

Planning a trip to Malta with little explorers in tow? Make your adventure even more fun with our printable Malta Scavenger Hunt Map! 🎉

This colorful, kid-friendly map highlights some of Malta’s most iconic sights and hidden treasures—from ancient cities to quirky local symbols. It’s a great way to keep the whole family engaged while discovering the island.

👇 Download the Scavenger Hunt Map (PDF) and print it before you go, or use it digitally during your travels.

Happy hunting!

Joelyz & the Fam